Friday, November 20, 2020 Edition

Friday, November, 20, 2020/ RabiĘť II 5, 1442 AH

2479 Days after Malam Wada Maida (1950-2020), founding chairman, board of the Peoples Media Limited.

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The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

2023: PDP to review manifesto to align with nations current reality >>>page 5

#EndSARS protests:

>>PG 2

FG calls for sanctions against CNN over fake news >>PG 5

Accuses TV station of irresponsible journalism Insists nobody killed at Lekki tollgate, blank bullets fired in the air Challenges anybody with killing evidence to approach panel

Minister of Information and Culture, Alh Lai Mohammed, 2nd right, DG Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu (first left), DG NTA, Alh Yakubu Mohammed (2nd right) and the Special Assistant on Media to the President, office of the Minister of Information, Mr Segun Adeyemi (right) during a press conference by the minister in Abuja yesterday on the report of CNN on #EndSARS protest and related matters.

FG lists interventions for affordable housing units pAGE 2

Medical Degrees: Zulum starts teaching hospital for Borno’s university pAGE 3

Police launches cyber crime reportorial portal pAGE 4

Military destroys several terrorists hideouts in Borno pAGE 8

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

News CONTENTS News

2-14

Op.Ed

12-13

Politics

15-17

Stock Watch Business Metro

18 19-20 21

World Analysis 22 Africa News

23

World News

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FG lists interventions for affordable housing units

By Egena Sunday Ode

T

he Federal Government Wednesday enumerated various interventions it has made in the housing sector, which it said were aimed at making the process of owning houses easy for citizens.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, Abuja, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said he presented over a 280-page report to the council on the

ministry’s interventions in the housing sector so far.

According to him, various housing projects are ongoing in different parts of the country with 186 housing units already completed, while 2,300 others are still under construction.

The minister who also said the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) had since inception delivered 45,000 housing units in 81 estates across the country, added that the agency delivers no fewer than 1,000 housing units every year.

According to him, any

worker who contributes to National Housing Fund (NHF) domiciled in the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for six months is qualified to access the fund to buy houses of their choice.

The minister who said the ministry had also made the process of obtaining certificate of occupancy (cofo) easier for those who prefer to build their own houses, disclosed that a total of 3,290 C of Os have been given out in recent times.

He said for those who want to obtain loan to build their houses, it is very important

that their landed property must have titles.

He also said a major reason physical assets are not allowed as collateral for accessing loan to buy or build houses is because anyone who desires to access the NHF must be a certified contributor to the housing fund.

He also said the process of accessing the loan is a little but difficult, resulting in delay for some months, because some investigations need to be carried out after applications have been submitted to ensure that claims made by applicants are genuine.

#EndSARS Protest: NEMA resumes food distribution, assures staff of manpower development Page 14

Digest

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Feature 26 Sports Back Page

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News

PCRC moves to end insecurity in Nigeria From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

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n an effort to stem out the inscesant security challengess in the country, the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), has held its first national security capacity building workshop in Dutse, Jigawa capital, jointly hosted by both Kano and Jigawa states.

Addressing the participants separately, the representatives of PCRC across the South west, North east and North west in the occasion said the organization is out to serve the entire nation effectively. Pointing out that PCRC is going to establish a Radio station in Abuja.

Stressing that apart from the radio station that is going to establised, about N80 million is also going to be mobilized to strengthen the organization in its advocacy policy and strategies of fighting crimes and fishing out criminals from their hide outs.

Emphasizing that the measures aimed at pushing for the strengthening of the security apparatus of the country through constant dialogue with the police and other security agencies.

Also according to the Deputy Force Public Relations Officers (PRO), Force headquarters Abuja, Aremu Sikiru Adeniran in his speach said, the aims and objectives of the PCRC is to partner the police with a view to improving their relationship among others.

According to him that the relationship is to assist the police to combate crimes and criminals activities across the federation as well as to periodically organize seminars, conferences, workshops to empower its members across the nation respectively.

The occasion was attended by all security agencies, para miltary, traditional rulers, local government chairmen and the youths, mostly across Jigawa/ Kano states.

News Editor, Ese Awhotu

Medical Degrees: Zulum starts teaching hospital for Borno’s university

By Albert Akota

G

overnor Babagana Umara Zulum’s led administration on Thursday, began the construction of a teaching hospital and a college of medical sciences to enable Borno State University eventually start the award of degree in medicine and surgery as well as other medical programmes.

At Zulum’s honorary request, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Dr Osagie Ehanire, who is in Maiduguri for a function at the UMTH, laid foundation stone for the Borno State University Teaching Hospital and College of Medical Sciences at Njimtilo, near the university’s campus along

Maiduguri-Damaturu road.

In his address, Governor Zulum said: “ In fulfillment of the criteria for the establishment of medical colleges, we are here to witness a foundation laying ceremony for the two important projects. We want to start medical courses especially medicine etc in the state university so that we can produce healthcare providers and undertake research as well. but aside academic purposes, we know that there is increasing population in Maiduguri and we have only one teaching hospital, and Maiduguri has population of over 3 million inhabitants. A new teaching hospital will serve the increasing population, and this is also in line with our development plan. Just

five days ago we have launched our 25 year Development Plan, the state university teaching hospital and college of medical sciences are part of that plan we are implementing” Zulum said.

Chairman of a high powered committee for the establishment of Borno State University Teaching Hospital/Medical College, Prof.

Othman Kyari said the project flagged off was the first phase.

“This is the first phase of this teaching hospital, in coming up with this, we looked for the best of the best of our existing teaching hospitals and other teaching hospitals outside the country. The requirements of all the regulatory bodies (medicine and surgery,

dentists, radiologists, pharmacists etc) were put into consideration, we believe that by the time this complex is completed, I think it will probably be one of the best in the country” Kyari said.

The project is being carried out through the ministry for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, whose commissioner, Dr. Babagana Mustapha Malumbe, received Governor Zulum and the Health minister on arrival at the groundbreaking ceremony. The state’s Ministry of health and relevant government establishments are expected to play vital role as the project passes through developmental stages.

L-R: Deputy Comptroller of Custom, Mr. Robert Eshameh; Comptroller of Custom Account department, Mr. Ismaila Ibrahim, and Director of Finance Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olufeyinti Olusegun, during the an investigative hearing on audit query by auditor General of the federation, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Malnutrition: ISMPH advocates for local production of RUTF From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

T

he International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) advocated for local production of Ready to Use Theuraphy Food (RUTF) as one of the major solution to severe acute malnutrition.

The called was made by the program officer ISMPH/SAM

advocacy project Bunni Aweda during a one day training of media/ CSOs held at Royal hotel Dutse.

She explained that, local production of RUTF will save time and cost of procurement process at any level.

According to her, Nigeria particularly the Northern part of the country where the highest number of malnurish children

emanated have blessed with all natural resources needed for RUTF production.

While speaking on the training, the programme officer maintained that, the training is organised by ISMPH with aim to improve the capacity of Media and CSOs in tracking and adequate utilisation of of budget allocated for Severe Acute Malnutrition in Jigawa state.

She said, ISMPH will continue to advocate for increase in funding for nutrition and ensure the budget allocated for nutrition commesarate with number of malnurish children in the state.

The programme officer then, urged the participants to utilise the skills acquired during the training and save thousands lives of Jigawa children.

We did not query OSSAP, SDGs over alleged N26.9bn Covid-19 procurement - Reps

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We want to hear from you

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

By Christiana Ekpa L-R: Chairman Public Account Committee, House of Representatives, Hon. Oluwole Oke, Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Abdulkareem Sa’ad, and Hon. Kabiru Idris, during the investigative hearing on Audit Query raised by the Auditor-General of the Federation against government agencies and parastatals, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP fecilitates with Diri, Bayelsans over Supreme Court judgment

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated Governor Douye Diri over Wednesday’s Supreme Court judgment, which affirmed his mandate as the Governor of Bayelsa state.

The PDP also hailed the people

of Bayesla state over the outcome of the case in the Supreme Court, which has put to rest the electoral contestation that constituted a distraction to governance.

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

The PDP noted that with the

competence, dedication and sense of honesty with which Governor Diri hit the ground running immediately he took office, particularly in his developmental projects in key sectors including, manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, power, road infrastructure, education, among others, have already repositioned the state for

higher productivity and better living standard for the citizens.

The PDP, in the statement, said, “Our party therefore charges Governor Diri to remain focused and continue in his commitment towards the development of Bayelsa state for the good of all, in line with the manifesto of the PDP”.

T

he House of Representatives Committee on Sustainable Development Goals SDG has debunked reports that the management of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, OSSAPSDGs under Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire was queried over alleged award of N26.9bn COVID-19 related procurements during a recent budget defence session at the National Assembly.

This was just as lawmakers disclosed that, no such money was appropriated by the National Assembly for the procurement of materials following the Covid 19 pandemic.

The committee chaired by Rep. Rotimi Agunsoy while Speaking to newsmen said “ it is important to correct the narrative in the public to avoid misrepresentation of

projects carried out by the agency in the past years” Also Hon. Humpe Akande Babatunde, representing Badagry Federal Constituency emphatically said there was no basis for querying OSSAPSDGs or Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire over any irregularities in contract award or procurement of palliatives during the budget defence session as the presentation made by her contained a detailed analysis of the projects implemented in the previous years, which is unusual of public officers.

“I think there is mischief in the report. Facts before us do not show that the SDGs Office participated in the procurement of palliatives neither were they queried for anything. As a matter of fact, members of the Committee believes that Princess Orelope-Adefulire led OSSAPSDGs has performed creditably

well, brilliantly and was well commended by the members of the committee,” Humpe stated.

On the question raised on non-implementation of special intervention projects, the lawmaker said the information before the Committee revealed that the SSAP-SDGs cannot be blamed as funds for the implementation were yet to be released to her office by the Ministry of Finance.

“You don’t expect the SSA to execute projects when funds are not released. The Committee could not have queried her when we knew that the finance needed for the execution of the projects is not available to her. In any way, most of the Ministries, Agencies and Departments of government are also having problems executing the capital component of the budgets because of the shortfall in government’s revenue,” Humpe explained.

Rep. Uju Kingsley Imo State also said it is not possible for the agency to have spent 26billion without appropriation “He said it is impossible for an agency to spend 26billion without appropriation by the National Assembly. “ we must set the record straight as not to put the agency in the eyes of the public “ In the same vein, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Dr. Gimba faulted the report insisting that the House has not found Princess Orelope-Adefulire wanting in the discharge of her assignments and advised against peddling of false news against her or her office as was done twice earlier in the year. She is of the opinion that someone, somewhere is probably disturbed by her outstanding performance and decided to malign her integrity by all means.

Representative Princess

Mariam Onuoha representing Isiala Mbano/Okigwe Federal Constituency had during the budget defence session noted that Princess Orelope-Adefulire deserves commendation over the manner she has been handling affairs of OSSAP-SDGs. But she asked for location of more intervention projects in her constituency for the benefits of her people.

It could be recalled that the members had at the end of the presentation by the SSA commended her and her Office for their outstanding performance, as well as the accuracy, accountability, transparency and detailed presentation of relevant documents submitted to the Committee. The members also lauded the Office for standing out as one of the MDAs with 100 per cent completion of projects and without any debts from 2016 till date.

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News Zamfara: NUPSTRAW urges FG to respond positively on yearnings for petrol price reversal From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

T

he Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial Secretariat, Data Processors and Allied Workers (NUPSTRAW) has urged federal government to quickly respond positively to the massive yearnings and aspirations to reverse the recent increment of petrol pump price.

The call was made in a communique signed by the national President and General Secretary of NUPSTRAW Comrade Jacob Kaura and Okwara Coleman at the end of the special National Executive Council/Delegates Conference which celebrated it’s new national leadership of the union held at Falala hotel Gusau, Zamfara State capital.

It further contained a recommendation that the federal government should consider the inability of low income earners who were the largest part of the country’s population, could not sustain the consequences to be created by the increase of the fuel price.

The communique reads parts as “NEC in session calls on federal government to reverse the recent increment in petrol pump price in order not to be seen as insensitive to the plight of the suffering masses in the country”.

The conference has however, called on federal government as a matter of securing educated society as expected, not to hesitate in resolving the demands pasted by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) with a view for students to resume lectures immediately across the nation.

The NEC also called on the hosting Governor Matawalle to throw more weight on the existing efforts towards improving welfares of the Zamfara State civil servants, to ensure implementation of the approved new thirty thousand naira(N30.000) minimum wage in the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Police launch cyber crime reportorial portal

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Nigeria Police Force has unveiled a Cybercrime Reporting Web Portal.

The portal which can be accessed by clicking on the link https://incb.police.gov. ng/ is part of efforts directed at ensuring ease of crime reportage by members of the public to enable prompt investigation, arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of cybercrime and other related offences.

“The portal caters for complaints pertaining to cybercrimes. With this, victims/ complainants can now report

cases of cybercrime online, at any time and from any part of the world. The cases are promptly attended to by the Cybercrime Unit of the Force domiciled with the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Force Headquarters, Abuja and the newly created Cybercrime Unit at the INTERPOL Annex, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.

“The new portal will provide updates on achievements being recorded by the Nigeria Police and will, among other things, avail the citizens knowledge of basic cyber-related issues such as emerging cybercrime trends, the modus operandi of the cyber

crooks and offer tips on how citizens could make themselves less vulnerable within the cyberspace.

“The Force urges potential users of the portal to ensure that only correct and accurate information, devoid of deliberate falsehood, misrepresentation and misinformation, are provided when filing their complaints.”

Meanwhile, three (3) suspects, namely Onwuka Emmanuel Chidiebere a.k.a Ceeceeboss TMT 32yrs ‘m’ currently residing at Lekki, Lagos State, native of AroIkpa in Abia State, Ikechukwu Ohanedozie a.k.a Dozzy 34yrs

‘m’ and Onuegwu Ifeanyi a.k.a SSGToolz 35yrs ‘m’ of Prof’s Avenue, Umudagu, Mbieri, Mbaitolu LGA, Imo State have been arrested by the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Unit, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja.

The three suspects were arrested following Intelligence report received from INTERPOL Cybercrime Directorate in Singapore on global attacks

by Nigerian cyber gangs who engage in mass email phishing campaigns and distribution of malwares aimed at stealing authentication data from browsers and email headers.

From left: Managing Director of Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority, Mr Gerald Osuagwu; Commissioner for Agriculture, Enugu State, Mr Mathew Idu, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack; Commissioner for Water Resources in Ebonyi, Chief Sunday Inyima; and Acting Director of Irrigation and Drainage, Mrs Oyerouke Oluniyi, during the South East regional workshop for the management of public irrigation schemes, in Enugu on Thursday (19/11/20).

Gov. Badaru empowers over 150,000 youths in five years From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

N

o fewer than 15,000 Jigawa youths have so far empowered through various programmes by the present APC administration in the state.

This was announced by the state governor Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar yesterday at the flag-off of a one day capacity building workshop organised for

the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) held at the Sir Ahmadu Bello Hall in Dutse that the action has also reduced crime rates across the State.

The governor who was represented by the deputy governor Mallam Umar Namadi said the present government has elevated the rate of rice production from the initial inherited of an average of 2.5 tonnes per a hectre to 6 tonnes per hectre in the state.

He said the state government had rolled out various forms of poverty alleviation programmes to ensure the continued peace being experienced in the state.

In his address, the deputy force PRO CSP Aremu Sikiru Addniran explained that one of the objectives of creating PCRC is to Forster unity amongst the police and members of the community in crime prevention.

He also said the objective

include periodic organization of seminars, workshops and conferences amongst others to empower members on crime preventions, strategies and intelligence gathering.

He said PCRC is partly responssible for the scouting of capable hands into the recruitment of constables and encourage qualified members of the community to seek for a career in the Nigeria police force.

Buhari directs increase in allocation to UniMaid

By Egena Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari Thursday directed the Head of Service of the Federation and the Budget Office to consider an increase in the personnel and overhead allocation of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

The President issued the directive at the virtual inauguration of capital projects executed at UMTH, in response to a specific request by the Board and Management of the hospital.

President Buhari noted that the increase in personnel and allocation at UMTH would optimise services provided by the activation of the

new projects.

Among landmark projects commissioned by the President are a newly constructed and fully equipped 150-bed Trauma Centre, a new General Outpatient Department, a complex for National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a multipurpose Auditorium and Conference Centre constructed and furnished by Prof. Babagana Zulum, the Governor of Borno State.

President Buahri also commissioned a new hostel for the UMTH School of Nursing, constructed by the Federal government.

The President noted that the value of the projects at the UMTH, which is a Centre of

Excellence in Infectious diseases and Immunology in Nigeria, to the nation’s health care system cannot be underestimated, especially in the era of global health system challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the completion of the capital projects aptly reflects the Federal government’s commitment to sustaining development in the North East, and indeed in all parts of the country to engender economic growth, peace and progress. ‘’Emerging diseases have made it necessary for all nations to increase and improve resource application for coping with the challenges or adapting to the ‘new normal’.

‘’This goes on in Borno State side by side with efforts to tackle insurgency and criminal activities,’’ he said.

On the 150-bed Trauma centre which comes with a helipad, the President expressed delight that it will provide modern multidisciplinary care facilities to injured persons from within and outside Maiduguri, in addition to reducing the need for referral to other centres.

President Buhari said that the intention of the government to render affordable quality health care with broad coverage will be boosted with the completion of the General Outpatient Department and the NHIS complex.

Urging citizens to take advantage of the improved facility, the President appealed to operators of these excellent facilities to imbibe the maintenance culture and ensure optimum utilization.

President Buhari also commended the collaborative programmes of the teaching hospital with indigenous, international, non-governmental bilateral and multilateral donors and partners, like the Physical Rehabilitation Centre, which is a product of the engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC. ‘’This Centre is now fully operational in this era of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement in Borno State.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

News

#EndSARS fake news: FG calls for sanctions against CNN Accuses station of irresponsible journalism Insists nobody was killed at Lekki tollgate Challenges anybody with killing evidence to come forward

By our correspondent

T

he Federal Government has called for serious sanctions to be slammed on the American Cable News Network, CNN, over its perceived erroneous report on the recent #EndSARS protest which turned our to be a piece of fake news.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said at a press conference in Abuja yesterday that CNN goofed in its report that soldiers fired live bullets at protesters leading to the death of many, saying this should earn the cable TV station a ‘serious sanction for irresponsible reporting’.

Lai Mohammed called on the management of CNN to immediately refer to their internal control mechanism to apply the sanctions on all who have erred in getting the unverified report out to the public, adding that the Nigerian government will initiate processes to address the perceived gaffe by CNN. “The government will do the needful”, he said.

According to him, CNN erred in its preconceived stance that the soldiers who were deployed to Lekki Toll Gate indeed shot at protesters, killing some of them.

“CNN relied heavily on unverified and possibly-doctored videos, as well as information sourced from

questionable sources, to reach its conclusion. This should earn CNN a serious sanction for irresponsible reporting,” he said.

The minister faulted CNN for engaging in incredible sensationalism, great disservice to itself and to journalism.

“In the first instance, CNN, which touted its report as an exclusive investigative report, sadly relied on the same videos that have been circulating on social media, without verification.

“CNN merely said the videos were ‘’obtained by CNN’’, without saying wherefrom and whether or not it authenticated them. Were CNN reporters and cameramen at the Lekki Toll Gate that evening?

“If the answer is no, on what basis were they reporting? Relying on second or third hand information and presenting it as ‘’CNN Investigation’’?

“Why didn’t the CNN balance its story by showing the compelling testimony of Brig.-Gen. Taiwo before the Judicial Panel in Lagos?

“Is this one-sided reporting what is expected from an international media organization or any serious news organization?

“If CNN had done its investigation properly, it would have known how fake news and disinformation were trending during the EndSARS crisis.

The BBC even did a report on this,

and we recommend that report to CNN. Talking about the BBC, a reporter with the BBC’s Pidgin Service, Damilola Banjo, was at Lekki Toll Gate protest ground that night.

She was quoted as saying soldiers were indeed at the Toll Gate but they shot ‘’sporadically into the air’’ and not at the protesters. CNN that was not at the scene reported otherwise.

“In airing its so-called investigative report, CNN conveniently forgot that on Oct. 23rd 2020, it tweeted, from its verified twitter handle, that the military killed 38 people when it opened fire on peaceful protesters on Tuesday, Oct. 20th 2020. Less than a month later, the same CNN, in what it called an EXCLUSIVE report based on a rehash of old, unverified videos, was only able to confirm that one person died in the same incident.

“In its jaundiced reporting, CNN was blind to the fact that six soldiers and 37 policemen were killed in unprovoked attacks. Obviously, CNN did not consider the security agents human enough. CNN, in its ‘investigation’, was blind to the wanton destruction of property in Lagos and across the country.

“Also, CNN was blind to the burning of police stations and vehicles all over the country. Instead, it went to town with unverified social media footages, in its desperation to

prove that people were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“We insist that the military did not shoot at protesters at Lekki Toll Gate. They fired blank ammunition in the air. Again, anyone who knows anyone who was killed at Lekki Toll Gate should head to the Judicial Panel with conclusive evidence of such”, Lai Mohammed said.

He said while the Judicial Panel sitting in Lagos works to unravel what really transpired at the Lekki Toll Gate, available evidence so far suggeats that this is the world’s first case of massacre without blood or bodies.

Commenting on the recent sanctions imposed on some local TV stations for erring erroneous reports during the said protests, Lai Mohammed noted that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fined three broadcast stations for using unverified and dangerous information from social media.

He said commentators, many of whom didn’t even know why the NBC imposed the fine, rushed to allege an attempt to stifle free speech.

“Unknown to them, the stations themselves know that they breached the Broadcasting Code. Two of them have paid their fines in full, while the third has paid a part of the fine, with an appeal for time to pay the balance.”

Covid-19: Revenue shortfalls hit Katsina

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu (M), presenting an award to Mr Adeniyi Alex, who represented the Federal Government Girls College, Abaji’s Environmental Club, as the cleanest Unity School in the FCT, during the commemoration of the 2020 World Toilet Day in Abuja on Thursday (19/11/20). With them is the Minister of Environment, Muhammed MahmoodAbubabar (R).

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Funtua

K

atsina state Board of Internal Revenue has attributed the shortfall experienced in revenue generated to the outbreak of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Alhaji Aminu Danrabati Abdulmumini, the state Board Executive Chairman disclosed this in an interactive session with newsmen yesterday in Katsina.

Abdulmumini said to cushion the effect the board decided to introduce some palliatives for tax payers to stimulate them to pay their taxes.

According to him, under the agric sector, “we reduced the rate, we gave a rebate of 50 percent. On other taxes, we reduced liabilities, interest, penalities and some of the assessments to 20 percent”.

“As a result of that, it did not only affected the state revenue generation, but affected all aspects of the economy” he added.

He explained that, despite these challenges, the board was able to collect over N6.02 billion in 2017, N6.96 billion in 2018, N8.46 billion in 2019 and N9.34 billion from January to September, 2020.

The board Executive Chairman however appealed to the state government to establish a single revenue account in which all IGR would be lodged to sustain and enhance the revenue generation of the state.

“All the existing Tax laws should be consolidated and codified into a single law for the purpose of consolidation of all revenue collected

by MDAs and Local Governments in the state”, he pleaded.

According to him, the position of the Federal Government is that not only were the fines justified, the NBC was indeed lenient.

He faulted the trend in which even the traditional media is freely using materials from social media without taking the pains to verify their authenticity. “This is a dangerous trend that must be curbed, in the interest of the media practitioners themselves, the profession and indeed the country,” he said.

He cited an example of one of such fake news, a report by an otherwise reputable broadcast media organization that the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja was on fire during the violence that followed the protest.

“Though the organization in question later retracted the story, the kind of reprisal attack this could have sparked is better imagined.

“Also, another reputable broadcast media organization featured a report that identified a maintenance worker atop a bank building overlooking the Lekki Toll Gate as a sniper, leading to attacks that destroyed many of the bank’s branches.

“The organizations have not even been sanctioned for this terrible disinformation, yet rabble rousers have latched on to the fines to make all sorts of baseless allegations,” he said.

2023: PDP to review its manifesto to align with nations current reality

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

A

head of the general elections of 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party is set to review its manifesto to align with the current socio-political realities in the country.

This, it was reliably gathered, was one of the decisions reached at the party’s National Caucus meeting which ended in the early hours of Thursday.

The meeting took place at the Akwa Ibom governor’s lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, with many serving governors and other chieftains of the PDP in attendance.

A source at the meeting confirmed this, saying, “We received briefings from the Governor Bala Mohammed-led committee set up to review the 2019 general elections, the state of our party, and also discussed a wide range of issues of national importance.

“The Bala Mohammed Committee is yet to conclude its assignment but substantial progress has been made When asked if the defection of the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, was discussed, the source said, “We were briefed by the National Working Committee on

efforts made to persuade him to remain.

“We also agreed that as part of our agenda to reposition the party, we will be reviewing our manifesto for it to align with current realities in the social-political sphere.

“It will form part of the agenda of our National Executive Committee meeting holding in a few hours from now.”

Speaking with Journalists after the caucus meeting, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus said, “We discussed issues affecting our party and our country.“ Similarly, the Governor of

Taraba State, Architect Darius Ishaku, said, “The PDP remains the only party which is nationalistic, we are repositioning ourselves to become stronger.”

Among those in attendance at the caucus meeting were; Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Darius Ishaku, (Taraba),Ahmad Fintiri (Adamawa), Okeze Ikpeazu (Abia), former Senate Presidents David Mark and Bukola Saraki, the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin and a former PDP National Chairnan, Bello Haliru, among others.

PAGE 6

News

FG inaugurates committee on repositioning of teaching Profession Maryam Abeeb,Abuja

T

he federal government through the Ministry of Education has inaugurated National Implementation Committee on the revitalization and repositioning of teaching profession in Nigeria recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu during his remark at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, said the assignment is a critical part of the government response to the emergency situation in the educational sector with focus on the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers.

According to him, the universally accepted dictum states that no system can rise above the quality of its teachers, lamenting that the teaching profession has been neglected with all the attendance consequences in brain drain, poor incentives and poor quality graduates.

He said this has led to clamoring for improved general welfare and conditions of services for the teaching profession across all tiers of government.

Adamu stated that knowledge, dedication and competence of teachers to a large extent , should be rthe determining factors to the quality of graduates in institutions and their contributions to national development.

He listed the approved incentives, which came about as a result of extensive consultations, reviews and concurrence of critical stakeholders, includes: enhanced entry point for teachers in the Civil Services by restricting entry into the teaching profession only to highly gifted, academically outstanding students/scholars with the right attitudinal and emotional disposition.

Also, Special teachers’ salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance: Harmonized retirement age and teaching services years for teachers in Nigeria.

Special Teacher Pension Scheme to enable the teaching profession retains its experienced talents as well as to extend teachers’ retirement age to 65years and teaching services years to 40 years: create a career path policy for teaching profession in Nigeria.

According to him, the main terms of reference of the committee is to come up with an implementation strategy towards the realization of all the policies approved by government.

He said that the committee has been subdivided into 12 subcommittees to focus on specific areas of intervention.

He gave assurance that the Ministry is committed to providing the necessary support to ensure smooth implementation of the policies. ‘’ In this regard, we shall be presenting a memorandum at the next National Council on the Establishment holding before the end of the year on establishment related issues derived from the policy directives. ‘’We are also interfacing with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for the re-introduction of the bill that was passed by the 8th National Assembly which was not assented to by the President action by the 9th assembly,’’ he noted.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

CRIME News

Yellow fever cause of strange deaths in Enugu, others - FG

By Egena Sunday Ode

T

he Federal Government has attributed the cause of strange deaths in Enugu and other states to yellow fever.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “Yes there was an outbreak that started in Delta and was found in Enugu and then two other states making it a total of four states. The analysis we have done so far shows it is yellow fever. So the response has been going on from National Center for Disease (NCDC), vaccination is going on in all these areas.

“Few days ago, there was also a report from a member of the National Assembly

saying that in his constituency there is unexplained illnesses and deaths and that alarm also immediately triggered a response, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control has been directed to go and carry out investigation.

“As we speak they have to collect samples, do tests and do some laboratory investigations before we are sure exactly what it is and what the cause is. So the response is going on automatically and we shall get result very soon.”

Enugu State has been battling to contain the outbreak of the disease in two communities – Ette Uno and Umuopu – in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state but it has now spread to the third, Nsukka, Isi-Uzo. Delta State had recently reported that no fewer than 22 deaths have been recorded in Ika North East Local Government Area of

the state due to the outbreak of the disease.

Meanwhile, Ehanire and his counterpart in the Ministry of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu briefed Council on their interface with stakeholders in their respective states as regards #ENDSARS protests.

Sulieman said no incident was recorded in his home State, Jigawa and Sokoto states and commended the youths for adhering to President Mohammadu Buhari’s appeal.

Ehanire, said he met with stakeholders in Edo and Delta states over the protests and reported on incidences that occurred to the Federal Executive Council meeting.

Recall that President Mohammadu Buhari had recently asked his ministers to relocate to their respective home states for the purpose of dousing the tension created by the #ENDSARS protests and the lawlessness that followed.

First Lady of Kebbi state, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu , Deputy speaker Kebbi State House of Assembly, Mohammed Aliero and Commissioner for Health Jafar Mohammed during the launch of Kebbi State Cancer Control Plan and the state’s indigent cancer fund in Birnin Kebbi recently.

FG inaugurates committee on repositioning of teaching Profession

Maryam Abeeb,Abuja

T

he federal government through the Ministry of Education has inaugurated National Implementation Committee on the revitalization and repositioning of teaching profession in Nigeria recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu during his remark at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, said the assignment is a critical part of the government response to the emergency situation in the educational sector with focus on the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers.

According to him, the universally accepted dictum states that no system can rise above the quality of its teachers, lamenting that the teaching profession has been neglected with all the attendance consequences in brain drain, poor incentives and poor quality graduates.

He said this has led to clamoring for improved general welfare and conditions of services for the teaching profession across

all tiers of government.

Adamu stated that knowledge, dedication and competence of teachers to a large extent , should be rthe determining factors to the quality of graduates in institutions and their contributions to national development.

He listed the approved incentives, which came about as a result of extensive consultations, reviews and concurrence of critical stakeholders, includes: enhanced entry point for teachers in the Civil Services by restricting entry into the teaching profession only to highly gifted, academically outstanding students/ scholars with the right attitudinal and emotional disposition.

Also, Special teachers’ salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance: Harmonized retirement age and teaching services years for teachers in Nigeria.

Special Teacher Pension Scheme to enable the teaching profession retains its experienced talents as well as to extend

teachers’ retirement age to 65years and teaching services years to 40 years: create a career path policy for teaching profession in Nigeria.

According to him, the main terms of reference of the committee is to come up with an implementation strategy towards the realization of all the policies approved by government.

He said that the committee has been sub-divided into 12 subcommittees to focus on specific areas of intervention.

He gave assurance that the Ministry is committed to providing the necessary support to ensure smooth implementation of the policies. ‘’ In this regard, we shall be presenting a memorandum at the next National Council on the Establishment holding before the end of the year on establishment related issues derived from the policy directives. ‘’We are also interfacing with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for the re-introduction of the bill that was passed by the 8th National Assembly which was not assented to by the President action by the 9th assembly,’’ he noted.

L-R: Mr Ikenna Osuoha; Project Coordinator, International Day for Tolerance and Peace Promotion (ID4TAPP), Mr Ndudi Nwagbara; Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe; National Coordinator of ID4TAPP, Ms Ijeoma Akwara; and Executive Director, Education and Research, ID4TAPP, Mrs Ilemona Ogbeifun, during their visit to Sen Aberibe’s interraction with ID4TAPP in commemoration of 2020 International Day of Tolerance and Peace, recently in Abuja

43-year-old allegedly defiles toddler in church

A

Surulere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Thursday remanded a 43-year-old man, Ifeanyi Ndieze, who allegedly defiled a three-year-old girl in a church.

The court could not take the plea of the defendant as the Magistrate, Mrs M. I. Dan-Oni, said she needed advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

She ordered that the defendant should be kept at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the advice, and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward a copy to the DPP. Dan-Oni adjourned the case until Dec. 2 for mention.

The defendant, who resides at Karimu Street, Surulere, is facing a charge of defilement.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Courage Ekhueorohan, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on Oct. 29 at 8:00p.m at No. 18, Salau St., Surulere.

Ekhueorohan said that the defendant saw the toddler in a church and inserted his fingers in her private part in the guise of playing with her.

The prosecutor submitted that the defendant was arrested after the toddler told her mother what he did.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that defilement contravenes Section 135 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)

Troops arrest 12 robbery suspects in Jos

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Nigerian military said its troops of Operations SAFE HAVEN and WHIRL STROKE have arrested 12 robbery suspects in Plateau state.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja while giving update on the military operations in the country, Major General, John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations Defence Headquarters, said on 13 November 2020, troops in conjunction with Nigeria Police personnel raided some suspected

criminal hideouts in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State and arrested 9 suspects.

“The successful operation led to the arrest of 9 members of a robbery syndicate responsible for terrorizing the inhabitants of the Mangu- Panyam general area.

This was followed by another raid on a suspected kidnappers/ armed robbers’ hideout at Daron Gyel community in Jos South Local Government Area on 14 November 2020. Troops stormed the location and apprehended 3 suspects Titus Eliashe, Bahal Manjul and Choji

Elisha.

“Additionally, on 16 November 2020, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE, conducted a dawn raid at a suspected militias hideout around Kwaghaondo village in Chachanji council ward of Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State. The raid was conducted following actionable intelligence on the possible regrouping of some criminal elements in the general area.

“The successful dawn raid led to the arrest of one suspect identified as Barnabas Tortsea.

He is currently undergoing

preliminary investigation after which he will be handed over to the appropriate prosecuting agency for further action.

“Similarly, acting on credible intelligence report on the whereabout of criminal elements in parts of Tongov council ward of Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE conducted another dawn raid on the suspected criminals’ hideouts.

Troops engaged the criminals with superior firepower, forcing them to flee into the surrounding bushes with fatal injuries.”

NDLEA intercepts man with 12.05kg of cocaine

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 12.05kg of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mr Jonah Achema, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

Achema said that the agency made the seizure after it intercepted a 38-year-old suspected drug trafficker who attempted to smuggle the drug into the country.

According to him, operatives of the agency at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Special Area Command intercepted the suspect.

Achema explained that the

suspect was intercepted during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight 911 from Sao Paulo, Brazil en-route Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He further explained that the drug was carefully packed in drink sachets of pineapple and lemon flavour and concealed in a suit case.

“The suspect had already claimed his luggage upon arrival and proceeded to NDLEA screening point where it was detected that one of his bags was stuffed with prohibited drugs suspected to be cocaine.

“He claimed that the consignment was given to him to deliver in Nigeria by one Uche whom he met in a Church in Brazil

about three months ago through a friend.

“The suspect said Uche overheard him talking to his friend about his impending trip to Nigeria and claimed he actually did not have knowledge of what was in the bag.

“He claimed that Uche brought the suit case to him at the airport just an hour before the flight tookoff and said that the short interval did not give him the opportunity to scrutinise the bag,’’ Achema said.

He said that the suspect had been a resident of Sao Paulo since 2015 where he worked as a technician in a brass installation centre.

“I had to leave my bicycle

spare-parts business in Nigeria for greener pasture in the U.S but opted to travel through Brazil, Mexico to America.

“My journey was aborted in Mexico from where I was returned to Brazil where I was granted asylum,’’ Achema quoted the suspect as saying during interrogation.

The Commander NDLEA NAIA command, Mr Kabir Taskuwa, said that the 12.05kg of cocaine was one of the highest quantity seized in recent times.

“We promised that all travelers who got involved in drug trafficking will not escape our drag net and we will continue to sustain our vigilance,’’ Tsakuwa said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PAGE 8

News

UNIBEN parades 350,000 graduands at golden jubilee By Osaigbovo Benin

T

Iguobaro,

he Management of University of Benin (UNIBEN) has graduated over 350, 000 students since the institution was founded in 1970.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Lilian Salami disclosed this at a chat with newsmen on Thursday in Benin City, ahead of the University Founder’s Day/ Interdenominational anniversary on November 23rd 2020.

She stressed that a significant number of the Alumni are well placed in all field of human endeavour globally and commanded the UNIBEN Alumni association for being a worthy partner in progress.

“The University has produced over 350,000 graduands. These individuals, incidentally, are well placed. A lot of them are CEOs of big establishments, trail blazers. We have had ministers, Governors, and others”, according to the VC. The VC also said, the Staff strength of the University has increase from about 20 to 8000 while the students have increased from 108 to 45, 000 since the past 50 years of existence.

She explained that the ivory tower has been able to fill the manpower gap and met technological demands in area of innovation, research under Covid-19 hibernation despite the dwindled resources which has dipped by 90 percent as a result of closure of institution since March 2020.

She also stated that University has stopped awarding contracts and resort to the use of direct labour n the administration of the University, pending amicable resolution of the federal government and ASUU stalemate.

“I am the 10th Vice Chancellor of this institution. These persons have worked tirelessly to bring the University of Benin to where it is right now. Abinitio, the number of students was only 108 with a Staff strength of less than 20 then.

“But, today, we have grown.

Still counting, we have over 45,000 students and Staff strength of over 8000.

“Then, the programme was just to meet the manpower and technological demands for the Country then. There was two departments at that time. What we have noe is over 15 Faculties.

A College of Medicine, we have three Centres of Excellence and two or three institutions.”

Military destroys several terrorists’ hideouts in Borno

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Nigerian military said its troops destroyed several hideouts of Boko Haram/ Islamic States for West African Province in the northeast in the last one week.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja while giving update on the military operations in the country, Major General, John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations

Defence Headquarters, said between Nov. 12 and Nov. 18, troops adopted sustained vigilance and offensive postures through comprehensive ground and air operations leading to the killing of some terrorists.

He said that an Improvised Explosive Devices maker was arrested, and a cache of arms and ammunition and other fighting equipment were recovered during the period.

Enenche said troops of Operation Fireball, a wing of Operation Lafiya Dole, cleared the terrorists’ hideouts and killed two at Ladantar in Borno.

He added that troops also foiled terrorists’ attacks on Gwoza town in Borno where one terrorist was killed and arms and ammunition recovered on Nov. 12.

Enenche said the Air Component continued to execute successive bomb and rocket runs,

on targeted terrorists’ enclaves at Njimia, Goba and Dure village areas in the Sambisa forest in Borno during the period.

He said multiple air strikes were executed on the locations and the devastating hits from the air strikes led to the killing of scores of terrorists.

“Several of the terrorists’ logistics facilities were destroyed by the devastating hits from the air strikes, while many of their fighters fled in disarray.”

Former Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,- and President Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Bartholomew Bra I,- during the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) 50th Annual General Meeting on Improving Nutrition Intervention Outcomes in Nigeria in Kaduna on Wednesday. Photo: Shehu K. Goro

Buhari greets Buni at 53

By Egena Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State on the joyous occasion of his 53rd birthday anniversary.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President

on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the President also joined the family, friends, political associates, government and people of the state in celebrating with the hardworking governor as he devotes his time to delivering dividends of democracy.

President Buhari applauds the

achievements of the governor, who is also Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Extraordinary National Convention Committee and his team, in reconciling factions, bringing back former members and welcoming new ones into the governing party, the statement

added.

The statement also noted “As Governor Buni marks his birthday, the President wishes him many more years of service to his party, state, country and humanity.”

FG sets to have data base for Nigerian Youths Btw 18-35 years From Yakubu Minna

F

Mustapha,

ederal Government has concluded plans to commence nationwide data capturing collection survey for

youths in the country from ages between 18 to 35 years.

Minister of Youths and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare stated this at an interactive session with All Progressives Congress APC youths leadership from 36

states and Abuja in Minna Niger He stressed that this is to enable government know the actual number of youths in Nigeria with a view to engaging them in government programmes for self reliant.

Dare however identified lack of data base for youths as factors militating against the attachment of desired benefits of government programmes which were hitherto targetted at youths.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Page 9

JIGAWA STATE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

INVITATION TO TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF DIESEL TO THE 26N0 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA FOR STREET LIGHT GENERATORS

PREAMBLE: In compliance with the Jigawa State Procurement process, the Jigawa state Ministry for Local Government and community development on behalf of the 26no Local government councils wishes to notify interested bidders of its intension to procure Diesel to the 26no local government area for street light generators PROJECT SCOPE: Supply of Diesel to the 26no Local government councils for street light generators as follows Lot 1 AUYO (A) Auyo court (B) Auyo kofar fada Lot 2 BABURA (A) Babura k/fada (B)Babura motor park Lot 3 Birniwa (A) Birniwa secretariat (B)Birniwa kasuwa Lot 4 Birnin kudu (A) Birnin kudu Jarda (B)Birnin kudu primary (C)

Birnin Kudu Unity bank (D)Birnin Kudu Open theater (E)Bamaina

Old (F) Bamaina New (G)Birnin Kudu pilot school Lot 5 Buji (A) Gantsa Lot 6 Garki (A) Garki secretariat (B) Garki Kofar Fada Lot 7 Gagarawa Lot 8 Gumel (A) Gumel Kofar fada (B) Gumel Dantanoma (C) Gumel

T/asibiti (D) Gumel Hadejia road Lot 9 Guri (A) Guri secretariat (B) Guri Market Lot 10 Gwaram (A)Gwaram cikin gari (B) Gwaram primary (C)Gwaram

sabuwa old (C) Gwaram sabuwa new Lot 11 Gwiwa Lot 12 Hadejia (A) Hadejia kofar fada (B)Hadejia malam madori way

(C)Hadejia LEA (D)Hadejia makabarta Lot 13 Jahun (A) Jahun roundabout (B)Jahun Kofar fada Lot 14 Kaugama (A) Kaugama secretariat (B) kaugama primary school Lot 15 Kafin Hausa (A) kafin Hausa Market (B) Kafin Hausa cikin gari Lot 16 Kazaure (A) Kazaure K/fada (B) kazaure kanti (C) kazaure

Yanmakada (D)kazaure sha’iskawa Lot 17 Kirikasamma (A) Kirikasaama Gidan wanka (B) Kirikasamma

kofar gari Lot 18 Kiyawa (A) Kiyawa Junction (B) Kiyawa mosque Lot 19 Malam-madori (A) malam-madori court (B)Malam-madori G/

ganye (C)malam-madori K/gari.

Lot 20 Magatari (A) Maigatari Kara (B) Maigatari motor park Lot 21 Miga Lot 22 Ringim (A) Ringim K/fada (B)Ringim Galadanchi (C) Ringim EPI Lot 23 Roni (A) Roni Hospital (B) Roni Cikin Gari Lot 24 Suletankarkar (A) suletankarkar main road (B) suletankarkar

cikin gari.

Lot 25 Taura Lot 26 Yankwashi (A) Karkarna K/fada (B) Karkarna secretariat.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Interested competent and reliable contractors are required to provide verifiable evidence including but not limited to the following documents: Certificate of incorporation with cooperate affairs Commission Certified true copy of Memorandum and Article of Association Evidence of registration with Jigawa State Works registration Unit Tax Clearance certificate for the last three (3) year Audited account for the last one (1) year VAT registration and evidence of past remittance Evidence of financial capability and banking support Company average annual turnover of not less than N20m Evidence of similar project executed (letter of award and completion certificate) at least three (3) in the last Five years; That the company have fulfilled all obligations to pay Taxes, pensions and social security contributions A sworn affidavit certifying as follows

That the document submitted for the pre-qualification exercise are not only genuine but correct That none of the directors of the company has been convicted by any court of Law That the company is not bankrupt That none of the officer of Jigawa State/ Local Government is a present or former director of the company Any other relevant information that will help in determining the company’s suitability for the work.

Any prospective bidder that does not possess any of the above documents need not apply.

COLLECTION OF TENDER DOCUMENT Interested bidders are to collect the tender documents from the office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local Government and community development Dutse, from the date of publication of this advert and between the hours of 09.00 am and 5.00 pm daily after a payment of a non-refundable fee of N10,000.00 SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENT Technical and Financial bids shall be submitted in two different sealed envelopes and level “Technical Bid” and “Financial Bids” respectively with the company’s name indicated at the back of each envelope. Both envelopes should be placed in a sealed third envelope addressed and delivered to the office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local Government and community development Dutse, not later than 12.00 noon OF 31/12/2020.

All documents for submission must be transmitted with a forwarding letter dully signed by the company representative under the company’s letter headed paper bearing the CAC registration number (RC), contact address, telephone number(preferably GSM No) and Email address.

The financial bid should contain a bid security of not less than 2% of the quoted bid.

The bid validity period should be 90 days from the deadline of the bid submission at 12:00 noon.

OPENING OF BIDS Only technical bids shall be opened immediately after the deadline for submission date.

GENERAL INFORMATION Bids submitted after the deadline for submission will be returned unopened Only the financial bids of successful bidders will be opened, while those for the un-successful bidders will be returned un-opened.

This advert shall not be construed as commitment on the part of the Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and community development nor shall it entail a company to make any claim(s) whatsoever and/or to seek any indemnity from the Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and community development by virtue of such company having responded to this advertisement.

All cost will be borne by the bidders as the Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and community development will not be held responsible for any cost or expenses incurred by any interested party (i.e) in connection with any response to this invitation.

The Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and community development reserved the right to annul the procurement process at any time without incurring any liabilities Alternative bid will not be accepted Bidders with the subsidiary relationship are not allowed to partake in the same lot.

Signed: Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and community development, Dutse.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PAGE 10

News NAFEST 2020: Plateau Govt. tasks youths on proper conduct

P

lateau Government has urged youths in the state to exhibit proper conduct during the forthcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) to be hosted by the State from Nov. 22 to Nov. 28.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Dan Manjang, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos. Manjang said the youths, being the Ambassadors of the state, should showcase the hospitality and good image the state was known for.

“Youths should conduct themselves in a manner that will give us the image we are known for as the Home of Peace and Tourism,”he said.

He also called on them to use the opportunity of the NAFEST platform to showcase their talents and skills to the world.

“The youths should try to involve themselves in commercial activities; art works can be sold which would benefit them and the state,”he said.

He said preparations for the hosting of the event had reached advanced state, adding the subcommittees on Health, Security , Entertainment and Accommodation, among others, were all committed to ensuring the success of the event. ” We assure Nigerians of a hitchfree event.There is a sub-committee on security because to bring people from all over the country and security is not taken care of would be a disaster.

“We have taken security issue with all seriousness in the state,even without NAFEST, It is on the front burner agenda in the state,” he said.

The commissioner said security was a partnership between individuals and government, saying the state was engaging communities, traditional leaders and security agencies to ensure safety of the guests. ” We want to assure the world , they should be free to come to Plateau, as everything humanly possible has been put in place; we have Operation Rainbow and we are involving the community for vigilante and community policing,” he said.

He said the cultural heritage of the state’s 53 ethnic groups would be showcased through their cuisines, fabrics and dances, during the event, saying this would boost economic activities in the state.

He said the hospitality sector, food and transportation sectors would generate more revenue for the development of the state, adding that all these would have multiplier effects on households.

Manjang also said that COVID-19 safety protocols would be observed at the festival to prevent the spread of the disease, adding that the subcommittee on health would handle emergencies on COVID-19 and other ailments.

NAN reports that NAFEST 2020 which is the 33rd edition will feature events that include traditional board game, archery, indigenous fabrics competition, children’s essay competition and cultural quiz competition.

Other events are: choral music competition, traditional cuisine, children’s indigenous instrumental competition, children’s craft and command performance.

The theme of the festival is: “Cultural Dynamism and Post COVID-19”.

Plateau had hosted the event in 1996.(NAN)

18 fleeing prisoners, two suspects paraded for burning police station By Osaigbovo Benin

Iguobaro,

1

8 fleeing prisoners who escaped from two Nigeria Correctional Custodial Centres in Benin have been arrested and paraded by police.

The inmates were among over 2000 prisoners escapees that were set free at the two custodial Centres of the Nigerian Correctional Services during the EndSARS protest that occurred on October 20, 2020 in Benin City.

The State Commissioner of

police Mr. Johnson Kokumo paraded the suspects on Wednesday at police headquarters in Benin City.

Two suspects who were involved in the burning of Nigeria police station at Saint Saviour, Upper Sokponba in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area and the looting of police armoury at Oba market police station in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State were among the 14 robbery suspects that were also paraded by the police Commissioner.

50-year-old Mr. Frank Otabor who burnt the police station at

Saint Saviour and 26-year-old Mr. Andrew Francis confessed to the crime.

While Otabor who claimed to be jobless man, was picked up by the police at Musheshe area, off Upper Sokponba road after the attack at the police station and making sexual advance to married woman, Mr. Francis, denied that he was not he owner of the stolen police AK-47 rifle which police claimed was found with him.

Briefing journalists during the parade, the State Commissioner of police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, commended the efforts of sister

security agencies and the public for their collaboration.

Further breakdown of the 48 criminal suspects that were paraded, indicates that, 14 armed robbery suspects and 16 suspected cultists.

According to the CP, “On our part, we have been working in synergy with sister security agencies to ensure that we rearrest the escapees with the support of sister agencies and members of the public who partner with us that led to the arrest of these suspected criminals.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Buhari greets Jonathan on 63rd birthday

By Egena Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for what he described as “a life of service that has brought honour and goodwill to the country.”

Buhari’s commendation was contained in a felicitation message to Jonathan on his 63rd birthday. The former

President turns 63 on November 20.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari recalled the climb of the former President on the political ladder as well as the dedication that has earned him the role he’s has played in restoring peace to the Republic of Mali.

The statement read:

“On behalf of the Federal Government and Nigerians in general, President Muhammadu Buhari warmly felicitates with former President Goodluck Jonathan on his 63rd birthday, November 20, 2020, congratulating him for a life of service that has brought honour and goodwill to the country.

“The President notes, with appreciation, the peculiar and remarkable climb of the former

president on Nigeria’s political ladder, and dedication that has kept him working most recently as ECOWAS envoy to bring peace to the Republic of Mali.

“As the former Nigerian President turns 63, President Buhari prays that the Almighty God will grant Dr Jonathan longer life, good health and more wisdom to keep serving the nation and humanity.”

Buhari hails Umahi over defection to APC

By Egena Sunday Ode

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has commended the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it “as a bold move driven purely by principle rather than opportunistic motives.”

Reacting to the defection, President Buhari, according to a

statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “I am proud of Governor David Umahi for taking this bold decision in accordance with his conscience and principles rather than any external influence or coercion.”

According to the President, “Good governance is very important to us in the APC, and

I’m glad that the governor has cited this as a major factor in his decision to join us. I urge our citizens to pay less emphasis on identity politics if we want our democracy to make a positive impact on our country.”

He noted that “with men like Umahi, I foresee a brighter future for our democracy because the voters will be more motivated by performance records of parties

and their candidates.”

“Let me once again; commend the boldness of Governor Umahi for taking this courageous decision in a country where principles are in short supply among many. I know people might call him names, but that is the price men of principles have to pay for acting according to their conscience and convictions” President Buhari was quoted to have said.

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

Lalong and Plateau Muslims’ dilemma

Nigeria’s inflation bug

N

igerian inflation rate rose by 0.5 per cent point to 14.2 per cent in October from 13.7% the previous month. This is the 14th consecutive monthly rise in inflation since September 2019 when it stood at 11.24%. Food inflation, in particular, recorded the highest increase ever, rising by 0.72 per cent point to 17.38% from 16.66%. In its Consumer Price Index (CPI) Report for October released Monday, Nov. 16, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, ”The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation, increased by 14.23 per cent (year-on-year) in October 2020. This is 0.52 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in September 2020 (13.71 percent).

Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index.

specifically what was responsible for this unprecedented rise in inflation.

However, Bloomberg, a New York based a privately held financial, software, data, and media company, cites rising food prices caused by border closures, dollar restrictions and banditry attacks that are preventing farmers from producing food as the causes. It reports that “This is the fifth year inflation has exceeded the central bank’s target range of 6% to 9% and will probably continue accelerating due to an end of fuel subsidies, currency weakness, typical price hikes related to the festive season and a recent order by President Muhammadu Buhari that restricts dollar access for food and fertilizer imports.

That will drive traders to the parallel market for foreign exchange, where they will pay a lot more.”

“

“On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.54 per cent in October; this is 0.06 per cent higher than the rate recorded in September (1.48 per cent).” It said urban inflation increased by 14.81 percent (year-onyear) in October from 14.31 per cent in September 2020, “while the rural inflation rate increased by 13.68 per cent in October from 13.14 per cent in September.”

L-R: Panel Members Mr. Daniel Enwelum SAN, Mr. Wahab Shittu; SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Partner, J B Daudu and Co, Mr. Paul Daudu, during the 3rd Annual Criminal Law Review Conference by the Chambers’ Rule of Law Development Foundation in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

PAGE 11

On food inflation, the report stated, “The composite food index rose by 17.38 percent in October 2020 compared to 16.66 per cent in September 2020.

On food inflation, the report stated, “The composite food index rose by 17.38 percent in October 2020 compared to 16.66 per cent in September 2020.

This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam, and other tubers, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, alcoholic and food beverages, and oils and fats. On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.96 percent in October 2020, up by 0.08 per cent points from 1.88 per cent recorded in September 2020.” According to the bureau, in October, food inflation on a year-onyear basis was the highest in Edo (23 per cent), Zamfara (21 per cent) and Kogi (20.6 per cent), while Lagos (15 per cent), Ogun (14.5 per cent) and Ondo (14.2 per cent) recorded the slowest rise.”

The NBS report does not say OUR MISSION

It says, “Food prices have been a key driver of inflation in Africa’s largest economy. The food index, which accounts for more than half the inflation basket, rose 17.4%, compared with 16.66% in September.

Floods, violent farm attacks, and clashes between herders and farmers weigh on supply, though the government’s softening stance on border closures in place since August 2019 may reduce pressures.” Bloomberg adds that “an unexpected cut in the key interest rate by 100 basis points in September will probably mean the central bank will hold the rate at 11.5% as it seeks to support a recovery in the, even as inflation remains sticky.”

What all this means is that the average Nigerian is going to have a harder time, heading into Christmas and the New Year. Only last week the government allowed another increase in the pump price of petrol, the second in less than two months. In the long term, it means that the much anticipated second recession may well be under way.

OUR PEOPLE

“To be the market Chief Operating Officer place of ideas and /Editor, the leading player Hameed M. Bello, PhD in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while HEAD, ADVERT delivering value to patrick UGAMA our stakeholders”

OUR VISION

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

By Yusuf Mairiga Shekarau

F

rom the moment he took his first oath of office as governor of Plateau State on the 29th of May, 2015, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong has never minced words in telling the world that he is a peacemaker who has come to enthrone peace in the troubled state, through justice, equity and fairness. At one occasion late last year, Governor Lalong had this to say: “Under my watch, nobody will be treated as a second-class citizen or superior to another. We are created equal by God and must learn to live together in peace and unity”.

This was at the presentation of 2nd and 3rd Class Staff of Office to the Adagwom Izere Jos, Mr. Emmanuel Ajik and the Gwom Ibaas, Da Luka Pagyang Pam respectively on the 16th of December, 2019.

Notwithstanding his assurances, however, a cross section of Muslim communities in Plateau State have for extremely long periods been without monarchs. These communities are spread from the central to the southern parts of Plateau, and they share the same worry.

To start, painfully, with my own community, the historic town of Yelwa in Shendam LGA, it is currently headless. The people of Yelwa would always recall with nostalgia their encounter with a village head decades ago since the longest serving village head died on the 26 November, 1992.

Nearly 30 years after, we are struggling to survive without a leader. Like a herd without a shepherd, the community always struggles to fittingly address certain controversies at ease because there is no voice to speak to the people from the throne. Their dilemma is often compounded by how their youth regard discussions about chieftaincy of the town as an empty story.

Much more unfortunate is that the community has remained unaware of the reasons why the local and state authorities shied away from installing a village head for them.

As a community, Yelwa can hardly understand why its people are being treated as second-class citizens, contrary to the recent assurances of His Excellency, Governor Simon Lalong. For the people, nothing would have been much exciting as installing one of its sons as village head. Yelwa, I am sure, is more than poised to rejoice once the long-term dream of its people comes alive Also surviving the lifelong emptiness of her monarchical stool is the headquarters of Jos South Local Government Area: Bukuru.

Bukuru has been in existence for over a century since the first Village Head, Alhaji Muhammad Shanono moved from Tsohuwar Bukuru located at the outskirts of the present Bukuru along Sabon Gidan Kanar. Shanono was confirmed to have been moved by the then Native Authority administration to assume

the Village Headship of present Bukuru.

He was the Village Head of Bukuru for 51 years (1909-1960), and was a staff of the Native Authority on permanent and pensionable appointment. Bukuru was previously considered a separate city from Jos but it has now grown into the capital city through urbanisation to form what is now called the Jos-Bukuru Metropolis.

Bukuru is one of the many Muslim communities that have since been thrown into thirst and yawning for chieftaincy in Plateau State. For a very long time, specifically after the September, 2001 crisis, specifically on the 3rd of October, 2001, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammad, the Sarkin Bukuru died. It was the very final time the community would recall an encounter with a head.

It is interesting to note however that the continuing delay in appointing the district head of Bukuru community is neither for any pending litigation nor disagreement within the ruling family. Shortly after the death of Muhammad, for instance, other surrounding Muslim communities also faced some heat.

Crises have erupted and continued unabatedly, resulting in the removal of heads of some of the communities.

Among the villages that suffered such an were Tin Tin, Dogo Na Hauwa, Mai Idon Taro, Dilimi, Sabon Gidan Kanar, Kuru Babba, Kuru Karami, Maitunbi, Barikin Accha, Nafan Dredge, Kuru Tasha. Situations are worsened in these areas by the fact that thousands of Muslim residents have been forced to flee to safer places in quest for survival, due to the persistent crises that have befallen those communities.

In Jos North LGA, Naraguta community is also living without a head. In Quan Pan LGA, Kurgwi and Kwande communities have equally lived for years without village heads. The pathetic tales of these communities, largely inhabited by Muslims, which do not have village or districts heads in the state, is so much, and tended to confuse inhabitants. They are often tempted to ask: “Are statements like the one

by Governor Lalong that ‘nobody will be treated as second-class citizen’ in Plateau State not mere lip services?”

I therefore, wish to again appeal specifically His Excellency, Governor Simon Lalong, who doubles as Chairman of the Northern states Governors’ Forum to as a matter of urgency facilitate the process that ensures immediate instatement of the heads of the identified districts and villages in the state as testament to his assurances that he is an embodiment of peace and justice.

This will accentuate efforts to restore Plateau State to its renowned acclaim as “Home of Peace”, thereby also restoring its glory as “Home of Tourism”.

Yusuf Shekarau wrote from Jos, Plateau State, and can be reached at:

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Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

AIW 2020 and imperatives of industrializing African continent

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

T

he United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, proclaimed November 20 “Africa Industrialization Day” A/ RES/33/237. This decision flows from the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (19912000).

Since then, the United Nations has held events on that day throughout the world to raise awareness on the strides made to industrialize Africa, highlight the various activities being implemented as well as the challenges faced in the efforts to advance structural transformation in Africa; provide an opportunity to share best practices from other parts of the globe that have made advancements in their Industrialisation drive including the development of startups; reinforce the industry-trade nexus in the context of the business opportunities presented by the AfCFTA, among others.

Essentially, this year’s Global Observance of Africa Industrialization Day 2020 has as theme; 2020; Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation in AfCFT and Covid-19 era’, has among other objectives; Bringing together various stakeholders involved in Industrialisation on the Continent. promote the implementation of AU continental frameworks such as; the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA); the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), the SME Strategy; the Boosting Intra-African Trade strategy (BIAT); the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) and the UN General Assembly’s Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) in the context of Agenda 2063; As well as build momentum ahead of the planned AU Summit on Africa Industrialization and Economic Diversification in 2021.

Certainly a well thought out celebration particularly as industrial development is of critical importance for sustained and inclusive economic growth not just in African countries but around the globe.As it is laced with capacity to enhance productivity, increase the capabilities of the workforce, and generate employment, by introducing new equipment and new techniques while increasing the nation’s Gross Domestic

Product (GDP).

However, to make this celebration more rewarding in socioeconomic terms for Africa, this year’s event needs to be constructive and strategic. It calls for sober reflection among African leaders, demands solution-oriented questions from development practitioners and a collective agenda setting role from fairminded and well-foresighted Africans who currently view as accurate the European’s historians’ description of Africa as a dark continent lit only by the flashes of foreign penetration and has contributed nothing to world civilization, within this period.

Aside Africa leaders’ inability to industrialize their continent becoming a reality to worry about, this year’s celebration in the opinion of this piece should seeks answer to; why the continent despite being the second most-populated continent in the world (1.2 billion people), represents only 1.4% of the world Manufacturing Value added in the first quarter of 2020? Why out of over 51 countries in Africa as continent, only South Africa qualified as a member of BRICS, an acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa? And, why African countries continually look up to other continents such as; Asia, Europe and America for aid after almost 60 years of independence?

Is this reality not overtly telling a story of a continent lacking in capacity to take responsibility for its actions and initiatives for values?

On this day, at this time and in this place, what can the continent showcase in terms of advancements in industrialization and best practices when it is unable to create a platform for knowledge exchange? How do we celebrate industrialization day when China is principally in change of Africa’s industrial and infrastructural development?

And at a time when the Chinese development aid to Africa, going by reports totaled 47% of its total foreign assistance in 2009 alone?

When China according to reports , funded over 1,666 official assistance projects in 51 African countries with at least 70% of China’s overseas aid sent to Africa from 2000 till date.

For emphasis, some of these projects include but are not limited to; the African

Union building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which cost $200 million to build and was, handed over in 2012. Recently also, China announced its willingness to give the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a $31.6 million grant to build a new headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

China’s scarves have found their largest African market in Egypt, which imported supplies worth $45 million in 2014. The nations also have a healthy exchange of carpets, with multi-million dollar supplies traveling in both directions. – Dozens of African hospitals have been built with Chinese funds in recent years. China’s largest commitments in Africa are to infrastructure projects, such as Nigeria’s $8.3 billion Lagos-Kano rail line, largely funded through Chinese loans.

Considering the above realities, coupled with the slow growing economy but scary unemployment levels in Africa,one vital point that is more important than the celebration is that the continent will continue to find itself faced with difficulty accelerating the economic life cycle of the nation until these basic decisions/steps are taken.

First and very fundamental, aside from responding to the global call on African leaders to reinforce development of regional industrial value chains towards the creation of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for MSMEs, provide highlevel political support to drive a globally competitive Africa-Industrialization program through public-private alliances, at the national, regional, continental level, and aligned global policy coherence, coordination and linkages, investment financing,the continent urgently needs leaders/ human resources to contemplate tackling the perennial power/electricity generation challenge which is the building block and enabler of industrialization..

Address the funding challenge faced by small and medium scale industry operators, tackle infrastructural gaps/shortfalls and decay in the continent. Promotion of Local Content policies, find answers to insecurity challenge in the continent by recognizing that globally, ‘a nation’s defense capability has to continually upgrade as new technology, especially information

technology, is incorporated into weapon system. This requires a sound economy that can afford to pay for new weaponry and a highly educated and trained people who can integrate the various arms into one system and operate them efficiently and effectively.

To get the process of re-writing the narrative started, there are constructive steps that African leaders urgently need to take, first and very fundamental is for Africa leaders to remember that on 25 July 2016,, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III). With UNIDO charged with leading the implementation of the Decade, in collaboration with a range of partners.

We must therefore as a continent work out the modality that will ensure the success of this vision which is to firmly anchor Africa on a path towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

While the above is ongoing, it is equally important that African leaders do more to strengthen the real economy which is concerned with the production, purchase and flow of goods and services within an economy as well as the real sector (nonfinancial and non-government sector) which produces goods and services, which are sold in exchange for a share of total wages and government revenues.

Catalyzing the process will again necessitate African leaders borrowing body from Asian tigers in order to raise Africa’s industrial soul. They need to analyze and understand the essential ingredients of foresight in leadership and draw a lesson on how leadership decision making processes involve judgement about uncertain elements, and differs from the pure mathematical probability process. Find out why Asia after grappling with the problems of unemployment in the region, their leaders came to the conclusion that the only way to survive was to industrialize.

There is certainly an ingrained lesson for Africa to draw from the above decision. .

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

Agenda setting for the journalism profession: A case for the new NAWOJ leadership

By Yunusa Abugi

B

y etymological attribution, Reverend Henry Townsend is often ascribed ‘the founder of journalism in Nigeria’ largely due to the efforts of missioners (the Calabar Presbyterian Mission Printing Press of 1846) at spreading evangelism on in Nigeria through handbills and tabloids ‘Iwe Irohin Fun Awon Ara Egba’ by Townsend in November, 1859, transiting to the likes of Herbert Hesse Macauley, Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (the West African Pilot in 1937), Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, (The Nigerian Tribune, 1949, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and many other prominent names that immediately comes to mind when the history of early days of journalism in Nigeria is discussed.

There is no doubt that, as with most professions, gender issues were inundated in the early days of journalism. Particularly the path of entry for women into journalism profession was laden with struggles and obstacles, most prominent of which is the infamous BBC’s 1932 marriage bar policy that forced women to resign their job upon marriage while their male counterpart could keep theirs.

If the forebears of women journalists in Nigeria had to write under pseudonyms and mainly preoccupied themselves with trivial issues of women and gossip stories, its modern contemporaries are breaking all barriers to compete, and in some cases outdo their male counterparts in different

genre of journalism today.

Coincidentally, with the advent of NAWOJ some three decades ago, a lot has changed for women journalists; rising from features to column writers, local to foreign reporters, from print to broadcast journalism, women are now everywhere as members of editorial boards, publishers and CEOs of media organizations.

However, taking clues from the extensive postulations of Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw; to whether Nigeria women journalists have been able to influence the issues or aspects of issues, and persons or events that constitute the salience of media or public agenda is what requires a further in-depth analysis.

Nevertheless, with the underlining permutations that played out towards the emergence of new crop of NAWOJ leadership at the Minna triennial delegates conference recently, there seem to be a herculean burden of advancing the course of the female journalists to meet the increasing contemporary societal demands and expectations.

The Ladi Bala led leadership must distinguish itself by engaging the media stakeholders in deepening the influence of women journalists on the attributes of ‘issues and people’ that make the news; the networks between the different elements in the media and public agendas; reshape those age-long determinants of the news media agenda towards changing the psychological mechanisms that regulate

agenda-setting effects; and citizens’/ policymakers’ attitudes and behaviors so as to carve new image for the female journalists.

There is an urgent need to harmonize the differing voices in the Association towards building formidable front for alliances and meaningful partnerships that will support the development and implementation of strategic national plan for the group.

This must include some lofty ideas from the past leaders of the Association from the teething period of Brenda Akpan, through the evolving days of Evelyn Oyinlo to the formation days of Asabe Baba Nahaya and indeed to the restoration period of immediate past leadership headed by Ifeyinwa Omowole, whose rebranding efforts gave the group its new corporate looks.

The group must quickly take opportunity of the increasing need for hazard insurance for its members, since insurance is becoming accepted as a social responsibility rather than a commercial concern and requires that it is offered and sold in that sense, hence this new NAWOJ leadership needs to take advantage of the value and benefits of insurance for its members.

After all, the axiom that ‘only change led by women results in transformation’ needs only to be proven otherwise. If these women will focus on promoting insurance for the benefit of women in journalism, and even others in different economic areas

across Nigeria, we can hope to see a leap in the contribution of insurance to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) under Ladi Bala, must now assert itself as a key pillar towards increasing women access and leadership gap-closing in the media. The television screen czar must steer the focus of NAWOJ on encouraging more quality women to become journalists and to support the development through trainings and retraining of the practitioners to become respected members of their chosen genre of journalism.

The group should embrace vigorous advocacy through awareness creation, prioritizing female gender issues, and deliberately work towards dominating the salience issues that are prominent in news media which in turn often shape public opinion. Issues of child rights, education of the girl child, empathy for the IDPs and women empowerment should be on the agenda.

If NAWOJ under Ladi Bala must make a difference, it must be seen to lead a dogged reorientation activism in ensuring that Nigeria’s media has a more vibrant and active female contingent, one that will be prepared to dare, aspire and endure in a hitherto male dominated territory.

Yunusa Abugi writes from Minna and can be reached on yunuyoung@ gmail.com, 08035906755.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PAGE 13

Comment

Privatisation of public enterprises and economic development in Nigeria

By Abraham John Onoja

P

rivatisation is a concept defined as the transfer of ownership and control of enterprises from the state to the private sector. It can also be described as a process by which a publicly- owned company is controlled by few people in which the stock of the company is no longer traded in the stock market and the general public is no longer involved in holding stake in such companies.

Privatisation arises in situations whereby public enterprises are no longer efficient and the private sector is seen as a sustainable source and a more efficient engine in relation to the growth of the economy. Privatization is considered to bring more efficiency and objectivity to the company, a necessary factor the government company is not really concerned about. It has the potential to reduce government budgetary costs, reduce governments role of influence on organizations and also broaden direct ownership of productive assets.

Privatisation can take up many forms of which include, Privatisation of responsibilities, Privatisation of ownership, Privatisation of operation, Privatisation of financing and Privatisation of commercialisation.. However, regardless of the form taken, it changes the culture, system and structure of the organization.

The topic of Privatisation has drawn an intense debate most especially in a developing country, taking Nigeria to be our case study. Critics argue that Privatisation is likely to short change the labor force in redundancy, pay-cuts, lay-offs and retrenchment in order to increase profit margins of private investors. On the other hand, proponents argue that Privatisation promotes efficient management of resources for economic development of the country.

Development in economic term means achieving a sustained rate of expansion that is greater than the growth rate of the

population. In other words, for an economy to develop, positive changes in all factors of production must be put in place.

Just as we mentioned earlier, Privatisation is the transfer of ownership and control of enterprises, from the state to the private sector. Therefore, the reason for this ownership shift is mainly for the reason that it became evident that the public enterprise became unreliable and inefficient.

Privatisation was focused on responding to the deteriorating conditions of the economy and the downturn of socioeconomic development in Nigeria. Some of the other factors which also called for Privatisation to be in place includes : 1. Reduces Budget deficit by breaking off some kind of public spending coalitions.

With this, corruption is eliminated thereby restoring the confidence of foreign investors and attracting new technologies.

2. Increases capacity utilization in order to maximize market rewards in order to realize enterprise goals.

Privatisation empowers the community for entrepreneurial development most especially the area in which the enterprise is based.

The main objective of privatisation is to transform Nigeria into a private sector economy where the governments will only regulate and focus on the art of governance.

Due to high school external debt, unemployment, death of foreign exchange, and the drastic global drop of oil prices, the main source of the Nigerian revenue, and with all of this, the sustenance of these public enterprises became impossible.

However, the reformatory nature of Privatisation, curbed public enterprise inefficiency, revives the economy, records tremendous growth, attracts both local and foreign investors. Admist all of this, privatisation deals with its own challenges.

Some of this challenges include: 1. The problem of corruption and indiscipline. Corruption in Nigeria has moved from alarming to the fatal stage as

it has marred the objectives of Privatisation in the economy.

2. Transparency. This happens to be a common element said to be missing in Privatisation policy. Privatisation in Nigeria has been lacking in transparency and irregularities. The activities of our leaders and those saddled with the responsibilities of Privatisation has displayed greed which has compelled some Nigerians to question the genuiness of Privatisation.

3. The challenge of attracting viable investors. For a political system in Nigeria which is polarised, politically dominant ethnic groups, dominate domestic buyers of public assets at the expense of the minorities who may be more equipped with managerial and technical skills.

4. Privatising to political allies. Gains of privatisation may be sacrificed in the effort of satisfying the incumbent beauracrats, allies, supoorters and politicians, except in a situation whereby the incumbent government has strong desire for transparency.

5. Privatisation undermines national economic sovereignty. The sovereignty of the country is compromised most especially when foreign investors predominate in privatised companies.

Globally, Privatisation is an avenue to pull out economic imbalances. Privatisation offers some prospects for development, which includes: 1. It boosts and improves performance as the private sector seems to be more productive and efficient. More jobs are created to reduce poverty and expand the scope of the economy.

2. It encourages a healthy competition as private investors take advantage of the free market economy in order to maximize their operations.

3. It increases government revenues, eliminates public finance crises, and reduces budget deficit. It equally creates needed revenue meant to settle existing debts so as to reduce interest rate as well as increase the level of investment.

4. It raises funds needed for financing socio-economic development such as health, education and infrastructures.

Privatisation is working towards refocusing the operations of government enterprise while trying to fight the ugly trend that government enterprises are nobody’s property and as a result should be looted.

In summary, the prospects for development include, increase in revenue, reduction in budget deficit, improve perforamance, provision of funds to finance socioeconomic sector such as health and education.

In conclusion, Privatisation is seen as an effort to alter the structure of public enterprises in order to make them more efficient and more result-oriented for economic development. It is also a policy aimed at reforming Nigerian public enterprises and also prevent them from going extinct. Apart from increasing the status and population of investors and shareholders it also enhances the performance of the country’s stock exchange, and growth rate of GDP. As much as Privatisation diminishes the status of the countrys sovereignty most especially in a situation whereby the economy is dominated by foreign investors and international organizations such as World Bank and IMF determine major economic policies, however there are potentials of reorganizing tge economy if transparency is applied in doing so.

Privatisation should be accompanied by appropriate legal instruments for the structural reforms, guided by transparency so as to eliminate misinformed ideas and allegations of corruption to prevent suspicion.

Government on the other hand should work in evolving policies tht deal with the enumerated challenges of privatisation so that a greater level of development that supersedes the reason for the exercise is attained.

Abraham John Onoja is a Public Affairs Analyst.

to Banjoko “Alaye, Shay change wa?” meaning Mr man, do you have change? Immediately Banjoko pays him. Now they have hit the road, they enter one pothole after other passengers are complaining, the car was sounding as though it was about to collapse, the corrupt political elites have the welfare of the citizens in their stomach, mismanagement, corruption, and embezzlement is the order of the day. No good road to ply; if you do, you may go and not return because of the precarious condition of the road. He gets to the company, he reaches the panel, questions are being thrown at him, he was asked ‘How many years work experience do you have?” Banjoko replies ‘I haven’t gathered any experience yet, this is my first opportunity’, apparently he hasn’t gathered any experience since he finished university, unemployment is his only experience. He was told he was going to be gotten back to, but as we all know “I’d get back to you” is a corporate way of discharge and dismissal. On his way home he was stoped by the FSARS men, at a checkpoint he met an angry looking, tattered and unkempt police man, yelling ‘come down, I say, I say you should come down!” he obviously can’t argue with a man holding a rifle, he obeyed he came down from the bike, they requested for his phone, the policemen went through his phone, they found nothing incriminating but he was still told to pay before the phone is released and before he himself is allowed to go, Banjoko exclaimed “I know my rig…” he could complete the sentence “I know my right” before a thunderous slap landed on his face before he knew it, he was forced into a mini white bus parked by the roadside, inside the bus Banjoko was told “we’d waste you if you don’t settle us here now, we’d kill you and no one will know about it” Banjoko was forced to transfer all the money remaining in his account

to the policemen, he was thrown of out the vehicle on motion, sustaining many injuries.

We obviously can’t blame the police this is how the system subjects many to vagabondage and crime. Every single living thing in Africa is affected by the policies of these vicious political elites.

After all this drama, all hope was lost on finding a corporate job, he decided to start up his own business, no electricity to make his business flourish, no good roads to ply, no standard education, just like lightning, in Nigeria lecturers are always on strike, no reliable academic calendar, a four years course may end up being completed after 8years. This is the vicious cycle of the life of an average black man. How can you convince us that education makes you the leader of tomorrow when we are surrounded by rich thieves and poor graduates? It is said that the dream of an African is to leave Africa and escape to Europe.

In Africa, the masses die to earn a living. How can a bag of rice be equivalent to the minimum wage? How can the citizens be suffering and senators are collecting hardship allowance as part of their remuneration? How can the senators hoard palliatives that are meant to relieve the citizens of the hardship during the coronavirus pandemic? How can peaceful and harmless protesters be massacred just because they were displaying their constitutional rights?

How can Boko haram be given amnesty and protesters are being arrested and locked up?

How can the tertiary institution be on strike for over 8 months? How can a president be so concerned about America’s Democracy when his people are complaining about gerontocracy and an oppressive oligarchic system disguising as a democracy? How can someone who has a corruption case in court be vying for political posts? How can a president not talk to his own

people? How can politicians fly to Europe for medical treatments and not use the one they provided? An average African isn’t safe in his motherland, anything can be the end of him, if he’d suck he cannot afford to use medical facilities; if he plays the road he may not return home because of the bad conditions of the road, if he perhaps successfully passes through the road he may be stopped and extrajudicially killed by policemen who are also frustrated as a result of the evil people we have in political offices. Who bewitched Africa and African leaders? How can a president call his people lazy when he didn’t provide any serene environment to make them prosper?

What’s the black man’s cry? The black man’s cry is a cry that seeks to put an end to oppression, a cry that seeks to put an end to exploitation and degradation of the highest order, a cry that seeks to put an end to maladministration. Are we going to continue this way? Definitely not! The prosperity of the black masses lies in the stomach of the few black political elites, our leaders are our problems! There are millions upon millions of Banjoko in Africa, but I tell you a time will come that the oppressed Banjokos will arise and crush the system of oppression and make the oppressor take to his heels, running for his life. One day, just one day, Banjoko will realize he has nothing to lose but his chains and he’d be ready to bring his freedom, liberty, equality, and justice into existence by any means necessary!

Africa is pregnant, pregnant of freedom!

This article is dedicated to the oppressed black people all over the world

Black man’s cry

By Aina Ademola

B

anjoko, Onigbese! moma gba owo mi leni!, (Banjoko! Debtor!, I must collect my money from you today!). It’s the frustrated landlord seriously yelling at Banjoko’s door demanding his two year rent.

Banjoko Quietly behind the curtain, fidgeting and sweating all over his palm whispers to his pregnant wife “Tell him I have traveled, I am not around, I haven’t been home for the past five days” His wife approaches the door meeting a very furious tribal marked Ondo man vibrating, demanding his house rent he isn’t ready to hear another same story; obviously he’s also affected by the African political system of oppression and inequality. She says to him “Baba, my husband has traveled since a week now when he comes he’d pay you, he has gone to look for money” the agitated and frustrated landlord replies “sofun wipe ko le sa momilowo” (Tell him I said he can’t escape, he must pay me!).

Finally, he leaves.

Banjoko, an unemployed 37years old graduate of mathematics & statistics from the University of IFE with 3 kids who have been affected by the vicious political-economic system pervasive over African can’t afford to make ends meet, he lives from hand to mouth.

He decided to push to the streets again hustling and bustling looking for a befitting job to take care of himself and his family. He was finally called for an interview at a company in Lagos, he hit the bad road heading for his interview.

“Surulere, Surulere”! the bus conductors with a ripped jean, face cap worn sideways and with a sachet of gin in his hand screaming his lungs out wanting to fill up the bus with passengers to hit the road, evidently oppressed and affected by this same vicious African political system says

Aina Ademola can be reached at nirandemola@gmail.com

PAGE 14

NEWS

Ukah advocates strategic disease prevention mechanism

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

D

elta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah, has underscored the importance of strategic disease preventive mechanism towards checkmating any outbreak.

Mr Ukah, who stated this in his office in Asaba when officials of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency paid him an advocacy visit, said that the ministry would continue to give priority attention to the health care of children in the state.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Comrade Samuel Dietake, the Basic and Secondary Education Commissioner commended the State Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Development Agency for their quick response to the outbreak of yellow fever in Idumesah and UteOkpu communities in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Ukah, who pledged his Ministry’s partnership with the agency for its proposed health campaigns and outreach to schools in the state, said that the ministry would ensure that all schools that have sickbays would collaborate with the officials.

Earlier, the Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Wilful Orieke Jude, said that they were in the Commissioner’s office to interface with the ministry with a view to soliciting for their partnership for it’s forthcoming advocacy and health campaigns to schools in the state.

Dr Orieke, who enumerated programmes the agency will soon roll out to include the prevention of yellow fever campaigns, vaccinations and immunization of children, added that his team had put adequate response approach to the outbreak of yellow fever in Idumesah and Ute-Okpu communities.

While saying that there was need to enlighten the people, particularly children, on the mode of transmission of diseases such as yellow fever and HIV, he stated that in a bid to detect cases there was need to increase testing capacity, just as he advised that any individual with consistently coughs for two weeks should be evaluated for proper medical attention.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

#EndSARS Protest: NEMA resumes food distribution, assures staff of manpower development

By Madam Umaru Gwamna

T

he National Emergency and Management Agency (NEMA) said it has resumed distribution of relief material after the initial set back as a result of #EndSARS protest and subsequent invasion of warehouse by hoodlums.

Speaking in an interactive session with the staff of the agency, the Director General of NEMA, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd) further disclosed that now that normalcy was restored, the relief delivery has resumed in all states that are yet to benefit.

The DG also revealed that the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood disaster were

stalled due to attacks by hoodlums on the agency’s warehouses.

He further stated that although the delivery and distribution process was stalled, some states governments got their deliveries before the attack.

He said the agency activated the Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in 12 states faced with the challenge of the flood to properly coordinate and deploy relevant support for the affected persons.

The NEMA boss noted that part of his achievement since assumption of office was the reactivation of many operational equipments as well as making progress in procuring operational vehicles.

He added that the agency’s communication equipment was receiving attention and the call center was been reactivated hence efforts were being made to bring home the Air Ambulance.

Part of the target of the agency which he disclosed was the need to a commence an awareness campaign to target 100 percent of Nigerians on reducing the risk of flooding and others disaster.

He said the agency must always respond to all catastrophic disasters in the country as well as mainstreaming and integrating disaster risk reduction within and across all sectors.

The director general also stated that other targets set by the agency include promotional

mechanisms for disaster risk transfer and insurance, risksharing and retention especially in flood and fire disasters.

He also said his priority is to provide staff members with adequate manpower development, improved health care services and affordable housing scheme.

He added that the agency was also working on providing affordable housing scheme for its workers across the country.

“I am proud to say that we are working on improving the health services through partnership with efficient health service providers.

“We are working on providing affordable housing scheme for staff members across the country.

P

etroleum products marketers have been charged to avoid sharp practices or face sanction by the

Governor Buni justifies APC membership registration, validation exercise

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he interim leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has attributed the crises that recently threatened the unity of the party, as well as the inability of the party to retain some states like Zamfara, Bayelsa and Edo, to nonexistence of membership register.

This, according to him, has been the driving force behind the decision of the party to initiate and commence the idea of membership registration and validation of the party register, to forestall future occurrence.

In a statement he personally signed in Abuja, Buni indicated that his leadership is poised to putting in place structures for membership register and to regularly pursue membership drive to ensure that conflicts do not arise in the party again.

He said since the 2014 post-

merger membership registration and the inconclusive registration updates of 2017, APC has not been able to produce a comprehensive membership register.

“For obvious reasons, we are not surprised that many stakeholders are of the view that the inability of our party to put in place a working structure for continuous membership register updates and new membership drive is a major factor in some conflicts that have caused our party major losses in multiple states and in a number of elections.

“During the last five years since our party emerged as the governing party, we have lost members due to either death or defection. We have also received many new members to our party. In all cases, our membership register does not currently reflect these changes.

This laxity and the challenging consequences have brought into

focus the imperative for our party to immediately embark on this exercise.

“Towards achieving this, we have engaged with our party leaders across the country. We have briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the imperative for this exercise as a major pillar for sustainable political harmony and a precursor to developing the capacity to continue to deliver political victories for our party for many years to come.

“It is on this note that our committee is now embarking on nationwide membership registration and revalidation of the current membership register.

We are soon to roll out massive publicity and stakeholders’ engagement processes to mobilize our members nationwide to ensure full participation and a successful outcome.

“We are working hard and speedily to deliver on our mandate

even when we understand the need to put a sustainable structure in place towards conducting a credible national convention to usher in a new National Working Committee (NWC).”

Buni, however, solicited the cooperation of all APC members to ensure a smooth and transparent registration exercise.

“On our part, we will continue to provide updates of the process on regular basis and do all that is necessary to strengthen our party and deliver a cohesive political structure at the end of our assignments.”

On how his caretaker committee has been able to resolve some crisis rocking the party, the governor described the task as a success.

“We, as members of the Caretaker Committee, are not in doubt about these challenges.

In the last four months, since our committee was inaugurated,

APC sacks Ebonyi EXCOs, appoints 15-member Caretaker executive

T

Women returning from bash with fire wood at Maraban Jos in Igabi local government Area of Kaduna State. Photo: Shehu K. Goro

South-South Governors urged to support Agriculture

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba s prices of foodstuff and other means of livelihood continues to soar high in the country, an agriculturist in Ughelli, the headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Mr Johnbull Edesiri has appealed to the South-south

Governors to support agriculture in the region for food sufficiency.

Mr Edesiri who is into onions and carrot farming made the appeal recently while conducting our correspondent round his farm in Ughelli.

He spoke with assurance the possibility of planting onions and carrot in our region

instead of depending on the North for these products but added that the major challenge of farmers in the region was lack of financial support from government unlike the north where government render financial support to Farmers.

Mr Edesiri recounted the effort he he made to get financial

support from the Delta State Government through the Ministry of Agriculture which could not yield anything meaningful.

Speaking on the economic viability of onions compared to cassava, which is the major farm produce in our region, Mr Edesiri likened it to comparing silver to gold.

regulatory body DPR. Operations Controller of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) incharge of Adamawa/Taraba field office, Sadiq Ibraheem Danjuma

sounded the warning in Yola Wednesday during an interactive session with journalists, noting that all professionals are deploy to checkmate such.

Danjuma said the 20 Kilometers radius directive by the Federal government for petroleum products not to be sold is observed firmly in his field office.

He said that hording, underdispensing of products, sales above official pump price, diversion of products and it’s smuggle were all part of sharp practices.

A

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has dissolved the party’s Ebonyi State Working Committee following refusal of factions to withdraw court cases as directed by the 8th resumed meeting of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) and submit to internal party resolution mechanisms initiated by the CECPC. A statement issued yesterday by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, said a 15-member caretaker committee has subsequently been appointed by the APC CECPC to manage the party’s affairs and carry out the planned membership registration, update, and revalidation exercise in Ebonyi State.

Those appointed are: Stanley Okoro, who will serve as Chairman, John Nwankata, Vice Chairman (North), Peter Nworie Ndubuisi, Vice Chairman (Central), Ozoemena Njoku, Vice Chairman (South), Charles Ofoke, Secretary.

Others are Engr. Ogbonnaya Igboke, Organising Secretary, Chidi Ogbuatu, Publicity Secretary, Barr. Ikaa, Ikaa Ukeni, Legal Adviser, Chief Paulinus Ali (Zomo) – Treasurer, Chief Joseph Ozibo, Financial Secretary.

Also appointed are: Ogochukwu David Elem, Youth Leader, Odo Oluchi Juliet, Women Leader, Ogbonna David Nshii, Auditor, Adum Uchenna Basil, Physically Challenged and Francis Obike Nweze, Welfare Secretary.

The statement urged the party faithful to support and cooperate with the new interim leadership to move that party forward in both the state and at the national level.

“As the Governor Mai Mala Buniled APC CECPC repositions our great party, we urge our supporters, members and leaders in Ebonyi state and other chapters to support and work towards the achievement of the peace and reconciliation mandate of the CECPC”, the statement said.

we have embarked on our assignments with a clear focus, knowing that our actions or inactions could make or mar the chances of our party, first, to survive and be stable and second, to have the capacity to compete in the national political landscape.

This has been our preoccupation, and we are confronting our tasks with every caution, patriotic zeal and the milestones we have accomplished within this short period bear bold testimony to our single-mindedness and dedication.

“Our immediate task of resolving the various conflicts across the states has been largely successful. In many of the flashpoints, we have been able to either resolve the conflict or douse the tension, while we continue to make efforts at bringing about an atmosphere that encourages peace and unity of purpose.

A medical personnel attending to a patient during the Rotary Club of Apo, FCT’s medical outreach, tagged: ‘Rotary Family Health Days 2020’, at the Apo Primary Healthcare Centre in Abuja on Thursday (19/11/20).

With them is the Project Chairman, Rotary Club of Apo, Mr Mathew Ossai (M).

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

DPR warns marketers against sharp practices Umar Dankano, Yola

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Lawan denies receiving N2bn from Prof.

Mahmood for confirmation as INEC Boss

By Musa Baba Adamu

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he Senate President has dismissed the report in an online media claiming that he led some group of senators to collect two billion naira from the immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, to facilitate his confirmation by the Senate, haven been reappointed for s second term in office.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ola Awoniyi, Lawan siad “The attention of the Office of the Senate President has been drawn to a report by SaharaReporters alleging that a group led by the

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, collected N2billion from Professor Mahmood Yakubu to facilitate the confirmation of his appointment

by President Muhammadu Buhari to a fresh five-year tenure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“It is noteworthy that the publication, as always with its ridiculous fabricated reports, could not even expand the entertainment of its readers by providing the names of members of the fictitious group and where the group operates from. To be sure, that group exists only in the mischievious imagination of the writer of the fiction.

“We, therefore, wish to enjoin Nigerians to ignore the

report as yet another incident of hallucination by the comical characters operating the fabricated news platform. The online medium has long earned its notoriety as a purveyor of fake news with high profile public officials as its targets.

“It is well known that only the President can nominate a candidate for appointment or reappointment as Chairman of INEC. And only the Senate as a body can confirm or reject the appointment, after due screening of the candidate. The parliamentary process for the confirmation of nominations by the President is open and involves all distinguished senators.

“The Senate President is only a presiding officer of the Senate

and does not lead any group in or outside the august chamber that acts in any way to circumvent the processes of the Senate. We reassure Nigerians that the Senate President did not receive any gratification, in his or behalf of others, to help Professor Yakubu get a second term as chairman of INEC. “We challenge SaharaReporters and the sponsors of the false publication to provide whatever evidence that they can in support of their glib claims, failing which Nigerians should dismiss the report as another cheap blackmail from a platform that has no reputation for credible reportage and ethical journalism practise”, Lawan said in the statement.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

POLITICS

Reducing human to human contact best antidote against corruption - Senate

By Musa Baba Adamu

T

he Senate yesterday said elimination of human to human contacts through the use of technology in running government businesses remains the best way to fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave this position yesterday when he was conferred as Patron by the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPN) at the National Assembly complex.

In his remarks shortly after receiving the honour, Lawan said also that using technology to bridge the human activities in government businesses which breed corruption, has become expedient given that the world today is driven by technology.

“By this move, you are calling

the attention of the Senate to your noble anti-corruption objective. Through the Senate, and the National Assembly, a greater number of citizens can additionally appreciate your efforts.

“The fight against corruption is worthy, considering the damage it is causing. The angle from which the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPN) is coming from, is surely a practical approach.

“It is practical because it seeks to provide skills to relevant professionals on the use of science and technology to prevent, detect, and to investigate corruption.

It also envisages mechanisms against re-occurrence.

“This anti-corruption framework can enhance the prosecution and sanctioning process. We have emphasized

prevention as a good route to reducing corruption, given the tendency of individuals to exploit weaknesses in systems.

“People are more likely to take advantage of loopholes than they can create it. Technologies are additionally expected to reduce loopholes, because of their sophistication, the skills required, and for the fact that they are structured.

“Effective usage also requires time to establish.

Using technologies therefore limits, or prevents the chances of infractions, and eventually saves prosecutorial time and resources.

“Many countries have reduced corruption through science and technology for their ability to limit human interaction and then ensure that operations are strictly procedural.

“It is a very reasonable route, as it is consistent with the new

age of technology, where devices are replacing humans in social, economic, or business relations.

We have been on the path of increasing the use of technology, but we still have to do more.

“The malaise of corruption is deep-seated, needing concerted efforts to tame, and so efforts at Nation building should be continuous with all hands being on deck to achieve this success.

I therefore commend the front from which you are operating, and I encourage you not to relent.

I thank you once again for this conferment, and I wish us all well”, Lawan said.

Earlier, Proterm President of the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPN), Dr. Ayeshetu Victoria Enape, said that the Forensic and investigative profession involves practitioners made up of people

At 53 Gov Buni has acquited himself as stabilising voice in national politics - APC

From right: Gov. Umar Ganduje of Kano State; Chief of Staff to the president, Amb. Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and other officials, being briefed by the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, (contractors), Lars Richter, during an inspection of the ongoing KanoKaduna-Abuja highway construction by a powerful delegation from the Presidency led by the Chief of Staff, on Thursday (19/11/20).

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, who is also the interim chairman of the party, has proven himself as the stabilising voice in the nation’s political space, having brought sanity to the party.

In a statement issued by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, Yekini Nabena, to mark the 53rd birthday celebration of the party chairman, APC said “The All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrates the Chairman of the Party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni on the occasion of his 53rd birthday.

“Our teeming supporters, members and leaders celebrate a true progressive who has undoubtedly proven himself as a peacemaker and stabilising voice in the polity.

“The Party ranks are undoubtedly behind Governor Buni as he leads the important mandate of the APC CECPC to reposition the party and ensure peace, unity, fairness, equity, justice, inclusion and internal democracy in our great party.

“We join well-wishers in praying for Governor Buni’s good health and wisdom as he directs the affairs of the APC, Yobe State and rally party faithfuls and indeed all Nigerians in support of the President Muhammadu Buhari Next Level agenda”.

of diverse academic backgrounds cutting across law, criminology, cyber security, police detectives, economists, and finance specialists.

According to her, the procedures deployed by the professional body in investigations “involves the skillful deployment of science and technological tools to prevent, detect, or resolve or expose possible criminal activity emanating from economic transactions.”

She added that, “the emergence of forensic and investigative profession on the global scene was based on the realization that fraudsters have gone sophisticated and in some instances are taking advantage of the 21st digital revolution to perpetrate corrupt practices that are undetectable by conventional investigative approach.”

Jonathan enthroned genuine electoral reforms for INEC to operate - Ekweremadu

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

F

ormer Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that ex President Goodluck Jonathan enthroned genuine electoral reforms which made the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to truly become independent.

In a goodwill message to celebrate Jonathan’s 63 years birthday, Ekweremadu said the former President also say the entire country as his constituency, adding that he fought against violence in the country during his tenure as President.

A statement issued in Abuja

by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu hailed Jonathan, for his democratic temperament and selfless leadership.

“Ekweremadu commended the former President for not only the electoral reforms recorded under his administration, but also for providing the right democratic atmosphere to ensure that the reforms were implemented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies and stakeholders.

“Ekweremadu, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District, stated these in a tribute to Dr. Jonathan, who clocks 63 years on

November 20, 2020.

“Dr. Jonathan’s democratic temperament was indeed a facilitator and great boost to the millage we covered in reforming the nation’s electoral system, especially in the 6th National Assembly.

“Importantly, he equally provided the democratic atmosphere that allowed the INEC to be truly independent in managing elections and implementing the array of reforms under his administration without minding how it affected his party or his personal political aspirations”, the statement said.

Ekweremadu also extoled

Jonathan for his sense of justice, noting that history would continue to remember him as a president who saw the entire country as his constituency.

“On His Excellency’s 63rd birthday, therefore, I salute him for his sense of justice, his sense of equity, and for being a true father of the whole nation, and a selfless leader, who placed the welfare, peace, and unity of the nation above his personal ambitions and interests”, he added.

The Senator prayed God to grant the ex-President the length of days and sound health to continue to contribute to the efforts to restore the nation to the pinnacle of glory.

PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Lekki Shooting Cover up: Buhari, Buratai, NBC DG Must Resign Now CNPP

C

onference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has called for the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, and the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBA), Prof. Armstrong Aduku Idachaba, for their ignoble roles in the shooting of unarmed protesters at Lekki Toll Gate and attempt to cover up the extrajudicial killings Nigerians singing the National Anthem while protesting killings of their compatriots by security forces.

The CNPP’s Secretary, Willy Ezugwu in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday while reacting to CNN’s investigative report that indicted the Nigerian Army in the Lekki Massacre, called on “the International Criminal Court of Justice to investigate, arrest and prosecute them and other of their co-travellers for crimes against humanity to serve as deterrent to other African leaders who kill unarmed peaceful demonstrators, protesting bad policies of government.”

“Nigerian democracy is in danger as the voice of opposition is being silenced by the Federal Government of Nigeria, using all arms of government and instrumentalities of the office of the executive to shut the voices of oppressed citizens.

“It is now obvious that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration deliberately engaged the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission to intimidate, harass and stamped Nigerian broadcast media houses in a bid to cover up the Lekki Massacre by slamming unjustifiable N3 million fine on three television stations over reports on the killings.

“As if the killings by the Nigerian Police, through its Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit, were not enough, President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian armed forces, authorised the use of maximum force to disperse unarmed citizens protesting against bad leadership and extrajudicial killings in the country.

“It is a shame that Nigerian government and Nigerian army have no respect for our national flag and Anthem.

POLITICS

Umahi, Speaker, exco members officially join APC in Ebonyi

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he chairman of South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi and all his state executive members, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr. Francis Nwifuru and some other lawmakers on Thursday officially joined the All Progressives Congress, APC. Umahi, who was presented with the APC flag and formally declared for the party, said he was defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, with over three million citizens of the state.

The defection of the governor took place at the Ecumenical Centre located along Abakaliki/ Afikpo road, capital of Ebonyi State.

He said: “I have sacrificed

myself, for the interest of south east and Ebonyi State in particular, I sacrifice myself.

We have dwelt so much in one political party and it’s time to move to the centre.

“We are so grateful to God who directs our affairs, we thank Mr. President so highly for helping us to develop this state, we are grateful to him. The help of Mr. President has transformed our state.

“This is the will of God; you cannot truncate the will of God. Today, I can boldly say that our state is 99.9% APC. The .001% is the room I have left for my National Assembly members.

“Do not castigate them, they are looking for something and when they get it, they will come back.

Don’t castigate them, they are my children and I love them so much.

“We have three members of

the elders’ council, do not castigate them. They are my children, I am the father of the state, they will come back, and we are together.

They don’t do opposition in Ebonyi State, they will come back.

“This new house that is built on trust, that is built on justice, that is built on equity and fairness, this new house that is built on love is going to accommodate all of us. Together we are stronger, the bigger the better.

“Let us together approach the throne of God with boldness, we will not remember yesterday. There is no victor, there is no vanquish in this marriage. It is a marriage that is consummated by God and, therefore, no bitterness. We as PDP people, we forgive everyone in APC and we have drawn assurance that everyone in APC has forgiven PDP.

“I have dissolved the elder’s council to accommodate our brothers and sisters that are coming from APC and this is very important to note,” he stated.

Responding, the national caretaker committee chairman of APC, Mal-Mala Buni, said the entrance of Umahi is a welcome development for the state and south east in general, but tasked the governor to carry along all the stakeholders of APC. Meanwhile, the new caretaker committee of APC, which includes: Mr. Stanley Emegha Okoro – Chairman among others was inaugurated at the venue.

In attendance were the Governors of Yobe, Niger, Kebi and Jigawa States as well as the Attorney General of the Federation/ Minister of Justice, among others.

What Jonathan will be remembered for - Governor Okowa

G From left: Site Manager, Borini Prono Construction Limited, Mr Mavro Fornaro; Executive Director of the company, Mr Paolo Prono; Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Olukayode Popoola; and Sector Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Mathew Zango, during an inspection of the ongoing repair of the Third Mainland Bridge by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos on Thursday (19/11/20).

Ebonyi: Another Umahi’s aide resigns

E

gwu Chidiebere, Special Assistant on Internal Security and Public Utilities (Urban) to Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has resigned.

He tendered his letter to the state government on Thursday.

The aide’s exit came less than a week after the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Affairs, Lazarus Ogbee, stepped down.

It also came after Umahi dumped the People’s Democratic

Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chidiebere said his leave from the position “is with effect from today, 19th day of November, 2020”.

“My resignation should not be misconstrued as an affront to your person, thus, but in tandem with my principle never to betray my master and anyone else.”

Umahi appointed Chidiebere to the post in October.

The governor had sacked the former SA, Nchekwube Anakor for “non-performance and prevailing security challenges in the state”.

He had also fired the Coordinator, Anuagata Development Centre, Amos Ogbonnaya; Coordinator, Okposi Development Center, Jerry Okorie Ude, and Martha Nwankwo, Coordinator, Ohaozara-East Development Center.

overnor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration will long be remembered as the government that practiced the rule of law and freedom of expression.

The governor stated this while congratulating Jonathan, as he clocks 63-years on Friday.

Okowa, in a statement by Olisa Ifeajika, his Chief Press Secretary, on Thursday in Asaba, commended Jonathan for his unique statesmanship and graceful disposition to issues.

He said, “On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I congratulate our leader and statesman, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as he celebrates his 63rd birth anniversary.

“Your Excellency, it gives me pleasure to celebrate you for your continuous role in deepening democracy in our dear country and Africa.

“Your administration will long be remembered as the government that practiced the rule of law and freedom of expression as there were no records of human rights abuses throughout your tenure.”

Okowa also prayed for God to strengthen the former president in his avowed commitment to ensuring good governance and peace in Africa.

Bara is politically irrelevant, we’re not bothered by his defection to APC – Bauchi PDP

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bara Ward of Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, on Thursday, said that the recent defection of a former chairman of the council, Alhaji Bappa Danmalikin Bara, from the party to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) does not bother it and declared that the defector was politically irrelevant.

Danmalikin Bara announced

his defection to the APC on Wednesday in Bauchi, citing an alleged poor treatment by the state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, for his action.

He alleged that the governor suspended him as caretaker chairman of the local government for 10 months without giving him a fair hearing despite his immense contributions to PDP’s success in the 2019 elections.

He, however, declared that his defection to APC was with a

view to protecting the interest of his supporters and his political career, rather than sabotaging anyone.

Reacting to the defection, the PDP chairman in Bara ward, Yakubu Liman Bara, told journalists the former council boss was irrelevant politically in the area and as such the party was not bothered by his defection.

According to him, Bara ward never produced the local

government chairman until Governor Mohammed appointed him as the council’s caretaker chairman.

He alleged that Danmalikin was removed from office over allegations of corruption, which he said prevented the former council chairman from completing his term.

The party chairman, however, declared that the former chairman’s disappointed the ward by his defection to APC,

submitting that with his action Danmalikin Bara had abused the rare opportunity the ward was given.

He then commended Governor Mohammed for the bold step he took by conducting local government elections after over a decade it was last conducted in the state as well as his giant strides evidenced by development projects his administration is executing in the state.

PAGE 18

NEWS

Aduda Partners SMEDAN on skill acquisition training for youths, women

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he distinguished senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the National House of Assembly, senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, has collaborated with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) alongside the Aniseto Global Concepts limited to organize a 5- day skill acquisition training programmme for youths and women in Gwagwalada Area Council.

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gwagwalada, Hon. Abdallah Yunusa Liman, who spoke at the occasion on behalf of the senator Aduda in Gwagwalada,said the purpose of the training was to empower the youths and women to be self-reliance in the society.

He said he would continue to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged ones through the empowerment programmes across the six area councils in the territory.

He disclosed that about 280 participants were targeted for the programme, while advising the participants to use the knowledge they had acquired to better the lives as well to be selfreliance.

Aduda used the occasion to inform the gathering that he had carried out various developmental projects across the six area councils such as construction of classrooms/ boreholes and roads rehabilitation among other infrastructural facilities.

It would be recalled that senator Aduda had organized similar training programmes for youths and women in Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje area councils.

The training programme focused on GSM repairs, soap making and cake making among others.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Covid-19 affecting children’s education, nutrition - UNICEF warns

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

U

NICEF has warned in a new report yesterday of significant and growing consequences for children as the COVID-19 pandemic lurches toward a second year.

The report which was released just ahead of World Children’s Day on 20 November, Averting a Lost COVID Generation is the first UNICEF report to comprehensively outline the dire and growing consequences for children as the pandemic drags on.

It shows that while symptoms

among infected children remain mild, infections are rising and the longer-term impact on the education, nutrition and wellbeing of an entire generation of children and young people can be life-altering.

“Since the pandemic started, there has been a false belief that children are not affected by COVID-19,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “Nothing can be further from the truth, including in Nigeria. While children are less likely to have severe symptoms of illness, they can be infected – and the biggest impact by far is

the disruptions to key services and increasing poverty rates, which are both having a huge impact on Nigerian children’s education, health, nutrition and well-being. The future of an entire generation is at risk – globally and in Nigeria.”

The new UNICEF report finds that, as of 3 November, in 87 countries with age-disaggregated data, children and adolescents under 20 years of age accounted for 1 in 9 of COVID-19 infections, or 11 per cent of the 25.7 million infections reported by these countries. In Nigeria, children in the same age group accounted for

1 in 10 infections, or 11.3 percent of total infections.

While children can transmit the virus to each other and to older age groups, there is strong evidence that, with basic safety measures in place, the net benefits of keeping schools open outweigh the costs of closing them, the report notes. Schools are not a main driver of community transmission, and children are more likely to get the virus outside of school settings.

COVID-related disruptions to critical health and social services for children pose the most serious threat to children, the report said.

R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari, the Guinea Bissau Special Envoy/Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Dr Zuzi Clara Barbosa and Guinea Bissau First Secretary and Head of Consular Affairs, Mr Francisco Mendes during an audience at the State House.

PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

FCT: Civilian Joint Task Force pledges to combat crime

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he leadership of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) has pledged to work hand in hand with the National Civilian Joint Task Force (NCJTF) as well as the security agencies to wage war

against criminals in Gwagwalada and the FCT at large.

The chief commander of CJTF in the FCT, Mr. Ahmadu Musa who made the promise on behalf of other executives in Gwagwalada, saying that the leadership of the volunteer organization would remain focused

in the area of security.

Musa said, the authority of the volunteer organization would not hesitate to work with the existing rules and regulations guiding CJTF in Abuja.

He said: “CJTF and NCJTF are one organization said to work

together for the sake of security in our country as a community policing” He recalled that Gwagwalada youth Concern was recently changed to Civilian Joint Task Force as the volunteer organization.

Coronation of Iyalode: Yoruba Islamic leader lauds Obas of Abuja

By Usman Shuiabu

T

he chairman of Yoruba Muslim Community Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Mufutau O. Suleiman, has

commended the entire Obas of Yoruba of Abuja for step been taken to crown Chief (Mrs) Oluwatoyin Badmus as the Iyalode of Abuja.

Suleiman, who gave the commendation while speaking

with Peoples Daily Correspondent after the turbaning ceremony of Iyalode which took place at the premises of Oba Salau’s house in Abuja on Sunday.

He said the chieftaincy title bestowed on Iyalode of Abuja

would bring progress to the entire Yoruba Community in the FCT and Nigeria at large.

He said: “I am very happy to be among the people who witnessed the coronation of Iyalode of Abuja today”.

Suleiman who is the best vice chairman of APC South-West in Gwagwalada hailed Iyalode for her efforts to provide relief materials for the less privileged ones during the Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid19).

Agric Minister calls for parastatals’ synergy for Food security

By Amaechi Agbo

T

he minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Sabo Nanono has called for improved synergy among parastatals under the

ministry in order to ensure food security in the country.

Nanono stated this on Thursday during an interaction on “Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture for Chief Executives and Chairmen

of Governing Boards of Parastatals and Agencies” under the ministry held in Abuja.

Nanono who highlighted the importance of the interactive section with the key stakeholders in the sector, said the meeting it

was aimed at revisiting existing synergy and strengthening collaboration on developing the agriculture sector of the economy.

“It is on record that this Administration sees agriculture

as a medium for strengthening strategic partnership and sectoral linkages for importsubstitution, enterprise development, value-added processing and economic diversification.”

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Kwik, Total Nigeria partner on e-commerce, delivery

By Etuka Sunday

K

wik Delivery and Total Nigeria Plc yesterday announced a partnership to develop an e-commerce fulfilment and delivery service in Nigeria.

Kwik Delivery and Total Nigeria Plc will enable businesses to use TOTAL service stations as secure pickup locations of essential documents issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission to Nigerian businesses, such as Certificates of Incorporation or CAC 1.1. forms.

The Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission is regularly innovating to improve its services to businesses and has recently decided to add a complete delivery and pick-up service in order to streamline the issuance of its documents to Nigerian businesses.

“Drop off & pick-up locations are essential to the development of e-commerce in Nigeria and TOTAL’s service stations have a great role to play thanks to their trusted brand and quality service.

We are glad to partner with Kwik Delivery on this essential service to Nigerian businesses” said Charles Atiomo, General Manager, Sales & Marketing Division of Total Nigeria Plc. “This partnership is a great step toward establishing an e-commerce infrastructure that stakeholders can trust and rely on” explains Romain POIROTLELLIG, Founder & CEO of Kwik Delivery. “We are honoured to inaugurate this service in partnership with Total Nigeria Plc and its dense network of strategically-located outlets.”

National Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship Policy Will Transform Nigeria -FG

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Federal Government has said it’s developing a National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy that would eradicate all forms of barriers that are militating against local innovations.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami stated this yesterday in Abuja, during the on day stakeholders’ workshop on the review of the Draft National Digital Innovative and Entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the workshop, Pantami said that, local innovations and entrepreneurship are key to national growth.

“If we give our local innovations the necessary support; they will lift Nigeria from a consuming nation to a producing nation,” he added.

Speaking further he said, the government plans to remove all forms of barriers that are regarding

the growth of indegineous innovations in the country. “the policy is to remove all barriers working against idegineous innovations,” he said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Inuwa Abdullahi said, the introduction of the policy was apt considering the fact the country is passing through crisis.

“We are passing through a time of unprecedented crisis. A quadruple crisis started with health crisis, which led to the economic crisis that led to the humanitarian crisis and the mental health crisis,” he said.

According to him, the federal ministry of Communications and Digital Economy views entrepreneur from two perspectives: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Innovation-Driven Enterprise (IDE) Entrepreneurship. And the

IDE is the way forward, “the IDE is the game changer in terms of job and wealth creation.”

The policy is designed to us create an enabling environment to start and grow IDEs in Nigeria. By implementing the policy, we will create IDE mindset and skillset and learn how to do business in our communities.

He said, unicorn companies (Unicorn is a term used in the venture capital industry to describe a startup company with a value of over $1 billion., are expected to create over three million jobs by 2025 and that with this policy Nigeria will not miss out. “By 2025, unicorn will create 3m jobs and this policy will enable us to benefit from that and help the government lift Nigerians out of poverty.”

Abimbola Alale, Director General Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat), said the policy is what we will be talking about in the next days because this

is what will drive African Free Trade Agreement.

Bisi Adegbuyi, Post Master General Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), I congratute the Minister and the DG NITDA, for once again showing the way at this time when our resources and incomes are dwindling.”

Mohammad Abubarka, DG, Galaxy Backbone thank the minister for coming up with this policy that will drive government plans and programmes.

Aliyu Aziz, Director General, National Identity Management (NIMC), said this policy will help to provide, promote guarantee the growth of digital economy.

With this policy things are expected to change for the better as local innovations will get priority attention from the federal government and the necessary support needed by startups to grow fully and support the economy in the areas of job and wealth creation.

L R: Managing director, Charly’s Agricultural Resources Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Doom Torhee; Legal Officer, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria(SMEDAN),Rita Banny; Director general, SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda; Head, SME, Microns Micro finance Bank, Wale Fatokun; Head of Operations, First Multiple Microfinance Bank, Mukaila Habees and Chairman, Yebo-Soko Cooperative, Kaiama Hajiya Hauwa Zikki, during the flagOff singing of Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) of One Local Government One Product(OLOP) Programme 2020, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo : Justin Imo

NNPC vows to grow nation’s Hydrocarbon Reserves to 40bn barrels

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its resolve to grow the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves to 40billion barrels through reinvigorated exploratory activities in the inland frontier basins across the country.

Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the 38th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) where he was a Special Guest.

A press release by the Group

General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted Mallam Kyari as revealing that crude oil has already been discovered in the Benue Trough in commercial quantity, with Nigerian Geologists spearheading the efforts.

He noted that the strategy is to aggressively explore for more oil in the frontier basins in order to grow the nation’s reserve base, in line with the Federal Government’s aspiration to hit the 40billion barrels reserve target.

Mallam Kyari said the theme of this year’s conference: “Accelerating Growth in Nigeria’s Hydrocarbon Reserves: Emerging Concepts, Challenges and Opportunities”

fits squarely into NNPC’s key aspiration, which is to grow the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves, reduce unit operating cost of crude oil production to $10 per barrel and improve efficiency across its businesses.

“It is my pleasure to appreciate the good work and resilience of our in-house professionals in the ongoing inland basins exploration activities that culminated in the recent discovery of hydrocarbons in Benue Trough.

NNPC is indeed proud that it is NAPE members that are spearheading this effort,” Mallam Kyari stated.

According to him, the NNPC has made significant progress in improving operational efficiency through the adoption

of technology and deliberate effort to curtail soaring cost of operations across strategic assets.

“It is instructive to understand that the current market reality cannot support inefficiency and escalated costs of operations. The era of $30/ bbl oil no longer exists.

“In today’s Covid-19 defined market, sustaining operations and making progress means that all stakeholders must recognize the need to improve efficiency, reduce costs, eliminate wastages, entrench accountability, act with transparency and embrace technology and innovation to drive performance and value realization across strategic investment portfolios,” he posited.

The NNPC helmsman added that in the face of the energy transition, the Corporation is focused on developing gas infrastructure and deepening domestic gas utilization, stressing that gas is the energy of the future.

The GMD expressed optimism that the Petroleum Industry Bill would be passed next year, noting that the fiscal environment proposed would attract more investment into the Oil and Gas Industry.

He assured NAPE and all other industry operators of sustained collaboration from NNPC, saying that the strategy of synergy was required in order to drive down operating cost and survive the emerging challenges in the industry.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Page 20

I N D U S T R Y

NIPC, Bayelsa govt synergize on investment promotion

By Miriam Humbe

A

s part of efforts to build synergy with the States for effective investment promotion, the Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms Yewande Sadiku led her team on a courtesy call to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri in the Government House, Yenegoa.

Information contained in the NIPC newsletter said the visit was on 5 November, 2020.

Ms Sadiku explained the mandate of the Commission to the Governor and his team and sought his support on establishing an Investment Promotion Agency for Bayelsa State.

Governor Diri pledged to work with NIPC to attract investment to the State, stating that Bayelsa was the most peaceful State in the South South region.

Bayelsa State has a comparative advantage in salt and clay deposits which are used in the production of ceramics.

Bayelsa is also the largest producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the source of 40% of onshore crude oil production in the country.

28 applications, 3 extensions received in NIPC’s Q3 2020 reports

By Miriam Humbe

N

igerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has released the Report of Pioneer Status Incentive (PSI) applications

processed between 01 July and 30 September 2020.

The Q3 Report shows that 28 new applications and 3 extension applications were received during the period.

3 approvals-in-principle were granted and 1 extension application was approved. No approvals were denied during the period.

The Report revealed that 3 companies had their

production date certificate confirmed.

As at 30 September 2020, 37 companies were still enjoying PSI, 102 applications are still pending and 60 applications abandoned.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

METRO

Brace up, take all leadership positions in AMAC - Candido charges youth

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido has stressed the need for stakeholders especially the political class to pave way for youth to rise up and take up mantle of leadership in the Council, in order to bolster development and growth at grassroots level.

Candido said the youth should be given the opportunity, so that they can put in their best, because they have the energy, vigor and talent to handle contemporary challenges in the society.

Speaking at a public presentation/ launch of a book titled: Leave No Stone Unturned, “the philosophy of a focused

leader”, yesterday in Abuja, the AMAC Chairman opined that leadership from all spheres of life should emerge through the youth.

His words: “ I have said it clearly that though I don’t have power to give, but I won’t support somebody who is beyond forty-five years to come and chair AMAC. For what again? We should allow the young ones to vibrate, let them come around the leadership at thirty-five; forty or thereabout.

“They have everything going for them. Those of us, who are over this age group, should go and rest, so as to allow the younger ones to come in and lead.

“So, we are asking those among the political class to rise up to the contemporary challenges in the

society, as Nigeria needs to work again.

“Let’s give them (youth) the opportunity, so that they can put in their best, because they have the energy, vigor and talent to deliver.”

Candido however noted that the book co authored by Babatunde Olarewaju and Lucky Ewuga is a motivation to do more for the Council and its people.

Earlier in his remarks, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello noted that the unveiled book speaks volumes as to the duties of a leader, who must leave no stone unturned in the quest of inspiring the fellowship to collective success.

Bello, who was represented by the State Chairman of the All

Progressives Congress (APC) in FCT, Abdul-Malik Usman, noted that the essence of leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality, and also galvanise the fellowship into sharing ideas and work hard to actualize them.

While congratulating Candido for having his thoughts and visions on leadership captured for posterity between the covers of the book, the Minister urged him to continue to work hard as AMAC Chairman, ensure that the Council lives up to its great potentials.

On his part, Chairman of the occasion, Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo Former member, Fed. House of Representatives (AMAC/ Bwari Constituency) described the literature as a well deserved piece about Candido, which will

President Muhammadu Buhari receives in audience the Guinea Bissau Special Envoy/Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Dr Zuzi Clara Barbosa during an audience at the State House.

PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

T

he Federal Competition & Consumer Protection C o m m i s s i o n (“Commission”) has frowned at any form of discrimination or stereotyping on account of race, gender, social class or any other protected ground against consumers and has vowed to subject any perpetrators to the fullest weight of the law.

The Commission has therefore commended the complainant, who brought before it, her grievances against Harzoyka Restaurant, a Lagos eatery.

A statement signed by Babatunde Irukera, the

Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission said the FCCPC therefore invites the public to call out conducts and practices by businesses that violate the rights of citizens.

On Sunday, November 8, 2020, FCCPC received credible information, and subsequently a complaint ref: FCCPC/ DSE/32849 at approximately 11:00 P.M. The subject of the information and complaint was that a regular patron at Harzoyka Restaurant, No. 71B, Oduduwa Crescent, Ikeja Lagos was denied entry at approximately 3:50 PM on Sunday November 8, 2020.

The reason for denied

entry to the restaurant was that she was female, and unaccompanied by a male companion.

Irukera said: “Between the restaurant’s opening time 0f 11:00 A.M and 1:30 PM on Monday, November 9, the Commission conducted surveillance and monitoring at the location, including attempted patronage by an undercover lone female operative of the Commission.

The operative was only engaged to ensure proper face covering to gain access, and there were other lone female patrons in the restaurant.

“Further investigations by the Commission included

engaging security, service personnel and senior management of the restaurant.

The proprietor admits that approximately 30 days ago, it implemented a new access control policy to promote social distancing in accordance with prevailing COVID-19 management protocols, but denies such policy was targeted at, or to deny access to lone female patrons.

“The Commission notes that Harzoyka Restaurant failed to provide appropriate sensitivity training; and exercise sufficient oversight with respect to security operatives who enforce access control policies and

efforts (including clear and timely escalation of customer dissatisfaction to management). As such, it is highly probable that this failure led to the unresolved discriminatory incident.

“The Commission is issuing a Compliance Notice pursuant to Section 150, Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Act, and the undertaking in question shall remain under supervision for a limited period to ensure adequate training and oversight regarding illegal or prohibited parameters for denying access; and proper customer engagement and complaint resolution.”

“Ranar Wanka” conducted in Hausa language recently.

Alh. Muhammad enumerated some of the concessions given to MSMEs by SON as including, fifty percent discount on the purchase of standards and products testing, as well as training. MSMEs representatives are also involved in the standards development process, according to him.

He enjoined local manufacturers in Kano State to voluntarily embrace the Mandatory Conformity

Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certification for locally manufactured products in order to meet standards requirements, avoid waste and deliver consistent quality to customers.

Alhaji Mohammad outlined other SON activities as including the offshore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) for imported products from countries of origin, regular market survey, investigation and resolution of Consumer complaints as well as

management systems training and certification for which he said, SON had international accreditation.

Responding to a question on Standards enforcement activities in Kano, the SON State Coordinator listed suspected substandard tyres, mosquito coils, electric cables, unfortified sugar, cell phones, gas cylinders etc. as some of the products apprehended in recent months.

He said many of these had been destroyed on the orders of the courts, following laboratory

tests and analyses confirming failure to meet standards requirements while others are still undergoing due process of quality confirmation, regulatory and judicial procedures.

Speaking on the proliferation of substandard products in Nigerian markets, Alhaji Mohammad lamented the absence of SON at the Ports of entry since 2011, stressing that it was a herculean task to apprehend substandard products once they exit the ports of entry.

SON tasks Kano MSMEs on quality, standards

By Miriam Humbe

M

icro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Kano State have been challenged to imbibe the tenets of standardisation and quality assurance with a view to helping to improve the quality of lives of Nigerians.

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) State coordinator, Kano State, Alhaji Yunusa Muhammad made the call during a live phone in programme on Pyramid Radio

go places, because he has achieved a lot more than expected within the few years in office as AMAC Chairman.

Not left out, the Book Reviewer, Prof Suleiman Bala Mohammed, Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, described the book as an interesting literature written by eminently qualified authors on an excellent and examplanary leader, to enable others to emulate him for the advancement of the society.

He said the book which is written in a simple language, also serves as a reference material for historians and policy makers in the society, to ensure sustainable development in AMAC and beyond.

Some children excrete into a pond at Ibiapuama community in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers, as the World celebrates Toilet Day, on Thursday (19/11/20). The World Toilet Day raises awareness of the 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Commission to prosecute perpetrators of stereotype, discrimination against consumers

By Miriam Humbe

Page 21

Lawmakers tasked on legislations for speedy devt. of FCT Councils

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has called on relevant committees of the National Assembly charged with the responsibilities of carrying out oversight functions on the FCT Administration, to either come up with legislations or push for

pending bills that could bring speedy development to the area councils in the Territory.

Aliyu decried that some of the existing laws governing the Territory are obsolete and not in conformity with 21st century developmental goals.

The Minister, who spoke at the House of Representatives Committee on FCT Area Councils

and Ancillary Matters, said such moves have become necessary in view of the slow pace of development recorded in the territory for almost four decades.

“Honourable Committee members, it might interest you to note that out of 8,000sq kilometers of the territory, only 250sq kilometers have been fully developed for almost four decades

of developing the city. The remaining 7,750sq kilometers are are yet to be developed. “ This goes to show that we must think out of the box to fasttrack development in satellite towns and the area councils. We can no longer rely on budgetary allocations to develop this capital city,” Aliyu noted.

Earlier in his remarks,

Chairman House of Representatives Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, Hon. Ahmed Yusuf Tijjani, assured the minister that the committee would continue to assist the administration in the areas of needs especially on issues that would lead to speedy development of the area councils.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Page 22

world news

N international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Pompeo makes unprecedented visit to Israeli settlement in West Bank

S

ecretary of State Mike Pompeo is touring a Jewish settlement in the Israelioccupied West Bank, marking the first such visit by a top US official.

The trip to Psagot comes a year after Mr Pompeo said the settlements did not contradict international law, reversing a long-held US position.

The declaration outraged Palestinians, who oppose settlements on land they claim for a future independent state.

Mr Pompeo will later pay a similar visit to the occupied Golan Heights.

President Donald Trump last year officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981.

Mr Pompeo arrived in Israel on Wednesday for what is likely to be his last trip to Israel before leaving office in January.

On Thursday morning, he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

At a joint news conference, Mr Pompeo announced that the state department would declare as anti-Semitic the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which campaigns for a complete boycott of Israel over its

Mike Pompeo is making what is likely to be his last trip to Israel before leaving office in January policies towards the Palestinians.

“We will immediately take steps to identify organisations that engage in hateful BDS conduct and withdraw US government support for such groups,” he said.

Israel says that BDS opposes the country’s very existence and is motivated by anti-Semitism - BDS rejects the charge, saying Israel is using it as a cover for its actions.

Mr Pompeo then travelled to the Psagot winery in a Jewish

settlement close to Ramallah where a wine has already been named in his honour.

The visit comes a year after he said that settlements were “not, per se, inconsistent with international law”, breaking from decades of US foreign policy.

“For a long time the state department took the wrong view of settlements. It took a view that didn’t recognise the history of this special place and

Mink virus strain in Denmark ‘most likely’ extinct

A

mutated form of coronavirus that led to orders to mass cull mink in Denmark is “most likely” extinct, according to the country’s health ministry. The identification of the new strain had caused panic that it could compromise new vaccines.

Earlier this month, the Danish

government drafted in the army to assist with the culling of 17 million farmed mink. But the order was found to be illegal, as it should have only applied in areas where the virus had been detected.

On Wednesday the agriculture minister resigned over his role in the decision. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has

apologised publicly, is also facing calls from the opposition to resign over the cull.

The country is now lifting restrictions in northern Denmark where the infected mink were found. Restaurants and cafes will re-open from Friday and people will be able to travel to other regions.

Positivity rate flattening in England

A

ccording to today’s figures from NHS Test and Trace in England, 9.6% of people who were tested in the week to 11 November (the first week after lockdown) had a positive result.

This positivity rate - the proportion of tests that come back positive - has not really changed since the 9.7% reported last week.

In previous weeks, both case numbers and the positivity rate had been rising, suggesting that testing was falling further and further behind the pandemic.

But this week’s figures suggest that is no longer the case.

More people tested positive (up by 11%), but that was because more people came forward for testing (up by 12%).

The other figures from NHS Test and Trace are largely stable.

Just under 40% of people who were tested in person (at walk-in centres and drive throughs, for example) got their results back within 24 hours.

That is a little different to last week, but the figure has been

improving steadily since hitting a low point of 14% at the start of October.

About 85% of infected people were reached and asked to provide details of contacts.

Again, largely unchanged from last week but the past few weeks have reversed the falls we saw in September.

Test and Trace reached just over 60% of those named as close contacts. This hasn’t changed over recent weeks and critics of the system say that it is not enough to have an impact on reducing transmission.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

instead now today the United States department of state stands strongly to the recognition that settlements can be done in a way that’s lawful and appropriate and proper,” Mr Pompeo told reporters in Jerusalem.

More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Most of the international community

considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Palestinian leaders warned last week that visit by the top US diplomat to the Psagot winery would be a provocation and set a dangerous precedent.

There have already been protests. On Wednesday, dozens of Palestinians demonstrated in al-Bireh, a community between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to reverse Mr Pompeo’s declaration on settlements, but he has said he will not undo Mr Trump’s decision in 2017 to recognise of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Mr Pompeo will also go to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Thursday.

“The simple recognition of this as part of Israel... was a decision President Trump made that is historically important and simply a recognition of the reality,” he said.

Syria said last year that Mr Trump’s decision was “a blatant attack on its sovereignty”.

Israel’s annexation of the Golan has not been recognised by the rest of the international community, and Syria demands the return of the territory. It called Mr Trump’s declaration “a blatant attack on its sovereignty”.

Source: bbc.com

e w s

F

r o m

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thought the R number in Scotland, which measures how widely the virus is spreading, was now below one, which might mean the pandemic was being brought under control.

But she said it was still necessary to bring in tighter restrictions in large parts of west central Scotland tomorrow.

Since yesterday 50 deaths after a positive test have been registered in Scotland.

Tokyo enters highest alert level amid daily record cases

T

he Japanese capital Tokyo has raised its coronavirus alert to the highest level, as the city’s daily case tally hits new highs for a second day running. Tokyo reported 534 new cases on Thursday, prompting city officials to raise the level there to “red”.

Across Japan, daily coronavirus cases topped 2,000 for the second consecutive day.

“We are now in a situation of maximum alert,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday. He urged people to wear masks, including when talking during meals in restaurants, but stopped short of announcing any further restrictions.

Experts are alarmed by the spike

in numbers ahead of an upcoming three-day weekend in Japan, as well as the advent of end-of-year holiday parties, and are calling on officials to step up preventative measures.

The BBC’s Yuko Kato in Tokyo says people there are bewildered by the mixed messaging of the government, with people questioning how much more they can do to prevent the virus spreading, as shops and restaurants remain open.

Japan has not seen a lockdown on the scale or severity of Europe, though people are encouraged to wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidance. Since the pandemic started, 1,917 people have died in Japan, according to John Hopkins University data.

A

fri c a

Ethiopia army accuses WHO boss Dr Tedros of supporting Tigray leaders

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thiopia’s army chief has accused the head of the World Health Organization of lobbying in favour of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which is fighting federal troops.

Hundreds have died in the conflict in Tigray since the beginning of November.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is Tigrayan and was health minister in the previous Ethiopian government, which was led by the TPLF. He has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment.

Gen Berhanu Jula said in a press conference that Dr Tedros had “left no stone unturned” to support the TPLF and help get them weapons.

“We don’t expect him to stand on the side of Ethiopians and condemn these people.

He has been doing everything to support them, he has campaigned for neighbouring countries to condemn the war,” said Gen Berhanu.

“He has worked for them to get weapons.”

He did not provide any evidence to support his allegations.

After being voted in as the head of the WHO in 2017, Dr Tedros became well known at

Dr Tedros has not yet commented on the accusation the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and is now arguably the highest-profile Tigrayan abroad.

Meanwhile, the UN’s refugee agency warns that a full-scale humanitarian crisis is unfolding.

More than 30,000 people have crossed the border from Ethiopia into Sudan.

Thousands of civilians

are continuing to flee across the border, the UN Refugee Agency’s representative for Sudan, Axel Bisschop told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

“I spoke to a banker, some teachers, health workers, and they all say that it was too dangerous to be there... and they left by foot,” he said.

What’s the conflict about?

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia’s military and politics for decades before Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in 2018.

He pushed through major reforms which some say sidelined the TPLF. The feud escalated in September when Tigray held a regional election, defying a nationwide ban on all

polls imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Abiy called the vote illegal.

Then fighting broke out on 4 November after Ethiopia’s central government accused the TPLF of attacking a military base to steal weapons.

The TPLF has denied the attack.

Five things about Tigray: 1. The Kingdom of Aksum was centred in the region.

Described as one of the greatest civilisations of the ancient world, it was once the most powerful state between the Roman and Persian empires.

2. The ruins of the city of Aksum are a UN World Heritage Site. The site, dating from between the 1st and 13th Century AD, features obelisks, castles, royal tombs and a church which is believed by some to house the Ark of the Covenant.

3. Most people in Tigray are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.

The region’s Christian roots stretch back 1,600 years.

4.

The region’s main language is Tigrinya, a Semitic dialect with at least seven million speakers worldwide.

5. Sesame is a major cash crop, exported to the US, China and other countries.

Bail-skipping Bushiris forfeit Tear gas fired to disperse protesters in Uganda eargas and live bullets have South Africa home been fired in Uganda’s

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of the property when they were granted bail on charges of money laundering and fraud.

The couple deny the charges.

It emerged last week that they had fled to their home country of Malawi. The pastor said the had made a “tactical withdrawal” because they feared for their lives.

South Africa has issued an arrest warrant for the couple, and wants Malawi to extradite them.

capital, Kampala, to disperse people protesting against the arrest of Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

There is a heavy police presence in different parts of the city.

In some of the streets in the central business district, roads have been blocked with burning tyres and piles of rubbish on some streets in the central business district Traders were closing their premises and coming out in their hundreds, hands in the air, trying to make it past the security forces.

A plain-clothed, stick-wielding squad was also seen chasing and beating people.

Security forces were entering some of the shopping malls to chase people out, or firing tear gas inside to smoke them out.

Bobi Wine’s supporters are calling for him to be released from police detention. He was arrested at a campaign rally in the east of the country on Wednesday and

“reaffirmed Somalia’s solidarity with the government of Ethiopia under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in keeping the constitutional order and respecting the territorial integrity of Ethiopia”.

But hours later it was deleted

from the foreign affairs ministry website and the minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, tweeted a denial that Somalia had issued an official statement.

“The statement making rounds does not represent the views of the Federal Government

Sturgeon hopes for agreement on Christmas plans next week

icola Sturgeon has said she hopes there will be a four-nations agreement next week on how to ease coronavirus controls at Christmas.

Ms Sturgeon told Holyrood that she took part in discussions with Michael Gove and the first ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland yesterday.

She said their officials were trying to draw up a joint plan.

The first minister also said it was

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Shepherd Bushiri has a huge following in South Africa

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magistrate in South Africa has order the seizure of a home of millionaire Malawian preacher Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary after they skipped bail.

The home, which is near the capital Pretoria, is valued at 5.5m South African rand ($350,000: £260,000), according to local media.

A magistrate had ordered them to hand over the title deed

Bobi Wine’s supporters are calling for him to be released from police detention the police are accusing him of flouting coronavirus prevention guidelines against drawing crowds.

He has not yet been charged.

Police have said that seven people died, and dozens were injured, in protests on Wednesday.

Tigray crisis: Somalia withdraws statement backing Ethiopia

S

omalia has sent mixed messages on its stand on the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray state after its foreign affairs ministry retracted a statement that had expressed “support for the unity of Ethiopia”.

The statement had also

of Somalia, and therefore is not valid,” he said.

Ethiopia launched a military assault against the government of Tigray state on 4 November after accusing it of attacking federal forces.

It also has many troops in

neighbouring Somalia who are part of the African Union peacekeeping force (Amisom).

Last week, Somali local media reported that Ethiopia plans to withdraw 3,000 troops from Amisom.

Source: bbc.om

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

N e w s F r o m A S I A BDS Israel boycott group is anti-Semitic, says US

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he US has declared as anti-Semitic a prominent international movement which calls for a complete boycott of Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) was “a cancer”, adding the US would stop funding groups linked to it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move “wonderful”.

BDS however rejected the charge, saying it opposed “all forms of racism, including anti-Jewish racism”.

“The BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality, stands with all those struggling for a more dignified, just and beautiful world,” it said.

“With our many partners, we shall resist these McCarthyite attempts to intimidate and bully Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights defenders into accepting Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism as fate.”

Formed in 2005, BDS has become prominent in many countries around the world. It calls for a total boycott of Israel, including cultural, economic and academic, over what it considers as Israeli repression of Palestinian

Omar Shakir, a senior HRW official expelled from Israel, denied calling for a boycott rights.

Israel has long claimed BDS opposes the country’s very existence and is motivated by anti-Semitism.

It vehemently rejects any comparison with the apartheid - the statesanctioned racial discrimination of

black people during white-minority rule in South Africa - as a smear tactic.

Mr Pompeo announced the move on a visit to Jerusalem.

“We will immediately take steps to identify organisations that engage in hateful BDS conduct and withdraw

US government support for such groups,” he said, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We want to stand with all other nations that recognise the BDS movement for the cancer that it is.”

In a statement, Mr Pompeo said: “As we have made clear, antiZionism is anti-Semitism. The United States is, therefore, committed to countering the Global BDS Campaign as a manifestation of anti-Semitism.”

He said the state department would ensure none its funds would go towards organisations which support BDS. In 2017, Israel passed a law refusing entry to people with links to BDS, and last year expelled a senior employee of the campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW), accusing him of supporting a boycott.

HRW condemned the latest move from the US as “undermining the common fight against the scourge of antisemitism”.

“Americans have a long history of supporting peaceful boycotts to promote social justice and human rights... The Trump administration has no business trying to tar groups because they back boycotts.”

Last year, Germany’s parliament said the actions of the BDS, such as the placing of “don’t buy” stickers on Israeli products, were reminiscent of the “terrifying” Nazi campaign against Jewish people under Adolf Hitler.

Australian ‘war crimes’: Elite troops killed Afghan civilians, report finds

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here is “credible evidence” that Australian elite soldiers unlawfully killed 39 people during the Afghan war, a long-awaited report has found.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has released findings from a four-year inquiry into misconduct by its forces.

It said 19 current or ex-special forces soldiers should be investigated by police over killings of “prisoners, farmers or civilians” in 2009-13.

The ADF blamed crimes on an unchecked “warrior culture” among some soldiers.

The inquiry - conducted by Maj Gen Justice Paul Brereton - conducted interviews with more than 400 witnesses. It also found evidence that: Junior soldiers were told to get their first kill by shooting prisoners, in a practice known as “blooding” Weapons and other items were planted near Afghan bodies to cover up crimes An additional two incidents could constitute a war crime of “cruel treatment” Afghanistan said it had been assured by Australia that it was committed to “ensuring justice”.

Samantha Crompvoets, an academic who carried out the initial research into the incidents, told the BBC they were “deliberate, repeated and targeted war crimes” and said she felt vindicated by the report.

Australia has had forces in Afghanistan since 2002, following the overthrow of the Taliban, as part of a USled coalition. Initially the international forces’ role was to train Afghan troops but they became increasingly involved in fighting insurgents.

What did the report find?

It said 25 special forces soldiers had taken part in unlawful killings directly or as “accessories”, across 23 separate incidents.

It recommended that 36 incidents in total be investigated by federal police.

ADF chief Gen Angus Campbell said none of the incidents could be “described as being in the heat of battle”.

“None were alleged to have occurred in circumstances in which the intent of the perpetrator was unclear, confused or mistaken,” he told reporters on Thursday.

Gen Campbell said there was alarming evidence that some Special

Gen Angus Campbell said none of the incidents could be “described as being in the heat of battle” Air Service (SAS) soldiers had taken “the law into their own hands”.

“The report notes that the distorted culture was embraced and amplified by some experienced, charismatic and influential non-commissioned officers and their proteges, who sought to fuse military excellence with ego, elitism and entitlement,” he said.

The report said it would be a “gross distortion” to blame senior ADF command, saying the crimes were “commenced... and concealed at the patrol commander level”.

Dr Crompvoets said the incidents “involved in some instances very influential non-commissioned officers”.

“Platoon commanders were encouraging or insisting junior soldiers execute prisoners to achieve their first kill, so it was that sort of pattern of behaviour of grooming these junior soldiers for, or initiating them into, the squadron - that’s what was very disturbing,” she told BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.

The inquiry was conducted behind closed doors, meaning few details have been reported until now.

What’s been the reaction?

Last week, PM Scott Morrison warned the report contained “difficult and hard news for Australians” about its special forces.

“It is the environment [within the ADF], it is the context, it is the rules, it is the culture and the command that sat around those things,” he said. “And if we want to deal with the truth of this, we have to deal with the truth of that.”

The office of Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said Mr Morrison had phoned to express his “deepest sorrow” over the findings.

The country’s foreign ministry, quoted

by AFP, said the incidents mentioned in the report were “unforgivable” but its publication was “an important step towards justice”.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) welcomed the report but noted it had not established enough evidence to ensure criminal prosecution.

It said it was vital that this be sought and “adequate compensation” provided without delay.

“Only through a series of independent inquiries will we uncover the true extent of this disregard for Afghan life, which normalised murder, and resulted in war crimes,” it said.

Elaine Pearson, from Human Rights Watch, told the BBC: “This is a vindication - this is an acknowledgement that these crimes occurred.”

Dr Crompvoets said she had faced “huge resistance” when her initial report was leaked but had now been proved right.

“I was certainly criticised for being a female, a civilian, a feminist, that somehow I was trying to feminise defence,” she said.

“It wasn’t about me not understanding what it’s like to be at war,” she added. “It was quite evident there were fundamental things that had gone wrong.”

Analysis box by Shaimaa Khalil,

Australia correspondent The defence chief’s language was as part of this story as the findings themselves. He started by apologising to the Afghan people for any wrongdoing, then told the Australian people they had the right to expect better from their special forces.

He used words like shameful, appalling and toxic when describing the actions of some troops and the culture in which they operated.

And it wasn’t just that these alleged executions took place, it was the manner of impunity by which they happened.

In fact, according to the report, there was an air of competitiveness within the special forces.

One moment stood out in Gen Campbell’s address: when he described how some junior soldiers had allegedly been coerced to shoot unarmed civilians to get their “first kill” - a practice known as “blooding”. He said that weapons and radios had then been allegedly planted to support claims that the victims had been enemies killed in action.

The public version of the report is highly redacted and we don’t know details of specific incidents or specific individuals. But it has been enough to make for very uncomfortable reading for the military, the government and for the Australian public.

What happens next?

Last week, Mr Morrison said a special investigator would be appointed to consider prosecutions from information contained in the report.

Australian media reported that

police investigations would be likely to take years, even before possible criminal trials.

Fighting for a future in a war without end How much has the Afghanistan war cost the US? The Afghan war: The short and long story Gen Campbell said one SAS squadron had been shut down, and it was the ADF’s responsibility to “set things right”.

The government said it would also establish an independent oversight panel to provide “accountability and transparency that sits outside of the ADF chain of command”.

Australia maintains an operation of around 400 soldiers in Afghanistan as part ongoing peacekeeping efforts with the US and other allies.

Have other countries faced allegations?

Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) began investigating alleged war crimes by the US and others in the Afghan conflict.

The actions of the Taliban, the Afghan government and US troops since May 2003 are expected to be examined.

A 2016 report from the ICC said there was a reasonable basis to believe the US military had committed torture at secret detention sites operated by the CIA. The report also said it was reasonable to believe the Afghan government had tortured prisoners and the Taliban had committed war crimes such as the mass killing of civilians.

In Britain, the High Court is considering whether the UK failed to properly investigate allegations of unlawful killing by UK Special Forces.

And on Thursday, the AIHRC also called for the UK “to open an independent public inquiry to review and investigate the allegations of unlawful killings by UK Special Forces”.

Last year, the BBC’s Panorama programme revealed that the UK had failed to fully investigate credible evidence of a pattern of illegal killings carried out by British Special Forces.

“The US and UK, and other countries with an armed presence in Afghanistan [should] respond to these media reports, and to investigate their forces’ participation, and leadership, of acts of violence against Afghan noncombatants,” the AIHRC said in a statement.

Digest

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

25

The best breakfast foods for health

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any people believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it breaks the nighttime fast and kick-starts a person’s metabolism.

However, popular American breakfast foods, such as donuts, pastries, and pancakes, are laden with saturated fat and sugar and contain little protein or fiber.

A healthful breakfast is one that contains nutritious foods that provide energy and make a person feel full, which can help prevent overeating later in the day. In this article, learn about the best foods to eat in the morning.

1. Oatmeal Eating a healthful breakfast can help deter overeating later in the day.

Oatmeal is a nutritional powerhouse. It contains beta glucan, which is a thick, sticky fiber that helps a person to feel full for longer and may also lower cholesterol.

One study revealed that people who ate oatmeal for breakfast felt fuller and ate less at lunchtime than people who ate cornflakes. This was particularly true in people who were overweight.

Oats are also rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. Steel-cut oats, which contain more protein and fiber than other types of oats, are a good option because they have a lower glycemic index (GI).

A low GI means a person’s blood sugar will not increase as much.

2. Eggs Eggs are a popular breakfast food. They are nutritious and contain high-quality protein.

Some people think that eggs are unhealthful because of the amount of cholesterol they contain.

However, research has shown that the dietary cholesterol from eggs has only a minor impact on bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), in the blood.

A small study on people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease found that eating whole eggs and moderately reducing carbohydrate consumption resulted in improvements in blood cholesterol levels. It also reduced waist circumference, weight, and body fat.

3. Nuts and nut butter If a person does not eat animal products, eating nuts is another excellent way to get enough protein. Nuts also contain antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, and heart-healthful fats.

According to a 30-yearlong study in the New England Journal of Medicine, people who

consumed nuts seven or more times per week had a 20 percent lower risk of death compared to people who did not eat nuts.

Nut butter is very versatile.

People can spread nut butter on whole grain toast, mix it into oatmeal or yogurt, or use it as a dip for fresh fruit.

Healthful kinds of nut butter include: peanut butter almond butter cashew butter unsweetened cocoa and hazelnut butter 4. Coffee Drinking coffee with breakfast is popular due to its caffeine content. Coffee also offers other health benefits due to its antioxidants, which help fight inflammation.

One review from the American Diabetes Association suggests that drinking either regular or decaffeinated coffee could decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers also suggested that some components of coffee improve glucose metabolism.

However, adding cream or sugar will reduce the beneficial effects of coffee. It is best to reduce or avoid adding sugar to coffee and choose nonfat or plant-based milk instead of

cream.

5. Berries Frozen berries are as nutritious as fresh berries and are available out of season.

Berries of all kinds, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are an excellent way to start the morning. They are low in calories, high in fiber, and contain diseasefighting antioxidants.

A study from the American Heart Association showed an association between a higher intake of the antioxidants found in berries with a lower risk of heart attack in young women.

Sprinkle berries on cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt, or blend them

into smoothies. If fresh berries are expensive or not in season, buy frozen berries, which are just as nutritious. However, it is best to choose frozen berries without any added sugar for optimal health benefits.

6. Flaxseed Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber.

The health benefits of flaxseed include lowering blood levels of cholesterol, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood sugar, and even protecting against breast cancer.

People can sprinkle flaxseeds on yogurt or oatmeal, or blend them into smoothies. It is essential to purchase ground

“

One study revealed that people who ate oatmeal for breakfast felt fuller and ate less at lunchtime than people who ate cornflakes. This was particularly true in people who were overweight.

flaxseed or to grind the seeds at home, as whole flaxseeds will pass through the body without breaking down.

7. Greek yogurt Greek yogurt is another excellent source of protein to eat in the morning. Greek yogurt is thick and creamy and contains more protein than regular strained yogurt.

Greek yogurt is also rich in calcium and contains probiotics that help support a healthy gut and immune system.

People can pair this low-fat, high-protein food with other foods on this list, such as berries or nut butter.

8. Tea Black, green, and white teas all contain antioxidants, but green tea is probably the most healthful. According to one study, green tea may help burn fat and promote weight loss.

These teas contain some caffeine but not as much as coffee. Tea can also help a person stay hydrated.

9. Cottage cheese Cottage cheese is another protein powerhouse. One study showed that cottage cheese could curb hunger just as efficiently as eggs do.

Cottage cheese is also rich in B vitamins, vitamin A, and calcium.

People can eat cottage cheese by itself, or mix it with other savory foods, such as pepper and spring onions, or fruit or nuts.

10. Bananas Bananas are rich in potassium and make a healthful midmorning snack.

Bananas are a quick and convenient addition to a nutritious breakfast. They also make a good mid-morning snack to keep hunger at bay.

Bananas contain resistant starch. The body does not digest resistant starch, so it travels through the body unchanged, which helps support digestive health. Unripe bananas contain more resistant starch than ripe bananas, which have more natural sugars.

Bananas are also a great source of potassium, which may support healthy blood pressure in some people. Bananas are great with nut butter or on top of oatmeal or cereal.

Summary When eating breakfast in the morning, make sure to choose foods that are filling and contain lots of nutrients. Choosing the best foods to eat in the morning can help curb hunger and kickstart a person’s metabolism for the day.

Source: https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/322811#oatmeal

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

26

Feature

CLASSIFIED

Trog: The strangest horror film of its era J oan Crawford’s final film, Trog – about a scientist who befriends a caveman – was dismissed by critics. Yet according to film legend John Waters, it maintains a strange charm, writes Thomas Hobbs, as it turns 50.

Being an actor on the receiving end of a Joan Crawford stare must have felt electric.

In films like Mildred Pierce (for which she rightly won the 1946 Oscar for Best Actress) and Sudden Fear (1952), Crawford’s sultry yet piercing gaze burns through the screen, forcing you to empathise with the plight of her characters – mostly, intrepid women who overcame bad men and dire odds – like they were your own flesh and blood.

In the latter film, there’s a scene where Crawford reacts to discovering a recording of her toyboy husband and his mistress plotting her murder. There isn’t a word of dialogue uttered by the Hollywood legend, yet her face conveys a myriad of emotions, effortlessly transitioning from shock to despair and right back to that infectious steely resolve which seemed to underpin all of Crawford’s best characters.

Her sky-blue eyes are effulgent; forming a knowing glance that suggests their owner has experienced love and pain in equal measure.

The fact the late actress possessed such hypnotic star quality makes it all the more baffling that Crawford’s final film role, the long-forgotten 1970 British horror Trog, was as an anthropologist salaciously barking orders at a troglodyte. Directed

by Freddie Francis, who won two Oscars as a cinematographer for Sons and Lovers (1960) and Glory (1989), Trog remains one of the strangest horrors of its era.

Crawford’s admirers are amazed at her ability to make you feel sorrow for the titular creature despite the fact he comes across like a sweaty wrestler dressed in a low-budget monkey costume It’s centred around an expedition to a cave in the British countryside and the subsequent discovery of a primitive, murderous caveman who is mothered by Crawford’s matriarchal Dr Brockton and made into her obedient pet. She tames it by teaching it how to catch a ball and introducing it to children’s dolls. She also periodically makes it wear a garish pink scarf, something that results in the Trog omitting unnerving bursts of groaning pleasure. It’s just as weird as it sounds, and not many argued when legendary critic Roger Ebert marked the film “Z-Grade” in his review. Yet Trog has been retrospectively embraced by some due to its kitsch charms, with Crawford’s admirers amazed at her ability to make you feel sorrow for the titular creature despite the fact he comes across like a sweaty wrestler dressed in a low-budget monkey costume.

Exclusively wearing her own opulent outfits, including a glamorous pistachiocoloured skirt suit, and with a face full of make-up that accentuates her eyebrows into alluring caterpillars, Crawford brings star quality despite the obvious absurdity of the production. “Maybe it’s a little tragic for some, knowing that one of the greatest actresses of all time ended up in these damp grey studios in the UK shouting at a man in a bad monkey suit,” says Justin Johnson, the lead programmer for the BFI Southbank and the architect behind a 2015 screening of the film, which was part of a season devoted to director John Waters that included his favourite British movies.

“But there’s also something amazing about the fact Joan is delivering these bizarre lines with such conviction, and

Trog was played by Joe Cornelius, a professional wrestler who performed in the ring as ‘The Dazzler’ (Credit: Getty Images)

Psychological horror What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? follows an ageing actress (Davis) holding her paraplegic sister (Crawford) captive in a mansion (Credit: Getty Images) remains this consummate professional on a production I’m not even sure you could call a B-Movie.”

She’s screaming “Catch the ball, Trog!” at a caveman like she’s delivering Shakespeare lines – John Waters Speaking to Waters himself, the famously transgressive director behind cult classics such as Pink Flamingos and Polyester tells me why Trog is his guilty pleasure: “Joan acted as if it could be nominated for the Oscar, which is what makes it so remarkable and staggering to watch. She’s screaming ‘Catch the ball, Trog!’ at a caveman like she’s delivering Shakespeare lines. The script is very Ed Wood-ish, and I guess that’s where a lot of its appeal can be found.”

Director Francis famously abandoned the film, while producer Herman Cohen accused Crawford of being drunk, bringing 40 suitcases of luggage over from America, and needing “dialogue cards” just to get through the production. Meanwhile, in 2017’s Feud, a US TV drama that explores the feud between Crawford and two-time Oscar winner Bette Davis, the former is depicted by actress Jessica Lange as being catatonically depressed on the Trog set, deeply confused at how her career had plummeted to such a low.

However, Johnson, who tracked down Joe Cornelius (the professional wrestler who played Trog) to an old people’s home in Brighton and invited him to attend the BFI screening as a guest, isn’t convinced of the film’s tragic reputation. “John kept trying to ask Joe questions like: ‘Was Joan drunk and difficult?’, but all Joe told us was how lovely she was to all the cast and crew,”

he claims. “Apparently she took all of their addresses and kept on sending them Christmas cards right until her death. He said Joan brought her all to the production and also loads of free Pepsi bottles [Crawford was still a paid ambassador for the soft drink brand, having once been married to Pepsi’s chairman Alfred Steele].

Nothing about our conversation suggested it was this tragic experience for Joan.”

Underrated gem This story somehow feels a lot more believable, with Crawford likely made the scapegoat after Trog flopped. In truth, Trog is a strangely endearing film, Crawford still possessing that glint in her eye, even when delivering lines like “Never show fear darling, only trust” in the company of a hairy irritant. Trog feels destined to be adopted ironically by new audiences, an outlandish star vehicle that somehow, against all the odds, conjures up one last great performance by Crawford.

“I guess I just find it mind-boggling that she read this script and thought it would be a good role,” says Waters. “But then all those women, from Joan Crawford to Bette Davis to Tallulah Bankhead and Olivia Dunn, acted in these B-movies.”

Waters is referring to the ‘Hagsploitation’ movement – a film subgenre featuring cinema’s ‘grande dames’ in horror settings – that Crawford, alongside frenemy Davis, pioneered following the release of 1962 psychological horror Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, a film where the two ageing stars play eccentric, quarrelling sisters, who live in a gothic townhouse that’s steeped in regret. Arguably, this influential film made it acceptable for former Hollywood sirens

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

– who were otherwise thrown on the scrap heap after reaching their advancing years by an ageist Hollywood – to get meaty roles in colourful B-movies and extend their careers.

Nearly all of Crawford’s later movies are centred around sparky matriarchs who make their male counterparts seem utterly insignificant, set within deliriously silly horror settings “If Crawford and Davis didn’t carve out this niche with Baby Jane and all the films that followed, then a lot of legendary actresses would not have had third career acts,” the BFI’s Johnson explains.

“Audiences loved seeing these formerly beautiful actresses in these ghoulish stories. It was a fascinating juxtaposition.

When you go into the 1980s, you see a lot of classical actresses like Barbara Stanwyck and Ava Gardner on primetime US soap operas, but it was Joan who opened up those doors. Had she not died of cancer in 1977, I’m sure she would have done Dallas.”

Having grown up in poverty and, according to some reports, said to have suffered sexual abuse as a child, Texan girl Crawford clawed her way up from obscurity to the very top of Hollywood. The fact she was still pushing for roles across the 1960s, no matter how schlocky some might have appeared, was simply a continuation of her famous fighting spirit, says Johnson.

Nearly all of Crawford’s later movies are centred around sparky matriarchs who make their male counterparts seem utterly insignificant, set within deliriously silly horror settings that are impossible to stop thinking about, whether that’s an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery at the circus (Beserk!, 1967) or a dairy farm beset by axe killings (Strait-Jacket, 1964).

In Strait-Jacket, a prescient horror about gaslighting, Crawford lights her cigarette on a spinning vinyl. She’s still full of attitude.

“I’m still so amazed by Joan Crawford as she was so masculine yet remained this sex symbol right until the end,” adds Waters. “I’m not sure someone like that could rise to the top today. Honestly, I enjoy watching her in anything, even Trog.” When I once again ask Waters to try to crystallise the film’s appeal, the boundary-pushing film legend concludes: “It will never be remembered for being great, but as being ridiculous. I guess if you really want to know what the colour blue means then see Trog, because Joan will tell you.”

Johnson has an even simpler assessment. A tempting call to action: “There’s so much going on in the world, what greater pleasure is there than putting on a trashy, camp film with Joan Crawford?

Trog is a dodgy movie, sure, but she’s still amazing. She makes you feel empathy for a man in a party-shop costume, and that will forever be impressive.”

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Source: bbc.com

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THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1 . CHIEF OBIAKU DOZIE KAIDI - CHAIRMAN 2.BARR. EKUMANKAMA WILFRED NGWU - SECRETARY 3.MRS OBIAKU UJU 4. BARR OKOYE CHIKE ISAAC THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1.TO ENGAGE IN ENLIGHTENMENT AND COUNSELLING ACTIVITIES AS A MEANS OF TACKLING MANY SOCIAL INADEQUACIES/MENACE. 2.TO ASSIST IN CURTAILING THE BURGEONING MALAISE OF DRUG ABUSE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DIVORCE THROUGH COUNSELLING, ADVOCACY AND ENLIGHTENMENT. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : EZEJI GLORIA 08038769236.

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THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.) Pastor Olusola Akinwale Akeredolu - Chairman 2.) Very Rev.Isaac Olumuyiwa Awe - Chaplain 3. ) Rev. Ayowole Abayomi Adebanwa- Secretary 4.) Mrs. Oluyemi Olubukunola Ayodapo Adekunle - Treasurer THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1)To worship God according to the doctrines of the Holy bible.

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tHIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. ORIMOLOYE JUDE - CHAIRMAN 2. DOLIRE IYITOLA IWAYEMI - SECRETARY 3.NWOSU EMEKA GEORGE 4.OKOYE CELESTINE UCHENNA 5.OBIEGUO STEPHEN 6.COLONEL MICHEAL OROK EKPE (RTD) THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1.TO PROMOTE AND REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF LANDLORDS AND RESIDENTS OF THE ESTATE. 2. TO ENHANCE THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS OF MEMBERS AND INCULCATE INTO MEMBERS THE ACT OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : EZEJI GLORIA 08038769236.

WINDING UP

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NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS Pauline Lami EmejeEni. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE. LOSS OF DOCUMENT

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Salem Family Christian Network

FOUNDATION FAITH CHURCH.

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ZAHRA AND AMEERAH FOUNDATION. This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.UMAR NDASHABA 2.FATIMA ISAH. ZUBAIRU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO HELP THE NEEDY. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

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CORRECTION OF NAME I, ONAH JACKSON ERIBA WHOSE NAME WAS ERRONEOUSLY CAPTURED AS ERIBA PRINCEJACKSON ONAH NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ONAH JACKSON ERIBA. My date of birth was wrong captured as 21/02/1991 instead of 02/02/1991. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

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This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

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IT NO. 6005

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED FOR LOST OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

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AISHA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS usaina abdu. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS hussaina abdu isah . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

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SPACE FOR SALE

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THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.Oladapo sulaimon oyebola 2.Rafiu sulaimon THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To support Education in the society and promotion of literacy.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

Sports

PEOPLES DAILY

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Dare questions Rohr’s competence to manage Eagles vows “The Needful Will Be Done”

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

Super Eagles

By Amaechi Agbo

T

he Minister of youth and sports, Sunday Dare has declared that the “needful will be done” following abysmal performances of the Super eagles of Nigeria in two-legged 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON against Sierra Leone.

Super Eagles squandered their 4-0 lead against the Sierra Leone players in Benin on Friday to end the match 4-4 to the consternation of football followers in Nigeria. The team lead by Gernot Rohr in return leg played on Tuesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone ended goalless.

Although Nigeria currently sit atop of Group L in the qualifying log, the minister appears not to

be taken the results lightly.

“The performance of the Super Eagles from their last two matches calls to question the suitability and competences of Technical Adviser, Rohr,” he said on his Twitter handle.

“Nigerian football deserves better. The needful will be done.

Apologies to all football lovers.”

The Super Eagles for the first time in 46 years failed to win a match in single year. Out of the four matches the team played this year, no thanks to COVID-19 pandemic, they lost one, and drew 3 others.

The Super Eagles delayed picking their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying ticket as they could only share points in a scoreless draw with the Leone

Stars of Sierra Leone in Freetown on Tuesday.

Spurred on by a special incentive of a blank cheque made by President Julius Maada Bio should they defeat the Super Eagles, the Leone Stars approached the game with some gusto, and sought to wear down the Eagles with their team work, cohesion and fast breaks.

Yet, it was Nigeria that created the early chances, with Captain Ahmed Musa shooting wide and goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara saving from Kelechi Iheanacho within the first three minutes. In the 11th minute, Mohamed Turay, who pestered the Eagles’ defence relentlessly, headed over the bar from a cross

by Kei Kamara.

In the 22nd minute, Maduka Okoye saved from Kwame Quee, and on the half hour, Iheanacho wasted a great chance to put Nigeria ahead by shooting wild just outside the box. Two minutes later, Joseph AyodeleAribo, needing just to place the ball beyond the goalkeeper in the box, fluffed his lines.

Iheanacho wasted another opportunity in the 37th minute, before the Leone Stars came agonisingly close on two occasions before referee Tawel Camara Younoussa blew for half time.

The ding-dong continued in the second half. In the 52nd minute, after great work by Samuel Chukwueze and gifted the ball to simply place beyond

the reach of goalkeeper Kamara, Iheanacho again lifted the ball too high. Alex Iwobi and Iheanacho also missed chances as the game wore on, but the Leone Stars also had their own chances, with Turay, Kei Kamara and Mustapha Bundu raiding the Nigeria goal area now and again.

The draw keeps Nigeria at the top of Group L with eight points, one more than second –placed Benin Republic, who also ended their encounter with Lesotho in Maseru scoreless. Sierra Leone stay third with three points, and Lesotho bottom of the table with two.

Next up for the Super Eagles is the Day 5 clash with second –placed Benin Republic in Cotonou in March 2021.

2021 AFCON qualifier: CAF to take disciplinary action on maltreatment of Gabon by Gambia

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

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Rasheed Sulaimon ruled out of 2021 Afrobasket Qualifiers

C

asademont Zaragoza Shooting Guard, Rasheed Sulaimon has been ruled out of D’Tigers’ 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers due to injury.

Sulaimon who was listed in the 20 man list earlier released by Coach Mike Brown will no longer play any part in the qualifiers to be decided between the 27th and 29th of November due to a torn muscle in his left abdomen and a leg injury.

The 26-year-old whose team is currently topping Group D after 2 games in the Euro League expressed his disappointment over the injury that ruled him out for 6 to 8 weeks.

“This is so disappointing for me as I would have loved to join up with the team for the qualifiers and play my part. I was looking forward to my debut for Nigeria but that will have to be put off till another time.

“Right now, I am staying positive and focusing on recovering from the injury and coming back stronger and better.

Athletes will always get injured, but how you react to these setbacks sets you apart.”

Meanwhile the final training camp will open in Kigali on the Monday, 23rd of November before their first match.

Nigeria will face host- Rwanda, Mali and Algeria who recently withdrew from the qualifiers.

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2021 AFCON qualifier: CAF to take disciplinary action on maltreatment of Gabon by Gambia

T

he Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Monday called an emergency video conference meeting with representatives of the Gabonese and Gambian football federations over alleged maltreatment of the former by the latter during their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Monday The essence of the meeting was to rule on the incident which occurred on Sunday at the Banjul airport in The Gambia.

Gabon’s national team had arrived on Sunday for a return leg game against The Gambia in the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers which held on Monday But the team was held up for over six hours before being allowed to enter the Gambian territory.

“During the call, the Secretary General of CAF clearly deplored

this unfortunate situation before informing the two parties of his decision to inform the disciplinary commission.

“This is in order to examine the causes of this incident, so as to establish the responsibilities and apply the consequent sanctions.

“The Secretary General of CAF welcomed the state of mind of the two parties, who held exchanges which were respectful and courteous,” Alexandre Siewe, CAF Communication Director, said in a statement on Monday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his Gabon teammates were forced to spend the night sleeping on the airport floor ahead of their vital 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Gambia.

Aubameyang used social media to highlight their plight after arriving at Banjul airport on Sunday, ahead of Monday’s Group

D clash in the Gambian capital.

The Gabon delegation were told they were not allowed to leave the airport because of an administrative problem.

They were forced to sleep on the floor before being allowed to leave in the morning after government intervention.

No reason was given for not allowing the team to exit the airport and head to their hotel after arrival.

Even by previous standards of gamesmanship in African football, this was unusual.

Gabon’s football federation posted pictures of the incident on its Facebook page but without any comment.

“Nice job CAF, it’s as if we were back in the 1990s,” Aubameyang posted on Twitter in a reference to previous foibles blamed on the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

“This will not demotivate us, but people need to know and CAF need to take responsibility. “(It is) 2020 and we want Africa to grow, but this is not how we will get there,” the Arsenal striker added later.

Gabon are top of the group standings, three points ahead of Gambia, who are seeking to reach the Nations Cup finals for the first time.

The top two teams in the group —- which also includes Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) —- advance to the finals in Cameroon in early 2022.

Analysts believe the illtreatment on Gabonese team was meant to win a psychological advantage as the match ended 2-1 in favour of the host who now top the group with superior goal difference as both countries have 7 points each from four matches.

Rivers United upbeat ahead of CAF Confederation Cup campaign

S

tanley Eguma will have a squad of players ready to fight for their place in his “Pride of Rivers” side as they prepare to begin their CAF Confederation Cup campaign in 10 days’ time.

With the acquisition of star players like Theophilus Afelokai, Ifeanyi Anaemena, Godwin Aguda, Destiny Ashadi, the landscape of the Rivers United squad is very different compared to their last term out on the continent.

Captain of the side Festus

Austin in an exclusive chart with the club’s media team says the players knows the must forget about their names, what they have all achieved in the past and play

football.

Hear him; “Rivers United this time is a strong side and what we need is just for us to forget our names and let’s play

football. Let’s think of now and not what we have achieved in the past.”

“Being with this set of players, we are going to go a long way if we work so hard. I will play my role to see how I push everybody to work positively for the team”.

River United will travel to Equatorial Guinea to confront Futuro Kings FC in the CAF Confederation’s cup preliminary round 1st leg tie scheduled for 27th-29th November and the return leg in Nigeria between 4th6th December 2020.

FIFA Club World Cup holds in February 2021

orld football governing body, FIFA has confirmed that the Club World Cup will be held from February 1 to 11, 2021 in Qatar The 2022 World Cup hosts are set to host the world’s continental club championship for the second time running, after hosting the 2019 edition which was won by Liverpool.

The upcoming edition was

originally scheduled to take place in December 2020 but has been delayed till February 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted sporting calendars throughout the globe.

“The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, which was originally scheduled for December, has been subject to the disruptive effect of the pandemic on the confederations’ continental club championships

that serve as a pathway for the event,” FIFA stated in a release.

Two clubs have already qualified for the tournament. European champions Bayern Munich will be joined by Qatar Stars League winners Al Duhail who are the host nation’s representatives.

Champions of continental club championships from CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America),

AFC (Asia), OFC (Oceania) and CAF (Africa) will also qualify for the tournament. The respective continental competitions are expected to be completed in the next three months.

It must be noted that Qatar have already proved their mettle in organising high-profile tournaments during the pandemic, having hosted 39 West Zone matches in the 2020 AFC Champions League. They are

also set to play hosts to 44 East Zone matches in November and December apart from the final.

A bio-secure bubble and stringent testing protocols were implemented while hosting the tournament. Qatar have also restarted their domestic league and a limited number of fans are being allowed to attend the games after following social distancing measures.

Abba Kaka: Basketball can tackle insurgency, youth restiveness, unemployment in Nigeria

B

asketball has been highlighted as a veritable tool to curb insurgency in the North East region, youth restiveness and unemployment in Nigeria.

This assertion was made by the North East zone representative on the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Alhaji Abba Kaka.

Kaka who is the Chairman, Borno State Basketball Association made this known while addressing stakeholders at the Annual General Meeting of the association in Maiduguri at the weekend.

“Nigeria has a young population which is a blessing in disguise if well harnessed. This population can channel their energy into sports which will not only solve the problem we face as

Nigeria Basketball Male team a nation but turn to a goldmine in boosting the economy.

“The recent nationwide protest by youths across Nigeria is an

indication of an urgent need to address youth restiveness if we are to avoid the landmine ahead”, Kaka said Earlier, the state basketball association organised a 5 day Clinic to train youths in the North East Zone- Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe and Bauchi

by FIBA Badged Referees from Lagos and Abuja.

The Borno state chairman commended his board members, participants and the trainers for a job well done, noting that such training was taking place in the zone for the first time.

While addressing the meeting, he briefed them about the NBBF’s effort in attracting and securing a 150 Million Naira Sponsorship from Total oil E&P for the Men’s

Division 1 and 2 while assuring them of Zenith Bank’s continued commitment to the Women’s League.

Kaka commended the Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zuum for hosting the Youth Summit and the introduction of the 25 Year Development Plan with immediate, strategic, medium and long implementation phases targeted at rebuilding the state.

“I must thank his Excellency, Prof Zulum for his vision for a new Borno State, the Borno State Ministry of Sports and the Sports Council for their unflinching support as well as the board of the NBBF for providing the needed leadership for the continued growth of basketball in Nigeria”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PAGE 31

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

SPORTS Has the mic been turned off on latest NASS N81bn probe of NDDC? Sunshine Stars ‘II play 2021 NPFL Season home matches in Akure – Commissioner

T

he Ondo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Dotun Owanikin has assured Sunshine Stars supporters that the team will play their 2020/21 Nigeria Professional Football League season home matches in Akure.

Owanikin in a chat with Sporting Hope said the management of the team will put all hands on deck to convince the League Management Company (LMC) to return them to Ondo State Sports Complex for their home matches.

LMC had earlier in the new season’s fixtures released moved Sunshine Stars home matches to Ogbemudia Stadium in Edo State or Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos state.

The Commissioner while reacting, said the time table earlier released by LMC is not the final, saying (TBC) was clearly put in front of the affected teams which means “To Be Considered.”

He added that Sunshine Stars is not the only team affected by the development .

He said: “we are going to ensure we put our stadium in order before the season start, I can assure you that in the next few days you will see a lot of positive metamorphoses at the Stadium in terms of massive renovations.”

According to him, “we will convince the LMC that we are ready to play our home matches in Akure, by ensuring that we renovate the facilities at the Sports Complex within the time frame.”

The 2020/2021 NPFL season will commence on December 5th, 2020 Taye Taiwo and Oduamadi

Advert: news: Kano: lagos:

By Fredrick Nwabufo

P

robe. This is another word for political manoeuvring, horse-trading, chicanery and blackmail – in the Nigerian milieu. Probes are launched here not for righteous ends but for some predetermined recidivist motives. In particular, the socalled ‘’corruption probes’’ are themselves felonious panels set up to exact vengeance, broker deals or cause distraction from national discontent. Beelzebub cannot cast out demons.

I recall the Ndudi Elumelu corruption probe of the power sector in 2009 where as chairman of the house committee on power, ‘’the prober’’ was accused of receiving bribes and allegedly annexing N5.2 billion from the rural electrification budget alongside other officials on the panel. I would like to ask, what came out of this all-important and well-noised probe?

Nothing!

I also recall the senate’s probe of sale of government assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) under Nasir el-Rufai in 2004. El-Rufai had alleged the previous year (2003) that some senators demanded a N54 million bribe to confirm his appointment as minister. So, the angry senate unleashed itself in a tit-fortat subsumed as ‘’corruption probe’’.

And not too long ago, Nigerians witnessed perhaps the grandest of all fiasco probes – the fuel subsidy probe involving Farouk Lawan, Mr Integrity, in 2012. Lawan, who was the chairman of the house committee investigating fuel subsidies, allegedly demanded a $3 million bribe from Femi Otedola to exculpate his company, Zenon, of blame in the fuel subsidy fraud.

The probe came on the heels of the unrest occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Jonathan administration in January 2012. The fuel subsidy regime was natively corrupt.

Some oil companies held the government by the noggins and were paid regardless of whether they supplied petrol or not. Lawan, Mr Integrity, was recorded on video allegedly

0806 564 8620 0814 292 9046 0803 587 5846 08074420617

GUEST COLUMNIST

By Fredrick Nwabufo receiving a bribe of $500,000 from Otedola – a part payment of the filthy lucre.

In July 2020, Nigerians were entertained by a riveting but gallows-humorous spectacle from the national assembly panels probing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged stealing of N81.5 billion. The interim management of the commission admitted to have spent N1.32 billion on themselves as ‘’COVID-19 palliative’’.

The commission also owned up to spending N81.5 billion in just eight months. What is most discomfiting, really, is how this humongous sum was spent.

A breakdown of the profligacy by the house of representatives panel ‘’probing’’ the agency showed that the commission spent, ‘’N1.3 billion on community relations; condolences, N122.9 million; consultancy, N83 million; COVID-19, N3.14 billion; duty travel allowance (DTA), N486 million; imprest, N790.9 million, and Lassa fever, N1.956 billion’’.

Other items on the lavish list are, ‘’legal services, N900 million; maintenance, N220 million; overseas travel, N85.6 million; public communications, N1.121 billion; security, N744 million;

“

staffing-related payment, N8.8 billion; stakeholders engagement, N248 million’’.

A big whale feast. That is what the NDDC has become.

In July, I wrote that the theatrics and pyrotechnics during the probe sessions at the senate and the house of representatives were nothing more than entertainment skits.

It has been four months since the probes, but no one has been held to account for the gross plunder of funds assigned for the Niger Delta people. In fact, owing to the revelations from the probe sessions, Concerned Nigerians, a civil society group led by Deji Adeyanju, filed a petition against certain officials allegedly complicit in the graft bazaar at the NDDC to the EFCC, but none has been invited for questioning, let alone being prosecuted.

Kemebradikumo Pondei, acting managing director of the NDDC, ‘’fainted’’ during an interrogation by the house panel; Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, accused Peter Nwaoboshi, a member of the senate panel probing the NDDC, of being a major beneficiary of the sleaze in the agency. The senator riposted, accusing Akpabio of appropriating a N300 million NDDC fencing contract for

I also recall the senate’s probe of sale of government assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) under Nasir el-Rufai in 2004. El-Rufai had alleged the previous year (2003) that some senators demanded a N54 million bribe to confirm his appointment as minister

himself. Joy Nunieh, former MD of the NDDC, unlatched the grimy closet accusing the minister of corruption, abuse of office and sexual harassment.

The distraction continued at the house where the chairman of the committee probing the NDDC was accused of being a shareholding partaker of the iniquity in the commission.

Allegations and recriminations – by both the prober and the probed. Unclean hands seeking justice against bloodied hands.

Again, Beelzebub cannot cast out demons.

I had said the probes were essentially about dealbrokering. The audit of the operations of the NDDC from 2001 and 2019 will bring to the fore a lot of interred skeletons involving those at the national assembly and those at the composite quarters of national corruption.

So, it is a convenient tactic to hold the dirt of the interim management of the NDDC supervising the audit in the air for an eventual entente.

What was happening was just crossfire of blackmail and intimidation. It is the threat of mutually assured destruction before the ‘’meeting at the table of kindreds’’. The NDDC probes have gone the way of other probes.

Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist, Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo

DAN GAYE Dangai Police launches cyber crime reportorial portal -News

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