Friday, March 19, 2021 Edition

Friday, March 19, 2021/ Sha’aban 5, 1442 AH

2515 Days after Malam Wada Maida (1950-2020), founding Chairman, Board of the Peoples Media Limited

Vol. 36 No. 034 N200

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peoplesdailyng

. . . putting the people first

The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Out-of-school children in Nigeria hits 10m – Minister

PG 5

COVID-19: Govs seek uptake of vaccines by eligible Nigerians

PG 5

...Push for greater role for NDLEA in insecurity fight

Bello Masari of Katsina State, 3rd right, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Security, Printing and Minting Plc, Alhaji Abbas Umar Masanawa, 2nd right and other management staff, when Governor Masari visited the Abuja Headquarters of the company, popularly referred to as The MINT, yesterday.

$ 1.5 bn to renovate Port Harcourt refinery prohibitive, says Atiku PG 4 Kano residents shun COVID-19 vaccination pAGE 3

Drama as IGP, AGF DMO lists N162.557bn 7-Year appear as prosecutors Sovereign SUKUK on Nigerian in Ohakim’s trial Stock Exchange pAGE 6

pAGE 19

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

News CONTENTS News 6-18 Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Stock Watch Business Metro

18 19-21 24

World Analysis 22 Africa News

23

World News

24

An unstable Libya remains a problem for Sahel region, Says Buhari

By Egena Sunday Ode

A

s far as Libya remains unstable, illegal arms and ammunition will continue to flow in the Sahel region of the African continent, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

The President spoke Thursday at State House, Abuja, while receiving in farewell audience the outgoing Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohammed

Ibn Chambas.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said Muammar Gadaffi held a grip on power in Libya for 42 years by recruiting armed guards from different countries, who then escaped with their arms when the Libyan strongman was killed.

“They didn’t learn any other skill, than to shoot and kill.

So, they are a problem all over the Sahel countries today,” the President said, adding:

“We closed our land borders here for more than a year, but arms and ammunition continued to flow illegally. As far as Libya remains unstable, so will the problem remain.

“We have to cope with the problems of development, as we can’t play hop, step and jump.

But we will eventually overcome those problems.”

President Buhari, the statement said, described Chambas, who spent many years in Nigeria in different capacities, from ECOWAS to UN, as “more of a Nigerian than anything else.”

The outgoing Special Representative thanked the President “for personal support I received from you, and from Nigeria as a country,” adding that the country would continue to play a leadership role on the continent.

On terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin area, Chambas said Nigeria was playing a yeoman’s role, particularly in giving support to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the statement said.

Bandits kill Police Inspector, abducts 3 In Kaduna Page 9

Digest

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Feature 26 Sports 29-31 Back Page

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Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) in charge of Adamawa and Taraba States Mr Ishak Ganiyu (R), during the inspection of Jericans of Petrol seized by the command, along Nigeria - Cameroon borders in Yola on Thursday (18/3/21). NAN

Runsewe harps on promotion of Nigerian food culture

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

I

n ensuring that the narratives of Nigeria cuisines culture is changed, the Director General National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Runsewe has harped on the promotion of Nigerian food culture home and aboard .

He said the time has come to discourage the consumption of foreign food culture, saying that most of those food were been preserved with chemicals which at the long run has negative effects on health. “ Nigeria is blessed by God with variety of food items. The time has come to encourage the use of Nigeria Cuisines “.

Runsewe explained that,”patronizing made in Nigeria food items by our locally producers, Nigerian Small scale entrepreneurs have become very paramount. This will create more employment for Nigerians especially women, youth and other vulnerable members of the Society.”

Speaking at the Unveiling of the Made in Nigeria Products yesterday in Abuja, with the theme: “Promoting Nigerian Food Culture”, the Director General disclosed that “the Nigeria food basket we are presenting today has created over 2000 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs.

It has a prospect of creating over 5million jobs if sustained.”

According to him, NCAC is collaborating with Business Visa to implement this program.

“If we can promote and patronize our own products, the level of unemployment will reduce and our people will be economically empowered”,he said .

He described Nigeria’s cultural foods as natural but rich in nutrients and medicine.

He added that it builds and boost immune system.

Runsewe reiterated that he will collaborate with another agencies in ensuring that the country’s food basket are being used in the airports, embassies, supermarket,handy gifts for Christmas and other related

celebrations.

Earlier, the Managing Director, Business Visa Limited, Garba Sani, called on the federal government to established a market for 100% Nigeria made food to boost the country’s economy.

Sani pleaded for other government agencies to collaborate and intervene in both township and rural entrepreneurship development.

Speaking during the interface with the local producers, the entrepreneurs urged government to look into the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control( NAFDAC) certifications to help Nigeria entrepreneurs get certify easily.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

News From Kano

R

Mustapha

News Editor, Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Adamu,

esidents of Kano state have shunned COVID-19 vaccination, exactly a week after launching the exercise by the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Recall that the state government, on March 9th, received 209,520 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from the federal government.

However, observation by PEOPLES DAILY has shown that there was total apathy to the exercise by residents of Kano, the second most populous state in Nigeria.

Our observation had shown that most of the designated vaccinated centres were found to be empty when visited by a team of journalists yesterday.

Kano residents shun COVID-19 vaccination At the designated Centre, situated at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital popularly known as Nasarawa Hospital, there was some compliance from people according to the two Medical doctors that spoke under anonymity.

The doctors said “ We have vaccinated many people here and even yesterday (Wednesday) we have done so to many and as Iam talking to you now, the vaccination team are at emir palace “.

However, when the journalists

visited the Emir’s palace, the vaccination team were said to have administered the vaccine to some traditional rulers.

Also, palace officials said the team after their duties had gone to Walin Kano’s house to administer the vaccine on him and his family but other residents in the palace refused to show up to receive the shot.

At Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano, the designated Centre was also found to be deserted by both the health

officials and the people who would supposedly take the jab.

A female health worker told the team of reporters that the vaccination team was able to vaccinate only 10 persons who presented their international passports as the server had refused to open for people wishing to register for the vaccination online, due to what she called network problems from the registration portal.

The female health worker, who spoke under condition of

anonymity, said following the refusal of the server to open, many people could not register online and this has seriously affected the exercise.

All efforts to contact the state Commissioner for health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa failed .

Recall that Kano State Government has received 209,520 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and also designated 509 centres across the state for the vaccination.

PPP crucial in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit–Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the only way to effectively address the massive infrastructure deficit in Nigeria is by Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the vice president spoke at the opening ceremony of a 2-day retreat of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

The retreat will, among other things, deliberate on the proposed amendment of the Public Enterprises (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act, 1999.

The vice president said that Nigeria would require at least 2.3 trillion dollars over the next 30 years to bridge the infrastructural gap.

“The review of budgetary allocation for capital expenditure even over the past decade will show that government resources are completely insufficient for this purpose.

“While government can L-R: Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, Mr. Nasir Gwarzo,Director General, World Trade Organization, take either commercial or World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr concessionary loans for Segun Awolowo, during the Director General visit to NEPC on International trade center round table discussion on Wednesday in infrastructure development, Abuja..

Photo: Justin Imo-owo this is an additional burden on a usually considerably leveraged balance sheet.’’

He said there was a large pool of investable funds from both local and international investors for the development and maintenance of Momoh revealed that the infrastructure. ouse of Representatives hospital in 2021 is reasonable, Abuja,’’ he said.

He also noted that members hospital was classified as a Committee on Health there is need to increase it in the Osinbajo said, however, the were not only responsible for quaternary health institution funds were only accessible where Institutions on Thursday 2022 budget.

“The Federal Government making and passing bills or with the best trauma centre in there was a business case to urged the Federal Government to increase funding for the has been doing well, it has moving and adopting motions, the whole of West Africa. be made for developing public “So what that means is that infrastructure.

National Hospital Abuja (NHA) responded to recommendations but were also expected to we made after 2020 oversight ensure funds appropriated were this centre is serving to train to improve service delivery.

“So, for both institutional and all post graduate doctors for individual investors, there is far judiciously utilised.

The committee’s Chairman, activities.

“That is why we are here to the whole of West Africa sub- more comfort with lending or “This led to the significant Dr Paschal Obi, made the appeal when he led other members to increase in the capital allocation look into the 2020 appropriation, region. That is what it means to with equity participation where a the hospital on an oversight or capital appropriation to this especially the capital vote to this be quaternary, it means for you private sector entity partners with institution and how it has been to be better than tertiary. function to monitor progress institution. a public authority owner of the “So in trauma, we are better infrastructure.

“We are also calling on the able to manage it because we are made in some of its projects.

Obi said that more funding government to continue in that sure that 100 per cent release in terms of services and the “This way the public partner facilities we have for training of can play its natural role of a was required to improve the regard especially this institution, was made,’’ he said.

The Chief Medical Director, manpower on ground,’’ he said. healthcare services and enable being a quaternary one, should regulator (regulation and policy), The CMD said that the leaving business to the private NHA, Dr Jaf Momoh, said the it live up to its status as a have adequate funding. needed more hospital was working toward sector whose reason for being is “It has capacity to generate organisation quaternary health facility, which provided an extension of tertiary manpower that will even service intervention in payment of improving its 450-bed capacity business; so, for investors, PPP care in reference to advanced other institutions both tertiary outsourced services such as to 700 beds and currently presents the best of both worlds,” and even the secondary and electricity, security and cleaners building the third ultramodern he said. levels of medicine.

According to him, although because of that adequate funding services, as well as indigent intensive care unit for infectious disease patients. (NAN) the capital allocation to the is needed in National Hospital patients’ bills.

House C’ttee seeks more funding for National Hospital Abuja

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News

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

F

ormer Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said that budgeting the sum of $1.5 billion to renovate or turn around the Port Harcourt Refinery would appear to be an unwise use of scarce funds at this critical juncture for a multiplicity of reasons.

Atiku, in a statement personally signed by him yesterday in Abuja, declared that Nigeria, as a nation, cannot expect to make economic progress “if we continue to fund inefficiency, and we are going too deep into the debt trap for unnecessarily overpriced projects”.

The cost, he pointed out, “appears prohibitive”.

Atiku noted that all the nation’s refineries have been making loss for multiple years, stressing that “it is questionable wisdom to throw good money

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

$ 1.5 bn to renovate Port Harcourt refinery prohibitive, says Atiku after bad”.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general election recalled that he had, at other times, counselled that the best course of action would be to privatise the country’s refineries, so they can be run more effectively and efficiently.

The former Vice President between 1999 and 2007, said, “That Nigeria’s economy is in dire straits is a fact well-known both to the nation and to our international partners.

“Unemployment has just reached an all time high of 33%, while inflation has hit another record high of 17%.

“At this critical period, we must as a nation be prudent with the use of whatever revenue we are able to generate, and even if we must borrow, we must do so with the utmost responsibility and discipline.

“To therefore budget the sum of $1.5 billion to renovate or turn around the Port Harcourt Refinery would appear to be an unwise use of scarce funds at this critical juncture for a multiplicity of reasons.

“First of all, our refineries have been loss-making for multiple years, and indeed, it is questionable wisdom to throw good money after bad.

“At other times, I have counselled that the best course of action would be to privatise our refineries, so they can be run more effectively and efficiently.

“Moreover, the cost appears prohibitive. Too prohibitive, especially as Shell Petroleum Development Company last year sold its Martinez Refinery in California, USA, which is of a similar size as the Port Harcourt refinery, for $1.2 billion.

“We must bear in mind that the Shell Martinez Refinery is more profitable than the Port Harcourt Refinery.

“Given this discrepancy, might we ask if there was a public tender

before this cost was announced?

Was due diligence performed?

Because we are certainly not getting value for money. Not by a long stretch.

“We cannot, as a nation, expect to make economic progress if we continue to fund inefficiency, and we are going too deep into the debt trap for unnecessarily overpriced projects.

“Our national debt has grown from ₦12 trillion in 2015 to ₦32.9 trillion today. “Surely that is shocking enough to cause us to be more prudent in the way we commit future generations into the bondage of bonds and debt”, he said.

NDLEA seizes illicit drugs worth N60b

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DLEA seized illicit drugs worth more than N60 billion in the last two months, its chairman, Retired Brig.-Gen Buba Marwa, has said.

Marwa made the disclosure on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti at a colloquium tagged: “Walk Away from Drugs’’, a programme organised by Ekiti Ministry of Justice.

He described the menace of drug abuse in the country as “worrisome’’.

“In Nigeria today, there is no challenge that is more worrisome than drug abuse.

“For instance, insurgency, kidnapping and banditry are seen as peculiar to certain parts of the country, but drug abuse has no boundary or respect for ethnicity or religion.

“The menace is so worrisome that within the last two months, more than N60 billion worth of illicit drugs have been seized and perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.

“If access to drugs is prevented, criminality can be reduced by 50 per cent,’’ Marwa said.

He called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to campaign against the use of illicit drugs.

The anti-drug agency boss suggested that parents should from now include drug certificate as part of criteria to give their daughters and sons hands in marriage.

“This will be the beginning in reducing drug usage and its prevailing economic effects on the nation,’’ he said.

Declaring open the event, Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi restated the commitment of his administration at reducing drug abuse.

Fayemi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, urged participants to take the deliberation seriously and to evolve implementable plans to rid the society of the menace.

In his address of welcome, Ekiti State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapounda, said that, the programme was organised because of alarming cases of drugs-induced criminality in the society.

“In most cases prosecuted by the ministry, investigations showed crime perpetrators were under the influence of drugs,’’ he said. NAN)

Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (right), Minister of State for Science and Technology Barr. Mohammed H. Abdullahi (2nd left), and Student of Government Day Secondary School Gwagwalada Abuja Inventors of Plastic Waste Recycling Machine, and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan (left), during the Tour of Exhibitions at the Science, Technology and Innovations Expo 2021, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

FG inaugurates National Action Plan on Gender/Climate Change

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he Federal Government has inaugurated a National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (NAPGCC) to guide implementation of actions that mitigate climate change impacts on vulnerable groups including women.

Dr Muhammad Abubakar, the Minister of Environment, at the inauguration ceremony and workshop of the NAPGCC on Thursday in Abuja said that the inauguration was for the good of the women and the country at large.

The workshop was organised by the Women Environmental Programme (WEP) in collaboration with the Climate Change Department of the ministry.

Abubakar said that Nigeria developed its National Action Plan on Gender and Climate in 2020 and was approved by the Federal Executive Council that same year.

He said that the development was in recognition of the need for gender mainstreaming in the implementation of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

He said that the main goal of the Action Plan was to ensure that national climate change processes in Nigeria mainstreamed gender considerations.

The minister said that the essence was to guarantee inclusivity of all demographics

in the formulation and implementation of climate change initiatives, programs and policies.

According to him, gender mainstreaming can play a key role in policy development that targets mitigation and adaptation of climate change by ensuring that a gender equality perspective is adopted.

“Thus, when it comes to decision-making and implementation towards building resilient communities in the face of climate change, the full and meaningful participation of all groups become essential.

“In view of Nigeria’s intention to empower and respond to the needs of women in the context of climate change, this NAPGCC focuses on effective strategies.

“The strategies were made for integrating gender into the implementation of national climate change initiatives, including the Paris Agreement particularly the NDCs. “The Action Plan presents milestones for ensuring that in building a climate-resilient Nigeria, the important and critical roles of women, youths and other vulnerable groups are carried along in the implementation of relevant national policies and strategies,’’ he said.

Abubakar mentioned the priority sectors covered by the Action Plan as Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use, Food Security, Health, Energy, Transport, waste management, water

and sanitation.

He said that the Action Plan covers the period 2020 to 2025.

He, however, encouraged all participants at the workshop to make meaningful contributions that would lead to a successful outing in achieving a low carbon, cleaner and healthier environment.

Mrs Sharon Ikezor, the Environment Minister for State said that the NAPGCC would serve as a guide in mainstreaming gender in addressing climate change action and challenges in the country.

Ikeazor said that the event was to officially launch the NAPGCC document, initiate the development of an implementation strategy framework and the development of next steps in implementing Nigeria’s Gender Action Plan.

The minister was represented by Hajia Halima Bawa-Bwari, Acting Director, Climate Change Department, ministry of environment.

Mrs Anne-Marie Abaagu, the Executive Director, WEP said that the aim of the workshop was to effectively improve on the implementation of the action plan.

Abaagu appreciated the ministry, British High Commission, European Union and Both ENDS for their immense support in making sure that the programme was successful.

(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Court restrains EFCC from arresting Ozekhome for criticising Magu

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

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he Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) from inviting, harassing and threatening to arrest or detain Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, for criticising its former Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

Giving judgement in a fundamental right enforcement suit filed by Ozekhome, the court held that the constant harassments by the anti-graft agency were illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the action of the agency constituted a blatant violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights.

He premised the judgement on Sections 35, 37, 39 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Articles 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 & 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act, Cap. A9 LFN 2004.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/324/2018, mentioned EFCC, Magu and one of its lead operatives, Abubakar Aliyu Madaki, as 1st to 3rd respondents.

Ozekhome had in the suit, told the court that EFCC had continued to harrass him for being a vocal critic of the lopsided nature of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war led by Magu.

He told the court that aside from repeatedly summoning him to appear for questioning, the agency, froze his bank account after he was paid his legal fees totalling the sum of N75million, by the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

Ozekhome maintained that one of the reasons the EFCC made him its primary target, was due to the fact that he secured so many legal victories against it in various hierachies of courts in the country.

He told the court that threats from the Respondents was to shut him up from further criticisms of “the despicable and unjust manner of their fight against corruption in Nigeria”.

He further claimed that the account from which the N75m was paid to him, belonged to the former governor of Ekiti State, Fayose, who he said had not been convicted by any court to warrant labelling the money as proceed of crime.

Ozekhome averred that it took the intervention of the Federal High Court in Lagos to unfreeze his bank account.

Consequently, he prayed the court to among other things, declare that he was entitled to receive legal fees for professional services he rendered to clients, including to Fayose.

The Applicant further asked the court to compel the Respondents to publish unreserved apology to him in three prominent dailies for the breach of his right.

Concluding, the senior lawyer prayed for for an order of the court directing the Respondents to jointly and severally pay the sum of N5billion to him as examplary damages for wanting violation of his rights.

However, the EFCC, in a counteraffidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Usman Aliyu, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

It submitted that Ozekhome was being investigated for a lot of cases bordering on money laundering and tax evasion, based on intelligence report from the Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit, NFIU.

News

COVID-19: Govs seek uptake of vaccines by eligible Nigerians ...Push for greater role for NDLEA in insecurity fight

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

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overnors of the 36 States of the federation have reiterated their belief in the safety of the Astra Zeneca vaccines for coronavirus pandemic in the country.

They have therefore expressed their commitment to continuously encourage uptake of the vaccines by all eligible Nigerians.

The Governors, who said this in a communiqué issued at the end of their 28th teleconference emergency meeting in Abuja, equally resolved to push for a greater role for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in the nation’s security fight especially as it relates to combating drug abuse and the illicit trafficking of drugs.

This, the Governors maintained, became necessary given the high correlation between drug use and insecurity in the country.

According to the communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the States’ Chief Executives equally expressed their commitment to encouraging digital infrastructure expansion, accelerator programmes and investment promotion to facilitate job creation in highly potential digital areas such as IT and business processing outsourcing, digital media, e-commerce, start-up innovation and smart manufacturing based on the comparative advantage of each State.

In the light of this, State governments were encouraged to set-up one-stop shops to accelerate approvals and harmonize fees for priority broadband infrastructure across the country.

The communiqué of the meeting reads in part, “We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our meeting held today (Wednesday), deliberated on issues affecting the country, particularly on the roll out of the Covid19 vaccines and the attendant issues that have arisen since the roll out.

“The chairman congratulated

his colleagues for accepting to be vaccinated and declared that so far, the vaccines have not shown any signs of side-effects as is widely rumored.

“The Chairman also briefed his colleagues on the visit of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of States’ Universities, the activities of the Governors Spouses around Gender-Based Violence and the VAP Act calling on his colleagues to step up to the plate in support of the activities of the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum nationwide and the progress made with the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project.

“After the briefing by the Chairman, the Forum received a presentation from the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Lagos, Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, on the Accelerated C-19 Economic Support (ACES) programme which is aimed at supporting Nigeria’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“The current focus of the ACES programme in Nigeria is trade facilitation through e-customs and digital jobs booster to activate the digital economy and accelerate the creation of local tech jobs in the country.

“Following the presentation, the Forum committed to supporting a federal government-led cross-agency trade facilitation as a critical objective of the e-customs programme coordinated through the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap.

Nigeria will be able to achieve the objectives of the e-customs programme (i.e., enhanced user experience, and approximately 10% growth in customs revenue to hit the US$176 billion revenue target) with a broader cross-agency scope of reform including fulfilling its Word Trade Organisation (WTO) trade facilitation agreement.

“Members also committed to encouraging digital infrastructure expansion, accelerator programmes and investment promotion to facilitate job creation in highly potential digital areas such as IT and business processing outsourcing,

digital media, e-commerce, start-up innovation and smart manufacturing based on the comparative advantage of each State.

“In the light of this, State governments are encouraged to set-up one-stop shops to accelerate approvals and harmonize fees for priority broadband infrastructure across the country.

“Furthermore, the NGF Secretariat will partner with the British High Commission, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as well as partners at the federal level on the workability of the ACES programme and the role of State governments to maximize its opportunities.

“The Forum’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group (CTAG) led by Professor Oyewale Tomori briefed members on the status of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out across the States including the increasing concerns of the public on the safety of Asta Zeneca vaccines.

“CTAG recommended that Nigeria should continue to vaccinate all eligible persons with the AstraZeneca vaccine in line with the latest WHO recommendations as available evidence, including findings from research in which some CTAG members are involved showing that the Astra Zeneca vaccine is safe.

“Governors reiterated their belief in the safety of the Astra Zeneca vaccines and commit to continuously encourage uptake of the vaccines by all eligible persons in their States, “Governors also encourage the public to report any adverse events noticed following COVID-19 vaccination.

Following a briefing from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Rtd. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa on managing the Drug Crisis in the country, State governors committed to supporting the logistics and operational activities of NDLEA officials in their States, as well as programmes that will promote drug use prevention in the country.

“Given the high correlation between drug use and insecurity in

the country, the Forum will push for a greater role for NDLEA in Nigeria’s security fight especially as it relates to combating drug abuse and the illicit trafficking of drugs”, the communique said.

The NGF’s meeting was also briefed by the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa , Mr Emmanuel Akabe on the inception activities of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) which was set up to accelerate economic growth and lift at least 100 million people out of poverty by 2030.

The PEAC, it will be recalled, had recommended the development of a poverty and growth strategy for the country focusing among others, on macroeconomic stabilization, redistribution, structural transformation, andindustrialization.

The strategy, the communique said, will be overseen by the National Economic Council (NEC) through a Steering Committee which should include at least one governor from the six (6) geopolitical zones in the country.

On the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) PforR, the NGF HelpDesk and SFTAS Programme Manager, Mr Olanrewaju Ajogbasile reported that the Independent Verification Agency has begun preparatory activities for the validation of the 2020 SFTAS Annual Performance Assessment (APA).

The Forum alsobreceived a presentation on the 2018 audited accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform (FOSTER) led by its team lead, Mr Henry Adigun.

The NGF, while welcoming the fiduciary risk assessment of the corporation, stressed that the additional information will support the work of State governments in engaging with the federal government to improve the governance arrangement of the oil industry.

Out-of-school children in Nigeria hits 10m – Minister

By Maryam Abeeb

T

he Minister of state for Education, Mr Chukuemeka Nwajiuba, said Nigeria has more than 10 million out-of-school children, the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nwajiuba made this known at the launching of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) by the Jigawa Government in Dutse.

“With an estimated 10,193,918 children out-of-school, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“For us to address these challenges adequately therefore, we must strengthen the quality of basic education in Nigeria by confronting head-on those factors that deny our children access to basic education,” the minister said.

To this end, Nwajiuba urged

stakeholders to strengthen the quality of education by addressing factors that denied children access to basic education.

He noted that the current challenges affecting the educational system in the country have left much to be desired.

According to him, the BESDA programme is designed to result in better life for all children with the aim of increasing equitable access for out-of-school children, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results at the basic education level in the focus states.

The minister noted that the programme focuses on 17 states, which include the entire 13 states of the North West and North East geographical zones as well Niger, Oyo, Ebony and Rivers.

He said that the selection of the

states was based on the prevalence of the number of out-of-school children in the country.

“Permit me to state here that the BESDA programme became effective on Jan. 22, 2018, with the commencement of implementation processes at the federal level.

“All key activities at the federal level to kick start implementation of the programme by focus states have been concluded.

“Each beneficiary state is therefore expected to commence implementation in line with the specific steps and guidelines provided under the programme.

“You will agree with me that there is nothing to cheer about if a single child is out of school, instead of being in the classroom learning.

“So it is in this regard that ensuring the out of school children are back to school and learning.

“Learning is not only a moral and legal obligation, but also a productive investment that will guarantee the future of our children and ensure that their rights are protected as enshrined in the Child’s Right Act of 2003,” the minister said.

Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa said in a bid to increase equitable access and quality delivery in basic education subsector, has devoted on teacher recruitment in which 1,393 teachers were recruited in 2018.

Badaru said screening was ongoing for the recruitment of 4,000 teachers on J-teach.

He said that his administration had from 2015 to date constructed and renovated 6,679 classrooms, bought 5,963 teacher furniture, 185,086 of three-seater set pupils furniture and 1,922 double deck beds.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

PAGE 6

News

Court declares Sen Ararume winner of Imo North Senatorial District

....Gives INEC 72 hours to issue him Certificate of Return

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

J

ustice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the winner of the December 5, 2020 bye-election for the Imo North Senatorial District of Imo state.

Ararume had dragged the INEC, APC and Chukwuma Francis Ibezim before the Federal High Court praying for an order to compel the electoral body to recognize him as an APC senatorial candidate in the election won by the party.

Delivering the judgement, the court held that Ararume remains the authentic candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as at today and should be declared winner of that election.

The Judge also ordered the INEC to issue Certificate of Return to Senator Ararume within 72 hours from the delivery of the judgment.

Arguing before the court, Sen. Ararume prayed it to invoke the judgement of a federal high court and that of Appeal Court to disqualify Ibezim and declare him as the rightful candidate for APC. .

Counsel to the plaintiff, Ahmed Raji (SAN) submitted that the judgments of the high court and later the Court of Appeal have conclusively disqualified Ibezim and cannot claim to be an aspirant or candidate in the Imo North Senatorial election.

Responding, APC opposed the suit, argued that it never fielded Ararume for the last year December senatorial bye-election for Imo North Senatorial district of Imo state.

The party maintained that Ararume lacked locus standi to lay claim to the candidacy and urged the court to dismiss his suit.

However, Ararume claimed that Ibezim, having been disqualified by a Federal High Court on account of supplying false information to INEC to secure clearance.

He further submitted that the same disqualification been upheld by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

However, the party, through its counsel, Osho Daudu asked the court to discountenance Ararume’s claims insisting that his name was never forwarded to INEC but that of Chukwuma Francis Ibezim.

The counsel submitted that a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Owerri, Imo State which erroneously conferred locus on Ararume had been voided by Supreme Court and cannot confer any advantage on the plaintiff.

In his own submissions, counsel to Ibezim. Emma Osayomi, said that his client has approached the Supreme Court to challenge his disqualification on account of variation in his name.

He told Justice Taiwo, that as at the election day, the name of his client was on the INEC list and not that of Ararume.

Consequently, he prayed the court to discountenance Ararume’s submissions and hold that Chukwuemeka Francis remains the APC candidate.out of public funds of the state.

Masako said that the lawmakers could not fold their hands and allow public funds to be spent without following due process as the monies were not approved in the 2020 budget or in a supplementary budget. (NAN)

Drama as IGP, AGF appear as prosecutors in Ohakim’s trial

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

T

he Federal High Court Abuja, yesterday, witness a mild drama as counsel from the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) appeared as prosecutors in matter against the former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim.

Ohakim and one Chinedu Okpareke are before the court for

a five-count charge of harassing one Chinyere Amuchienwa and threatening to release her nude photos filled by the IGP. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, had on the last adjourned date granted the prosecution leave to serve court processes on Ohakim at his Asokoro residence and fixed March 18 for arraignment.

At the resumed trial yesterday, counsel from the office of the AGF, Bagudu Sani, announced

appearance for the prosecution.

Sani informed the court that the office of the AGF has taken over prosecution of the case from the police via a letter dated March 17, 2021.

He said the letter has been served on the IGP and he acknowledged receipt of same. ‘’We shall formally file the letter so that the court would take judicial notice of it,’’ he said.

Reacting, counsel to IGP,

Dimka R. F, objected the move saying that the charges were filed by the office of the IGP. In a short ruling, the judge ordered Sani to serve the letter on all parties in the suit. He also directed all parties to address the court on the issue by filing their written addresses.

The police have filed an application before the court seeking to withdraw the charges against the defendants.

L-R : Executive Commissioner Corporate Services Securities and Exchange Commission Mr. Ibrahim Boyi, Head of Finance and Accounts SEC Mr. Frank Aul, Executive Commissioner Operations SECand Mr. Dayo Obisan, during an appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

News

Fresh $2.5bn Arms Scandal: Presidency, APC stink, says PDP .....Urges NASS to probe security funds

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the revelation of another $2.5bn arms purchase scandal in which officials of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration were named is another ugly testament of the stench of corruption oozing out from the presidency and the APC, as a party.

The party has thus restated its call to the National Assembly to conduct a joint open inquest into the funds and other monies

drawn purportedly for the security of our nation under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

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

The party alerted that with this fresh $2.5 billion arms scandal, reportedly involving a top government official who had earlier revealed that $1 billion also for arms cannot be traced, an alarming $3.5 billion (N1.3 trillion) meant for purchase of weapons to secure our country

under the Buhari administration has been looted.

The main opposition party stressed that the exposed barefaced contract scam in the $2.5 billion scandal as well as the outright disappearance of the $1billion as earlier revealed by the said top government official, show the level of corruption and unscrupulousness among APC leaders and their agents, “who are stealing funds meant for arms while our citizens are daily marauded, pillaged and murdered by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers”.

The PDP, in the statement said, “In fact, the unending exposure of sleaze in the security architecture of the Buhariled administration has further heightened apprehensions in the public space that the security situation has been turned into a huge racket for corrupt enrichment of sneaky APC leaders and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency.

“It is more distressing that instead of standing on the side of the people to demand for a cleanup of the system and recovery of the stolen funds, the APC,

L-R: Director Special duties National council for Art culture, Mr. Gerald Adewale; Chairman, Business Visa limited, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Director General, National Council for Art and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe and Director research and documentation, NCAC, Mrs Elizabeth Ben Ihenacho, during an interactive session on the need to patronize and promote ‘Nigerian made goods, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Photo: Mahmud Isa

$890m health: Buhari demands periodic performance reports from ministry

By Egena Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari Thursday directed the Minister of Health to ensure effective utilisation of Global Fund’s generous provision of $890 million, over the next three years, to support Nigeria’s fight against HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.

Buhari issued the directive at the virtual launch of the $890 million grant, for the period of 2021-2023, which will also support the establishment of resilient and sustainable systems for health in the country. ‘’Let me also emphasize here that this administration has zero tolerance for corruption and inefficient use of resources. ‘’In this regard, I hereby direct the Minister of Health ( Dr Osagie Ehanire) to set up an accountability framework, to monitor the use of this fund and provide periodic performance reports to my office,’’ he said.

The President, who assured donor agencies and development partners of judicious use of the grant, said the funding would complement investments in the health sector, help curb new infections, and reduce HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria-related morbidity and mortality. ‘’It is my wish that in the next three years, these three diseases are taken much further down the path of elimination,’’ he said.

The President also applauded the Global Fund for their contribution of the sum of $51 million during the early stages of Nigeria’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), test kits and scale up diagnostic capacity.

‘’I acknowledge the support of Development Partners, namely; the United States government, the United Nations System, Bilateral Agencies and various Local and International Foundations. ‘’I am pleased to say that, on our part, we are on track to fulfilling our co-financing commitments to the Global Fund for this new funding cycle and meeting our other commitments as and when due,’’ he said.

Commending the work of Nigeria’s Country Coordinating Mechanism, under the leadership of the Minister of Health, President Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

He pledged that his administration would continue to work with fellow Heads of State and Governments across the continent to ensure sustained high-level political engagement to achieve the SDG goals.

The President recounted that the strong partnership between the Government and people of Nigeria and Global Fund, dating back to 2002, had contributed immensely to saving lives, especially of women and children.

According to him over the last two decades, joint efforts with the Global Fund, the United States Government, the United Nations and other Development Partners, had succeeded in bringing about significant reduction in new infections, morbidity and mortality from HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

He attributed the improvements to the effective alignment of our various national investments, using the most recent evidence to inform

policies, strategies and plans. ‘’The thrust of our Government in the health sector is to ensure that investments get a health systems strengthening focus, as the most efficient way to utilize available resources and position Nigeria on the path to sustainability of health programmes. ‘’The Minister of Health is pursuing this trajectory,’’ he said.

On Nigeria’s contribution to the Fund, the President announced that he approved $12 million to the last Global Fund Replenishment held in Lyon, France, representing a 20 per cent increase on the country’s immediate previous contribution. ‘’Ladies and Gentlemen, our administration is committed to increasing domestic financing and exploring other innovative ways of increasing financing for health, to ensure Universal Health Coverage,’’ President Buhari said.

Speaking in his capacity as the Chair of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund programmes in Nigeria, Ehanire said Nigeria recently signed eight grants amounting to $890 million to support HIV, TB and Malaria programmes and build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Giving an overview of the grant, he said two of them are for HIV management, amounting to $310 million, and will be administered by two principal recipients namely the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Family Health International .

According to the Minister, $180 million of the 310 million was earmarked for procurement of antiretroviral medicines, which will maintain 1.4 million Nigerians living with HIV on lifesaving antiretroviral

treatment.

Further, the Minister of Health explained that three of the grants, amounting to $153 million, are for TB, to be administered by three principal recipients including the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, the Institute for Human Virology in Nigeria and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

Similarly, the Minister said two of the grants for malaria elimination, amounting to $439 million will be administered by two principal recipients- the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Catholic Relief Services while the eighth and final grant worth USD 35 million for Resilient System for Sustainable Health (RSSH) has NACA as principal recipient.

In her goodwill message, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S Embassy in Nigeria, described Nigeria’s recent contribution to the Global Fund as an important commitment to end all the three diseases and to ensure a healthy and prosperous country. ‘’We hope the achievements made in Nigeria in the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria, with support from the Global Fund, will inspire and motivate health workers and other partners alike,’’ the representative of the U.S. government, which is the largest single donor to the Global Fund, said.

Speaking virtually from Geneva, Peter Sands, the Executive Director, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria while commending the partnership with Nigeria, said in addition to the $890 million grant, the Global Fund has disbursed $2.6 billion to support HIV, TB and Malaria and strengthening of RSSH, since 2003.

as a party, is rather desperate to justify acts of corruption, because its leaders and officials of its government are involved.

“Out party demands that the Buhari Presidency should come clean and offer explanations on both the $2.5 billion and $1 billion.

“Furthermore, the PDP restates its call to the National Assembly to conduct a joint open inquest into the funds and other monies drawn purportedly for the security of our nation under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch”, it said.

Troops kill armed robbery suspect in Plateau, recover arms

T

roops attached to the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have shot dead an armed robbery suspect at Kutaya street in Jengre, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau.

The troops were stationed for maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Kaduna and Bauchi and were responding to distress call when it engaged some bandits in a gun duel.

Maj.-Gen Dominic Onyemelu, the Commander of the task force disclosed the killing, which occurred on Wednesday night,

to newsmen on Thursday in Jos. Onyemelu said that two other members of the criminal gang escaped with bullet wounds.

He explained that one AK-47, a fabricated riffle, an automatic pistol, 16 of 9mm rounds ammunition and a cell phone, were recovered from the scene.

“Yesterday, at about 11:45p.m. our troops on night patrol received a distress call of armed robbery incident at Kutaya street, Jengre area of Bassa.

“The troops swiftly mobilised to the scene, where a shop owner, one Mr Reuben, was robbed of his personal belongings.

“In the process, one of the armed robbers was neutralised, while his two colleagues escaped with gunshot injuries.

“Items recovered include one AK 47, a fabricated riffle, an Automatic Pistol, 16 of 9mm rounds ammunition and a cell phone,” he said.

The commander said that the dead body of the armed robber was deposited at the

morgue of Plateau State Hospital.

He said that his gallant troops would intensify the search for the other members of the gang who are still at large.

Onyemelu, who assumed duty on March 11, as the 13th Commander of the operation, assured residents of the state of its determination to ensuring that lasting peace was achieved across its joint operational areas.

He, however, called on members of the public to support and cooperate with the task force to succeed. (NAN)

Group tackles Munguno over alleged $1bn missing arms funds From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

A

Group under the auspices of Northern Nigerian Professionals Forum (NONIP) has discribed the recent utterances of

National Security Adviser NSA to President Muhammadu Buhari Babagana Munguno as unprofessional and uncalled for.

The group in a statement signed by Dr. Adamu Aliyu Babba, its Zonal Publicity Secretary said

the resolution followed their emergency national executive meeting held in Kaduna yesterday to discuss issues of National Security as it affects the survival of Northern Nigeria.

“Our stand on the utterances

of National Security Adviser to President on the alleged misplacement and controversial supply of $1billion scandal of arms by the past Service Chiefs is totally condemnable and unfortunate.

“The NSA must accept his

failure and lack of openness to other stakeholders in bringing result out of the constant challenges of insecurity that is bedeviling every region of the country, which the North suffer must.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

PAGE 8

News

WTO’s Doha Agenda negotiations to progress Buhari morns Tanzania at 12th conference – Okonjo-Iweala

D

r Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) says the organisation will make progress on negotiations concerning the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) in its forthcoming 12th Ministerial Conference.

Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The 12th conference is scheduled to hold in Geneva in December.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DDA, known as Doha Round is the latest round of trade negotiations among the WTO membership.

It is aimed at achieving major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules.

NAN gathered that the African groups in WTO are seeking for this negotiation which has agricultural package to be addressed, demanding for a special safeguard mechanism for developing countries.

In spite of several efforts by some developed countries to undermine the DDA, the African Groups have stood their ground because it has to do with food security, subsidy on agriculture which distort trade and employment.

The WTO director-general, however, noted that the negotiation on the agenda was yet to be completed during the round and was still hanging.

“There are some specific mandates as you know that developed and developing countries did not see eye to eye.

“There are some specific mandates on agriculture package, we think we

could make progress may be even at the WTO Ministerial Conference.

“We will have some kind of outcome on Public Stock-holding for food security purposes on which developing countries want to have the ability to have reserves.

“This is in case they have difficulties feeding thier population, they can buy grains or whatever products in times of plenty and store them to be able to sell later.

“But there are countries, who are concerned about wether goods are being subsidised, wether they are sold later in the open market thereby undermining the ability of the free market to function,” she said.

According to her, there is potential to come to an agreement on the public stock holding for food security issues, so we could deal with that.

She said there was also a possibility

to deal with the humanitarian exception to restricting the world food programme from buying food freely for humanitarian purposes.

This, she said was , also being discussed and almost every countries had agreed except two countries.

“So, we will work on it,” she added.

Okonjo-Iweala, who assumed duty as the first female and African D-G of WTO on March 1, was on her first working visit in Nigeria.

In the course of spurring economic growth, she had met with President Muhammadu Buhari, various ministers and key players in health sector.

In view of boosting trade and investment, she had engaged Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and Minister of State, Amb. Mariam Katagum. (NAN)

From left: Minister of State for Science and Technology, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Edet Akpan; and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, during the minister’s tour of pavilions at the ongoing 2021 Technology and Innovation Expo, in Abuja on Thursday.

Photo: Hogan Bassey/NAN

2021 Hajj: NAHCON boss calls for Muslim religious leaders cooperation

By Maryam Garba Hassan

C

hairman of the National Hajj Commisison of Nigeria NAHCON, Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has called for the cooperation of muslim religious leaders in the country towards achieving a successful Hajj operations.

The chairman of the Commission made the call yesterday in Abuja at a meeting with the ulamas.

Hassan said the ulamas are invited for interaction with the leadership of the commission, to intimate them with the vision and activities of the new leadership and to seek for their advice as veterans on Hajj matters as well as to request for their continuous support with prayers in the task to serve the guests of Allah.

The meeting with the religious leaders was the first since the inauguration of the 4th Board over a year ago.

He thanked the ulamas for the positive roles they have been playing in advisory capacity, educating and mobilizing the pilgrims before and during Hajj activities.

Hassan who commended the religious leaders for their valuable contributions said with partnership of this nature they can do more to improve the well-being of pilgrims in particular and Nigerian Muslims in general.

He disclosed that within the 1 year of his administration which commenced on the13th February, 2020, the board has been working tirelessly to improve the management of Hajj and made a solemn pledge to make Hajj fare affordable to enable more Nigerians, especially the indigent citizens to fulfill their dreams of performing Hajj.

“To achieve this objective, the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) was launched in Kano on 4th October,

2020.

The Scheme was designed for all Nigerian pilgrims irrespective of their financial status to save gradually for the fulfillment of the 5th Pillar of Islam and at the same time provide opportunity for financial inclusion through investment”, he said .

“It is a critical part of our master plan to not only make Hajj affordable, but to make a better coordination in the airlift and accommodation of pilgrims among other services”.

He said the launch of the Hajj Savings Scheme has been done in five of the six geo-political zones in the country with only the NorthEast remaining, which will come up in Bauchi, on 25th March, 2021. He said sensitizations on the Scheme have been conducted in 27 states. He said already thousands of Nigerians have so far subscribed to the scheme adding that the Commision is soliciting for the support of the Muslim schoolars for

sensitization and mobilization of potential subscribers to the Scheme.

He said priority is being given to establishing the Hajj Training Institute (HTI) with the aim to professionalize Hajj management and to deepen the knowledge and intellectual capacity of the Ummah about Hajj beyond the scope of the rituals and Hajj economy. “ We have made tremendous progress in this direction, particularly in the areas of curriculum development and accreditation. The Institute will take-off God willing before the end of the year 2021”, he said.

According to him, the Commission has embarked on Digital Transformation of its activities to reduce the cost of doing business and to boost it’s competence in the increasing digitalization of Hajj process being rolled out annually by Saudi authorities.

President

By Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari joins Government and people of Republic of Tanzania in mourning the passing of President John Pombe Magufuli, 61, whose legacy of patriotism and dedication to the African course will continue to resonate across the continent.

The President believes the late Tanzanian President’s courage and love for his country inspired various reforms that generations will continue to celebrate, which include the challenging decision to reduce size and cost of governance, insistence on a people focused budget, with clear priorities on education and health, and consistently fighting profligacy and frivolities in public expenditures.

President Buhari affirms that the former Tanzanian leader spent most of his life serving the country and humanity, with a rich pedigree of working as a school teacher, and rising steadily in public service as Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister of Works, Minister of Works, Minister of Lands and Human Settlement and Minister of Livestock and Fisheries.

The President extends condolences to the family of the late visionary leader of Tanzania, his friends and associates, and all citizens of the country, trusting God to comfort them.

President Buhari prays for repose of the soul of the deceased.

Foundation wants action against kidnapping , banditry

From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

S

ir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation has called for a more concerted action against kidnapping and banditry.

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation Engr Abubakar Gambo Umar stated this in a statement made available to media in kaduna yesterday.

The statement stated that there is need for changes in strategies, policies and most importantly actionable intelligence, such that adequate concentration, resources and manpower are channelled into the war against menace of banditry and kidnappings.

The Foundation opined that government may need to seriously consider the role of traditional institutions in the maintenance of law and order by going back to the pre 1976 era.

“We should not shy away from seeking collaborations and external assistance, as is the global practice.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Igbo community in UK tasks S/East govs on protection of lives, property

I

gbo people in the United Kingdom (UK) under the auspices of Ogbako Ndi Igbo, have urged the South-East governors to double their effort at ensuring the protection of lives and property of people of the region.

The group made the demand in a statement signed by Dr Jude Eze, Chairman, Ogbako Ndi Igbo UK, and 16 others, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Thursday.

“We ask that our governors do more to protect our people before things escalate out of control, and to apply wisdom in managing hot spots of insecurity rather than fuelling it as was the recent case in Orlu,” they said.

The group was particular about the disruption of farming activities in various communities in the South-East region due to the activities of bandits who rape women and commit other atrocities against farmers in different communities in the zone.

“Over the past few years, there has been a gradual but sustained erosion of security in Nigeria and particularly in the South East region.

“We have seen kidnappings on the rise as well as incessant vandalism of farmlands of our people by herdsmen.

“Most shocking is the rape of our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters by these criminal elements with impunity whilst sometimes filming these nefarious acts and posting them on social media to further denigrate us and aggravate our pain.

“These bandits who move around freely with AK-47 rifles have been reported to use these firearms on our defenceless people when challenged during these abhorrent acts thus resulting in loss of lives,” the statement said.

The group wondered why such unlawful and evil actors should go unpunished when there is rule of law.

It also regretted that security which ought to be the primary responsibilities of the government had been politicised.

“It is, therefore, sad to say at this moment that the authorities are failing the people of Nigeria and South-East in particular.

“In a previous letter to the Executive Governors of the SouthEast states, Ogbako Ndi Igbo UK had solicited concerted efforts by the governors to tackle these security challenges facing our people.

“It is with sadness that we note that our plea and suggestions towards improvement of security in Igboland like the formation of a regional security outfit have not been heeded to.

“In the past months, Ogbako Ndi Igbo UK has noted the commendable response from autonomous communities across the length and breadth of Igboland which, left with no other choice, have chosen to protect themselves.

(NAN)

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News

Bandits kill Police Inspector, abducts 3 In Kaduna From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

A

police inspector was reportedly gunned down yesterday by bandits in Ungwa Waziri, Karji Chikun local government area of Kaduna State before abducting 3 persons.

The two persons were suspected to be female students of Kaduna State University, (KASU).

An eyewitness who confirmed the name of the police Inspector as John Bello, stressed that, “Around

11pm on Wednesday, we received a distress call that gunmen came to our community, a message was passed across to us that we should put off our generators which we did, shortly after which we started hearing gunshots”.

“Inspector Bello came back and his wife served him food, immediately he received a phone call and told the wife that he was coming back to eat the food. He took his motorcycle only to be shot very closed to his house by

gunmen who hide under some mango trees not far from his house”.

He also informed that, the bandits proceeded to a compound housing some students of KASU and made away with 2 females and one male.

Meanwhile, the mango trees where criminals allegedly hide to carry out their criminal activities has all been cut down on instructions of the state government.

In a related development, parents and students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka Kaduna staged a peaceful protest over the state Government failure to rescue 39 students of the college abducted by bandits after one week.

The students of the college and parents of the abducted students gathered at the school premises around 11:30am to appealed to authorities concerned to rescue their children.

Delta revenue service charged residents on filling of tax returns

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

T

he Delta State Internal Revenue Service has reminded all self-employed individuals and taxable adults working in the state of the need to file their individual tax returns in accordance with section 41(as amended) for the 2021 year of assessment, as

the deadline of March 31, 2021 approaches.

In a statement in Warri by the Chairman of the Revenue Service, Sir Monday Onyeme, said that section 41(3) of the Personal Income Tax Act 2004 made it compulsory for selfemployed individuals to file their tax returns on or before the March 31, 2021.

The section under reference also stated that

“A taxable person can file with the relevant tax authority, the returns as stipulated in this section within 90days from the commencement of every year of assessment.”

The statement further urged those affected to endeavour to comply with this and other relevant tax laws, and to reach out to the tax office nearest to them for further inquiries.

Members of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), led by the National Secretary-General, Dr Theophilus Ndubuaku, during a rally to promote research development in Nigeria, at the gate of National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Thursday.

Photo: Hogan Bassey/NAN

Oil spillage: Delta Govt applauds community for maintaining peace

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

T

he Chairman of Warri North Local Government Council Area of Delta State, Smart Yomi Asekutu, has commended the people of Opuama Community for choosing the path of peace following the recent oil spillage in the area.

Honourable Asekutu gave the commendation when a high power delegation on behalf of

the state government visited the community to inspect the level and impacts of the spill.

He said that the Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, had highly commend the residents of Opuama community for their patience over the recent oil spillage in the area.

The Governor, Who spoke through the Commissioner for Oil and Gas in the state, Chief Emmanuel Agbadugba, said

that the visit was an on the spot assessment of the oil spill which had negatively affected the source of living of the community.

He disclosed that the oil company responsible for the spill had assured them that the relevant environmental impact assessment officials would be around to ascertain the extent of damaged done.

The Governor thanked the people of Opuama community

for their patience towards the situation despite the seeming sufferings in their daily fishing activities.

Asekutu, appealed to the management of the oil company to see how they could support and alleviate the burdens of the people, saying,”this is the only source of their livelihood and everybody must join hands to ensure the sustainability of their livelihood,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

PAGE 10

News

Benue commences Astrazeneca vaccination

Delta Police arrest notorious cultist, 27 others

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D

From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

enue State government yesterday commenced the vaccination of Astrazeneca vaccine against Covid-19 on its citizens.

The event was flagged off at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH. In his speech, Governor Samuel Ortom noted that a lot of efforts have been made to control the Disease but the virus continues to spread at unprecedented speed affecting most vulnerable group, adding that the rapid spread emphasised the need for an aggressive response and improved efforts to contain the infection.

He maintained that vaccination with safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is a critical part of Nigeria’s strategy to interrupt the

COVID-19 pandemic and curb transmission of the virus.

The Governor called on Benue people to voluntarily present themselves for COVID-l9 VACCINATION and be available to take the second dose in twelve(12) weeks time.

“As we take the Vaccine, we must also continue to observe COVID-19 prevention Protocols including frequent hand washing; use of alcohol based Hand sanitizer; maintenance of physical distance; use of face masks, etc “I Wish to acknowledge the role of health workers and especially Benue COVID-19 Action Committee team led by HE, Deputy Governor for their roles in the control of this pandemic, some have lost their lives.

The various roles and support of partners, Traditional and Religious leaders can never go unmentioned”,the Governor said

The State Commissioner for Health Dr. Joseph Ngbea disclosed that 73,810 vacs were sent to the State which is just a drop in an Ocean, intimating they have been distributed to the 23 local government areas.

He said the first phase is for health workers who are in the frontline, people serving the public as well as strategic leaders, stating that government will give its contribution to acquire more vaccines.

“That is why I have taken the jab to represent strategic leaders and after that we will scale down.

“Am impressed with the turn out today because what we heard was that, there is a lot of confusion, rejection and all that but I keep saying that even if you take Panadol, you will have side effects and when you go up for injection, you must have pains.

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba etermined to rid off all forms of criminal activities, Delta State Police Command on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a 24 year old notorious cultist identified as Andrew alias Pounds in Sapele.

He added that 27 others were also arrested during raid at various flash points by the police.

In a statement signed by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Edafe Bright a copy made available to our correspondent said that the police in Sapele Division received information that one Abowa Osawe was shot dead by four men suspected to be cultists around shell road Sapele, adding that the police through the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP Harrison Nwabuisi mobilized to the scene where five suspects were arrested.

Jonathan mourns Tanzania President, calls him a true patriot

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

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From left: Executive Director, Town Crier Initiative, Comrade Ogbodo Ogene; Coordinator, Claim Your Water Rights Campaign, Mr Temple Oraeki; Country Director, Global Society for Anti-Corruption, Mrs Amaka Nweke; Executive Director, Daniel Ukwu; and Founder of Leadership Foundation, Mr Nkemakolum Ukwu, during the claim your water rights campaign in Enugu State on Thursday.

Photo: Michael Agada/TA/HB/NAN

Our suspension politically motivated, Azman Air says in a leaked document

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zman Air Services Limited has alleged that its suspension by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA is politically motivated.

The company, in a leaked document sighted by Peoples Daily yesterday, the company said there is personal vendetta in the suspension of its operations, which was not have to do with the breach of the aviation rules as stated by the NCAA in a statements.

The company, in the document, alleged the suspension is not based on the reasons gave by the NCAA, but a vendetta by the Director General of the NCAA. The document further

revealed that Azman Air had not received any warnings prior to actions taken against it nor has it been queried.

It added also that it has provided sustenance for thousands of families and had remained obedient to the authority in all its years of existence.

“Azman Air has not been sanctioned nor has it any bad records with the authority before the coming of this DG for a revenge since 2014. We are opportune to have worked with about 6 NCAA DGs in the past, but his DG is nowhere close to his predecessors in terms of delivering the mandate of his office. He is just looking

forward to his personal benefit not NCAA or its hardworking staff. There was no invitation for hearing notification, query or any explanation for the reason of our suspension. Due process has not been followed.

“Therefore we are urging the general public and our teeming esteemed passengers to bear with us, while we are taking all necessary steps towards resolving this matter with appropriate authorities” part of the leaked statement reads.

Recall that the NCAA had on Monday announced indefinite suspension of the Kano-based airliner over alleged violations of safety and caution measures.

According to statement signed by Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, the suspension was to enable general audit of the airline operation and to henceforth determine whether or not the airline is fit to operate.

“Following series of incidents involving Azman Air Boeing 737 Aircraft, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has pursuant to Section 35 (2) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3 (A) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2015, suspended the operations of all the Boeing 737 Aircraft in the Fleet of Azman Air Services Limited, with effect from March 15, 2021” the statement said.

ormer President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has condoled with the government and people of Tanzania over the death of their President, John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, describing him as a man who did his best to advance his country.

In a condolence message, Dr. Jonathan who noted that he knew the late President well because of his frequent visit to the country to promote democracy prayed God to grant his soul eternal rest and comfort the grieving nation.

Dr. Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, wrote: “Today, a bright star has been plucked from the African continent.

President John Magufuli of Tanzania was a man I knew quite well, due to my frequent visits to Tanzania for the advancement of democracy in Africa.

“I found in him a true patriot who loved his country and did his best to steer the ship of state away from the brink and to the bank of the river of peace, progress and prosperity.

“Tanzania has been blessed in the area of leadership and has enjoyed consistent stability because of men like Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and his worthy successors, and it is my hope and prayers that that beautiful and determined nation will continue this tradition.

“My condolences to his family, especially First Lady Janeth Magufuli, and their children, as well as the government and people of Tanzania.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

PAGE 11

EDITORIAL

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Enugu House of Reason

he Enugu State House of Assembly Tuesday dropped a proposed law that would allow former governors and their deputies to draw life pension.

The New Pension Bill, which scaled first reading during last Thursday’s plenary, however, was greeted with public anger because it proposed that tax payers pay up over N1 billion annually to allow former governors and their deputies to continue to live in opulence.

They went ahead to do so in spite of the decision of a Federal High Court in Lagos in December 2019 stopping former political office holders from drawing life pensions. In the landmark judgement, the court ordered the federal government to “recover pensions collected by former governors now serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly” and directed the Attorney General of Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to challenge the legality However, condemnations of states’ pension laws permitting forced the House during former governors and other ex Tuesday’s plenary to step down officials to collect such pensions.” the bill following a motion by the The judgement by Justice Leader of the House, Ikechukwu Oluremi Oguntoyinbo followed Ezugwu, who is the sponsor of the an application for an order of bill. In the motion, he mandamus in suit said the bill, though not number FHC/L/ out of place, had to be CS/1497/2017 stepped down because brought by Socioof the mass outcry Economic Rights We utterly that greeted it. “As condemned what and Accountability their representatives, those states had Project (SERAP). we must listen,” he done, not only said.

According to We utterly because their condemned what him, the proposed actions were legislation needs “wide those states had consultation” if it morally wrong done, not only must be reintroduced. but also because because their Speaker Edward Ubosi, they went against actions were on his own part, said morally wrong a subsisting court there were provisions but also because order of the bill that were not they went against constitutional, such as payment of salaries to spouses a subsisting court order. We of former governors and their are a nation governed by rule deputies. of law. No arm of government must go against the decision of If the bill had passed, it would another without first vacating have made Enugu the 23 state to that decision. To do so will be to have approved life pensions for undermine the rule of law. former governors and other ex public officials. The other states At the same time, we commend that have done so include Akwa the decision of the Enugu House Ibom, Edo, Delta, Kano, Gombe, Yobe; Borno, Bauchi, Abia, Imo, to stand down the New Pensions Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Bill and reintroduce it only after Ondo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Niger, “consulting widely” on it. It is a Kogi and Katsina. triumph of reason over emoti

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Letter to the Editor

Wanted: A Salvation for Nigeria’s Education System

By Sadiq K. Dangogo

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ith the end of ninemonth ASUU strike and the recent kidnapped and released of Kankara students in Katsina, one can only imagine the state of education in Nigeria.

It is clear that education has not been giving the deserved priority attention by those in authority, in terms of adequate funding and security.

The quality of our schools is dwindling. This is unlike when today’s leaders had the best of education in the past. Sadly, its future leaders are now contending with poor quality of education.

Decades ago, public schools were the only option for quality education, but today only those who can’t afford private schools can access such quality of education.

For those with resources, leaving the country is their only option to ensure proper education for their children, because even with private schools quality education is not guaranteed.

The way education keeps declining will make one think whether it is actually deliberate. Because its failure has created a window of opportunity to make money by setting up private schools, giving people the impression of better education, which comes with a higher price tag.

It is regrettable to note that, Nigeria is believed to have the highest number of out-ofchool children. Some believe it is a problem that is more rampant in the north, but from a general point of view it’s a problem for the whole nation.

The more people lose faith in formal education, the more impoverished we become, leading to frustrations that will manifest into violent crimes, drug abuse and lawlessness.

Since the outbreak of insurgency, education has been the number one target.

Pupils and students have been on the receiving end of it. They are the ones being kidnapped, raped and killed. Looking back at the Chibok girls abduction, and how it turned out and now the Kankara students suffering the same fate, it is clear that the government is not doing enough.

Though, insecurity is a contributing factor, Nigeria’s education sector has been facing many problems, long before the insurgents started making waves. Schools are poorly constructed, with close to zero facilities, and highlyunqualified and understaffed teachers.

From 1999 to date, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for about 51 months and still counting. This, alone, is a clear representation of how much failure education is.

If an average citizen has no access to proper education then will the future of the country be anything to look forward to? Will the future be any better than the past?

Will the country achieve any meaningful development?

We all seat and wonder why our country is going up in flames when we have abandoned the establishment of a proper foundation upon which a country is built. Until we wake up from our slumber and fix our education system, the country will continue to remain the butt of joke in the comity of nations. Now is the time for the government, most especially, to salvage our decaying education system. And it is surely not an onerous task, if only we will tell ourselves the bitter truth.

Sadiq K. Dangogo, a Photo Journalist writes from Abuja

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Tasks ahead of the new EFCC boss

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

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he conflicting reactions that recently trailed the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, of Abdulrasheed Bawa, a Nigerian detective and certified anti-money laundering specialist, as the new Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC ,reveals one thing. It shows that the road to restoration of trust among Nigerians by the Federal Government is a long one.

Bawa, an indigene of Kebbi, going by media reports is a young man born on 30 April 1980 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

Essentially, such an appointment ordinarily was supposed to elicit a unison excitement among Nigerians but unfortunately the reverse was the case. Not because the newly appointed is not vibrant or capable but because of a perception crisis the fight against corruption enjoys and the Federal Government’s track records in this direction.

To some Nigerians with uncritical minds, the appointment is a welcome development. Their reaction is fueled by the notion that corruption in government daily destroys and breaks the trust which is absolutely essential at the heart of representative democracy and has in the last decades, pushed many Nigerians into extreme poverty.

For others, such an appointment has become regular music hall fame. Their reason is predicated on the fact that President Buhari came to power about six years ago with a pledge to crack down on rampant graft in Africa’s biggest economy.

Then, he created a climate of opinion in the country that looks upon corruption in public offices as a threat to society. But such feeling among Nigerians has not only waned but viewed as superficial as the purported fight only exists in the frames.

Nigeria’s recent ranking in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index slid to 149th from 136th, placing it among the bottom 20% of countries is a perfect example of this assertion.

To the rest, the appointments and entire noise about corruption as orchestrated by the federal government is more of a well

said rather than a well-done phenomenon.

While noting that corruption did not start with the present administration as it dates back to pre/post independent Nigeria, where Colonial Overlords sufficiently legislated against it in the first criminal code ordinance of 1916(No15 of 1916) , they, however, argued that while the situation then may look ugly, what is going on now is worse and frightening. The original vision behind the EFCC as created by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was sharp but the current goal of the fight is blurred, they concluded.

Indeed, apart from helping to harmonize these opposing views via a thorough evaluation of strategies used by the Commission in the past, particularly, as the beauty of every strategy can only be pictured in the result, the objective of this piece comes in double folds. First, to see how these worries expressed by Nigerians can assist the new Chairman carries out inward recalculation exercise within the Commission. Secondly, intimate him on why he must crown himself anti-corruption legend by following the part that guided others across the globe to greatness.

With the above in mind, it will necessitate the following questions; where are the legends in Nigeria that Abdulrasheed Bawa will learn from? In a nation that has for decades suffered leadership hemorrhage? Will such legends be found among his predecessors? Or will history become the only credible source of information he needs to bridge this understanding?

Honestly in the opinion of this piece, he needs to learn from legends abroad.

This piece therefore, recommends Lee Kuan Yew, pioneer prime minister of Singapore, as the legend that Bawa needs to understudy his actions and inactions in combating corruption in his country.

To help readers understand Lee’s choice, it is factually documented that he within a short space of his administration moved Singapore from the third world to first world economy. He walked this part and came out beautifully victorious.

Now, let situate some examples of corrupt escapades in Singapore within the period under review with similarity

in complexity to what Nigeria is presently going through.

In 1959, as documented by Lee Kuen Yew, both high and low profiled cases of corruption existed. High profile cases made the headlines. Several ministers were guilty of corruption, one in each of the decades from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Corruption used to be organized on a large scale in certain areas.

Custom officers would receive bribes to speed up the checking of vehicle smuggling in prohibited goods. Personnel in the central supplies offices (the government procurement department), provide information on tender bids for a fee. Officers in the import and the export department received bribes to hasten the issue of permits. Contractors bribe clerks of works to allow short piling. Public health labourers were paid by shopkeepers to do their job of clearing refuse. Principals and teachers received commission from stationary suppliers. Human ingenuity is infinite when translating power and discretion into personal gain. But, it was not difficult to clean up these organized rackets.

The above reality will provide the new chairman with an effective road map to fighting corruption in Nigeria.

Beginning with reality, Bawa urgently needs to commit to mind that globally, when prosecuting corruption, “It matters not whether the exchange is initiated by the person with the money or the person with the power; it is the exchange itself that is the essence of the corruption. It matters not if the private enrichment is with cash or with its equivalent in influence, prestige, status, or power; the harm is done by the fraudulent substitution of wealth for reason in the determination of how the power is used. It matters not if the purchase of power is seen as beneficial by some or even by many; it is the dishonesty of the transaction that carries the poison’ There is another area of interest in Lee’s style/strategy that will offer a big helping hand to the new EFCC Chairman.

And that is Lee’s singleness of purpose to end the reign of corruption in the country.

One may ask how?

Upon assumption of office, Lee stated;

we made sure from the day we took office that every dollar in revenue would be properly accounted for and would reach the beneficiaries at the grass root as one dollar, without being siphoned off along the way. So from the very beginning, we gave special attention to the areas where discretionary powers had been exploited for personal gains and sharpened the instruments that could prevent, detect or deter such practices’.

On the strategy used, Lee Kuan Yew has this to say, ‘we decided to concentrate on the big takers in the higher echelons and directed the CPIB on our priorities. But for the small fish, we set out to simplify procedures and remove discretion by having clear published guidelines, even doing away with the needs for permits and approvals in less important areas. As we ran into problems in securing convictions in prosecutions, we tighten the laws in stages. Brief and Simple!

Without doubt, if this war must be won, the Commission must develop productive collaboration with the nation’s National Assembly in this direction. The need to strengthen our existing laws and possibly enact new ones to suit the everchanging legal environment has become overwhelmingly urgent.

In making this call, the piece has taken into cognizance that there is nothing more ‘difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating such changes as the innovator will make more enemies of all those who prospered under old other’. But any leaders that do, come out powerful, secured, respected and happy. This is an opportunity that Mr. Chairman must not miss.

Finally, to succeed on this assignment, Mr. Chairman, you need to borrow the body of Lee Kuan Yew in order to raise the soul of this fight against corruption via diligent investigation as half- hazard investigations create escape routes for suspects.

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

I’m not celebrating; Not the grammies, not the housemates

By Saliu Momodu

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cannot pretend to miss all the encomium and jubilation on social media over some fellow Nigerians and the awards won. But I am certainly not catching the fever, at least not at this scale that purports national heroism.

This may not be the time or medium to express my reservations about popular pop music as it obtains today but at the current rate, I must say that we have to be mindful of what we put upon a pedestal to celebrate. This is as important for us as individuals and, just as it is for our national values and sociocultural evolution which inadvertently become the stuffs of aspirations and inclination for the upcoming generation we nurture and mentor today.

I don’t think great nations started off celebrating what majorly pass for licentiousness served as entertainment. Yes, while everyone is free to pursue their respective conviction and preoccupation, we must collectively, for the life and identity of a nation be very selective on what we eulogize together. With the way everyone is falling upon the other, from religious figures to traditional icons, political leaders and past

presidents alike, you would mistake the issue at hand for a major breakthrough in home-grown science and technology that has just humbled our past records or drew the admiration of the international community. But in actuality, we speak of an artform that in recent times has mainly been deployed to promote rape, indiscipline, promiscuity, drugs and internet fraud.

What on Earth has happened to exploits in true and creative arts that depicts, as well as projects our historic, sociocultural ethos and aspirations? When are we ever going to celebrate our brilliant and industrious scientists, engineers, innovators, essayists, physicians, dramatists, novelists, poets and traditional artisans – be they young or old? Is there now a crooked new way to inspire and advance national identity and civilization? What kind of civilization would that be?

Had I over the years observed any appreciable social mobilization in a worthy direction, it wouldn’t have been much of an issue for me if the skies were being brought down today in these recent jubilation. But to reckon that almost as a whole we don’t seem

to be weary about the unsavory sociological repercussions from these seeds we today sow and model for our children, and with which we are quickly forging the future of our culture and continent gives me goosebumps to say the least.

I have equally noticed how the current DG of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala has been dragged into the fray. But what has she to do? How can she find a voice now to tell a Grammy-frenzied Nigeria that her’s is of a separate and lofty genre and as such should not be let into the myrrh? How would she begin to endear sundry appreciation for the fact that her ancestry is of professors, PhDs, … of discipline, scholarship, learning, not of frivolities turned accidental stardom of inconsequential national pedigree.

So as we continue to witness an increasingly prestigious place in our national consciousness for notoriety in arts and lewed entertainment, one can only wonder when those who currently sing in glorification of internet scam would eventually receive their own international medallion on the alter of vainglorious stardom?

That our art and artforms have failed abysmally to engender the perculiar travails of

our society and those of her countless citizens who continue to endure untold anguish should worry us deeply. And that we now reward and celebrate same at the behest and philosophy of distant aliens of divergent motives and values to ours should have us bury our heads in remorse.

The public absurdity of having young Nigerians collected together as “housemates” to mate in a most deliberate project towards a brazen assault at the nation’s moral and ethical nerve is still very fresh in our national psych.

I can only imagine the indelible harm that we continue to deal upon the vestiges of our perculiar artforms as indigenous to our clime and people.

But it is not too late to retrace these perilous steps. Yes, there is still chance to have our children and youths appreciate, indulge and enjoy the wholesome and uplifting arts and entertainment of shared values; and of purpose for moral, ethical, national and international evolution that we stand to offer ourselves and the world.

Saliu Momodu can be reached at saliumomoh123@gmail.com

Comment PAGE 13

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Nigeria gradually sliding into a one-party State

By John Kokome

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ll over the world where democracy is practiced there is always a ruling party and the main opposition party amongst several other opposition parties in a multi-party system democracy, to check the excesses of the ruling party and put them on their toes, to ensure they deliver on their campaign promises.

Constructive criticism from a wellgrounded opposition party helps democracy to thrive in trying times and not necessarily to bring down the ruling party, in the absent of a strong opposition party the country might slide into a oneparty state which is usually a big threat to the survival of democracy in any society.

Recent events in the polity has further raised more questions than answers in Nigeria; Are there opposition parties in Nigeria? If indeed there are, why the graveyard silence in the face of the rising cases of insecurity and palpable ethnic tension in the country? Or the very deplorable state of the economy without a word from the opposition on how to fix the economy.

Being in the main opposition party is not a tea-party, it is a big responsibility, if the idea of the opposition is only to contest elections every four years for grabbing power from the ruling party, then they had better make a rethink, that kind of mentality could be likened to a lame-duck approach and a very weak

political strategy.

Right from the first republic, there have always been opposition parties in Nigeria. However, in the current political dispensation, we have seen different political parties play this role effectively well. One of such parties is the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) that later metamorphosed into the All Progressive Congress which was the amalgamation of various political parties to include; All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change(CPC), a faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA).

That was the era we experienced a very robust opposition deploying both constructive and destructive tactics combined to achieve its objectives of putting the government of the day on its toes.

Today, we are experiencing a swap of role with the then opposition party APC now the ruling party and the then ruling party PDP becoming the main opposition party. It appears the All Progressive Party seems to have settled down as a ruling party, though with some snags here and there but unfortunately, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) is yet to come

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to terms with the reality on ground that they are now the main opposition party in the country, and as such should act in that regards. The party has virtually lost its voice in the polity and gradually moving into oblivion.

At every opportunity, one expects that the PDP would lend its voice to the various national issues beleaguering the country, they have continued to fail to live up to the billings as expected of an opposition party, this obviously has created a vacuum that needs to be filled urgently. The ruling party now plays the role of a ruling party as well as that of an opposition party, a trend if not checked and quickly corrected could see to the emergence of an authoritarian system of government. With the gales of defections, being experienced in the ongoing APC membership registration and revalidation with big wigs from the PDP defecting in droves this might be the final straw that might break the camel’s back, a situation capable of throwing the PDP into a state of comatose.

However, one thing is clear both the ruling party and the opposition party(s) all lack solid ideological foundation,

Today, we are experiencing a swap of role with the then opposition party APC now the ruling party and the then ruling party PDP becoming the main opposition party

which is primarily responsible for the deficiency in the leadership recruitment process in the country, thereby unable to prepare a sound and realistic programs and manifestoes that are implementable upon assumption of office of the party’s candidate.

There is need to have political parties with strong ideological principles guiding their modus operandi, than having several political parties without any form of ideology as their guide. This is a clarion call to all opposition parties in the country to wake up from their slumber and begin to live up to their responsibilities by providing veritable opposition to the ruling party.

Opposition political parties must not only provide an alternative platform to the people but must also be proactive in their approach in providing strategic opposition to the ruling party. In other to save this country from sliding into a one-party state, which is a fast route to authoritarianism. Men and women of goodwill with the right ideological mindset must urgently rise up to the occasion to provide an alternative platform as against what we currently have in the PDP as a main opposition which clearly is a failure on the part of the party to provide a robust opposition to the ruling All Progressive Congress in the country. The time to salvage the country from this slide is now!

John Kokome is a Communications Strategist & Public Affairs Analyst

Climate change is an existential threat: Time to include it in legislation on asylum seeking

By Bill Frelick

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espite recent and increasing efforts by the United States and other governments to narrow their interpretations of the refugee definition and to shirk their protection responsibilities, the need to expand the grounds for asylum is becoming increasingly urgent as the consequences of climate change become more pronounced.

A desperate appeal for asylum by a family from a Pacific island may have far-reaching implications for protecting people forcibly displaced by the effects of climate change. It could cause countries around the world to reconsider their laws and policies concerning refugees.

The case involves the Teitiota family, who fled the island of Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati in 2007 and sought asylum in New Zealand in 2013. Ms Teitiota told the New Zealand court that she feared for her children’s health and wellbeing, that crops and coconut trees on the island were dying.

She explained that because of rising sea levels, people were moving from neighbouring atols to Tarawa which led to overcrowding, frequent conflicts between residents and the spread of disease. She shared stories about children getting diarrhoea and even dying because their already scarce drinking water had become contaminated.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court of New Zealand dismissed the case, saying the family did not meet the standards

required by the Refugee Convention and deported them in 2015.

That same year, the father of the family filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee, an independent expert body that monitors government compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. He claimed that New Zealand had violated his right to life under the covenant because the sea level rise had shrunk habitable space in Kiribati, resulting in violent land disputes and environmental degradation.

On January 7, the Committee issued its views, finding the threats to life posed by rising sea levels and other effects of climate change necessitate a broadening of refugee law. “The obligation not to extradite, deport or otherwise transfer pursuant to article 6 of the Covenant,” the committee said, citing its provision on the right to life, “may be broader than the scope of non-refoulement under international refugee law, since it may also require the protection of aliens not entitled to refugee status.”

The principle of non-refoulement is a cornerstone of international refugee law, barring the return of refugees – defined as people with a well-founded fear of being persecuted – to places where their lives or freedom would be threatened.

The committee noted that Kiribati will become uninhabitable within the next 10 to 15 years because of rising sea levels. Both sudden events, like storms, and slow processes, like salinisation and land degradation, the committee said,

“can propel cross-border movement of individuals seeking protection from climate-change related harm thereby triggering the non-refoulement obligations of sending states.”

Under a “moderate future scenario”, scientists project that sea level rise in the next 30 years will put about 150 million people permanently below the high tide line. Although most of this displacement will not compel people to cross international borders, people living in countries like Kiribati, which are likely to become completely inundated, will have no choice but to seek asylum outside their country.

But Pacific islands are not alone in facing such threats. In landlocked countries like Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe, where populations are heavily reliant on agriculture and livestock, rising temperatures have contributed to flooding, drought, famine and disease that erode not only arable land but also the resilience of populations that have suffered armed conflict and human rights violations.

Famine declared in South Sudan’s Unity stateMore than 100,000 people in two counties of Unity state are starving, UN and government officials say.

Whether environmental disasters are the direct cause of displacement or an aggravating factor in combination with violence, inequality, and poor governance, millions of people on the African continent have already been displaced internally or forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries because

they consider staying at their homes a threat to their lives.

Because the committee held out hope that the government of Kiribati still has time to intervene to protect its citizens through relocation and other measures, it did not accept the family’s claim that their rights had been violated, saying the risk to their lives was not imminent.

One of the dissenting committee members who ruled on this case, however, wrote that the family would “have no access to safe drinking water, which poses an imminent threat to their lives,” while another said, “It would indeed be counterintuitive to the protection of life, to wait for deaths to be very frequent and considerable; in order to consider the threshold of risk as met.”

While there still may be room to argue whether life-threatening threats are imminent in particular cases, the Human Rights Committee has recognised that fundamental refugee-protection principles need to be broadened now.

This means not only that our common understanding of what it means to be a refugee needs to change, but also that the 173 countries that are party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights should ensure their asylum standards and procedures are adapted to protect all who face existential threats if returned to home countries that have become unlivable.

Bill Frelick is a Climate Change Expert.

PAGE 14

News

Kebbi partner NGOs to sponsor female medical students to India From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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he Management of Starex University-Delhi Jaipur NH-8 Vill Binila-Gurugram, India are expected to arrived Kebbi State between 19th to 27th March 2021, for the screening of 100 female students that will study medicine in the institution.

In a statement signed by the secretary of the Bright Girls Organisation, Comrade Abubakar Muhammad ABK said that the India University will visit the Bright Girls organisation and Kebbi State Government on how to foster good relationship between the University and Kebbi State on girl child education.

The secretary noted that the visit will also grace the presentation of the 100 qualified female candidates which will be sponsored by the State Government.

He expressed the need that the Bright Girls Organisation which is an NGO that promoted the girl child education and support the less privilege will collaborate with the Kebbi State Government and sponsored about 100 female students to study medicine in foreign countries.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Quackery: Stakeholders seek review of veterinary laws

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takeholders in the veterinary profession have called on the Federal Government to review legislation of veterinary practice to ensure effective animal healthcare delivery in the country.

The stakeholders, who made the call at the on-going Annual Leaders’ Summit of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) on Thursday in Abuja, also urged the federal government to curtail rate of quackery.

The summit is themed: “The future of the Veterinary Practice in Nigeria”.

The stakeholders included the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), NVMA, Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) and Common Wealth Veterinary Medical Association.

The Director General of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, Chairman of the summit, who said that the profession was under serious attacks from quacks, suggested that some of its laws needed to be

fine tune.

He added that fine tuning the laws was necessary in view of the current realities of veterinary profession.

Isegbe further encouraged veterinary professionals to look inward and acquire added value to meet up with current trend of veterinary practices.

“I encourage us to look inward and begin to add values to ourselves.

“The profession is under serious attacks from quacks, some of the legislation needs to be fine tuned in view of the current realities of veterinary profession.

“So that the younger ones coming will find it comfortable to continue with the profession,” he noted.

Dr Ibrahim Shehu, the Acting President of NVMA, who identified quackery as the major challenge in the country’s veterinary practice, described

menace as posing great dangers in delivering quality animal healthcare services in the country.

Shehu specifically identified them as contributing to insurgence of antimicrobial resistance in the country thereby endangering the life of human.

According to him, they give wrong prescription of drugs thereby contributing to the current rate of antimicrobial resistance in the country.

“A licensed veterinarian knows all the rules of prescription of antibiotics when is healthy for an animal to consume such drugs, which quacks are ignorant of, they do things unprofessionally.’’

He, however, attributed the rate of quacks in the profession to lack of amendment of veterinary laws to meet current realities in the practice.

Shehu listed some of the laws currently at the National Assembly that needed to be

upgraded as the Veterinary Surgeons Act and Veterinary Hospitals, among others.

“We have veterinary laws which some of them are outdated but we have been pushing in NASS to get the new laws updated with the current realities in the veterinary practice.

“We have the veterinary surgeons Act that has been in the Senate for concurrence, the veterinary hospitals and other different veterinary laws in NASS that needed to be amended to represent current realities in the practice.

“If those laws are passed by the government it will further equip us as veterinarians to deliver quality veterinary care that we are all equip to deliver,” he said.

On the theme, he said it was “selected to educate them on the jobs they can get, where to get those jobs, where they can fit in different cadres of jobs in the country”. (NAN)

From Umar Dankano,Yola

T

hirty (30) communities of Girei/Jabbi-Lamba and Environs have petitioned the Adamawa state House of Assembly over alleged illegal sale of ten(10) hectares of their farmlands by Executive Chairman of Girei Local government Area,Hon.Joda Misa.

Spokesman of the group,Ahijo Yakubu made the development known at a press conference in Yola on Thursday, accusing the council chairman of selling their ancestral land to his cronies for reasons best known to him.

Yakubu said the communities found out that the 10 hectares were sold to the councillor representing Modire ward stressing that another 500 hectares of farmland have been earmarked for sale out of the same farmlands.

Yakubu maintained that the affected communities met and resolved unanimously to write and complain to the state legislature.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has told the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government is unsparing and intolerant in its fight against corruption and corrupt persons in the country.

APC was replying to the claim by the PDP that N15trillion was stolen under the Buhari’s watch, while jobs are shared as rackets to government

Assist to bring back detained Nigerians, Lawan urges Saudi Govt.

By Musa Baba Adamu

P

30 Adamawa communities petition Assembly over Girei chairman’s alleged land racketeering Chairman, National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, with the traditional ruler of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adu, during a Colloquium on Drugs Abuse, organised by Ekiti Ministry of Justice Academy in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.

Photo: Idowu Ariwodola /TA/HB/NAN

FG Flag-off BESDA programme in Jigawa, as gov Badaru seeks for people’s cooperation From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

T

he federal government of Nigeria has yesterday flagoff the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) in Jigawa state.

Speaking shortly after flagging-off of the programme, the minister of state for education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiubu said, about 17 states that include the entire 13 states of the North-West and north-east will get intervention to address the increasing number of out of school children.

An estimate of 10 million children are presently roaming the

streets across the country while Jigawa is one of the worst affected by the menace while states of Rivers, Niger, Oyo and Ebonyi.

According to the minister, “ the selection of the states was based on the prevalence of the number of out-of-school children in those regions while emphasising that, “Jigawa is one of the worst hit in the ranking in Nigeria”, he declared.

Mr Chukwuemeka said the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) became effective on 22January 2018 with the commencement of implementation processes at the Federal government level.

He said each beneficiary state is expected to commence implementation in line with the specific steps and guidelines provided under the programme.

The Minister lament that even as there is nothing to cheer about when a single child is out of school, not to talk of the millions that are currently roan the streets, instead of being in the classroom learning.

He assured that out of school children will be returned soon as according to him, “learning is not only a moral and legal obligation, but also a productive investigate that will guarantee the future of our children and ensure that

their rights are protected as enshrined in the child Rights act if 2003”, he stated.

On his part the state governor, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar said the state government on its part has recruited 1,393 school teacher in 2018 while screening of 4,000 teachers under the J-teach programme is underway.

Alhaji Muhammed Badaru said the flagging-off and launching of the BESDA at this time is appropriate in view of the fact that reducing in number of out of school children is one of the 10 pillars of the ministerial strategic plan.

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

resident of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has appealed to the government of Saudi Arabia to assist Nigeria in bringing back over ten thousand citizens held in detention in Saudi Arabia.

Lawan made the appeal on Wednesday when the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria, Faisal Eebraheem Alghamdi, paid a visit to his office at the National Assembly, Abuja.

The Senate President, while underscoring the role of the Ninth Assembly in ensuring compliance to bilateral and multi-lateral agreements entered into by the Nigerian government, disclosed that ongoing efforts were underway to evacuate citizens held back in Saudi Arabia.

He said, “This legislative arm of government is always conscious of ensuring that our government plays its role in bilateral and multilateral dispositions that our government has decided to go into.

“Saudi Arabia and Nigeria established a very solid relationship for a long time, and the relationship has been growing every year.

“I want to assure you that this arm of government will work with you as the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia.

Speaking earlier, the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria, Faisal Eebraheem Alghamdi, said the purpose of the visit was to build on this existing relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, saying, “we need to develop our relationships and this is the goal when I came here.”

Buhari’s govt is unsparing, intolerant in fighting corruption - APC replies PDP cronies, and their family members.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Secretary of Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All progressives Congress (APC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the party said the allegations are hangovers of the PDP’s 16years of locust.

APC said “In the past weeks, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has labored to canvass tales of a phantom stolen N15 trillion public funds in the media. It is not surprising that the generality of discerning Nigerians have ignored the unfounded and baseless allegation, because it is clear that only the PDP believes its deviant tales.

“From petroleum subsidy rackets, unexecuted electricity, CCTV, roads, to arms contracts to fight the North East insurgency, the culture of outright theft,

misappropriation and diversion of public funds became the mainstay and pastime of successive PDP administrations. The PDP is obviously hungover these forgotten and discarded years of locust. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria has left that era.

“The most ardent critics of the President Buhari and the APC government he leads will definitely chorus one fact: This government is unsparing and does not condone thieves within and outside government. Nigeria is definitely not where it was in terms of the pervasive corruption, impunity which ultimately ended the PDP administrations 16 years of locust.

“With the implementation of Treasury Single Account, Biometric Verification Number (BVN), Whistle Blowing policy among other initiatives undertaken by the President Buhari administration, the fight against corruption

remains one of the strongest successes of this administration.

For a rudderless party blinded by its tactless opposition politics, we don’t expect the PDP to see the impact and commendations these initiatives have received and the increased government savings it has brought to fund ongoing and critical infrastructure projects across the country.”

In addition, APC said in the statement that the bribe-for-jobs and other employment rackets perpetuated under PDPs watch remains one of the most disgraceful and lowest points in the nation’s history.

“Nigerians will recall how a PDP government fleeced young job seekers of application fees under the pretext of mass recruitment.

Many died and were maimed in the 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise for advertised vacancies that had been allegedly

sold off by job racketeers. Under President Buhari, Nigeria has left that era.

“Nigeria is no island. We suffered our fair share of the economic impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on livelihoods and jobs.

Commendably, President Buhari showed leadership in cushioning the effects and guiding the country out of the economic challenges.

“No government in the country’s history has systematically put in place measures to create jobs and alleviate poverty like the President Buhari government.

“The proactive and successful implementation of the N2.3 trillion Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) has not only stimulated the economy and prevented business collapse, it has also created jobs through support to labour intensive sectors such as agriculture, direct labour interventions and infrastructural investments.

President Muhammadu Buhari virtual launch of $890m global fund grants to fight HIV, TB, Malaria, and Resilient and Sustainable advancement system for Health held at the State House Council Chambas. Photo; State House

Group alleges plot to assassinate Zamfara Governor, Mattawalle

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

pressure group, Movement for the Restoration Of Peace in Zamfara State, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mattawalle, even as it charged the security agencies in the country to beef up security of the Governor.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday by the National Convener of the group, Mohammad Lawan Usman, the group alleged that after failing in the bid to remove the Governor through the back door by coercing President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, the fifth columnist are now employing the use of intimidation, subterfuge and blackmail all in the bid to remove

the Governor.

It said the enemies of the state have gone to the extent of circulating fake videos of an aircraft which from its investigation, is a Hawker Siddley 125 business jet that landed on a rough strip in Guatemala on January 27, 2020, that was used for a very shady world of drug-running, claiming same to be plane being used to supply arms to armed bandits and ferry gold out of Zamafara State the video which has been trending in the social media networks.

“It is being used to blackmail Governor Matawalle in his efforts to restore the security of lives and property through his peace initiative accord”, the statement said.

“After the failed bid to coerce President Buhari into declaring a state of emergency in Zamfara

State, the plot to assassinate Governor Mattawalle has thickened. Information available to us clearly indicated that a fifth columnist is in operation at the nation’s highest security cycle.

“We have it on good authority that the Governor of Zamfara State is under surveillance, in the bid to take him out. Intelligence available to us indicates that the nation’s security has been seriously compromised and the recent outburst of the National Security Adviser (NSA) who is a very senior Security Personnel of the government is a case in point, which has shown that all is not well with the Nation’s security architecture and there is the urgent need for President Buhari to authorize a discreet investigation and deep soul searching”, the group said.

Usman maintained that “the security of our Governor should not be in doubt, but in this case, it is not guaranteed since we are in the endangered axis. Such heavy concerns coming from a sitting Governor, cannot be easily dismissed, as it is an indirect allusion and petition on the roles of the NSA in recent times.

“By the trending pictures, it has become obvious that the fifth columnists are determined to tar the Governor all in the bid to pull him down at all cost. Information reaching us from high ranking security officer, is that security personnel are monitoring Governor Bello Mattawalle’s daily movements”.

Usman cautioned that should anything happen to Governor Mattawalle, people of Zamfara know who to hold responsible.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

POLITICS

Ex Ekiti Deputy Gov, Lawal, joins guber race ahead 2022 polls

By Christiana agency report

T

Ekpa

with

he ranks of aspirants that have declared interest in the Ekiti State governorship election coming up in 2022 yesterday swelled as former Deputy Governor, Sikiru Lawal unveiled his intent for the coveted seat.

Lawal’s posters conveying messages of his interest in the plum seat were unveiled on social media platforms by himself and his admirers.

Lawal was the Deputy Governor to former Governor Segun Oni between 2007 and 2010, before their removal by the Appeal Court in a case instituted

by Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the then Action Congress of Nigeria.

Before the present declaration, Lawal’s former principal, Segun Oni, had also unveiled his interest in the number seat.

The former Governor Ayodele Fayose had in February 2021 adopted the Peoples Democratic Party’s State Chairman in Ekiti, Hon. Bisi Kolawole for governor in PDP against the expectation that he would back his former Deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka.

In the posters sighted on social media, Lawal would be contesting for the position on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, the same party as Oni. The poster carried a bold inscription: “Ekiti PDP, Tiwa N Tiwa 2022, Dr Sikiru Take Lawal for Governor, Together We Can go Father”.

Lawal, who commented about the posters in a telephone conversation with the newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, said he has declared interest in the race owing to pressure from influential and ordinary members of the PDP. The former Deputy Governor said the passion to develop Ekiti and rescue it from its present state spurred him to take interest in the race.

“Yes, I am contesting. I have to accede to the request by numerous PDP members that I remain one of the best for the job with team spirit and strong clout that can help the party and with an experience that can help the state.

“I had been Deputy Governor in Ekiti and our records then remain unbroken. We have the capacity, experience and team spirit to work for Ekiti and deliver the best for our people. That is the spirit behind my ambition.

Gov Makinde threatens to vacate office

By Musa Baba Adamu

O

yo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, threatened that he is ready to vacate office as Governor if he is convinced that it is what the people demand.

Makinde who said he was not bothered about the title, added that it was the reason he vowed to take decisions in the best interest

of the state and Yorubaland.

The governor made the comment at the Pan Yoruba Congress held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan.

Noting that the administration had a duty to ensure lives and property are secured, Makinde said the state will incorporate the non-state actors into the new security architecture.

He said “By virtue of my office,

I can see some certain things that you cannot easily see and I stand on my honour to say that I will take decisions in the best interest of my people”, he said.

“What do they want to do to Seyi Makinde? As I stand before you, if I am being asked to leave the seat as the governor, I do not have a pin to go and pick in my office in the Secretariat. I go there with my bag and go back to my

house with my bag.”

Makinde disclosed that at the last security meeting, he created a War Room “because the issue of security is beyond rhetoric”. The governor also set up a Task Force on Security, which he chairs.

He said soon, local security personnel who are not in Amotekun, could be OPC or Soludero or State Vigilante as part of the voluntary policing policy.

Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River State (M); Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Ivara Esu (4th L); Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi (4th R), Registrar of the University, Mr Gabriel Egbe (R) and others, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Calabar on Thursday (18/3/21).

Lawan calls for more trade between African countries

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

P

resident of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has called for more trade partnership between African countries to further enhance their economic independence as a continent.

Lawan made the call when the Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Humphry Desmond Geiseb, paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Senate President said, “we need to increase our level of trade because this is what will make us more independent.

“Once we are able to achieve a reasonable level of economic independence we can take major decisions as a continent when it comes to bilateral and even multilateral issues.

“Africa is challenged in so many ways. Our development levels vary of course but what is required of us is to ensure that we trade more between our countries.

“The establishment of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA) is a welcome idea to us in Africa.

“It expands the frontiers of trade and infact investment

in Africa and it is for African countries to now take the opportunity that will be made available by this Agreement.

“I believe that Nigeria has a lot of products to export to Namibia and I am happy to note that you export salt and other things to Nigeria,” Lawan said.

The Senate President recalled the major role played by Nigeria in Namibia’s struggle for independence saying that “we did that for some other countries especially in South Africa believing that any country in Africa that is not free should be the concern of

each other’s country.”

Lawan also called for more parliamentary engagement and partnership between the Namibian and Nigerian parliaments.

Earlier, Geish said the visit was to appraise the Senate President on the current relationship between Nigeria and Namibia, which he described as “cordial.”

He said Namibia was also interested in the advances and innovations from Nigeria especially in the field of the gender based violence as well as the field of women empowerment and gender equality in governance.

INEC issues certificate of return to Jigawa member-elect

T

he Independent Electoral Commission INEC has issued a certificate of return to the member representing Kafin Hausa Constituency in the Jigawa House of Assembly.

It was reported that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammad Adamu emerged winner of the

Kafin Hausa State Constituency by-election in Jigawa.

Adamu who is the son of the deceased member polled 14,924 votes to defeat his opponent, Garba Muhammad Tambale, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 8,612 votes.

Speaking to Journalist after presenting the certificate of

return INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Muhammad Isah said the election was free and in accordance with the commission guidelines.

He assured that to accord justice for all the parties in the conduct of all elections.

“Jigawa is the only state that has no pending court case which

showed all political parties agreed to the outcome of all elections and by-election since 2019 to date” he noted.

His election follows the death of his father Hon. Adamu Babban Bare (APC) in Jigawa State House of Assembly.

The deceased died at the age of 57 after a prolonged illness.

PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Baba Adamu

A

bill seeking the establishment of Armed Forces Service Commission on Wednesday was stepped down after generating mixed feelings amongst Senators during plenary.

The bill was sponsored by the Minority Leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South).

Leading debate on the bill, Abaribe said the piece of legislation seeks to get the National Assembly to give effect to the clear provisions of section 219 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Advancing arguments in support of the bill, Abaribe opined that, “the Armed Forces of Nigeria is a National institution of Nigeria that should be insulated from the vagaries of political divisions.”

According to him, “the framers of the constitution in their wisdom inserted section 219 to prevent a situation where our national symbol of unity and strength could be sacrificed on the alter of political temperament.”

He added that the bill, therefore, seeks to establish the Armed Forces Service Commission to ensure that the composition and appointment of Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federation reflects Federal Character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed in section 217(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Citing section 219, Abaribe read: “The National Assembly shall, (a) In giving effect to the functions specified in section 217 of the Constitution and; (b) with respect to the powers exercisable by the President under section 218 of the Constitution; establish a body that shall comprise such members as the National Assembly may determine and which shall have power to ensure that the composition of the Armed Forces of the Federation reflects Federal Character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed by section 217 of the Constitution.”

The Minority Leader said that the function and powers of the Commission shall be to: Have the power and authority pursuant to section 219 of the Constitution to ensure that the composition and appointment of Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federation reflects Federal Character of Nigeria as prescribed in section 217 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, the Commission shall also ensure that the functions specified in section 217 and the powers exercised by the President in the appointment of Service Chiefs and Officers Corps and other Ranks of the Armed Forces in section 218 reflects the said constitution.

He added that the body must also recommend to the President from among the best and most qualified, most educated and experienced members of the Armed Forces of the Federation for appointment as: Chief of Defence Staff; Chief of Army Staff; Chief of Naval Staff; Director of Military Intelligence, and other Arms-bearing Security Agencies.

The Commission, Abaribe said,

POLITICS

How Senate forced Abaribe to withdraw Armed Forces Service Commission Bill

shall recommend to the President the removal from office as Service Chiefs and Heads of other Armbearing Security Agencies on ground of misconduct, abuse of office, breach of any section of the Constitution, the Armed Forces Act or any other Act of the National Assembly.

“It shall also have the responsibility to approve promotion from among the best, most competent and qualified officers as Heads of Military formations/branches such as General Officers Commanding Divisions of the Nigerian Army and their equivalent in the Navy and Air Force.

“Provided that in making such recommendations the Commission shall observe the Federal Character principle and adopt an equitable template to spread the offices of the Service Chiefs, and Officers Corps and other Ranks of the Armed Forces of the Federation among the six groups-political zones of the country”, the Minority Leader said.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau North), said the intent of the bill was to activate the position of the constitution.

According to the lawmaker, the establishment of the Commission would go a long way to “address certain concerns and strengthening the unity of Nigeria.”

Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central) said, “the new Commission that is being proposed to be established, rather than it having effect in terms of promoting unity and strengthening our armed forces, will be a mere division of a bureaucratic setup that will not enable the armed forces to do what it is supposed to do.

Speaking against the bill, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central), said that the piece

of legislation offends the spirit of the Constitution as it seeks to politicize it, warning that going ahead with the proposed bill would undermine the Constitution, as well as compromise the Armed Forces.

The Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha PDP, Taraba, on his part, advised against the politicization of the bill, adding that the issue of geo-political zones be de-emphasized.

Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) questioned the timing of the bill, stressing that introducing the commission at a time when Nigeria’s unity is overstretched would be diversionary.

Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) in his contribution warned that, “to attempt to politicize the Armed Forces of Nigeria at this time is dangerous to the overall security of the country.”

“For is to introduce something that would bring disunity in the Armed Forces is to create more problems for ourselves”, he said.

Chukwuma Utazi, who described the bill as “harmless”, said the piece of legislation seeks to ensure that the essence of the Federal Character principle as contained in the Constitution respects the diversity of the country.

Lending his voice in support of the bill, James Manager (PDP, Delta South) noted that the bill had been before the National Assembly for over a year and, therefore, should be allowed to scale second reading to allow the relevant Committee fine-tune it based on submissions from the input of stakeholders.

He added that members of the upper chamber reserved the right to vote against any counterproductive aspect of the bill during a clause-by-clause consideration of the Committee’s report.

“Let us not feel that we have a reservoir of knowledge, we will

invite people for public hearing.

Those who come for public hearing will advise us whether this bill is good or not good.

“So, at the end of the day, the report will be presented, and when it is presented, we call for clauseby-clause reading. A particular clause that is not good enough for this country will be taken out,” he said.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, thereafter, put the question for a voice vote on the bill to be read a Second time.

Lawmakers in the majority, however, voted against the bill scaling second reading, a development which prompted the Senate President to rule in favour of its rejection in the voice vote by the Upper Chamber.

The Majority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe, at this point, while coming under a point of order, contested the ruling of the Senate President called for a division to allow for voting by members in accordance with the provisions of the Senate rule.

Responding, the Senate President said, “it’s not my opinion that the nays had it. We took a vote, the nays outnumbered or outweighed the ayes. So, I think it’s not right or correct that a Minority Leader would input the defeat of the bill to the President of the Senate. You may find another thing, but I didn’t rule inappropriately.

Abaribe however insisted saying, “Mr. President, I’m not saying that you did right or wrong, I’m only saying give me my right, and my right is that all our members here ought to get up and vote for this.”

Interjecting almost immediately, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central), explained that the provision of the Senate rule does not allow for the contestation of the ruling of the presiding officer where the same was based on

the position of the majority of members.

“The essence of order 73 is to challenge the opinion of Mr. President or the Chair. The power you just exercised is not an opinion, and therefore not subject to order 73,” Omo-Agege said.

Senator James Manager, on his part, prevailed on the Senate President to allow voting proceed, stressing that doing so put to rest any agitation and vindicate his earlier ruling.

The session which almost became rowdy as a result of consultations among Senators, however, was dissolved into a closed meeting by the Senate President which lasted for 30 minutes.

Rising after the closed session, the Senate President said, “l want to appeal that we don’t have to go into a ruling of the order he raised, that we can do without it, and the opportunity will also be available for him or any distinguished Senator here to represent this bill here after due consultation with colleagues here.

“So, Minority Leader, on behalf of all of us, let’s withdraw the order 73, so that the business of the Senate will continue, and if it is your wish to represent the bill, you may do so, and I’ll advise strongly that let’s consult our colleagues as many as possible to be part of the sponsors.”

Rising, the Minority Leader withdrew his earlier order for division and asked that the bill be stepped down.

He said: “I want to make a compound motion – two motions.

In order to preserve the dignity of this hallowed chamber, I wish to withdraw my order 73.

“Secondly, and for us to be able to do further consultations on the bill that I have proposed, I wish also to step down the consideration of this bill until a more appropriate time, I do submit, Mr. President”.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

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

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DMO lists N162.557bn 7-Year Sovereign SUKUK on Nigerian Stock Exchange

By Etuka Sunday

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he Debt Management Office (DMO) yesterday listed its third Sovereign Sukuk “N162.557 BILLION 7-YEAR 11.200% AL IJARAH SOVEREIGN SUKUK DUE 2027” on The Nigerian Stock Exchange and the FMDQ Securities Exchange.

DMO said, the Sukuk which at

the time of issuance was massively subscribed to the tune of N669.124 Billion or 446%, was issued to finance 44 economic road projects across the six (6)-geopolitical zones.

It said, with the listing, investors who are already holding the SUKUK can trade them while new investors have an opportunity to buy the SUKUK in the secondary market.

The DMO started the issuance

of Sovereign Sukuk in September 2017 as one of the measures towards attaining its strategic objective of bridging the infrastructure gap in Nigeria to promote job creation and economic growth.

Following the successful issuance of the N100 Billion debut Sukuk in 2017, the DMO issued another N100 Billion Sukuk in 2018. The proceeds of the two (2) Sukuks were deployed to

the rehabilitation and reconstruction of road projects across Nigeria.

Through the Sovereign Sukuk initiative, the DMO has raised a total sum of N362.57 Billion in less than three (3) years for the rehabilitation and construction of major economic roads across the country.

In addition, by issuing Sovereign Sukuk, the product range available to investors in the domestic financial

market has increased, while, several retail investors have been attracted to the financial markets.

The DMO remains committed to providing funding for the Government, as approved from time to time, to finance the development of infrastructure whilst also deepening the domestic financial markets and mobilizing savings.

Leadership Positions: Emefiele, Otteh, Ahmad Make Case for Nigerian Women

By Sunday Etuka

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he Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has challenged stakeholders in private and public organizations to ensure all round gender development and equal opportunities, in order to increase the number of women in leadership positions in Nigeria and across the world.

Mr. Emefiele gave the charge on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at a commemorative webinar hosted by the Bank’s Deputy Governor in charge of Financial System Stability, Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, as part of activities to mark the 2021 International Women’s Day with the theme: “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal future in a COVID-19 World”.

Declaring open the webinar that featured a paper titled: “Positioning Women for Leadership in a Changing World,” the Governor restated the Bank’s commitment to continually promote gender diversity in the workplace, empower women and increase their active participation in the economy.

According to Emefiele, the CBN recognized the potential of female leaders in different organisations and the Nigerian economy at large, hence it ensured equal opportunities for both male and female staff across every cadre in the Bank. He also cited the CBN/ Bankers’ Committee affirmative action on 40 per cent and 30 per cent representation for women in

top management and Boards of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).

While identifying unequal access to education, healthcare, finance and cultural barriers with gender stereotyping as some of the barriers limiting the participation of women in leadership, the CBN Governor also listed policies of the Bank that had afforded women access to finance to improve their lot.

Mr. Emefiele therefore stressed the need to have appropriate policies in place in addition to making the right investments in programmes and services to promote women’s leadership and gender parity in order to enable them to contribute to the economy.

This is even as he noted that there was overwhelming evidence that organisations with a high level of female participation fared better than others.

In her keynote address, Executive Resident at the University of Oxford and former Treasurer and Vice President at the World Bank, Arunma Otteh highlighted the critical roles of leadership occupied by women, noting that women were key to societal advancement.

Making a business case for gender equity, Ms. Otteh noted that women economics was “SMART” economics, citing statistics that indicate women reinvest up to 90% of their resources into their respective families and societies.

She also emphasized the need

to critically address the challenge of security in order to earn economic prosperity, even as she stressed that women remained Nigeria’s last hope to tackling

insecurity and life endangering situations.

While also noting that women were hardest hit by the Corona Virus pandemic, Ms. Otteh

challenged all women to strive for excellence and invest in themselves, noting that women need to do things differently, think differently and act differently.

L-R: Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Audi and Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris during a visit to Treasury House yesterday in Abuja.

TCN Completes New Tower, recovers 600MW Egbin-Ajah Transmission Line

By Etuka Sunday

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he Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has successfully completed the construction of a new transmission tower in Ajah, Lagos and also strung the old and a new 330 kilovolts Egbin - Ajah transmission lines. Both lines have been energized.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, AEDC, Ndidi Mbah in a statement said, the new line increased the transmission lines capacity on that line route by 600

megawatts (MW) bringing it to a total of 1,200MW. The old line was re-energized on Saturday 13th March, 2021 while the new line was energized on Monday 15th March, 2021.

Prior to resuscitation of the second Egbin-Ajah Transmission Line, the Aja 330/132/33kV Substation operated through a single circuit 330kV transmission line, after the second line was isolated in 2013, due to Ajah GIS substation insulation failure.

Within the period, the lone 330kV line had a maximum capacity of 600MW, but with the resuscitation of the second 330kV line and the diversion of both lines along the new tower line route, the transmission lines capacity doubled.

With the new 330kV line, TCN has fulfilled the N-1 reliability criteria on that line route, providing redundancy.

Each of the line can serve as ‘back-up’ for the other during maintenance, this has increased transmission efficiency and reduced downtime on that line route.

The 13.8 kilometre transmission line receives power supply from Egbin 330kV Transmission Substation and supplies the Ajah 330kV Substation; Lekki 330kV Substation and Alagbon 330kV Transmission Substation.

The additional 330kV transmission line, equally means that more bulk power is now supplied to the substations of Eko Electricity, Distribution Company taking supply form the listed transmission substations.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

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AMAC to disburse N26m scholarship to students in May

By Stanley Onyekwere

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he Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has earmarked over 26 million Naira as scholarship fund for students from the Council studying in Tertiary institutions.

It was gathered that the scholarship would be given to both indigenes and non indigenes of the area council, would be disbursed in May, this year.

Making this disclosure, the

AMAC Chairman, Abdullahi Candido, said the Council had last year, secured admission for no fewer than 50 students to study science related courses at the University of Abuja.

Candido, spoke yesterday at the 2021 Retreat themed: “Media Appraisal of AMAC governance; A Focus on Candido’s Administration” ,organised for newsmen and his media team in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

“In terms of education, we have taken steps to ensure that

we have put in place measures of supporting education “We have approved N26 million as disbursement for our students in tertiary institutions, it is not all about building additional schools here and there. But the ones that we have built, we want to sustain them”, he affirmed.

Furthermore, Candido explained that the area council’s school for the gifted is an ICT driven and innovative school which would be completed soon.

He added that the proposed AMAC Community Radio is at 70 per cent completion, stressing that the station would go on air on or before May 20.

Candido who appreciated the press for their support since inception of his tenure, also charged them to not relent on projecting the council’s achievements.

In his presentation, one of the resource persons at the occasion, Associate Prof.

Sheriff

Ibrahim, commended the chairman for the numerous achievements recorded so far.

Ibrahim, who did justice to the topic, ‘Prospects and Way Forward of Candido’s Administration’, enjoined the chairman to consolidate more efforts on education, employment and job opportunities for youths.

He equally stressed the need to the enhance porous security architecture and effective revenue generation and services, among others.

Federal Fire officers, with the newly acquired Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicle, during the inauguration in Lagos on Thursday (18/3/21). NAN

ANCOPS gets new leadership, pledges sustained training in FCT

By Stanley Onyekwere

The All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPS) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has inaugurated new leaders that would pilot the affairs of the body for a period of four years.

The members of the executive, who were drawn from both

Junior and Secondary Schools across the Territory, promised a robust system that will add more value to the schools.

Fielding questions from Journalists after his swearingin as the new FCT ANCOPS president, Alhaji Adam Bello Gupa, said his leadership would consolidate on the gains made by the previous leaders.

Gupa, who is the Principal of Government Secondary School, Kuje, explained that a new template will be developed to capture all the programmes needed to move the schools forward.

Gupa said all members of ANCOPS will be trained both within and abroad to meet up with the educational current

realities.

“We will continue with the good work, where our predecessors have stopped to ensure that basic education is achieved” He said the principals will stop at nothing to ensure that members put in their best.

“Capacity building for teachers, the training will be

within the country and abroad”.

Earlier, in his farewell message, the outgoing ANCOPS prasident, Abdulkarim Abdulrahaman said his leadership recorded achievements that would stand the test of time.

He therefore called on the new leaders to work in unity, and positively project educational activities in the Territory

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world news

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

EU agency says AstraZeneca vaccine is ‘safe and effective’

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review by the EU’s medicines regulator has concluded the OxfordAstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is “safe and effective”.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated after 13 EU states suspended use of the vaccine over fears of a link to blood clots.

It found the jab was “not associated” with a higher risk of clots.

Italy announced it would resume using the jab on Friday while Sweden said it needed a “few days” to decide.

It is up to individual EU states to decide whether and when to re-start vaccinations using the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday called on countries to continue using the vaccine, and is due to release the results of its own review into the vaccine’s safety on Friday.

The agency’s investigation focused on a small number of cases of unusual blood disorders. In particular, it was looking at cases of cerebral venous thrombosis - blood clots in the head.

Decisions to suspend use of the vaccine sparked concerns over the pace of the region’s vaccination drive, which had already been affected by supply shortages.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced new measures for his country on Thursday, saying the pandemic was clearly accelerating and a “third wave” of infections looked increasingly likely.

What did the EMA say exactly?

Emer Cooke, the agency’s executive director, told a news conference: “This is a safe and effective vaccine.”

“Its benefits in protecting people from Covid-19 with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation outweigh the possible risks.”

Mrs Cooke was speaking at an online news conference in Amsterdam The EMA’s expert committee on medicine safety, Mrs Cooke said, found that “the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of... blood clots”.

But the EMA, she added, could not rule out definitively a link between the vaccine and a “small number of cases of rare and unusual but very serious clotting disorders”.

Therefore the committee has, she said, recommended raising awareness of these possible risks, making sure they are included in the product information. Additional investigations are being launched, Mrs Cooke added.

“If it was me, I would be vaccinated tomorrow,” Mrs Cooke added. “But I would want to know that if anything happened to me after vaccination what I should do about it and that’s what we’re saying today.”

Why did European countries act?

Thirteen EU countries suspended use of the vaccine, after reports of a small number of cases of blood clots among vaccine recipients in the region.

Leading EU states said they had opted to pause their use of the drug as a “precautionary measure”.

“There were a few very unusual and troubling cases which justify this pause and the analysis,” French immunologist Alain Fischer, who heads a government advisory board, told France Inter radio. “It’s not lost time.”

In Germany, the health ministry also pointed to a small number of rare blood

clots in vaccinated people when justifying its decision. It postponed a summit on extending the vaccine rollout ahead of the EMA’s announcement.

Other countries, such as Austria, halted the use of certain batches of the drug, while Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic were among those to say they would continue to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Decisions to halt rollouts of the AstraZeneca vaccine were criticised by some politicians and scientists.

A spokeswoman for Germany’s opposition Free Democrats said the decision had set back the country’s entire vaccination rollout. German Greens health expert Janosch Dahmen, meanwhile, argued that authorities could have continued using the drug.

Dr Anthony Cox, who researches drug safety at the UK’s University of Birmingham, told the BBC it was a “cascade of bad decision-making that’s spread across Europe”.

What has AstraZeneca said?

The company says there is no evidence of an increased risk of clotting due to the vaccine.

It said it had received 37 reports of blood clots out of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the EU and UK as of 8 March.

These figures were “much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed Covid-19 vaccines”, it said.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford vaccine group which developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, told the BBC on Monday that there was “very reassuring

Germany, France and Italy were among the countries to pause their rollouts of the vaccine as a precaution evidence that there is no increase in a blood clot phenomenon here in the UK, where most of the doses in Europe [have] been given so far”.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week urged people to “listen to the regulators” and to “get the jab”.

Source: BBC

U.S. had better quit political threatening

By Zhong Sheng

T

he U.S. Department of State issued a so-called statement Wednesday, in which it slandered the decision of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and threatened to implement financial sanctions against Chinese officials.

Such practice of hegemony and interventionism seriously violated international law and the norms governing international relations, and interfered in China’s domestic affairs. It fully revealed the vicious intention of the U.S. to disrupt Hong Kong and hinder China’s stability and development.

Wielding the big stick of sanctions, the U.S. is not able to stop the HKSAR from returning to orders. In recent years, the U.S., under the disguise of so-called human rights, democracy, and freedom, did everything to support anti-China forces, trying to make troubles in Hong Kong and destroy the prosperity and stability of the special administrative region.

However, the so-called sanction is nothing but a piece of useless paper. Since China implemented the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, Hong Kong’s rule of law and orders have been well protected, and the human rights of Hong

Kong citizens effectively guaranteed. The international society is more confident in the HKSAR’s prosperity and stable development, and so are foreign investors.

In recent days, the HKSAR government and society expressed wide support for the NPC’s decision to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong, which fully indicated that the decision is an unstoppable trend that conforms to the will of the people. It is the best and most powerful response to the slandering made by certain countries.

Facts prove that Hong Kong’s future is decided by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots. Foreign interference does nothing good to Hong Kong and will not be supported.

Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong.

How to design and improve Hong Kong’s electoral system is totally a domestic affair of China, and no country has the right to point fingers. Recently, nearly a hundred countries reiterated their support for China to implement the “one country, two systems” principle in the HKSAR at the UN Human Rights Council, stressing non-interference in domestic affairs of sovereignty countries is an important principle of the UN Charter and a basic norm governing international relations. They urged relevant countries to respect the sovereignty of China, and stop their interference in China’s domestic affairs, including issues related to Hong Kong. It

demonstrated the wide support received by China on its stance on Hong Kong affairs.

The arbitrary sanctions placed by the U.S. on other sovereignty countries have already triggered unanimous opposition and condemnation from the international society.

During the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, a UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights criticized the U.S. for its sanctions against other countries in accordance with its domestic laws. The UN Special Rapporteur sternly pointed out that U.S. sanctions have seriously violated the human rights of relevant countries. Being ignorant to justice and wielding the big stick of sanctions, the U.S. will only once again expose its hypocrisy and hegemony.

China is firm in its determination to implement the principle of “one country, two systems” and to oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs. No interference or slander can shake China’s resolution to safeguard national sovereignty, security, development interests, and the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, or stop its firm strides of development. The U.S. had better quit political threatening as soon as possible.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used

by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

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anzania’s President John Magufuli has died aged 61, the country’s vice-president has announced.

He died on Wednesday from heart complications at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an address on state television.

Mr Magufuli had not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and rumours had been circulating about his health.

Opposition politicians said last week that he had contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.

Mr Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent coronavirus sceptics, and called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.

“It is with deep regret that I inform you that today... we lost our brave leader, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli,” Vice-President Hassan said in the announcement.

She said there would be 14 days of national mourning and flags would fly at half mast.

According to Tanzania’s constitution, Ms Hassan will be sworn in as the new president within 24 hours and should serve the remainder of Mr Magufuli’s five-year term which he began last year.

Mr Magufuli was last seen in public on 27 February, but Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa insisted last week that the president was “healthy and working hard”.

He blamed the rumours of the president’s ill-health on “hateful” Tanzanians living abroad.

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

John Magufuli at a glance Magufuli was first elected president in 2015 • Born in Chato, northwest Tanzania, in 1959 • Studied chemistry and maths at the University of Dar es Salaam • Worked as a chemistry and maths teacher • First elected as an MP in

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John Magufuli: Tanzania’s president dies aged 61 after Covid rumours

The 61-year-old president died from heart complications on Wednesday 1995 • Became a cabinet minister in 2000 • First elected president in 2015 When Covid-19 arrived in Tanzania, Mr Magufuli called on people to go to churches and mosques to pray. “Coronavirus, which is a devil, cannot survive in the body of Christ... It will burn instantly,” he said.

He declared Tanzania “Covid-19 free” last June, saying the virus had been eradicated by three days of national prayer.

He also mocked the efficacy of masks, expressed doubts about testing, and teased neighbouring countries which imposed health measures to curb the virus.

“Countries in Africa will be coming here to buy food in the years to come… they will be suffering because of shutting down their economy,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

Tanzania has not published details of its

Museveni sues paper over ‘malicious’ vaccine claim ganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has sued a leading independent newspaper, the Daily Monitor, for defamation after accusing it of publishing a “malicious” allegation against him about Covid-19 vaccines.

The paper quoted a report in the US-based Wall Street Journal, alleging that Mr Museveni and his inner circle had secretly been inoculated before the rest of the population.

The president denied the report, published on 23 February, and in two separate national addresses over the last couple of weeks, he has demanded a front-page apology from the Daily Monitor. It

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issued a “clarification” earlier this week.

The president’s petition, filed in the High Court, described the story as intentionally reckless and malicious, and said it had painted him as a dishonest person.

In a televised address on Sunday, Mr Museveni said he was still considering which of the globally approved vaccines to take.

He added that he wanted people who are most at risk, like health workers, to be vaccinated first.

Uganda has so far received more than 860,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. More than 4,000

coronavirus cases since May, and the government has refused to purchase vaccines.

On Monday, police said they had arrested four people on suspicion of spreading rumours on social media that the president was ill.

“To spread rumours that he’s sick smacks of hate,” Mr Majaliwa said at the time.

Shock and disbelief in Tanzania Analysis by Athuman Mtulya, BBC News, Dar es Salaam The country is in a sombre mood - for the first time in its six decades of existence, Tanzania has lost a sitting president, John Pombe Magufuli.

The news of his death was received with shock and disbelief - although there were rumours of his illness, the authorities reassured the country that all was well with him.

From his home district of Chato to the capital of Dodoma to the business hub of Dar es Salaam, most Tanzanians have been mourning Magufuli.

There are those with a different view, especially on social media led by exiled opposition politician Tundu Lissu, who has been speculating that President

Magufuli had contracted Covid which led to his death, however the authorities have insisted the death was caused by heart complications.

Tanzanians are now turning their minds to the succession, which should see current VicePresident Samia Suluhu Hassan become the country’s first female president.

Mr Magufuli was declared president on his 56th birthday in October 2015. He was elected for a second term following a disputed poll last year.

He was hailed for his anticorruption stance during his time in office, but he was also accused of cracking down on dissent and curtailing certain freedoms.

His critics agree that Mr Magufuli contributed to Tanzania’s development. He invested in large infrastructure projects such as a standard-gauge railway to connect the country with its neighbours, major highways, and a bus system in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam.

He also increased electricity production, reducing the need for power rationing.

But it is his approach to Covid-19 that many analysts say will define his legacy.

African leaders pay tribute In Tanzania, people have reacted with grief and disbelief to the news of Mr Magufuli’s death.

One, Joseph Petro, told the BBC he thought Mr Magufuli was a “caring” leader, adding “he was helping people in one way or another”.

“I am really pained. I am personally pained,” he said.

Another, Illuminata Abel, offered similar sentiments: “He was not my relative, but he was someone who listened to people’s problems, and he was down to earth.”

African leaders have also come out to pay tribute.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said: “I have lost a friend, colleague and visionary ally,” and declared a seven-day period of national mourning in Kenya.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called Mr Magufuli a “partner in democracy” and a “patriot who loved his country”.

But Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that Mr Magufuli’s “politics, policies and Covid denialism” had “driven the country towards disaster”.

Mozambique airline suspends Biden to send envoy to Ethiopia over Tigray conflict flights to and from Kenya

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S President Joe Biden is sending a senator to Ethiopia to raise with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed his grave concerns over the crisis in the northern region of Tigray, the allegations of human rights abuses and the risk of broader instability.

Senator Chris Coons will also consult the African Union.

Last week, the US

Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, described the violence in Tigray as ethnic cleansing - this was rejected

by Ethiopia.

The United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has agreed to carry out a joint investigation on the situation in Tigray with the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Right’s Commission.

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ozambique’s national carrier flag carrier has announced that it is temporarily suspending flights to and from Kenya Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, or LAM, said the decision had been taken for “operational reasons”.

It did not elaborate, but the decision is thought to be linked to the slump in air

travel because of Covd-19.

On 1 February 2021, LAM announced the suspension of some domestic flights because of the pandemic.

M e a n w h i l e , Mozambique recorded one more Covid-related death in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 733.

Source: BBC

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Internet fuels innovation for China’s film and television products

By Zhu Chuanxin, People’s Daily

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hina’s film and television industry has been deeply integrated with the internet in recent years. While online video platforms have become an important channel for the broadcasting of films and TV programs, film and television products also constitute a major part of the content on internet platforms.

The application of internet thinking and technologies is profoundly altering the forms of presentation, creative ideas and production practice of film and television art, and big data mining has proven effective in the development of film and television projects.

With the help of quantitative analysis of various types of big data, film and television makers are able to gain insights into the demands of the market, create a portrait of the target audience, determine the purpose and theme of products, optimize scripts, decide the style of images, music and editing, and find suitable directors and actors.

In The Longest Day in Chang’an, a famous web series in China, the actor playing the leading role “Zhang Xiaojing” was selected using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data based on comprehensive evaluation of the looks of actors, their resemblance to the role, as well as their performance in previous works.

Many online platforms have introduced intelligent script evaluation systems, which could automatically use a curve to show the development of the plots and conflicts in a script, and help verify whether the story has been appropriately designed.

It is a routine for many film and television projects to formulate targeted and differentiated communication strategies based on the characteristics of users.

Compared with television broadcasting, internet platforms can better recommend individualized film and television content to users according to their ages, genders, regions, and occupations.

Relevant technologies, which enable platforms to bring content to users with the help of algorithm and save users the trouble of searching for content, have been widely adopted, particularly by short video platforms.

Meanwhile, online film and television products are increasingly integrated with literature, education, e-commerce, cultural tourism, games and other fields.

The Chinese web series Cross Fire showed close interactions with a game with the same name; Once Upon A Bite, a popular food docuseries in China, has joined hands with brands from various sectors; Chinese short video platforms, such as Douyin and Kuaishou, have added functions to their apps to allow users to place orders for goods while watching videos.

Such crossover cooperation helps film and television industry further extend the industrial chain.

Internet platforms are also able to monitor the broadcasting of film and television content throughout the entire process and provide feedback for content reproduction.

Online platforms can collect data from users in real time, and adjust the content layout timely through the viewing behaviors of users such as searching, fast forwarding and rewinding, and adjusting the pace up or down, and their evaluation shown by bullet screens, ratings, comments, and forwarding.

Internet means and information technology are supposed to support, instead of deciding, the development of film and television industry.

It is necessary to stay alert to and prevent artistic production that depends merely on technology, data, and market while ignoring the rules of literary and artistic creation.

With the deepening application of 5G, AI, cloud computing and other technologies, traditional film and television industry will be upgraded toward more intelligent production, and witness systematic improvement in the production mechanism, organizational structure, and process tools, which makes it more important to make good use of the internet to bring about development opportunities and innovation drivers for the industry.

(Zhu Chuanxin is a professor at the School of Theater, Film, and Television under the Communication University of China.)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

A SI A China has administered nearly 65 million COVID-19 vaccine doses r o m

By Shen Shaotie, People’s Daily

A

s of March 14, China had administered 64.98 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the public, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC) at a press conference on March 16.

The groups at high risk of infection are prioritized in the vaccination program, followed by the elderly and people with underlying health condition, Li said, adding that those who do not belong to the prior two groups but still wish to be inoculated are also covered.

According to him, the groups at high risk of infection include essential workers in key sectors, as well as people working in border regions and labor-intensive industries.

Relevant departments enhanced efforts to coordinate the demand and supply ends, and standardized vaccine storage and transport to improve delivery efficiency and guarantee supply, Li said. Local authorities also established enough vaccination sites in accordance with situations, he added.

The country also established a nationwide tracking platform to strictly implement the control measures for the whole vaccine process, Li introduced. Disease control departments and vaccination sites are also monitoring and recording the temperature of vaccines in storage and transportation to ensure their safety.

Massive production of the four conditionally approved COVID-19 vaccines has started, and the vaccination demand is well satisfied, said Yulong, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

China has received positive response for its vaccine aid and export to other countries.

Right now, China’s vaccine manufacturers are constantly expanding, Tian said, adding that their production capacity is being continuously released and their output will gradually increase.

“We are confident that output and production capacity of vaccines in every phase on the year could meet demand,” he remarked.

China also can ensure the smooth and systematic operation of the entire supply chain for vaccine production, including supplying the

Photo taken on March 15 shows a dose of Chinese inactivated COVID-19 vaccine to be administered at a vaccination site in Jianggan District, Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Long Wei/People’s Daily Online) necessary raw materials, cold-chain logistics and equipment for administrating the shots.

Tian added the safety of vaccines, from production to transportation to inoculation, will be the top priority.

While expanding production capacity, China is also ensuring the safety of vaccines on every link of the production chain. According to Tian, the MIIT and medical products administration departments are jointly working to guarantee inspection periods of every batch of vaccines.

Yuan Lin, an official with the National Medical Products Administration introduced that after years of efforts, China has established a relatively comprehensive supervision system, a complete legal system, and a system of quality standards for vaccines.

Yuan noted that medical products administration departments organized inspections of relevant vaccine workshops to ensure that they were licensed, and arranged for expert inspectors from national and

local drug regulatory authorities to carry out inspections and spot checks regularly or periodically. A team of at least two inspectors is stationed in each of the manufacturers to supervise different aspects using various measures, to supervise and guide companies to improve their management system, he added.

All COVID-19 vaccines used in China have gone through clinical studies according to relevant standards, and been approved by the National Medical Products Administration, Li said, adding that they were put into use after strict examination.

Li said all vaccines must be monitored and have their temperatures recorded at regular intervals to ensure that they meet the requirements regarding temperature environment and transportation. The NHC also expanded its personnel training and asked all medical staff to strictly implement operating instructions to guarantee the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, he added.

C

hina recently delivered a joint statement on behalf of more than 100 countries at the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, calling for a people-centered global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China’s perception of human rights addresses the common challenges faced by mankind, and mirrors the common aspiration and expectation of developing countries.

Taking people as the central focus is a distinctive feature of China’s human rights protection. Human rights are the rights of people, and democracy represent the will of people. The ultimate goal of human rights protection is to safeguard the interests and rights of people, and their sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security shall be enhanced during the process.

China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty since the beginning of the reform and opening-up over 40 years ago when calculated in accordance with China’s current poverty line, and all 98.99 million poor rural population have been taken out of poverty since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in 2012.

Such an achievement is remarkable because it has not only lifted Chinese people’s income and livelihood, but also ensured their rights to education, medication and housing. China has built the world’s largest social security system that guarantees basic elderly care, healthcare, living allowance and housing. This is a miracle in the

human history of poverty reduction, as well as a vital contribution to the progress of global human rights protection.

China’s people-centered philosophy in its human rights protection has withstood tests.

Facing the COVID-19 epidemic, the country carried out a life rescue mission on an unprecedented scale by mobilizing nationwide efforts, which not only safeguarded the rights to life and health of its own citizens, but also deepened international anti-pandemic cooperation, enhanced information sharing and joint prevention, and made COVID-19 vaccines a public product that is accessible and affordable for global countries, especially developing countries.

Joining the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX of the WHO, China promised to offer 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to meet the urgent need of developing countries. The country has provided and is providing COVID-19 vaccine aid free of charge to 69 developing countries in urgent need, while exporting vaccines to 43 countries.

Recently, China announced to donate 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to UN peacekeepers, with priority given to the African mission area.

These concrete actions perfectly validate China’s people-centered philosophy in its human rights protection.

The progress of global human rights protection calls for justice. Belarus delivered a joint speech on behalf of 71 countries at the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council to support China’s stance and measures on issues related to Hong Kong, and

oppose western countries’ interference in China’s domestic affairs. Cuba also delivered a joint statement on behalf of 64 countries at the session, to praise China’s people-centered philosophy and support the country’s stance on issues related to Xinjiang, calling on relevant parties to stop making unfounded allegations against China out of political motivations.

Besides, representatives from multiple developing countries made a joint statement, condemning relevant western countries that seriously violated human rights by unilateral coercive measures, and urging them to immediately stop such measures.

Belarus, on behalf of multiple countries, pointed out that the UK and EU countries have systematic human rights violation, including hate speeches, whitewashing Nazism, racial discrimination, and violations against migrants, refugees and the indigenous.

These voices fully demonstrated that justice will always prevail on the issue of human rights.

Mankind shares a common goal to enjoy human rights. To respect and ensure human rights has always been a consistent stand of the CPC and Chinese government.

There is always room for improvement when it comes to human rights protection. Countries shall follow the principle of justice, fairness, openness and inclusiveness, and advance development through cooperation and promote human rights through development, so as to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

PAGE 25

Interview

India and Nigeria share and learn from their unique experiences in Democratic process – Envoy In an exclusive interview with the People’s Daily, the High Commissioner of India to Nigeria also concurrently accredited to Benin Republic, Chad and ECOWAS, H.E, Mr. Abhay Thankur, speaks on number of crucial issues ranging from Nigeria-India bilateral cooperation, the country’s democracy reforms, social inclusion and other reasons why India with its huge population thrives and forges ahead. Read on:

China adheres to people-centered philosophy in human rights protection

By He Yin

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

The Indian elections are globally acknowledged as the most fervent festival of the democratic process. What are the institutions, cultures, and behaviors that drive and sustain it?

Yes, India is the largest democracy in the world and Indian elections are globally acknowledged as the most fervent festival of the democratic process. We have a well established institutional mechanism to conduct various elections in India. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous and permanent constitutional body responsible for organizing free and fair elections in the Union and States of India. The Constitution grants the ECI with the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the office of President of India and the office of Vice-president of India. The ECI does not deal with the elections to the urban bodies such as Municipalities in the states, for which we have a separate State Election Commission.

ECI is a constitutional body which is fiercely independent. Once appointed by the President, the Chief Election Commissioner enjoys security of tenure, and cannot be removed except through impeachment, in the same way as a judge of the Supreme Court.

No wonder then that the ECI enjoys the full confidence of all political parties, whether in government or in opposition. In this context, the Model Code of Conduct is a truly unique document which emerged out of consultations between political parties and the ECI and which ensures peaceful, transparent and free and fair elections. Once the Model Code of conduct enters into effect prior to any election, the ECI gets the power to monitor activities of all civil servants, and even to transfer them from their post in case of any major violation!

The Ministry of Law and Justice is the nodal ministry for the ECI, which interacts with it on budgetary matters, legislative amendments concerning elections, and the framing of rules.

Sometimes EC officials also attend parliamentary committee meetings.

The Election Commission never fails to listen to all stakeholders. The Chief Electoral Officers and the District Electoral Officers call meetings of political parties for discussions regarding the preparation of electoral rolls and decisions about polling stations and counting stations. The staff are under strict disciplinary control of the Commission during

their deputation. The neutrality and credibility of the officers is strictly ensured, through effective oversight and compliance mechanisms. The Commission also does not lack external accountability. All nonconfidential documents and data are in the public domain. After the passage of the Right to Information Act, all ‘public authorities’ are obliged to provide information sought by citizens. The ECI is also subject to periodic audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. All its decisions can be subjected to judicial scrutiny, except when the election process has been set in motion. The Commission would not have been able to discharge its constitutional obligations had it not been for the full backing of the Indian judiciary. This is because of the Indian judiciary’s historically liberal interpretation of the EC’s powers with respect to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections.

Powers & Functions of Election Commission : Preparation of Election Rolls and Photo Identity Cards, Recognition to Political Parties, Allotment of Symbols to Parties and Independent Candidates, Conduct of Elections, Ensuring Free & Fair Elections, Disqualification on grounds such as being of unsound mind, holding office of profit etc., Announcement of Elections, Nominations, Scrutiny of Nominations, Publication of List & Election Campaign, Counting of Votes & Declaring Results etc. An Indian election is mammoth exercise. The 2019 General election of India was the largest election the world had ever seen, with 900 million people eligible to vote, bigger than the population of Europe and Australia combined, out of which around 600 million actually voted. The massive electoral exercise was conducted in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 at round 1 million polling stations across the India.

Total Number of Constituencies: 542 Total Contestants: 8026 Average contestants per constituency: 15 Total Number of Electors: 910512091 Total No. of electors who voted: 610851929 Total No. of polling station: 1036295 Average no. of electors per polling station: 879 Nigeria and India are long term partners with cooperation

in a wide range of fields. How far has India engaged Nigeria in the sharing of its electoral experiences in particular and building of credible democratic institutions in general?

India and Nigeria enjoy warm, friendly and deep-rooted bilateral relations. India is the world’s largest democracy and Nigeria is largest democracy in Africa, so both have unique experiences to share and learn from. Both countries were the forefront of international anticolonial and anti-apartheid struggle and today we closely collaborate in various international fora. India has been sharing its experiences and expertise in many areas including electoral reforms. Staff members of Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria have received training in India on regular basis on various issues including capacity building in electoral technology. In February 2019, Mr. S Y Qureshi, a former Chief Election Commissioner of India visited Nigeria as part of a Commonwealth Observers Mission for Nigerian Election. We have also supplied electronic voting machines and shared our technical expertise with several African countries.

India and Nigeria as partners in the construction of the liberal democratic process have introduced reforms to grow and expand their respective economies and how has India made her reforms to generate inclusive and sustainable development and what lessons does India’s experience offer to Nigeria?

In its initial decades after independence, India had an economy where the state occupied the commending heights of the economy and many of the leading sectors were dominated by public sector undertakings, including steel, coal, chemicals, banking and transportation. This model served India’s needs and ensured economic stability. However, thereafter we needed liberalization and reforms to embark on a high-growth trajectory and give a boost to our economy by releasing pent-up energies of the private sector and our youthful population.

India’s economic reforms can be broadly divided in two phases. First phase started in 1991, in the wake of a balance of payments crisis. Policy changes were proposed with regard to technology up-gradation, industrial licensing, removal of restrictions on the private sector, foreign investments and foreign trade. The essential features of the economic reforms were – Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalization, commonly known as LPG. The second phase of economic reforms started in 2014. Changing/ repealing /amending various old acts/codes as well as launching new initiatives was our form. This included change in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016, labour reforms Act, farm reforms act, reforms in medical

Mr. Abhay Thankur

education, corporate tax cuts, FDI liberalization, implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST), allowing foreign investment in more construction projects, allowing more than 50% foreign investment in defense, allowing more than 50% foreign investment in Indian Railways, deregulate diesel pricing, fully opened the coal mining sector to private/foreign investment, making it quicker and easier for companies to go through bankruptcy, pushing for Direct Benefit Transfer to deliver goods subsidies, and reduction in corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 25 percent.

As we know, economics reforms and welfare of people are connected to each other, benefits of economic reform must reach to the people otherwise reforms will lose their importance. Therefore, a number of flagship welfare schemes have also been launched by the Government of India, to address concerns on health, education, environment, irrigation, urban and rural development, employment and other sectors. The ultimate objective behind the flagship programmes is to achieve broad-based improvement in the living standards of people and to ensure that growth is widely spread so that its benefits, in terms of income and employment, are adequately shared by the poor and weaker sections of the society. These welfares schemes are the following • AatmaNirbhar Bharat (‘selfreliant India’ or ‘self-sufficient India’): Announced three AatmaNirbhar Bharat packages to help the economy tide over the COVID-19 crisis.

• Jan Dhan Accounts: To provide access to formal banking services to more than 15 per cent of the unbanked population in the country • Pradhan Mantri GraminAwasYojna (Affordable Housing Scheme): ‘Housing For All’ by 2022 • DeenDayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana : To ensure round the clock electricity supply to farmers and rural households.

• BetiBachaoBetiPadhao : To make girls socially and financially self-

reliant through education.

• PM Mudra Yojna :To provide loans up to INR 1 million to noncorporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.

• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: To provide 50 million LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country.

• Atal Pension Yojana: Atal Pension Yojana is a pension scheme mainly aimed at the unorganized sector such as maids, gardeners, delivery boys, etc.

• Ayushman Bharat: It is a universal health insurance to provide free healthcare services to more than 40% population of the country. The scheme offers a health cover of INR 500,000 to each beneficiary.

• Make in India: It is a major national programme to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property and build best in class manufacturing infrastructure in the country.

• Digital India: To ensure the Government’s services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing internet connectivity.

• Smart Cities Mission: National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable.

• Clean India Mission: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management (SWM).

• Startup India: Focusing on three areas, Simplification and Handholding, Funding Support and Incentives, Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation.

• Skill India Mission: To provide training and skill development to the youth of our country covering each and every village/city and to empower all individuals through improved skills, knowledge and employment opportunities.

• NamamiGange Yojana: Ganga river conservation mission called ‘NamamiGange’ to arrest the pollution and revive the Ganga river.

What is the current volume of India-Nigeria trade and what are the major exchanges?

The bilateral trade between India and Nigeria during the year 2019-20 was approximately US $ 14 billion, similar to the trade levels of 2018-19, which made India the largest trading partner of Nigeria. Indian exports to Nigeria during the period 2019-20 were US$ 3.6 billion, as against US$ 3 billion in 2018-19, showing an annual growth of 20% despite the COVID-19 global pandemic. India’s exports machinery and mechanical appliances, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, electrical machinery and equipment, POL products (refinery products), bituminous substances, apparel and clothing, plastic and articles, iron and steel, organic chemicals, and textile articles, to Nigeria.

Cont. from page 28

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

26

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Feature

Covid-19 Africa: Who is getting the vaccine?

V accination programmes are underway across Africa, bolstered by the international Covax initiative to help poorer countries access supplies.

Many countries have now received some vaccines, and a growing number have started administering them.

But African nations are still significantly behind other parts of the world.

How are African countries getting vaccines?

Deliveries of vaccine supplies under the Covax programme started in February, and most countries in Africa have signed up.

The programme - backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other multilateral bodies - aims to distribute an initial half million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine worldwide, with the aim of supplying two billion vaccines by the end of 2021.

Of this total, the WHO says 600 million doses will be for Africa, enough to vaccinate at least 20% of the population.

The Covax initiative has so far delivered AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines to African countries.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the first country in Africa to put on hold its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution after concerns were raised in some countries over its safety.

The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency however say there is no indication of a link between the vaccine and reports of blood clots.

The DRC has received 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the Covax scheme.

Tanzania and Madagascar have said they have no plans to acquire vaccines, and Burundi says that at the moment, they don’t need vaccines.

And some nations have sourced vaccines from outside the Covax scheme.

They’ve done so through direct purchases from the manufacturers, or as donations from countries such as China, Russia, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

China has donated doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Zimbabwe, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Tunisia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The United Arab Emirates also donated Sinopharm doses to the Seychelles.

India has donated the AstraZeneca vaccine to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mozambique, eSwatini, Botswana, Mauritius and Seychelles.

Senegal donated some of the vaccine doses it bought from China to neighbouring Gambia.

Russia donated some doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine which were used on an experimental basis in Guinea.

Globally, there’ve been calls for developed nations to ensure that poorer countries are not left behind in the push to vaccinate against Covid-19.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron recently proposed that rich countries in Europe and the US share their extra vaccines with Africa.

He says he wants these doses be made available quickly for African countries.

The global humanitarian body, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), estimates that all the extra supplies bought by the US, UK and the EU could vaccinate everyone aged 16 and over in the 20 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster.

Out of these countries, 13 are in Africa.

As a comparison, by the end of February, the UK had given out more than 31 doses per 100 people, the US more than 22, Asia just over two and Africa less than 0.3, according to statistics compiled by Our World in Data.

African nations face not just supply problems, but also issues relating to storage and logistics when it comes to administering the vaccines.

There are a handful of African countries not taking part in Covax for various reasons.

Are the vaccines enough?

John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says the vaccines provided under the Covax scheme “will not get the pandemic out” of the continent without further assistance.

He says African countries will eventually need to vaccinate at least 60% of their populations, with his target for this year being 35%.

There’s also an African Union plan to pool supply arrangements on behalf of all 55 countries in the continent.

Africa’s leading mobile network provider, MTN, has made a donation of $25m (£17.8m) to this plan to secure about seven million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for the continent’s health workers.

The Africa CDC says an initial one million doses acquired through the MTN arrangement are ready be shipped to about 20 countries.

It’s not known yet which ones will receive these.

What’s happened to vaccinations in South Africa?

South Africa, the worst affected

South African President Ramaphosa gets a Covid vaccine country on the continent, delayed an initial vaccination plan using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about its efficacy against a new variant of coronavirus.

It started vaccinating on 17 February after receiving 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is administered as a single dose and has been shown to be effective against the variant.

The country later received another consignment of this vaccine in late February and so far has

immunised more than 100,000 healthcare workers.

Pfizer has also committed to supply 20 million vaccine doses, with deliveries expected by the end of March.

South Africa has offered the one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine it ordered from the Indian supplier to the African Union, to distribute to other countries which might be interested in using it.

Source: BBC

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

Interview

I’m happy that a lot of investments are copying from our business concept - El-Samad The President of El-Samad Group of Companies Alhaji Sammani Adamu, has been one of the few business entrepreneurs at the helm of changing Kano business to modern form of business in conformity with digitally accepted phenomena.

In this interview with Mustapha Adamu the business entrepreneur talks about how his business concept has become a role model to investments and challenges facing business in Kano, among others.

Can you tell us a brief of your biography?

My name is Sammani Adamu. Born in the early 80s to a family of business entrepreneurs; I did all my conventional studies in Kano State before taking up the family business after a serious research on modern business strategies and later came up with the concept of El-Samad group of Companies in 1997 and got it registered in 1998.

Tell us about this modern way of doing business My company that deals in textile and other general enterprises has come up with modern methodologies of easing ways of business activities that are being conducted. We came up with minimum liability to both the company’s customers and the company itself. We are fully committed to reviving Kano’s manufacturing industries The new adopted methodologies have been bringing the best selection of product and merchandise to our customers as well as create a trust and confidence between us and the customers by introducing a malls-like setting with digitalized facilities that

will ease the way of conducting business as against that of the traditional processes.

How would you describe initial ways of conducting businesses with the new concept adopted?

What we have now is a business that makes us responsive and responsible to our customer’s needs. It is a system that guarantees good product delivery as well as an effective value for money methodology that ensures absolute trust between the buyer and the seller.

Unlike the initial processes whereby one had to travel thousands of kilometers and also take risks of moving with money with less trust between both parties, this new adopted method has erased all those hindrances.

This is a total deviation from the traditional way of doing business especially in our chosen sector. The new innovation we have introduced has established a trust between the Company and our numerous customers on having qualitative products being delivered to them nationwide in accordance to digitally accepted models.

What would you say are your challenges in the modern business adopted?

No doubt challenges are virtually in every business aspect, but here what we initially experienced was that of demand, but we were able to overcome it by having about 8 branches with 2 more branches coming soon making our branches to 10 across the state dealing in various strata of our range of products.

However, we are also planning to expand our company to other states across the federation for easy access to our business associates in Nigeria and beyond.

Do you think it is possible to sustain the new innovation?

Of course it is possible because this is an investment that deals with multidimensional activities, we have engaged various people of different disciplines and as such we have grown to become an entrepreneurial set up. Therefore, sustaining such a venture wouldn’t be an issue, as I have said Elsamad had influenced a lot of merchandise sectors to an extent that many investments are presently copying from our concept which we at El-Samad consider to be a plus to the sustainability of the business.

Are you aware of the state government’s move to revive the manufacturing sector?

Yes! I am and I see this development as one of the best things that had happened to the manufacturing industry for ages. Indeed a successful

revival of the industry will mean saving the nation a huge sum of resources going out of the nation as well as to strengthen the nation’s GDP. Our new adopted business strategies welcome such positive development in the nation’s and state’s economic blueprint. We are in full support of the move and we will always be ready to give our best to the successful revival of the sector. We are optimistic that, Kano manufacturing

industry has contributed a lot to the nation’s economic growth and its revival would definitely be a great deal that will ensure the state economic resuscitation as well as that of the nation.

We have since indicated our interest to be part of this historical move by the state government in ensuring that Kano state has regained its commercial hub title. This is what we have been praying for.

India’s imports from Nigeria during the period 2019-20 were US$ 10.02 billion, as against US$ 10.8 billion in 2018-19, mainly comprising crude oil. India is the largest importer of Nigeria petroleum products. Nigeria was the fifth largest supplier of crude oil and second largest supplier of LNG to India in 2018. In addition to Mineral fuels (Crude oil and LNG) products, India also importsoil seeds, fruits, edible fruit and nuts, aluminum, raw hides and skins, wood and articles, coffee, tea, spices, lead, electrical machinery & equipment, and some cotton from Nigeria.

In the area of business to business ties, both countries are moving forward steadily. Over 135 Indian companies are currently operating in Nigeria, which are owned and/ or operated by Indians or are of Indian origin, with an estimated cumulative investment of USD 19.3 billion in Nigeria. Prominent

among them are Bharti Airtel, Tata, Bajaj Auto, TVS, Birla Group, Shapoorji Pallonji, Kirloskar, Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, NIIT, Aptech, State Bank of India, New India Assurance, Skipper Nigeria, Dabur, SUN Pharma, Primus, Manipal Group, and many others. Indian owned/operated companies are the second-largest employers in Nigeria after the Federal Government of Nigeria itself.To facilitate business exchanges and trade economic cooperation, the High Commission of India actively coordinated/arranged/facilitated 26 trade-related events, meetings, seminars, webinars, etc. during 2020, most of them in virtual mode.

India, despite its huge size and inclusive democratic process still encounters challenges of its fault-lines, while in Nigeria those fault-lines have become an open challenge?

A whole combination of factors, makes India what it is. To name a few, these include an innate spirit of peaceful co-existence; inclusive growth; the philosophy of “VasudhaivaKutumbakam” or “The world is one family”; the strong roots of democracy; positive intervention for upliftment of the poor and socioeconomically backward classes; equity; rule of law; faith in the judiciary; rejection of majoritarianism or of minority vote banks; empowerment of minorities; giving a voice and deserved place to all sections of the society and all regions of India through 22 official languages, 28 states and 8 Union Territories; a sense of fairness and trust in administration, police and conduct of foreign policy; and our thousands of years old civilization with ancient, deep rooted spiritual,vedictraditions and philosophy of tolerance and mutual accommodation; All these havehelped India emerge as a beacon of hope and shining example of unity in diversity for the world.

29

NITT awarded hosting rights for 2021 RIGAN Games T

Alhaji Sammani Adamu

Page

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

By Amaechi Agbo

India and Nigeria share and learn from their unique experiences in Democratic process – Envoy Cont. from page 25

Sports

PEOPLES DAILY

PAGE 28

he National Institute for Transports Technology, NITT, Zaria, Kaduna, has won the hosting rights of the 2021 Research Institutes Games Association of Nigeria, RIGAN Games.

The decision to award NITT the hosting rights was arrived in during the National Executive Council, NEC meeting of the association held in Abuja on Wednesday Although the Zaria-based NITT got the hosting rights, the competition will hold in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Speaking on the hosting, RIGAN President, Professor Owolade Oluwaferanmi said that NITT was awarded the hosting right but added that the competition will hold in Abuja and not Zaria due to security challenges in the area.

The President also explained that the institute was given a sixweek deadline to give the NEC feedback on its readiness to host the games slated for December this year “The main resolution reached in the meeting is that the National Institute for Transports Technology, NITT is the host institute for the 2021 RIGAN Games and has been directed by the national council to bring the game to Abuja. This is due to insecurity in Zaria especially in Kaduna, the gateway to Zaria.

“The representative of the Director, Dr Mundi Ibrahim has accepted that the game will be moved to Abuja and that they

RIGAN NEC meeting in Abuja Wednesday have the approved budget to pay for every facility that will be used.

“We have given them 6 weeks to respond. After the 6 weeks, the National Executive Council of RIGAN will come to inspect and ascertain the readiness of those facilities for the games,” he said.

NITT Assures of Readiness The Nigeria National Institute for Transports Technology, NITT, has declared its readiness to host the 2021 RIGAN games despite change in venue and location.

The Director, Library and Information Services,

Department NITT, DR Baba Ibrahim Mundi who represented NITT in the NEC meeting said the institute is ready to comply with the conditions attached to the hosting rights.

Dr Mundi who said that the situation and reason for change in venue and location from Zaria to Abuja was understandable, added that the institute will give the association feedback within the six weeks deadline.

“Actually, it is an unexpected thing but if you look at it from the other way round, you will agree that it is also expected because of the circumstance to which we found ourselves in Nigeria - the

issue of security.

“When the council deliberated, a lot of council members were of the opinion that instead of hosting it in Zaria as earlier agreed, due to security challenges, they were soliciting to the council that the hosting should be shifted to Abuja which looks relatively safe. It was on that note that members will be able to have access to attend.

“In line to that and because of the spirit of sportsmanship we want all of us to gather and be able to participate actively, the institute is left with no choice than for me to give an interim agreement and approval to that

which I am going to communicate with my Director General.

“By the grace of God, I hope that within the time frame they have given to us to communicate back to them in terms of our level of preparedness, since the hosting has taken a u-turn as to what we expected before to hosting it in Abuja, we pray that within this time frame, we will be able to make all the necessary arrangement available and be able to communicate back to the national executive council of RIGAN.” On the six-week deadline for them to meet up with the NEC’s expectations, Dr Mundi said the institute can do it.

“It is the council’s decision and I cannot say no. when you look at it, to start looking for a new venue now is going to be a lot of jobs but I want to believe that because of those who are also seeking for this hosting right being located in Abuja, we are going to use their wing to fly so that arrangement will be much easier for us to be able to cope and we fulfil the obligation within the timeframe that was given. I believe we can do it.”

RIGAN was established in 1979 to bring all research institutes staffs in the country together for recreation, friendship and competition in all ramifications.

The games will be marking its 17th anniversary this year.

RIGAN has sustained the spirit of camaraderie with medals and trophies to be won during the competition.

Support Group honours NFF Executive Member, Rabiu Inuwa

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group known as Ahlan Support Group, Niger State on Wednesday presented to the Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee and Member of the NFF Executive Committee Member, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, an award for Excellence in Football Administration.

Leader of the group, Yunusa Awwal said the group was enamoured by the good and great work that Inuwa, who is also Chairman of the Kano State Football Association, has been doing since assuming office

as Chairman of the Referees Committee.

“We are proud of the work that this indefatigable and amiable football administrator has been doing since taking over the role of the NFF Referees Committee chairman. He has remained a very hardworking, committed, energetic, thorough, diligent and selfless individual with high capacity.

“Refereeing is a very serious business with very important implications for the organization of a football match. That he has

been able to steer the ship very well and blamelessly in more than two years means he is a man of high integrity, credibility and discipline,” said Awwal.

The award was presented to Alhaji Inuwa in the presence of other Members of the NFF Referees Committee, including Otunba Tade Azeez (President, Nigeria Referees Association); Mallam Salihu Abubakar (Chief Operating Officer, LMC); Alh. Sani Zubairu (Secretary) and; Callistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu (former FIFA referee).

Inuwa (middle) with Members of the NFF Referees Committee and the Ahlan Support Group

NNL parley with referees to curb poor officiating in the league >>>PG31

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Fans to AFCON qualifiers: Paul watch in, Moses Simon out Champions S League final

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Onuachu

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ans are expected to be allowed to attend the final of the UEFA Champions League due to be held in Istanbul in May, according to reports.

UEFA is believed to be planning for the return of supporters, who have been largely excluded from attending matches in the competition since March 2020, for the showpiece match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on May 29.

Sources at football’s European governing body have told ESPN that despite disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic in this season’s Champions League, there is growing confidence fans will be present at the final in Turkey.

Recent months have seen significant disruption in the Champions League.

During the round of 16 stage of the competition, teams have been forced to play home games at neutral venues - such as Liverpool’s tie with RB Leipzig being played in Budapest and Manchester City’s matches with Borussia Monchengladbach taking place in Bucharest.

However, UEFA is hopeful the latter stages of the competition will go ahead as planned with teams able to play home and away.

It is unlikely that fans will be able to attend games in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, but the tentative plans for European travel from mid-May have raised the prospect of Istanbul welcoming fans of competing clubs for the final.

While the return of fans would be welcomed by many fans, the optimistic noises from UEFA come at a time of great uncertainty in the battle against coronvirus on the continent.

Vaccination rates in European countries are still rematively low and a large number have placed a temporary ban on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, due to concerns over side effects.

As a result, around 7.5million doses of the vaccine are currently sitting un-used, while the EU president Ursula von der Leyen has described the situation as the ‘crisis of the century’.

Last season’s final between Bayern Munich and Paris SaintGermain was played with no fans present at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

The site of this year’s final, the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, hosted the 2005 final between Liverpool and AC Milan.

Paul Onuachu celebrating a goal in as a replacement for injured Samuel Kalu.

“Following the uncertainty regarding the availability of players based in France (due to Covid-19 laws guiding the country), Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has extended invitation to KRC Genk striker Paul Onuachu,” a tweet from the Nigeria Football Federation read.

Onuachu leads the goalscoring charts in the Belgian First Division A with 25 goals in 29 matches in the ongoing 202021 campaign.

He scored his only international goal for Nigeria in their 1-0 defeat of Egypt in a friendly encounter in March 2019. As it stands, he boasts of nine caps under his belt for the

2019 African champions, which includes three appearances at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Super Eagles will take on the Crocodiles in Group L’s last game on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

Three days earlier, they would face Benin Republic at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto-Novo.

Ronaldo Set To leave Juve amid Man Utd., Real Madrid links

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ristiano Ronaldo has reportedly tasked his agents to begin working on a deal to take him back to Real Madrid this summer.

The Portuguese superstar, 36, still has another 15 months left to run on his Juventus contract but appears ready to cut short his stay in Turin.

Rumours have been circulating that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could be on his way back to either Manchester United or Madrid at the end of the season.

And Juventus are keen not to let Ronaldo - who cost them £100million in 2018 - leave for nothing next year.

While the forward has been a huge hit at Juve since his move he has grown frustrated at the club’s poor showing in Europe, as they were eliminated from the Champions League in the early knockout rounds again last week.

According to Eurosport , Ronaldo has now instructed his agent, Jorge Mendes, to orchestrate a move for him back to the Bernabeu for a second stint at Madrid.

A deal could suit all parties, with Juventus concerned about the size of their wage bill - with Ronaldo top earner on almost €600,000 per week - while

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Chelsea reach Champions League Quarter-final in 7 years

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BY Amaechi Agbo

uper Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has finally handed a late call-up to striker, Paul Onuachu ahead of the March 27 and 30th 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho, in that order.

Rohr invited the Genk striker to replace Nantes FC winger, Moses Simon who has been a serious doubt for the two qualifiers.

The 26-year-old had been snubbed by the Super Eagles’ selectors for captain Ahmed Musa – which became a talking point by Nigerian fans.

Also, Onuachu disclosed that he was not disappointed by the decision, while revealing he would not give up the fight for a place in the three-time African champions’ squad.

“It’s the coach’s decision, and I respect it, he has the final say, and there’s nothing I can do to it, but I will do my best at all times and always fight to represent my fatherland,” the former Midtjylland forward told the Punch.

However, the German tactician has extended a callup to the Belgium based striker as a contingency plan as it concerns the availability of France based Moses Simon. Few days earlier, Henry Onyekuru was drafted

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

ormer champions, Chelsea reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in seven years with a 3-0 aggregate win over La Liga leaders, Atletico Madrid.

Having established a slender first-leg lead, Emerson Palmieri’s late strike sealed the win after Hakim Ziyech had earlier put the hosts firmly in control with a low effort after good work from Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.

Until then their dominance in possession had not translated into chances in front of goal, and in a nervy opening they also appeared fortunate to survive a penalty appeal after visiting winger Yannick Carrasco was pulled back by Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

Italian official Daniele Orsato waved away the claim, and the incident was not examined by VAR. Atletico knocked Liverpool out of the competition in dramatic fashion at the same stage last term, but the La Liga leaders rarely looked capable of recovering after Ziyech’s goal.

Instead Chelsea, who remain unbeaten in 13 games since Thomas Tuchel took charge, had opportunities to extend their lead before Emerson’s stoppage-time effort and deservedly progressed against an Atletico side that had Stefan Savic sent off late on for elbowing Antonio Rudiger.

The Blues join Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in the draw for the quarter and semi-finals on Friday at 11:00 GMT.

NNL parley with referees to curb poor Enyimba FC involved in road accident, players, officiating in the league

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Madrid are looking for cut-price options to bolster their attack.

The Los Blancos are intent on launching respective bids for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in 2022, but need some more firepower in their frontline ahead of next season.

Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane did little to placate speculation when pressed on the subject of resigning Ronaldo this summer.

“Yes, there may be [some truth in the rumours],” Zidane said.

“We know Cristiano, we know the person he is and everything he has

done here.

“But now he’s a Juventus player and we must respect this.

Now, let’s see what the future will be.

“I was lucky enough to coach him and he is very impressive.

Right now, he’s helping Juventus.”

he Leadership of the Nigeria National League (NNL) have frowned seriously at the spates of bad officiating that have recently marred some matches in the Nation’s Most Important League.

To put an end to the ugly trend, the Chairman of the League Distinguished Senator Obinna Ogba and his team met with the Heads of the Nigeria Football Referees Association (NRA) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Referees Committee, Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking with journalists after the tripartite meeting, Senator Ogba who is also the Chairman Senate Committee on Sports charged the referees to change the bizarre narrative and refuted claims that the NNL is owing referees unpaid indemnities.

“The meeting was important for us and I expect a change from those Referees that are not doing well there are some fantastic ones,

that we got lots if complaints about officiating does not mean there are no good referees in the league. We pleaded that those not doing well should be shown the exit door.

“We are not owing any referee since I assumed position as NNL Chairman, if we have any reason to owe them we will let them know” Senator Ogba,a former grade one referee also advised club owners to stop making advances at referees, and refrain from intimidating or assaulting match officials during games.

“I appeal to club owners if you don’t make advances to the referees they won’t come to you and when they don’t come to you, they have no option than to do their job” At the meeting were Alhaji Rabiu Inuwa Ahlan, Chairman NFF Referees Committee, Otunba Tada Azeez , chairman NRA, retired FIFA referee Callistus

officials injured

By Amaechi Agbo

I Chukwujekwu, Chief Operating Officer League Management Company (LMC) Salihu Abubakar, Sani Zubairu also a retired referee.

Others are, Emmanuel Adesanya Chief Operating Officer NNL, Nicholas Akujobi Administrative Secretary NNL and Amar Ignis Media & Communications of the NNL.

t does appear that the unfortunate incidents of road mishaps involving Nigeria club sides is on the rise these days as the youth team of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Enyimba International FC was Thursday involved in a road mishap The club confirmed that the team bus conveying its youth side was involved in a road accident on its way from a tournament in Imo State.

Players and staff who sustained injuries in the crash are currently receiving medical treatment.

The past few weeks have seen some clubs’ players and officials narrowly escape

death. The latest was Ekiti United who were returning from a training session and their bus was involved in an accident and many players were injured Wikki Tourists’ bus caught fire while on their way to an away game in the NPFL and last week, Akwa United were involved in an accident in Enugu on their way to honour an NPFL game against Jigawa Golden Stars in Kaduna Enyimba said that the players and staff sustained injuries in the accident and are currently receiving medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital. The club did not release figures of those injured or pictures of the accident scene

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, march 19, 2021

SPORTS latest

FIFA Council: Gov. Diri Congratulates Pinnick

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ayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has described the election of President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, into the council of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) as another positive development for Nigeria on the global scale.

Governor Diri in a congratulatory message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said with Pinnick, Nigeria put its best foot forward to occupy a top seat in the global football community.

He stated that the NFF president has displayed remarkable passion for football development in Nigeria since assuming office and that he was not surprised that he has continued to excel as a football administrator.

The Bayelsa helmsman, who was one-time Commissioner for Youth and Sports, noted that Pinnick’s dedication has earned him a deserved recognition and elevation, urging him not to rest on his laurels.

“Pinnick has shown remarkable passion for football development not only in Nigeria. I therefore congratulate him and Nigeria, which put its best foot forward to ensure he was elected into the FIFA Council. It is a deserved call to further service towards football development in Nigeria, Africa and on the global level.”and Oduamadi Taye Taiwo

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Biafra, Oduduwa Republic- ‘liberation struggle’ as the new hustle GUEST COLUMNIST I n the tome of liberation struggles, a few names resonate infinitely. One name that rings trenchant to this day is Ernesto ‘’Che’’ Guevara. ‘’Che’’ envisioned a world as recreated in the dialectics of Karl Marx – where those is in the lowest rung of the social strata can command their destiny. Che fantasised about an ‘’international revolution’’ which would sweep across the world beginning from Latin America.

The Argentine revolutionary found an ally in Fidel Castro, the late leader of Cuba. But Castro found in him a useful marionette.

Che was disinterested in acquiring political power. It was all about spreading the Marxist ideology for him. However, Castro, his ‘’comrade’’, had other plans. Castro desired political power, and he courted it, gaming his guerrilla leader.

Che, dauntless and irrepressible, became a pliable device in the actualisation of Castro’s ambition. But he was later killed in Bolivia in circumstances that taint Castro of culpability.

There is always a personal interest – most times not so kosher -- in every struggle. There will always be users, and there will always be the used. To be on any of the divides is a personal choice.

However, the Cuban struggle must not be blemished or compared in any way to the barbarous gyrations for Biafra and Oduduwa Republic by some groups. I do not see the agitations for Biafra and Oduduwa Republic as a ‘’liberation struggle’’ – because there is absolutely nothing to be liberated from other than bad governance in Nigeria. If the agitations are anchored to demanding good leadership for the country and the right of every Nigerian to be treated equally regardless of religion or ethnicity, then I will rhapsodise them as ‘’liberation struggle’’.

The liberation Nigeria needs is from distressing leadership

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By Fredrick Nwabufo and its corollaries of corruption, poverty and insecurity. Nigeria does not need to be bifurcated into Biafra Republic and Oduduwa Republic to make progress. The ingredients for allaround development are already in profusion here. But we need leadership to put them to work.

Commercialisation Of Agitations Sectional agitations have become merchandise. This bellicose commerce is largely sustained by conspiracy theories and ethnic hate-trading.

Conspiracy theories are fed to followers some of whom will give up their lives for a ‘’delusive happy-ever-after country’’. They are lied to that their adversaries are those who do not speak their language and worship like them.

They are seduced with fallacies of ethnic superiority like Adolf Hitler corrupted Germans with the supremacist venom.

These followers give themselves and resources to this ill-fated cause – ‘’a kingdom of heaven on earth’’ where there will be no more night. And as they are fed more conspiracy theories, supremacist doctrines and fables of a utopian country on the horizons, they give and give to the ‘’cause’’. And of course, the ‘’promoter’’ of the ‘’struggle’’ luxuriates in the good things mammon can afford.

Also, politicians find in these ‘’agitations’’ a market where

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they can acquire oppositional ammunition to deploy against adversaries. So, they fund them through proxies.

I watched a video which dramatised the commercialisation of agitations.

In the video posted by Kayode Ogundamisi on Twitter, there was a squabble over money between a lady and Yomi Koiki, Sunday Igboho’s spokesman.

The lady said N2.5 million was given to Igboho but he did not acknowledge receiving the money even after he admitted collecting another N6.5 million from a Yoruba group in the US. ‘’Yoruba liberation should not be a money making venture,’’ Maureen Badejo, the lady in the video said. ‘’Liberation struggle’’ is the new hustle.

On Sunday, Asari Dokubo declared a Biafra government in the Old Eastern Nigerian enclave.

But what I found amusing was his call, which he knotted in a Biafra flag-waving bromide, for volunteers to join the struggle.

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

The ‘’volunteers or followers’’

On Sunday, Asari Dokubo declared a Biafra government in the Old Eastern Nigerian enclave. But what I found amusing was his call, which he knotted in a Biafra flag-waving bromide, for volunteers to join the struggle

are the real merchandise. The more of them you can muster, they more influence and money you command.

It is worrying that the commoditisation of people’s disaffection with the government is now a thriving business. The captains of these agitations know that there is yawning discontent with the leadership, particularly in some sections of the country.

So, they exploit these emotions and play on them.

Really, if Nigeria had responsive leaderships, the chances of people like Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu emerging as ethnic champions or crusaders with mass followership would be slim.

The system created these anomalies.

Nigerians must approach these agitations with sobriety and not lend themselves to anyone’s personal agenda. We must keep making demands on and holding the government to account. That is our bounden duty as citizens.

Anyone advocating secession knows it is impossible in today’s Nigeria, but the real agenda is secreted underneath the advocacy.

Beware!

By Fredrick Nwabufo; Nwabufo is a writer and journalist Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo

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Economic council says another lockdown will be last resort - News

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