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Reps increase 2022 budget from N16trn to 17trn PAGE 3

Oil benchmark from US$57 to US$62

Senate to pass Appropriation bill today

Electoral Act Amendment Bill:

Despite closed-door sessions, Senate fails to veto Buhari PG 5

Direct Primaries have adverse, legal,financial consequences, says President We're not scared of direct primaries -Govs

PG 2

President Muhammadu Buhari being vaccinated with Booster Dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by his Personal Physician, Dr Suhayb Rafindadi at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday

El-Rufai decries military's inability to reach bandits’ locations

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2023: INEC to maintain Buhari seeks lawmaker's nod Prison break: Be ruthless NCC, SMEDAN collaborate Anambra guber to vire N276.8bn to fund Social to attackers, NSCDC boss on Digital Scheme for template, says Yakubu Investment Programme charges personnel SMEs PAGE 4

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

NEWS CONTENTS News

2-10, 14

Editorial

11

Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Health

18

Business

19-20

Feature

21

World News

22

Africa News

23

World News

24

Electoral Bill: Direct Primaries has adverse, legal, financial consequences, Buhari tells NASS

By Christiana Ekpa

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari in his letter dated December 13, 2021 to the House of Representatives said the implications of direct primaries as envisaged by the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has serious adverse, legal, financial, economic and security consequences which cannot be cannot be accommodated at the moment considering our nation’s peculiarities.”

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila read the President’s letter of declining assent to the Electoral Act amendment bill on the Floor of the House on Tuesday.

Gbajabiamila, who is a strong

•Seeks approval for virement

advocate of direct primary, read the letter at plenary on Tuesday.

The letter dated December 13, 2021 was leaked to the media on Monday night.

Part of the letter reads “I have received informed advice from relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies of the government, and have also carefully reviewed the Bill in the light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.

“Arising from the review, Rt Honourable Speaker may wish to note that, the conduct of elections for the nomination of party candidates solely

via direct primaries as envisaged by the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has serious adverse, legal, financial, economic and security consequences which cannot be accommodated at the moment considering our nation’s peculiarities.”

Similarly, the president wrote a separate letter to the House seeking for virement dated December 16th, 2021.

It reads: ” The House may wish to recall that I signed the 2021 Appropriation on December 31st 2020, for a total expenditure of N13.588 trillion and a Supplementary Appropriation to cater for critical needs for the Security and Health Sector in the sum of N983

billion on July 26th, 2021.

“You may also recall that, during the signing of the 2021 Appropriation Act, I mentioned that, where necessary, I will revert to the National Assembly with a request for amendment, virement or other appropriate adjustments to ensure that the core objectives of the budget are accomplished. ” Accordingly, the 2021 Budget implementation is faced with challenges that will require additional funding for some critical and urgent line items in the budget.

“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to forward the comprehensive Virement Proposal for the consideration and approval of the National Assembly.”

Aisha Buhari is not pregnant nor sick-Aide Pg 6

Environment 25 Feature

26

Sports 30-31 Back Page

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Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state with former governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (middle), with other government officials, at the Graveyard of late Comrade Inuwa Musa Kwankwaso, immediate Brother to former governor of Kano state Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, during the Governor Ganduje’s condolence visit, in Kano yesterday.

Lawmakers commended over first reading of NYSC Trust Fund Bill

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

T

he Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has commended the House of Representatives over the bill on the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund which recently scaled first reading.

Executive Secretary, Comrade Ikpa Isaac, said the lawmakers, led by Hon. Akinfolarin Mayowa, displayed courage and proved that the Trust Fund will potentially tackle unemployment and enhance youth entrepreneurship.

Among other things, the Trust Fund is expected to provide sustainable source of funds for NYSC, skill acquisition training and provision of startup capital to Corps Members, train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC. It will also develop camps and NYSC formations, provide facilities therein, improve the general welfare of Corps Members

and personnel of the Scheme and enhance their preparedness to effectively discharge their statutory duties of promoting National unity, integration, self-reliance and accelerated development of the national economy.

And Ikpa believes this innovation will deal with graduate unemployment and strengthen the operations of the scheme.

“It is the position of the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency that this is indeed a pleasant development that the NYSC-TF Bill has scaled First Reading on the floor of the Federal House of Representatives,” he said.

“The debate on the floor of the Federal House of Representatives indicates that members of parliament have a full grasp of the enormous potentials inherent in the proposed NYSC Trust Fund, which is capable of addressing myriads of challenges facing the

country with regards to youth development.

“That the Bill passed First Reading is a display of courage by members of parliament because they have displayed that those issues of national concern takes centre stage in their legislative agenda”.

According to Ikpa, the “NYSC Trust Fund is coming at no better time than now, where countries are making concerted efforts towards harnessing the potentials of their youthful population in the drive for sustainable growth and development”.

He noted that the “NYSC Trust Fund, if established, will also develop Camps and NYSC formations, provide facilities therein, improve the general welfare of Corps Members and personnel of the Scheme and enhance their preparedness to effectively discharge their statutory duties of promoting National

unity, integration, self-reliance and accelerated development of the national economy.

“If we consider the number of youths graduating from our universities yearly and with no prospects of jobs, we would appreciate the offering of the NYSC Trust Fund in addressing the issues of job creation and maximizing the potentials of that critical constituency”.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity, and Transparency, therefore, expressed confidence that the bill will scale through second reading effortlessly and ultimately fulfil other requirements for its passage into law.

The Centre, however, urged other relevant stakeholders to see the bill’s scaling of first reading as a positive step that requires all hands to be on deck to see to its passage into law.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

NEWS

Ag News Editor, Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Kwankwaso best material for 2023 presidential race - PDP Chieftain From Kano

A

Mustapha

Adamu,

Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kano and Chairman Kwankwasiyya Foundation, Alhaji Abubakar Yahuza Gama has described the immediate past governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as an indispensable pillar in the race for the presidency comes the year 2023.

Speaking shortly after organizing a Quiz competition on Nasara Radio with various material prizes given to the winners held at the premises of the Station in Kano yesterday, Gama said as political bridge builder, the former defence minister had remarkably proven his mettle in spheres of governance and leadership in the present democratic dispensation adding that he is an adroit political fighter who knew his onion.

According to him, in the business of partisan politics, the nation is in dire need of his guidance and wise counsel as he posses the much needed clout in pulling a large crowd, having had the temerity of facing gruelling obstacles positing that the 2023 presidential contest would lack substance without him joining the bad wagon.

He said with the present rot permeating the nation in different directions, the former Defence Minister has the effrontery to put things on the right pedestal affirming that his spectacular performance while he was in the saddle as a governor and in his capacity as a Defence Minister.

He pointed out that with the nation running into so many intractable obstacles with a messiah needed to bail it out, there was the compelling need for doing away with mediocres calling the shots in the corridors of power stressing that Kwankwaso would be the answer to the myriad of woes plaguing the nation.

Commenting on the genesis of organizing the Quiz competition, the PDP Chieftain however stated that the competition had been conceived to expose the leadership qualities of the former governor by giving respective participants the opportunity to utilize their brain in identifying areas where he had proven his skills as a consummate politicians.

He further revealed that the time has come for the electorates to brace up in making a credible political choice at a time leaders with vision and mission are most needed, stressing however, that making a wrong choice could only spell doom for the nation.

Buhari seeks Senate’s approval for virement of N276.8bn to fund Social Investment Programme

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Senate on Tuesday received a formal request from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the Senate’s approval for the virement of N276,757,232,395 billion to fund expenditures in the 2021 budget.

The request which was contained in a letter dated December 16, 2021, was read by the Senate President during plenary.

According to President Buhari, the sum would be sourced from the N365 billion Service Wide Vote for Upscaling of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

The letter titled, “2021 Appropriation Act: Request for Virement to Fund Critical Expenditure” reads: “I am am The Senate may wish to recall that I signed the 2021 Appropriation on December 31st 2020, for a total expenditure of N13.588 trillion and a Supplementary Appropriation to cater for critical needs for the

Security and Health Sector in the sum of N983 billion on July 26th 2021.

“You may also recall that during the signing of the 2021 Appropriation Act, I mentioned that, where necessary, I will revert to the National Assembly with a request for amendment, virement or other appropriate adjustments to ensure that the core objectives of the Budget are accomplished.

“Accordingly, the 2021 Budget implementation is faced with challenges that will require additional funding for some critical and urgent line items in the Budget.

“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to forward the comprehensive Virement Proposal for the consideration and approval of the National Assembly.

“The details of the expenditures proposed for the virement are attached herewith as schedule 1 while Schedule 2 shows the sources of the funds to be vired for the items in Schedule 1.

“In the light of the above, I implore the Senate to urgently

consider the virement proposals to support our efforts to improve the well-being of our citizens.

“Please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest regards.”

A breakdown of the virement request detailed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning showed that N199,129,053,400 was for payment of local contractors debts, public service wage adjustment for MDAs, OSSAP SDGs Projects 3 and Group Life Assurance for all MDAs. In addition, N4,500,821,569 is for the Federal Ministry of Education, N2,335,167,265 for the Nigeria Airforce, N4,617,811,857 for the Ministry of Defence, N25 billion naira for the National Assembly in settling minimum wage areas of National Assembly Staff and Intervention to settle outstanding liabilities owed local contractors.

Others are N20,038,920,773 for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), N762,678,972 for the Nigeria Correctional

Services, N592 million naira for the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) as financial assistance for the execution of 2021 End of Year Special Patrol Operation.

Also, the sum of N19,780,778,558 was funding for the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to amend the 2021 Appropriations Act. The bill sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, scaled through second and third reading after it was considered.

The 2021 Appropriations Act (Amendment) bill seeks to extend the implementation of the Capital aspect of the Appropriation Act 2021 from December 31, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

L-R: National Commissioners, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and National Commissioner of INEC, Barr. Festus Okoye, during the end of the 2021 Meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), at the INEC Headquarters, yesterday in Abuja. Photo; Mahmud Isa

NECO moves to make examinations compulsory in all schools

By Maryam Abeeb

T

he National Examinations Council (NECO) has begun moves to make its examinations compulsory in schools across the 36 states of the federation.

The council, in a statement by its Head of Information and Public Relations Division, Mr Azeez Sani, said it has secured the approval of the Cross River State Government to make all Public Examinations

conducted by NECO Compulsory for all Public Schools in the state.

The examinations involved are the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in all their schools.

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, gave the approval following a request made to that effect by the Registrar/ Chief Executive of NECO, Prof.

Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi during a Courtesy Visit to the governor in Calabar on Tuesday.

The Governor who expressed satisfaction with the performance of Cross River Indigenes in NECO SSCE in the last Five years, said there was therefore the need for the state to key-in into all NECO Conducted examinations.

He commended NECO for improving on the quality of education in the Country.

The Governor assured the

Council that the Cross River State government will continue to support NECO to enable her deliver on it’s mandate.

The Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi had earlier commended the State government for it’s positive disposition to the Council.

He explained that NECO being the only national indigenous examination body in the country deserves the support of all Nigerians.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 4

NEWS

Geospatial Approach: OSGoF ready to migrate to World Geodetic System – Surveyor General

By Ochiaka Ugwu

T

he Ag. Surveyor General of Federation, Surv. Abduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin has stated the readiness of the Office of the Surveyor General of Federation (OSGoF) to migrate from the Nigeria National Origin (NNO) to the World Geodetic System (WGS) 84 International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) 2014.

Surv. Adebomehin who made this known Tuesday while delivering welcome address on occasion of opening ceremony of the 2021 Survey Coordination Conference and Meeting of the Advisory Board on Survey Training in Abuja with the theme: “Geospatial Approach to Harness Agro Planning and Food Sustainability for Economic Development” said the migration was to achieve best practices in the geospatial world.

Surv. Adebomehin noted the move will ensure that as from 2022, all the maps will be produced based on the WGS 84-ITRF 2014.

He therefore, appealed to all the states in the country to also migrate to enable a common reference point and avoid the burdens of conversions to align with international best practices.

“Your presence demonstrates your genuine commitment towards the advancement of our country Nigeria, and understanding of the important role of surveyors in nation-building and economic prosperity.

“Sustainability for Economic Development” is deliberately selected to underpin the undisputed place of the agriculture as the substructure of socioeconomic growth and development. It is also reinforcing the economic diversification agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria” he said.

Also speaking, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola said physical presence of participants at the conference underscores the fact that they are winning the war against the virus in Nigeria.

Fashola who was represented

by Surv. Akerele Omolola said they must remain hopeful, and continue to keep with the Covid-19 protocols and ensure vaccination in view of some other threatening variants.

He commended the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation for the bold Step taken in bringing together surveyors at such a time like this.

“Conferences as such are useful because they avail us the opportunities of ventilating on tropical issues through which solutions are proffer for mitigation.

The conference theme, “Geospatial Approach to Harness Agro Planning and Food Sustainability for Economic Development” is apt” he said.

2023: INEC to maintain Anambra guber template, says Yakubu

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it will maintain most of the arrangements it put in place in recently held Anambra State governorship election for all forthcoming elections, including the 2023 general election.

The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu said this yesterday at a meeting he held with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Professor Yakubu equally disclosed that the Commission has completed the second quarter of the continuous voter registration exercise, which commenced online in June and physically at designated centres in July.

The INEC Chairman further the process of conducting the primaries for the next year’s governorship election in Ekiti State, begins in the next 2 weeks on 4th January 2022 and ends on 29th January 2022.

He stressed that in the case of Osun State, party primaries will begin on 16th February 2022 and end on 12th March 2022.

The INEC Chairman said, “As you are aware, the Commission piloted two important technological innovations in the Anambra State Governorship election.

....Rolls out dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship primaries “The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was deployed for the first time in a major election after the successful pilot in the Isoko South I State Constituency in Delta State in September this year.

“The BVAS has replaced the Smart Card Reader for verification and authentication as part of our improved voter accreditation process.

“The new technology was designed in-house by INEC engineers. Like every new technology, glitches were observed and important lessons learnt.

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the Commission has reviewed the performance of the BVAS in Anambra State and there will be a tremendous improvement leading to optimal performance in future elections.

“The BVAS has come to stay. So too is the uploading of Polling Unit results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time on Election Day. “We are convinced that the introduction of technology in voter accreditation and result management is better than the best entirely manual process.

“It also increases public confidence in the process. We will continue to deepen the use of technology in our elections.

“The second technological

innovation introduced in the Anambra Governorship election went virtually unnoticed by many Nigerians.

“For sometime now, dedicated portals were created by Commission to handle different aspect of the electoral process. “For instance, the nomination of candidates by political parties, including the uploading of nomination forms, is now done online.

“So too is the accreditation of election observers and the media.

In addition, and for the first time in the history of the Commission, the accreditation of polling and collation agents nominated by political parties was done online.

“This has ensured that all such agents were provided with identification tags bearing not only their party logos, names and other personal details but personal photographs as well.

“In all, the Commission issued 63,745 identification tags to agents of the 18 political parties that sponsored candidates for the election.

“This has sanitized the process and made the identification of ghost party agents easier.

“We will maintain the same arrangement for all forthcoming elections, including the 2023 General Election”, he said.

On the issue of the continuous voter registration, CVR, Yakubu said, “we have now completed the Second Quarter of the exercise which commenced online in June and physically at designated centres in July.

“We have also been giving Nigerians weekly updates for the last six months.

“The Third Quarter of the exercise will commence in January next year.

“The Commission is aware that Nigerians would like to know when the exercise will be devolved beyond our State and Local Government offices to enable more citizens to register.

“Secondly, for those already registered, they would like to know when their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) will be available for collection.

“The Commission is working on these concerns and issues and will issue a comprehensive schedule for both activities early in the new year, he assured.

Speaking of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, slated for next year, the INEC Chairman declared, “For Ekiti State, the exercise begins in the next 2 weeks on 4th January 2022 and ends on 29th January 2022.

“In the case of Osun State, party primaries begin on 16th February 2022 and ends on 12th March 2022.

Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Marwa (M), with the award recipients, during the NDLEA Chairman’s decoration and commendation award in Abuja on Tuesday (21/12/21).

Rising conflict necessitates “Peace Desk’ initiative – IPCR DG

By Ochiaka Ugwu

I

ncreasing conflict challenges with its humanitarian crises in the nation led the institute to come up with “Peace Desk” initiative, the Director General of Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Bakut tswah Bakut has said.

Dr. Bakut who made this known Tuesday while delivering his welcome address at first Zonal Training of Core Agencies and Workplaces PeaceDesk Leaders in Core Agencies, Ministries and Departments organized by the Institute in Abuja said it has been observed that there are debilitating issues of conflicts in the various geo-political

zones, as a result of herdersfarmer conflicts, ethnoreligiouby, violence, communal clashes, cult gang attacks and terrorism.

Continuing, Bakut who was represented by the Deputy Director Library Unit of the Institute, Mr. Patrick Okoro lamented that these unholy acts have unfortunately caused the avoidable death of very resourceful Nigerians.

His words, “The surging cases of conflicts in the country with attendant humanitarian burden made it imperative for the Institute to strategically design various strategies for peace promotion and peacebuilding, including this initiative that brought all of you here today.

“It has been observed that there are debilitating issues of conflicts in the various geopolitical zones, as a result of herders-farmers conflicts, ethno-religious violence, communal clashes, cult gang attacks and terrorism.

“The above obnoxious events, has unfortunately caused the avoidable death of very resourceful Nigerians.

He also expressed happiness for having workplace peace minded audience in the Institute as part of the outcome of strategic extension of peace promotion activities to the Nigeria workforce and labour sectors.

He stated that is similarly gratifying to note that the persons training today have been part of the previous workplace

peace engagement activities that climaxed in the need to commence this Fist Zonal Training of Proposed Workplaces PeaceDesk Leaders in Core Agencies and MDAs. Speaking on Mainstreaming Peace in the Workplace Project, Head of Directorate of Internal Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Hepzeboh Achanya represented by Assistant Director, National Conflict Early Warning/Early Response, Steve Agbo said the initiative was aimed at managing the rising conflict in the land.

Achanya noted that the prevailing conflict situation has led to displacement of people and even unemployment making it possible for some to lose their means of livelihood.

PAGE 5

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he House of Representatives has passed the 2022 budget into law.

The House also increased figure from N16,391,023,917,692 to N17,126,873,917,692.

Christened “Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability”, it will be recalled that President Muhammadu presented the budget estimates before a joint session of the House on Thursday, October 7, 2021.

Originally, the budget consists of Statutory Transfer of N869,667,187,542; Debt Service of N3,879,952,981,550 and Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure of N6,909,849,788,737 and Capital Expenditure of N5,467,403,959 863 Giving his report shortly before the House dissolved into Committee of Supply for the clause by clause consideration of the report, the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Mukhtar Betera gave the highlights of the budget.

He said: “The House debated on the General principles of the Bill on Tuesday 12th through Thursday 14” October 2991, read it a second time, and consequently referred same to the Committee on Appropriations for further legislative action.

“The Committees on Appropriations of both the House and Senate met and drew up a work plan to guide the processing of the Appropriation Bill, which was approved by the National Assembly leadership.

“Subsequently, the Committee engaged its Sub-Committee Chairmen on Monday, 18th October 2021 on the approved Time Table and relevant guidelines provided for the processing of the Bill.

“Sub-Committees were given both the hard and soft copies of the schedules of the budgetary proposal under their jurisdiction for detailed analysis and consideration.

“An Additional guideline provided to Chairmen of the SubCommittees directed them not to tamper with the N1,153.823,207,500 MultiLateral/Bi-Lateral Projecttied Loans in the capital component of the proposed budget in their deliberations and consideration.

“In the same vein, on conclusion of work on the 2022 budget engagement/defense with MDAs under their jurisdiction, Sub-Committees submitted and defended their reports before the Appropriations Committee from Wednesday 10th to Friday 26th November, 2021, Revenue projection for the 22022 budget “The 2022 Budget Report is predicated on the MediumTerm Expenditure Framework/ Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP approved by the National Assembly “Daily Oil Production 1.88mbpd 1.88mbpd 2 Benchmark Oil Price 57US$ 62US$ 3. Exchange Rate N410.15US$1 N410.15US$1 4 GDP Growth Rate 42% 4.2% 5 Inflation Rate 13% 13% “.

Highlights of the 2022 Appropriations bill “The 2022 Appropriation Bill contains the following highlights: Aggregate Expenditure - 17,126,873,917,692; Statutory Transfer N869,667,187,542; Recurrent Expenditure -N6,909,849,788.737; Capital

NEWS

Reps increase 2022 budget from N16trn to 17trn Oil benchmark from US$57 to US$62 Senate to pass Appropriation bill today Pass Finance Bill into law Expenditure N5,467,403 959,863; Debt Service N3,869,952,981.550).

O b s e t v a t i o n s / Recommendations 4. There was a special intervention as a result of the increase in Oil Price Benchmark from US$57 to US$62.

2. Provision was made for more funds to critical sectors for purposes of execution of their core mandate, 3. The need for stimulation of the economy through increased capital expenditure; such as will make for infrastructural development, in order to meet the yearnings of the people.

There was an increase in revenue to Government Owned Enterprises

(GOEs) and independent revenue of the MDAs by N400 Billion as a result of the independent report received from the investigation carried out on all Government agencies by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and the various Committees of the National Assembly, in their Oversight roles.

The deficit was increased by N98 Billion to accommodate some other requests of National importance not provided for in the budget estimates and which could not be covered by the revenue increase.

RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are hereby made: “An increase in oil price

Benchmark from US$57 to US$62 to reflect the current market values of the oil barrel in the international market.

“The additional revenue increase be allocated to the agencies that came forward with additional financial report which was not provided for in the budget. The agencies include: Works and Housing, INEC (for 2023 General Elections), Defence, National Population Commission (NPC) - for 2022 Population Census, Agriculture and Rural Development, National Security Adviser (NSA), National Assembly (Constituency Outreach) Education, Humanitarian, Water Resources, etc. given that the requests will

take care of critical infrastructural deficit for purposes of national development improvement and acceleration.

Femi Gbajabiamila

Electoral Act Amendment: Despite two close door negotiations, Senate fails to muster courage to veto Buhari

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Baba Adamu

A

fter two intermittent close door sessions, the Senate yesterday failed to muster the courage to veto President Muhammadu Buhari, over his refusal to assent to the 2010 Electoral Act Amendment Bill sent to him by the Federal lawmakers.

This comes on the heels of expectations by Nigerians that the National Assembly will veto the President, who had since 2017 withheld assent to the 2010 Electoral Act over various reasons, including insecurity and cost of direct primaries on both INEC and Political parties.

Senate began plenary yesterday morning during which it entered into two consecutive closed door sessions where they deliberated extensively on the matter, yet they could not summon the courage to veto the President at the end of plenary session.

Due to the heated debate on the refusal of Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which has become an albatross on the National Assembly, the Senate could still not attend to the 2022 budget, which it would have passed yesterday.

The first closed session which commenced immediately after the votes and proceedings of the last plenary was read, lasted for about forty-five minutes, after which the Senate President, apparently exhausted, merely said that the Senate, at closed session, deliberated on matters that affected Nigeria.

At this point, the lawmakers began considering other business of the day, including the Finance Bill.

They later went into another closed doors session at about 2pm, which also lasted for almost thirty minutes, came out and announced that the plenary has been adjourned to today, most likely to pass the 2022 budget.

Meanwhile, after the first closed

doors session, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, read a letter from the President in which he explained why he withheld assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Lawan said the Senate has received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari explaining his decision to withhold presidential assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 passed by the National Assembly.

President Buhari in the letter dated December 13, 2021, explained that his decision to withhold assent to the electoral bill was informed by advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government after a thorough review.

According to the President, signing the bill into law would have serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences on the country, particularly in view of Nigeria’s peculiarities.

He added that it would also impact negatively on the rights of citizens to participate in the government as constitutionally ensured.

President Buhari, according to the latter read by Lawan, said “Further to the letter dated 18th November, 2021 forwarded for Presidential assent, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 as passed by the National Assembly, I have received informed advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government, and have also carefully reviewed the Bill in light of the current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.

“Arising from the review, Mr. Senate President may wish to note that the conduct of elections for the nomination of party candidates solely via direct primaries as envisaged by the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences which

cannot be accommodated at the moment considering our Nation’s peculiarities. It also has implications on the rights of citizens to participate in the government as constitutionally ensured.

“The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 seeks to amend certain provisions of the extant Electoral Act 2010. Part of the objective of the Bill is the amendment of the present Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 to delete the provision for the conduct of indirect primaries in the nomination of party candidates such that party candidates can henceforth only emerge through direct primaries.

“Arising from the review, Mr. Senate President may wish to particularly note the pertinent issues implicated as follows to wit: “The conduct of direct primaries across the 8,809 war the length and breadth of the country will lead to a significant spike in the cost of conducting primary elections by parties as well as increase in the cost of monitoring such elections by INEC who has to deploy monitors across these wards each time a party is to conduct direct primaries for the presidential, gubernatorial and legislative posts.

“The addition of these costs with the already huge cost of conducting general elections will inevitably lead to huge financial burden on both the political parties, INEC and the economy in general at a time of dwindling revenues.

“The indirect consequences of the issues of high cost and monetization are that it will raise financial crimes and constitute further strain on the economy. It will also stifle smaller parties without the enormous resources required to mobilise all party members for the primaries.

This is not healthy for the sustenance of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.

“In addition to increased costs identified above, conducting and

monitoring primary elections across 8,809 wards will pose huge security challenges as the security agencies will also be overstretched, direct primaries will be open to participation from all and sundry and such large turn-out without effective security coordination will also engender intimidation and disruptions, thereby raising credibility issues for the outcomes of such elections.

“The amendment as proposed is a violation of the underlying spirit of democracy which is characterized by freedom of choices.

“Political party membership is a voluntary exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of association. Several millions of Nigerians are not card-carrying members of any political party.

“Thus, the emphasis should be on enabling qualified Nigerians to vote for the candidate of their choice during general elections as a means of participation in governance and furtherance of the concept of universal adult suffrage or universal franchise.

“The proposed amendment may also give rise to plethooffice by incumbent contestants who may resort to public resources to satisfy the increased demands and logistics of winning party primaries.

“Direct primaries are also subject or susceptible to manipulation or malpractices as most parties cannot boast of reliable and verified Membership Register or valid means of identification which therefore means non-members can be recruited to vote by wealthy contestants to influence the outcome.

Rival parties can also conspire “It is my considered position that the political parties should be allowed to freely exercise right of choice in deciding which of direct or indirect primaries to adopt in the conduct of their primary elections as their respective realities may permit.”

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 6

NEWS

Bonnie Iwuoha’s Death Devastating, Painful, Say Editors

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (M); representative of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Ltd., Umar Ajiya (4th L); Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami (5th L); Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Babangida Husseini (3rd R) and other dignitaries during the symbolic cheque presentation for the 21 critical roads funded by NNPC through tax credit in Abuja on Tuesday (21/12/21)

By Albert Akota

T

he Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has expressed shock and sadness over the death on Monday evening of former Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Abia State and Fellow of NGE, Mr. Bonnie Iwuoha.

In statement on Tuesday signed by the NGE’s President Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the professional body of all the editors in Nigeria described the death of Iwuoha as ‘’devastating, painful and huge loss’’ to the Guild and journalism profession in Nigeria. ‘’Mr. Bonnie Iwuoha was a committed Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He served in various committees, and was the chairman of the Electoral Committee of NGE on several occasions, including our last convention in May 2021 in Kano.

His last outing in the Guild’s activities, was the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Abuja two months ago, where he was a discussant at the conference. ‘’This was typical of him: He never missed any of our activities.

He was a man of deep conviction, honest, very principled and lively. Just last week, the former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) called some Standing Committee’s members of NGE, including the President and the General Secretary, to discuss the affairs of the Guild. ‘’He said he was very proud of the present leadership of NGE, and advised us to keep up the good work and never to relent. That was how dear our professional body was to Mr. Iwuoha. He was an accomplished administrator, unionist and humanist - who struggled for over three decades to improve the welfare of journalists in the country’’, the NGE stated.

While commiserating with members of the NGE, friends, his immediate family, the government and the people of Abia State, the Guild prays the Almighty God to give his loved ones the fortitude to bear the immeasurable loss. ‘’If the earth that will cover Mr Bonnie Iwuoha will be light it is because he represented humanity, love and kindness while he lived. ‘’We will miss Mr. Iwuoha greatly. As a mark of honour, the NGE has opened a condolence register at our Secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos. Fare Thee Well, Comrade Bonnie Iwuoha’’, the guild said.

Aisha Buhari is neither pregnant nor sick -Aide

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

A

ide to Aisha Buhari,Sulaiman Haruna, has debunked the rumours that the first lady is pregnant.

Recall that photos of Aisha have been in circulation on social media in connection with insinuations that she’s with child.

The photos had surfaced after the first lady landed in Abuja on her return from the Turkey-Africa summit which she had attended with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Following the development, rumours claimed that she was suffering an ailment while other social media users alluded to

pregnancy.

But in a chat with BBC Pidgin, Haruna denied the claims while stating that the first lady is “perfectly okay”.

“I can assure you 100 percent that our first lady is perfectly okay.

She is neither sick nor pregnant as some reports claim,” he said.

“Some of these reports are

from mischief makers who don’t mean well. You know, nowadays, people can tamper with photos.”

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari got married to Aisha, 50, in December 1989.

The union has so far been blessed with five children.In 2019, the couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

Ekiti 2022: Ayu warns against anti - party activities .....As PDP reconciles 17 governorship aspirants, stakeholders

By Folorunso Abuja

Alagbede,

A

head of the January 28 governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu has sternly warned members against anti - party activities.

Ayu specifically warned that any member involved in antiparty activity will be considered as working against the PDP. The PDP National Chairman gave the warning during the stakeholders’ meeting called by the PDP national leaders and its Governors to reconcile leaders and members of its Ekiti State chapter.

Seventeen aspirants are currently jostling for the PDP governorship ticket for the next year’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

Ayu further warned that anyone caught working against the party in the June 2022 Ekiti State governorship election should be considered as walking

away from the PDP. According vto him, “The mood of the party is that of a united house. The mood of the party is that of a party that will fight together as one united force and hopefully, we should be able to recapture as many states as possible, as many members of the National Assembly, both the two houses as possible, or state houses of assembly. “We’re not going into any election to lose.

“We are going into every single election with the determination to win and I think that should be the mood of every member of the PDP family.

“It is not important to us in the leadership of the party whether you like a particular candidate or not.

“Once the party decides on the candidates, it is the responsibility of every member of the PDP family to fight for that candidate because you’re not just fighting for that candidate, you are fighting for the PDP. “So you have a responsibility to support him.

“Anybody that does otherwise

will be considered as working against the PDP, so it will be regarded as anti-party.

“The mood of the PDP today is that anybody who works against the PDP will not just walk away because we don’t want members of our party fighting against members of the party.

“We lost election because the leaders in various states and the follower ship were divided, with PDP winning or losing against PDP. That trend has to stop.

“We are very certain that the reconciliation process which we are going to carry out in virtually every state will enable us to unify the party at the ward level, at the local government level and at the state levels.

“We believe that as a family, as a party today, that no single individual can go out there and win an election, even if you are a governor.

“The governors must work with their colleagues, critical stakeholders right from the ward.

“Every order party leader in every state must be prepared to work as a team player, because party politics is like football, it is not tennis

is a team game. “And it’s only when you work as a team that you are assured of victory.

Drawn into the reconciliatory team are select members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees, Governors Forum and National Assembly Caucus.

At the meeting were governors of Sokoto, Abia, Rivers, Oyo and Benue, Aminu Tambuwal, Okezie Ikpeazu, Nyeson Wike, Seyi Makinde and Sam Ortom respectively.

Senator Walid Jibril and Senator David Mark representing the BoT, the national Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, deputy national chairmen, Amb. Umar Damagum and Amb. Taofeek Arapaja and national publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba were also in attendance.

Among the 17 governorship aspirants in attendance were; former governor Engr Segun Oni, two former deputy governors; Olusola Eleka and Senator Abiodun Olujinmi, Wale Aribisala, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, while former governor Ayodele Fayose was also at the meeting.

Kaduna communities lament health hazards of telecom mast From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

R

esidents of Imam Road, Gwaraji and Suleiman Aliyu Dili Street, Ungwan Dosa in Kaduna North Local Government Area have expressed dismay over the erection of a telecom mast in the community which is causing

health, physical, and noise pollution hazards to residents.

A member of the community who is also the Sarkin Yakin Danejin Katsina, Alhaji Bello Kagara, said the property where the mast is erected is a residential area.

He explained that members of

the community has been suffering health, physical, and noise pollution hazards because of the mast.

He lamented that the representative of the community twice met with the owner of the property who leased his residence for the erection of IHS

communications 13TS mast to no avail.

This, according to him, prompted them to seek the services of a legal practitioner Mssrs Mamman Nasir & Co who conveyed their grievances to the Coordinator of NESREA Office in the state.

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abubakar Audi, has charged personnel of the corps to be ruthless to attackers of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).

Speaking yesterday during the 3rd Commandant General’s conference in Abuja, Audi charged State Commandants to step up and ensure adequate security in various Correctional Service.

“Recently, the Honourable Minister of Interior further charged the Corps to effectively collaborate and synergize with the Nigeria Correctional Service to effectively secure our Custodial Centres across the country against marauding hoodlums who have suddenly focused their attention on attacking these centres in a bid to embarrass the Government.

CRIME NEWS

Prison break: Be ruthless to attackers - NSCDC boss charges personnel “This is an additional responsibility which must be carried out to the latter.

I therefore charge you all to ensure full implementation and compliance as you return to your various formations.

“You are expected to liaise with the Controllers of Corrections in your various states to workout modalities to effectively synergize to provide additional security to complement the security arrangements already

on ground at the various Custodial Centres. You will be adequately briefed and furnished with the list of the Custodial Centres located within your State before the end of this program.

“At the last conference, I gave a specific charge and tasked the various Directorates, Zonal and State Commands to redouble their efforts and step up their operational activities to effectively deliver on the Corps mandate and to secure

and safeguard the Nation’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure while at the same time ensure effective synergy with the Military and other Sister Security Agencies to end the spate of insecurity in the country for peace and socio economic development.”

He said “the conference provides us the opportunity to appraise our journey so far and assess the performances of each Directorate, Zonal and State Commands in the

Land dispute: Monarch urges communities to embrace peace

outgoing year. Let me recall and reiterate my earlier statement to State Commandants that your Command’s performance will be a determining factor to justify your continued stay on that seat as State Commandant.

“I therefore hope you have all put together highlights of your activities, achievements, challenges for the outgoing year and your suggestion on the way forward for an enhanced and improved performance in the coming year.”

Amina a female suspect specialising in duping people with fake alert hiding her face from camera during the of some suspect by police, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

From: Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

T

he Sarkin Tallara District, Joseph Galadima in Panda Development Area of Karu LGC in Nasarawa State has urged communities in his domain to always embrace the culture of togetherness, irrespective of tribe or religion.

Galadima made the call in his palace while addressing Mada communities of Jemage, Tuduwada, Dutse Gogo, Angwan Farin and Jagali respectively on the need to accommodate each other.

He equally charged those involved in destroying economic trees in the area for commercial purposes to desist from doing so or face the wrath of the law.

Ex-servicemen, widows protest non-payment of allowances for 24 months in Kaduna From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

R

etired Armed Forces personnel under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Veterans(CCV), has said ninety percent (90%) of its members have not been paid the Security Debarment Allowance(SDA) as well as other allowances.

This was disclosed yesterday during a peaceful protest staged by the ex-servicemen of the armed forces, alongside widows and orphans of the personnel, demanding the immediate payment of the allowance, among other entitlements.

The members which started their protest at the legion office, proceeded to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim house to submit their letter of protest to the Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-rufai.

El-Rufai decries military’s inability to reach bandit’s locations

By Egena Sunday Ode

K

aduna state Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has expressed frustrations and helplessness of his government over the inability of security forces to reach the locations of bandits terrorizing citizens in the Northwest region and his state in particular..

Recall that no fewer than 40 persons were killed by terrorists in the last few days in Kaduna State.

He met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja on Tuesday to give details of the security situation in Kaduna state where Speaking to newsmen after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Abuja, Tuesday, the governor noted that the security agencies have been overstretched as they are involved in different operations in many parts of by the country.

Responding to a question on the role of intelligence in this disturbing phenomenon, he said: “Yes, we receive security reports, we know a lot about the bandits and where they are and their activities.

“But you must understand that the intelligence has to be acted upon. And if the security forces are unwilling or unable to reach the locations where these bandits are, then there is nothing we can do as a state government.

“Federal security forces are not under our direct control. We support them, we work with them, the

intelligence is being provided, but the truth of the matter is that our military and police are very few in number and they are overstretched.”

El-Rufai noted that whereas the security forces were doing their best, their efforts are not yielding enough results.

He said: “So, you have to understand the limitations that they face before you conclude that they are not doing enough. They are doing a lot. But is it enough? Certainly not.

Much more needs to be done.

“But can they do more with the number of policemen they have and the number of soldiers? I don’t know.

We need to ramp up recruitment in the Nigerian Police, we need to ramp up recruitment in the Nigerian armed forces.

“We have too few number and our armed forces are overstretched. They are operating in several states, about 32, 33 states the last time we checked, and how many are they?

“So, we must understand the constraint that they face and sympathized with them.

“But with the acquisition of more advance equipment from Jordan, China, Turkey and the United States, we expect that the kinetic capabilities of our armed forces will be greatly improved.

“So, we hope to see the end of this insecurity.”

The governor also lamented that care has to be taken in dealing with bandits to avoid collateral damage to innocent civilians.

According to him, “there was was

a problem. Even if you know where the bandits are, you don’t want to go and bomb all of them because they may have civilians in custody.

You may have collateral damage that you may not want right handle. And without the declaration of bandits as terrorists, it might even be referred to as abuse of their human rights.”

He said the recent declaration by the Federal High Court as terrorists opens the way to fight them without limits.

“So, no one will be dragged to the international court because you killed bandits. No,” he said.

The governor maintained that Kaduna state will not negotiate with bandits as its policy is to kill them all.

On the nomenclature of the criminals, he explained: “They are bandits. If you want to call them terrorists you can call them terrorists, but we don’t want to confuse them with terrorists that we know, the Boko Haram. IPOB has been declared terrorists. We don’t call them terrorists, we call them IPOB. The nomenclature doesn’t matter.

“What matters is that they are now fair game for armed forces.”

He added: “Once you say banditry of whatever description hasbeen designated terrorists, that’s it. That gives the military the power to do what they do. What we call them is not important.

“What they are called does not matter but is the legal status of being declared terrorists that matters “The legal status is that they have been declared terrorists but which

terrorists? There are many terrorists in Nigeria. Boko Haram are terrorists.

Ansaru are terrorists.

“The ones that we have in Kaduna are bandits that have now been declared terrorists. These are people that rob, they kill, they kidnap for ransom “We call them bandits to differentiate them from the rest but they are terrorists.”

He said despite the insecurity in Kaduna, the state has continued to attracted investments even though it could have been better.

“Kaduna state is a huge state.

We have 46,000 square kilometers.

I joke with my colleagues from the southeast, Kaduna state alone can feed the five states of the southeast two and half times. It’s a huge state.

So, the fact that there is insecurity in one part does not mean there’s insecurity everywhere. It’s not Lagos, it’s not a small place at all.

“Yes, we’ve had investment summit and they have been very successful. In the last five years, we have attracted nearly $3billion in investments in spite of all these stories about insecurity because investors know that large parts of Kaduna state are quite safe, they are safe as anything,” el-Rufai stated.

He regretted the killing of 40 persons in the state by bandits, saying that even though there had been such incidents, this one was a great shock.

He called for more military intervention from the federal government in terms of security forces.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 8

NEWS

By Egena Sunday Ode

S

tate governors have dismissed speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari was acting their script by withholding assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, and Governor

CNG postpones mega pan northern summit on insecurity

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

T

he Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG has announced the postponement of its planned Mega Pan Northern Summit, from 20 to 21st December 2021to January 5 to 6th 2022 because of the festive season.

Recall that the group has declared both the Federal and States Government have failed in their responsibility to keep the country secured from incessant banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery and terrorism, especially in northern Nigeria.

It is against this backdrop they agreed to hold the Mega Pan Northern Nigerian Summit under the Chairmanship of the convener of the Northern Elders Forum, professor Ango Abdullahi to look into a profer definite solutions to the security challenges in the region.

“The Summit shall involve critical stakeholders as traditional rulers, clerics of all faiths, academics, community leaders, security personnel, students, women, youth, and all trade organizations including ASUU, COASU, NUT, NUJ, NULGE, NGE, and others”.

Electoral Act: We’re not scared of direct primaries - Governors of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, while reacting to the development said the state chief executives were merely asking for equity and fairness as they were not scared of adoption of direct primaries by political parties to select candidate for election.

He stated this in an interview with newsmen after a meeting with the president at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The Ekiti governor was emphatic that his colleague’s would not care a hoot whether the mode of primaries is direct or indirect.

He said as someone who had gone through both systems during his first and second primary elections to pick his party’s ticket, he is comfortable with either mode.

The governors forum boss also observed that by declining assent, President Buhari is standing on the side of the people as according

•Say Buhari has demonstrated courage to him, he is neither for nor against direct primaries but wants all options provided for.

Fayemi said President Buhari must therefore be commended for standing on the side of the people.

When told that governors were happy because President Buhari did not sign the bill over the mandatory direct primaries, Fayemi said: “Okay, well, I don’t know what you mean by governor’s being happy. At least as the governor who has gone through a series of elections, my election to office during my first term was via a direct primary that took place in all the 177 wards in my state. And my election to my second term in office was via an indirect primary.

“So, I’ve tasted both. And I can tell you that it really doesn’t matter to any governor whether you have primaries via direct mode or an indirect mode. What

is governors’ interest and concern is that opportunities are given for an inclusive process. And I think that is what Mr. President’s letter has brought out.

“Mr. President has not objected to direct primaries, neither has he endorsed indirect primaries. He has only said, be fair to all, let all options apply and what you decide should be determined by your own local and peculiar circumstances. Being mindful of questions of security, finances, and internal democracy.

“So, I think we all should commend the courage of Mr. President to stand with the people. And the President, you know, just like me, is not afraid of whatever mode you you decide to use.

“When I chaired the primaries, the historic primaries that brought him in as a presidential candidate, I was the chair of

Omicron cases now in 89 countries, doubling 3 days in areas with local spread – WHO

T

he Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health OrganiSation (WHO) said on Saturday.

Omicron is spreading

rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus’ ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the WHO said in an update.

The agency designated

Omicron a variant of concern on Nov. 26, soon after it was first detected, and much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness it causes.

“There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron,” the WHO said. “More data are needed to understand the severity

Sa’idu

Funtua,

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Katsina State has suspended the second quarter continuous voter registration, CVR, exercise.

The exercise has been temporarily suspended from Monday 20th December, 2021 to 3rd January, 2022.

This is contain in a statement signed by the state INEC Public Relations Officer, Buhari Abashe and made available to newsmen in Katsina on Tuesday.

The statement said from 24th30th December, 2021, there would be display for claims and objections where those who registered can draw attention to mistakes.

According to the statement, this is in respect of age, address, gender, occupation or polling units in preparation for the next quarter of the exercise which commence on the 3rd January, 2022.

The statement added that, the display will be done at the 34 INEC local government area offices in the state.

“Even those who registered at the state INEC headquarters in Katsina their particulars will appear at the LGAs, wards and polling units of their choice”, the statement concluded.

profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and preexisting immunity.”

It added, “There are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron”. (Reuters/ NAN)

From left: Representative of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Ltd., Umar Ajiya; Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami; and Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, during a symbolic cheque presentation for the 21 critical roads funded by NNPC through tax credit in Abuja yesterday

lNEC suspends CVR exercise in Katsina

From Lawal Katsina

that primaries in 2014, it was an indirect primaries.

“But in 2019, when he was coming back, he came back via a direct primary. So, Mr. President has also tasted both. And I don’t think he’s somebody to be lectured about the pros and cons of either processes.

“What is important is to ensure that whatever process you choose in your particular circumstance, still provides a process that is as free a manner as possible.

“It’s not completely free process, but at least there is something that is called substantial compliance in electoral law. And if it meets substantial compliance, I think all of us should be happy with that. We shouldn’t really dwell too much on…there’s been this exaggerated expectation that direct primaries is going to provide all answers to whatever electoral challenges that we have faced.

500 homes benefit from Peter Esele annual food donation

N

o fewer than 500 homes in Ohordua community in Esan South East Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday benefitted from the annual Peter Esele food donation to community and environs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries cut across the widows, the vulnerable as well as some residents of the community.

Esele, a former president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), while presenting the food items said that the donation was in line with the spirit of the Christmas season.

He noted that Christmas was the season of reaching out in love, sharing

and giving not just to family members and loved ones but to other people.

He also noted that it was a common knowledge that while some homes and families would be fortunate to have more than enough to eat and celebrate during the Yuletide, some others may not be so fortunate.

“So, it is in view of this that in spite of the economic downturn in the country and astronomical increase in prices of goods in the market, I decided to sustain that which we have been doing for almost a decade now.

“At least with this little gesture, I know the beneficiaries would be able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year like the privilege ones in the society.

“Again, this is a season of love

and sharing, so no better time to reach out in love than now “, the former president of the TUC said.

Mrs Martha James, a widow and beneficiary, told NAN that the annual food donation was an occasion that several others in the community and environs looked forward to every year.

She noted that this was because with what she gets her family was sure of a great Yuletide celebration.

She prayed God to keep prospering, preserving and protecting the donor, while also calling on other privileged sons and daughters of the community to emulate the donor.

Also, Mr John Aluede, another beneficiary said that the bag of rice given to him was like “manna from

heaven”.

He noted that over the last few years the donor had ensured that the widows, vulnerable as well as residents in the community and environs celebrate the Christmas and New Year in happiness.

“His type is rare. Look around, we are all happy, this young man does not know many of us, yet he does not discriminate in his gesture.

“He has been doing this for almost a decade now, making sure that every household in Ohordua as well as others within the environs have food to eat during the Yuletide.

“My prayers is that God continue to bless and increase him and his family”, he said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 9

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 10

NEWS

By Egena Sunday Ode

T

he Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Mrs Folasade Yemi-Esan, Tuesday at the State House, Abuja charged Permanent Secretaries to ensure that the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 25) becomes a reality.

Dr Yemi-Esan made this charge at the commissioning of the State House ICT Training Centre located within the State House auditorium.

“It is a great pleasure to see that Permanent Secretaries are

50 people trained on beef production in Kebbi From Ahmed idris, Birnin kebbi

N

o fewer than 50 fulani women and youths were trained on beef production in Kebbi

State.

The training was organized by the National Agency for the Great Green Wall on Tuesday.

Delivery his speech, the Director General of the Agency Dr. Bukhar Hassan said that the training was aimed at empowering the people.

The DG who was represented by the Acting Director in charge of Rural Development and extension Service Ahmed Maijidadi Bagudo, said only five communities would benefit in the four Four Local Government Areas.

HoS to Perm Secs: Take up responsibility to make Civil Service reforms work working assiduously to achieve the dream of a new Civil Service.

“The dream of the new Civil Service is a service that will be completely digitalized. By the end of 2025, there will be very little work that will be done with paper, this is the time now to start to prepare for that,” she said.

A statement by the Director of Information, State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye said the Head of Service commended the State House management for the development of its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Performance Management Objectives (PMOs) as part of the overall Civil Service reform programme.

“I am happy that the State House is right in front of the move

towards the new civil service,” she added.

She also charged the civil servants to imbibe good values that will reflect the new digitalised environment that has been made available for them to work in.

“The most important traits are our own character traits, our values, if all these things are provided and we have not imbibed the change in us, we will not be able to become effective or efficient.”

Dr Yemi-Esan used the opportunity of the event to congratulate recently promoted directorate cadre staff of the State House, urging them to “step up a bit higher because the directorate cadre determines the direction of service and rise beyond

expectations of your offices.”

The Permanent Secretary State House, Tijjani Umar said the establishment of the ICT training centre was given a priority to deepen delivery of core ICT training programmes, ICT enabled programmes and computer based examinations among others.

He added that the initiative of the 20-seat (expandable) capacity centre was “in tandem with the current effort of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to fast track the implementation of Public Sector Reforms as enshrined in the Federal Civil Service strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP-2020) and its successor (FCSSIP25) which

among others include the deployment of Enterprise Content Management System (ECM) and the Performance Management System (PMS) among others.”

He informed the Head of Service that “the State House had one of the most robust internet connectivity among MDAs as attested to by the Federal Government Service provider, Galaxy backbone and this has assisted in no small measure in modernizing our work processes.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr Temitope Fashedemi who was also at the event, congratulated Mr Umar for the feat, saying that he had also established a similar centre in his Ministry in line with the vision of the Civil Service Reforms under Dr Yemi-Esan.

Christmas: Yari donates 500 bags of rice, 15 cows to CAN in Zamfara From:Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

F

ormer Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari has distributed 500 bags of rice and 15 cows for the teeming members of Christian Association of Nigeria to enjoy the forthcoming Christmas celebrations.

Chairman of former Governor Yari-led faction of the APC, Lawal M. Liman who presented this year’s Christmas assistance

to CAN, Igbo Community Progressives Association, APC Yoruba and Igbo Wings in Zamfara State, said the provision for the X-Mas packages were considered following economic situation in the state and the nation.

Represented by the Secretary of the APC, Sani Musa Talata Mafara, the Chairman disclosed that, it has been a popular tradition since the former Governor was in power, adding that the gesture

has been sustained by him even after 3 years of his exit.

According to him, former Governor Yari and other major stakeholders of the APC in the State have kept the flag flying, adding that at the commencement of each year’s Ramadan Fasting, Ed-el Kabir and Maulud celebrations, packages of assorted grains, clothes, cows and rams were provided to the citizens of the state in all the 2,516 Polling

Units of 147 Wards in the 14 local government areas so as to cushion the people’s hardship.

The factional Chairman maintained that APC at its present trying moment needs Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar as its National Chairman because of his magnanimity, sacrifice, competence and ability to turn around its fortunnes for the better.

FG collaborates with stakeholders to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in foods

Development Partners, Mrs. Brigid Ephraim (3rd right, front row) and Leader, Pen Prime Consultancy Ltd, Prof.

Alhassan Muhammad (middle) in a group photograph with Stakeholders and participants during the Stakeholders Validation workshop on the East-West Road “Access Management and Mitigation Action Plan” , held recently in Uyo

By Amaechi Agbo

T

he federal government is seeking collaboration with relevant bodies and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to tackle the effect of Aflatoxin on food production in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr. Ernest Umakhihe who disclosed this in Abuja stated that the initiative would help to achieve proper nutrition and food security for all Nigerians as well as promote sustainable economic development.

The Permanent Secretary who was represented by Director, federal Department of Agriculture, Mrs Karima Babangida, made this known at the Inception Workshop on Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Technical Support to Aflatoxin Management and Mitigation in Nigeria.

He noted that the federal government through the ministry is prioritizing the control and mitigation of Aflatoxin contaminations in food and feed produce in Nigeria.

Group partners FG for youth empowerment

By Paul Efiong

A

foremost indigenous engineering outfit, Brightade Engineering Company limited (BECL) has stated that it is collaborating with the Federal Government through the federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in order to achieve their sole aims and objectives of embarking on massive youth empowerment in order to stem the tide of youth restiveness and crime in the country.

The group said the partnership is also the aim of World Bank

Group’s passion especially on education which is in line with the objective of BECL on certification and recertification of expertise through trainings.

The Managing Director/CEO of the company, Engr. Kenneth Koko Odohofre in an interview with journalists in Abuja stated that youth empowerment mean different things to different people.

“To politicians it means sharing of meager amount to some selected few individuals before the election to enable recipients cast their votes for them during elections while

educationists see empowerment as processes that could lead to one emotional, psychological, socio- economic emancipation or uplifting”.

The Chief Consultant of the Coy, Barrester Nwike Emmanuel explained that BECL has come up tall in order to redefine what empowerment means to Nigerians with specific reference to youths, including women of all categories with the whole objective of creating employment opportunity to jobless but qualify young men and women through contructive and meaningful engagment throughout out

Nigeria.

“Before its emergence, BECL had to investigate reasons while some with formal education certificates are not accorded opportunity to get their dream jobs in the country to enable them live meaningful lives.

According to him, the outfit equally investigated underground rationale for sharing money to jobless youths and the unemployed in recent past which saw them vote politicians into offices after which they are dumped and call thugs by the same people whom they assisted into office.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 11

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

I

Nigeria should leverage the business ranking

t is official. Nigeria is now Africa’s Nigerian capital market. It adds that the third most preferred foreign direct SEC would be rolling out a regulatory investment destination. South Africa incubator for fintech seeking to conduct and Mauritius top the chart in that order. capital market activities. One minus The ranking was done by a South African against Nigeria is that it “has continued financial services firm called Absa. Its to perform poorly in access to FX and Africa Financial Markets Index (AAFMI) has imposed administrative controls that 2021 surveyed 23 countries in Africa and expanded the number of goods subject used six pillars to rank their openness and to import restrictions, enforcing existing export repatriation rules and restricting attractiveness to foreign investment.

The AAFMI evaluates financial market FX supply to certain windows.”

AAFMI states, “While these measures development in its targeted countries and highlights economies with the most restricted capital outflows and helped supportive environment for effective keep reserves stable, market liquidity markets. The aim is to show present remained below pre-pandemic levels. positions, as well as how economies can The volatile FX market and the delays in improve market frameworks to bolster the repatriation of foreign currency out of Nigeria caused further problems. Despite investor access and sustainable growth.

AAFMI states that Nigeria scored 63 a rebound in oil prices and remittances, the FX shortage persists as points to occupy the third imports recover faster than position while the first and exports. All these factors second positions went to contributed to Nigeria’s South Africa and Mauritius poor performance in Pillar with 86 and 70 points 2,” says the report. respectively. The firm used On official borrowing, 6 pillars to evaluate the The 2021index was the reports notes that sampled nations. They were produced by the Nigeria has kept it market depth; access to foreign exchange; market Official Monetary and “relatively low”. Critics of the Buhari Presidency transparency, tax and regulatory environment; Financial Institutions say it is over borrowing. here the experts capacity of local Forum, OMFIF, and But think it is not. Who do we investors; macroeconomic opportunity; and sponsored by Absa believe, scare mongering armed chair critics or enforceability of financial Group Limited. It clear headed experts? The contracts.

Nigeria’s performance on each of showed that only report says, “At 8.4 per cent of GDP, it has the the six pillars was: market seven countries best debt profile, boosting depth, 62; access to foreign ranking by five places exchange, 20; market scored up to 50 basis its to fifth. However, with oil transparency, tax and regulatory environment, 86; points against 14 prices expected to remain relatively low, the debt capacity of local investors, 44; macroeconomic countries that reached ratio is expected to go up.”

Again, the report says opportunities, 69 and 50 points last year Nigeria has continued to enforceability of standard make strides in creating master agreement, 100. an enabling investment The report states that environment for foreign nine countries, including Nigeria, have introduced products that investors, with the necessary regulatory could be classified as green or sustainable, development and policy initiative. Added saying “green bonds are the most popular to this is the country’s enactment of instrument, being at investors’ disposal in “enforceable netting-off provisions” in its Companies and Allied Matters Act of seven countries.”

The 2021index was produced by 2020. International Swaps and Derivatives the Official Monetary and Financial Association (ISDA) has published a legal Institutions Forum, OMFIF, and opinion on Nigeria’s insolvency regime, sponsored by Absa Group Limited. It elevating it to an acceptable level of showed that only seven countries scored international best practice in netting-off up to 50 basis points against 14 countries and insolvency.s It is comforting that, despite that reached 50 points last year. On Nigeria, in particular, the report notes that Nigeria’s numerous challenges including Nigeria was one of few countries that “are insecurity, international confidence in using technology in their stock exchanges its sustainability has not waned. On the contrary, investors who left the shores to boost retail participation”.

It notes that Nigeria’s Securities and of this country at the height of the Boko Exchange Commission (SEC) launched Haram insurgency are heading back. But FinPort, a fintech and innovation portal, this does not suggest we can rest on our to assist fintech businesses to understand oars. A third position is not good enough. the regulatory requirements for the We can become number one. Why not!

“

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

OUR PEOPLE Chief Operating Officer /Editor, Hameed M. Bello, PhD Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji

HEAD, ADVERT Patrick UGAMA

OUR VISION

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

What does ASUU want this time

By Abdulkadir Salaudeen

W

hat is more, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had been on strike since March 2020—the longest strike since the creation of Nigeria (if not in history). The Union, out of generosity (or should I say patriotism), suspended the longest strike in December last year to allow the Nigerian Government do what she promised to do.

I tried hard if I could find something good to write on. Unfortunately, all the available options—topical issues—are horrifying; to say the least. A former president of Nigeria who cannot be exonerated from the mess we find ourselves said the present President has done his best and it is a waste of time to expect more.

Many could not agree less. But if that is true, I personally cannot controvert his assertion, we need heavenly intervention to survive in 2022. I mean God has to intervene.

Why 2022? Why not beyond? An average Nigeria does not think about the distant future anymore. Our concern is how to witness tomorrow—the immediate future— as death is considered nearer to many of us than our jugular veins.

It is already a norm in the present day Nigeria for newspapers to be awash with grievous and soul depressing news headlines. As someone said jokingly (though rightly), if you want to escape from the horrendous but reality shows and stories that dot our national landscape, just tune your TV set to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). That is where you see cultural displays and some other ceremonial events like book launching—as if all is well—when Nigerians are cremated on our highways as if the Country is next to Hell. NTA news indeed gives a momentary fake sense of relief.

Most Nigerians are apprehensive of the strange cloud hovering over them as we approach the end of 2021 which is about to pass over its baton to 2022. The baton is thorny and there is fear that the 2022 would not be able to hold it firmly. There is no single indicator that things will be well in 2022. This explains why many are apprehensive (including this writer).

Is it the removal of oil subsidy—which we naively thought had been completely removed in the last removal—that is not scaring enough or the new tax regime that might likely push back the frontier of poverty?

We should not forget the fact that there are multiple tax collection authorities now in Nigeria. Who you pay tax to depends on where you reside and which authority gives you ‘protection.’ Terrorists, bandits or government?

It is not also out of place to be taxed— manifoldly—by two or all of the above.

Now you understand why it is difficult to find good things to write about Nigeria at the moment.

If you think Nigeria is different from Nigerians, you are wrong. Just as Nigeria is disdained in comity of nations, Nigerians are also not left out. The erstwhile giant of Africa is seen as gi‘ant’ because it lacks the wherewithal to behave like a giant.

Our dear country is being treated like leprosy which must be disdainfully avoided. I have in mind the travel ban saga. The United Arab Emirates shut its

door—not just against Nigerians from Nigeria but—against Nigerians from any part of the world.

We are treated like pariahs just because we are Nigerians. Thank God that the international gang-up against Nigeria has been somehow resolved but there is need for serious introspection—it is as if something is fundamentally wrong with us.

What is more, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had been on strike since March 2020—the longest strike since the creation of Nigeria (if not in history). The Union, out of generosity (or should I say patriotism), suspended the longest strike in December last year to allow the Nigerian Government do what she promised to do.

But those of us who do not like to pretend were cocksure that those promises by government will not be fulfilled. It seems it is anathema to fulfil good promises in Nigeria especially if they are made by government.

ASUU leadership, though not ignorant, chose to feign ignorance of this reality— the reality that Nigerian Government is always predisposed to have ‘All Promises Cancelled’. The acronym for this is better pronounced than written.

The suspended strike—which was never called off—is overdue for resumption.

ASUU did vow to resume its regular strike without notifying the Government in case the latter fails to fulfil its promise. But ASUU was generous enough to still give three weeks ultimatum—as if to a listening government. Anyway, ASUU’s generosity only amounts to flogging a dead horse.

I sense ASUU’s foot-dragging is out of sympathy for Nigerian students. This, at the expense of its own members. While ASUU strike always come as a bitter pill, we should understand that, in Nigeria, it is an annual rite. In a previous article I wrote “ASUU is warming up again for its regular—though justifiable—annual ritual.

Not observing it seems to be a taboo.”

In the face of overwhelming insecurity, the Government is about to allow the youth roam our streets aimlessly. The consequence of ASUU strike—on our youth—in the face of incontinent insecurity can better be imagined that expressed.

If you think our President cares about anything, that he is on his way to Turkey should prove you wrong. While going to Turkey might not be a problem, the large entourage that goes with him makes an outside observer doubt if Nigeria is actually in debt, in crisis, and in blood pool.

If you think there is anything good to write about Nigeria, perhaps you are referring to a 90-year-old Katsina monarch who recently married a 20-year-old damsel. Hmm! This is what our leaders prioritize.

Since Nigerian Government is desperate to disdain and abandon us, let’s just hope our Creator shall never abandon us. While praying for leaders in Nigeria is considered a waste of time, Islam teaches that we should pray for them.

Though many are reluctant to do so, our reluctance is understandable. But for the sake of Allah, let us pray for our leaders.

May Allah guide them, rectify and ease our affairs (Ameen).

Abdulkadir Salaudeen can be reached at salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

OPINION

The powers behind the throne

By Tony Osakpamwan Agbons

I

n the day’s yore ascension to leadership position at village, community and township levels were based on age, progenitor, and exceptional acts of bravery or courage. Time was in the case of the latter, when wise and powerful warriors (men and women of renowned) got the clarion call from their kit and kin to take over the mantle of leadership. It was always a case of ‘who the caps fits, let him wear it’. Such leaders enjoyed maximum support from the people they led. In turn, those leading gave optimum service to their followers and the led enjoyed the benefits from the ones leading them. A win-win situation often played out.

In our modern world, the scenario above is seldom practicable.

The age long monarchy system by progeny is waning. Only a few climes operate absolute monarchy in the world today. Leadership ascension by age (the oldest) is still a very common practice especially in traditional African communities.

Each man or woman knows where he or she is on the queue of ascension.

When the British Union Jack was lowered on 1st October 1960, and the Green-White-Green flag of Nigeria went up, the hope, aspirations and dreams of an expectant people also went up. Nearly Sixty-one years on, the jury is out on what is turning out to be a monumental failure of unimaginable proportions.

Mention a sector – Education, Health, Agriculture, Housing, and Aviation are all inconclusive.

We have not been able to achieve uninterrupted electricity or local refining of petroleum products.

The latter a God-given commodity.

There is no roadmap, no plan nor framework that the aforementioned are changing soon. Not just the current administration, successive administrations at federal, state, and local government levels have promised so much but delivered

`atomic` little. The Nigerian people have been severely punched, beaten and battered to stupor by those who are meant to serve them. Ours has become a stage where the `servers` are the ones been `served`.

Nigeria is facing perhaps one of the most challenging periods of its nationhood. From the South to the North, West and East, and the level of apprehension is heart wrenching. Engaging in a robust discussion with some politically savvy friends recently, one of them opined that given the sorry and gory state of the country at the moment, even an angel would struggle in the saddle in Nigeria. In his words, “if you like bring Angel Michael or Gabriel, it will still be the same ten and tempest”. The rest of us did laugh it off as a comic relief talk although deep inside of us, we knew that an angelic intervention is highly desired to free our nation from the grip of a demonic political class. Our draconian political class have turned themselves into venomous demigods feasting on our commonwealth and psyche of the hapless citizens.

In the realms of the spirit, there is a strong belief in the supernatural.

It is a realm where the unmoveable and eternal force of nature hold sway. It is a realm where divine orders and instructions are carried out by creatures with unimaginable powers. These creatures are imbued with abilities and capacity beyond human comprehension. They are endowed with supersonic, spatial, and magnetic powers with which they transverse terrestrial and aquatic environments in a flash.

As cosmic beings, they display extraordinary strength beyond human comprehension. The nearest description most of us hold about such high octane powers is the 1978 American superhero movie – Superman. This Krypton being was always on a rescue mission whenever the need arises. Nigeria could well do with some Supermen and women right now. A singular entity certainly

would not suffice like in the movie.

We need a new species of men and women whose fingers have not been soiled. We need men and women who are prepared to come to equity with clean hands.

Yes, a new breed of men and women with a hybrid DNA of purity, selflessness, sacrifice, and servitude for the common good. How can the Augean stable be cleaned? What moral imperatives are required to decapitate the fangs of wickedness in high and low places plaguing our country? Firstly, in wiping the National slate clean, a new crop of leadership must emerge across the country. This new offspring has to be preceded by a complete mindset reset of the Nigerian people. The Nigerian people who are daily been stabbed by the sword of corruption, insecurity, deception and inept leadership by the current ruling class needs to wake up from sleep and slumber. Until the ordinary Nigerian realise and understand that sovereignty is theirs, the `satanic political class` will continue to take us for a ride. In this connection, a people’s movement is a sine-quanon.

Secondly, in galvanising a popular people-centred movement, the animosity ordinary Nigerians have towards one another has to abate. It is often said that ‘a society deserves the kind of leaders it gets’.

Truth be told, our current ruling class are not from Pluto. They are not ghosts! They are flesh and blood like us and live amongst us. Some may argue that it can never be possible to harness and unify ordinary Nigerians for a common cause. Up and until now, that assertion could sell, but not anymore. The current hardship, abject poverty, insecurity, social and economic challenges is a turnaround factor. No single Nigerian on the lower rung of the ladder can deny this fact. The dire situation we are in is as clear as ABCD. Thirdly, the age long conviction among the Nigerian people that, ‘our

election votes don’t count’ must be jettisoned as story for the gods. It is a big lie from the sulphuric pit and gates of hell. It is obvious that our votes during elections do matter, and it counts. Surely it counts! If votes don’t count, why then do politicians buy votes, pay for votes, and go the whole hug of using every available means to coerce and secure votes to win elections. C’mon Nigerian people, forget about that `they will rig the election crap`. Let us use our tongue to count the teeth in our mouth. My vote does count, and your vote do count. Do not be deceived.

Our ‘Mumu’ don do!

Fourthly, a major hurdle in our democratic evolution is our party system and candidates’ selection process. Ours is purportedly a multiparty state which has shipwrecked into a bogus 2-party system. The current two heavyweight parties – The All Progressive Congress, APC and the People Democratic Party, PDP consist of ‘cross-pollinated’ membership. We can count on fingertips, politicians who have not criss-crossed either the APC or PDP in last twenty-one years.

These politicians move ‘upandan’ like butterflies from one flower to another. The result has been a lack of defined ideologies by either the APC, PDP, or the other political parties in this dispensation. To further add salt to injury, the two major parties have a process of candidate selection that promotes moneybag politics. In the last Anambra State Governorship elections (like others before it), expression of interests and nomination forms sold for over Twenty million naira per candidate.

This is a huge joke. It is true that political parties generate funds from sale of nomination forms in the short term, but long term, such high financial requirements dissuade credible candidates from joining the fray. How many honest-earning Nigerians can afford to pay over twenty million naira just to pick up expression of interest/nomination

forms in these political parties? This method of selling nomination forms to the highest bidder is responsible for the numerous cases of ‘Political Godfatherism’ in our polity. We all know for sure that ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune’. A membersdriven political party system is the antidote for the current winner takes all system we practice. Political parties can be run as a collective and members put in monthly contributions as dues. Donors to the parties can also be regulated using appropriate legislations to prevent abuse and hijacked by moneybags.

Finally, it was Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States of America that delivered the all-time classic; “Democracy is government of the people for the people and by the people”. Those evergreen words have remained a moral barometer that has defined the tenets of human freedom, association and nation building not just in America but the world over.

Since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy, the average Nigerian has been inundated with promises of a better life. Hope has turned to hopelessness, despair, frustration, and anger. As the magical year 2023 beckons and permutations cloud the nation, the political hawks are primed to strike again, and the people seem bewildered and disillusioned.

The names of would-be candidates been flown do not engender buzz or excitement. It is same old, same old.

Fellow Nigerians, let`s be wise. We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect to get a different result. This time around, Nigerians across the divide must rally in unity of thought, words, and action to save our country. We must remember that if we relax, sit on the fence, and do nothing, the throne of our nationhood will be ours to lose. The Nigerian people must understand that we are the real power behind the throne. Fact!

Dr Agbons is founder of the Institute of Good Governance

nonetheless, miracles happen, they happen only when we do terrific work to get them.

The youth is not the solution; the youth is only a reflection of the problems that plague our country.

Regrettably, what many of us took away from the END SARS protests was that we just needed to replace the old leaders with Youths, as much as I want this to be true, it is not. Complex problems require a diversity of perspectives, no age group is immune to corruption and other ills in our country. We have seen young people do the noblest things, and old people commit crimes against humanity, and vice versa.

This fight is not a fight of the youths; it is a fight of all Nigerians.

Come to think of it, what fight are we talking about? “Don’t fight forces, use them” – Buckminster Fuller. Nigerians have long been fighting forces they see as opposed to the prosperity of the country, every time it looks like they were

about to win the fight they always faced a defeat, this is because those they fight are the masters in the fight, they designed the system and they are very artful when they use it to achieve their aims. The time for a rethink of this fight is long overdue, and we must now start looking for ways we can use these forces to get what we want for Nigeria. We need to start looking at these issues within the frame of the Nigerian constitution and start exploring ways provided therein to get what we want.

We need to stop looking at the political and economic system of the country as an oppressor vs oppressed situation. The reality is the all of us are oppressors to some other person, we are all oppressors in our rights. The only villains are the ones we created for ourselves, as much as we love our heroes we must try to understand the villains.

We must avoid acquiring moral power, it is useless, over time. It does not do any work.

Youth is not the solution

By Tim Ojo-Ibukun

W

e need to stop looking at the political and economic system of the country as an oppressor vs oppressed situation. The reality is the all of us are oppressors to some other person, we are all oppressors in our rights. The only villains are the ones we created for ourselves, as much as we love our heroes we must try to understand the villains.

We must avoid acquiring moral power, it is useless, over time. It does not do any work.

Don’t fight forces, use them. — Buckminster Fuller.

I have a question for you. Did you join the END SARS protests, either online or on-ground just because it was what every other person was doing or you joined because you genuinely sought a change in the Nigerian polity?

It has been over a year since we witnessed the carnage that happened at Lekki, Lagos, that

event that happened on 20/10/20 was the hallmark of the protests.

One thing we must avoid is collapsing the entire movement into that god-awful event.

Judicial panels of inquiry have since been operating all over the country, and in Lagos state, we have seen the Lagos state government and the Nigerian army going back and forth, I just laugh whenever I see them in the headlines.

The Nigerian police have asked a court to stop the activities of the panel but later withdrew the case, the attitude of the government and various organs of government, ipso facto, make the efforts of those panels futile, just like the ones the country has had in the past.

What was your answer to the ask that opened this piece?

Peradventure you were genuinely interested in the cause, this is the time you avail yourself with the necessary knowledge you need to play your part and make sure that we collectively create change

and get justice for those that deserve it. Justice isn’t just getting some culprits behind bars but understanding and appropriately tackling the system that allows impunity to reign.

Che Guevara, an Argentine revolutionary said that the first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated. You most certainly do not see yourself as a revolutionary, but what you are part of is a massive and complicated process that will change the Nigerian polity for good, for the rule of law to reign supreme.

You must take serious your duty of understanding the situation.

This country would be a lot better if we all knew a little more.

In this process, we must avoid overthinking the situation, we must not be too hasty to draft solutions too, this would mean underthinking the situation and show incomprehension of the system. Saying the situation is not complicated or easy to solve will be blatant deceit of ourselves,

PAGE 13

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

COMMENT

Nigerian children and a game of chess

By Kene Obiezu

C

hildren who knew nothing but cruelty, poverty and illiteracy are seeing the scales ripped off their eyes by the game of chess and one mans courage of conviction. In his late twenties, Mr. Onakoya attributes his compassion for the children to the transformational power the game of chess wielded over his own life.

In Lagos State, out of the inexhaustible milk of one mans human kindness and the incomparable game of chess, hope is springing eternal for some of Nigerias poorest children.

In Majidun, a slum suburb in Nigerias commercial capital Lagos, and Makoko, the worlds largest floating slum on the coast of Lagos, Chess in Slums Africa, founded by the inimitable Mr. Babatunde Onakoya, Nigerias chess national master, is reaching some of Nigerias most deprived children with the flames of redemption.

At once, Lagos State captures the defiance of the Nigerian spirit and the debilitating despair and desolation that desperately seek to break it. A microcosm of Nigeria, the Center of Excellence’ hosts Nigerians from every state and expatriates from every country of the world.

People escape the hopelessness of their rural villages and go to Lagos, Nigerias land of endless possibilities, in search of greener pastures for themselves and their families.

But the possibilities in Lagos come at a cost – a cost so steep it is backbreaking. Nigerias commercial nerve center and center of excellence is also Africas capital of thuggery where the government patronizes thugs.

The state also proved a spacious graveyard for Nigerias young when on October 20,2020, at the invitation of the Lagos State Government, state actors rained bullets on young people whose only crime was protesting against police brutality. Their blood continues to cry out against Nigeria from the grounds of the Lekki toll gate. Life in Lagos is cut-throat. Ranked by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) Survey 2021 as second worst city to live in only after Damascus in war-torn Syria, many have disappeared into its bottomless underbelly, never to re-emerge. For children, Nigerias endangered species, Lagos holds many bogeymen.

There are the slums, Makoko being the most notorious, where children are born into poverty, live in poverty and die in poverty.

Then, there are the streets

where mercy is a mirage and the vulnerabilities of children are vaporized by the vulpine viciousness of some of Nigerias crudest criminals. In Lagos, vice is gold. It is into this paradoxical story of pain and power that Babatunde Onakoya, Nigerias chess national master steps in, offering the game of chess to children like Prometheus offering to men the gift of fire stolen from the titans.

Already, young lives have been transformed forever in refulgent testament to the unaccountable journey that kindness can make.

Children who knew nothing but cruelty, poverty and illiteracy are seeing the scales ripped off their eyes by the game of chess and one mans courage of conviction. In his late twenties, Mr. Onakoya attributes his compassion for the children to the transformational power the game of chess wielded over his own life. It is truly heartwarming. In the same State where inebriated truck drivers fleeing from powerdrunk LASTMA officials reduce kids returning from school to blood and bones, chess is shining a light into the stygian darkness of sewage-ridden slums which is the only home some children know.

In a State where cultism and drug abuse threaten to

tear away every last vestige of childish innocence, one youths courage is making a generational difference. In a State where unarmed youth were massacred for nothing but protesting against institutionalized brutality, a youth armed with nothing but chess and compassion for children is showing the transcendental power of kindness.

In a country where the President indiscreetly branded youths lazy, in 2018, and in a State where government officials do everything they can to avoid disadvantaged neighbourhoods, it is a youth who carries the torch of hope to the depths of Nigerian despair.

Nigerias redemption will rise out of the ribs of children and young people. Out of those ribs unclogged by the bottomless wickedness of corruption and nepotism will come the breath that will cause the waters of a new Nigeria to flow. The aging kleptocrats who rule the country continue to outdo themselves in their bid to raise a new generation of Nigerians destitute of patriotism and compassion.

Nigerian youths and children must recognize that belongs to Nigeria belongs them and will eventually be left to them when death, the great neutralizer, finally reduces the hands

that currently hold power in Nigeria to dust. It is why they must persevere and preserve themselves even as they seek an immediate transfer of power under the Not Too Young To Run Act. In a country where politicians use children and youths as pawns in the deadly game of politics, it is fitting that it is through the agency of a youth that the game of chess is making kings and queens out of them. The Not too Young to Run Act is yet to realize its many potentials. But the task of rebuilding Nigeria remains an urgent one. The task falls to young people.

In a contest organized by Chess in slums Africa, Adeoye Fawaz an 18-year-old who worked as a bus conductor and lived under a bridge in Lagos until recently beat fifty other young people to emerge the overall champion in both chess and mental maths. For the occasion, Mr. Babatunde Onakoya got the kids a haircut, new kaftans and new black shoes before Fawaz went on to become an improbable champion.

It is out of the hearts of young people that the dawn of a new Nigeria will break.

Thank you Babatunde!

Kene Obiezu can be reached keneobiezu@gmail.com

Turbaning ceremony of first Kaakaakeey Adamawa

By Muhammad Usman Auwal

W

hen the news of the notification of the turbaning ceremony of Professor Abubakar Abba Tahir as the first Kaakaakeey Adamawa filtered by the Lamido of Adamawa Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, Ph.D, CFR, the fond memories of his intellectual guidance, inspirational support, and patriotic zeal suddenly pop up in my mind. Indubitably, the title is bestowed on the communication expert, armed with a distinguished conventional journalism career spanning television, newspaper and radio broadcasting and is the first time in its over 200 years of existence that the richly cultural and profoundly historic Fombina Emirate would witness this kind of epic turbaning ceremony on the 1st January, 2022. The position is sensitive with enormous responsibility as a mouthpiece for the emirate with a statutory charge for information repository and protocol affairs.

As enunciated by the Roman

lawyer; statesman & scholar; Marcus Cicero: “gratitude is not only the greatest virtues but the parent of all others”.

Drawing inspiration from the quotes above by one of the greatest human philosophers, a sacred commendation is warmly required to appreciate the founder of Konngol Silvertongue; Media & language Institute, being the only Institute of its kind in entire northeast Nigeria.

It is a fitting moment to make this point crystal clear as I join his family to congratulate him and appreciate the Lamido of Adamawa for a wise choice in rew arding compet ence, excellence and selfless service.

This January 2022 makes it precisely seven glorious years

since the Konngol Silvertongue; genre of communication was introduced in Yola. This institute spurred what is today regarded as the “Public Speaking Revolution” in Yola and the growing clout has attracted dignitaries far and near.

Delightedly, it was on the premises of this that we heard the presence of the institute, Dauda Abdulkadir (First Class Governor) and I embarked on a fact-finding visit to Hurum Bilkisu Fortress (an edifice housing many wards including the Institute). We were warmly received by the Founder (Kaakaakeey) and out of his magnanimity he mandated us to nominate thirty people to participate as the first class of

“

2016 and graciously waived any form of payment for what he described as part of his corporate social responsibility. This and many more are too numerous to scribble down here and never forgotten rather heart remains most certainly appreciated.

The ardours training we were subjected, made us discover that the Kaakaakeey’s humility is his greatest strength, a humble man who never carried away with intellectual prowess, indeed he was a scholar who commands the imagination of his students/ participants through the lenses of knowledge, creativity, activity and above all drawing straight line between stage freight and failure.

Kaakaakey is sufficiently

The ardours training we were subjected, made us discover that the Kaakaakeey’s humility is his greatest strength, a humble man who never carried away with intellectual prowess, indeed he was a scholar who commands the imagination of his students/ participants through the lenses of knowledge, creativity, activity and above all drawing straight line between stage freight and failure

grounded in an inky profession a nd a c o mmu ni c ato r w i th unparallel accolades. He has equally risen through the pinnacle of his career as an astute broadcaster who trained a retinue of media professionals and significantly bestrode the profession maximally. In education, He has paid his dues as the AUN’s second Vice President University Relations and Adjunct Professor in the Communications and Multimedia Design programme (CMD).

He is fatidically gifted with intellectual sagacity, polyglot’s knowledge and oratory skills which are adorned with pulsating jazz often with tantalization. This has made his presentation so super special.

I am happy to state with every sense of pride that January 1st, 2022 is a day of gratitude, nostalgia, emotions and fulfillment. Allah sabbinane Barkamah.

Muhammad Usman Auwal writes from Abuja and can be reached @ auwalja2@gmail. com.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 14

NEWS Killings: Commission of Enquiry begins sitting in Niger From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

J of

udicial Commission of Enquiry in to the killings, injury and abduction several persons in some

communities in Mashegu local government area of Niger state has commenced sitting with assurance to be fair and just to all parties in its proceedings.

The chairman of the commission, Hon. Justice Danladi Ahmed disclosed this during the inaugural sitting yesterday in Minna, saying that the terms of references would be strictly

followed to the later .Justice Danladi Ahmed emphasized that the commission was mainly for facts finding into the killings in Maza - Kuka, Kulho, Addogo Mallam and environs of Mashegu local government of Niger state hence the need to gather facts and recommend appropriately to government for implementation.

He assured all stakeholders of non victimization .He added that the witnesses are not suspects on trial, neither under prosecution .He informed that evidences would be used in accordance with the references of setting up the commission as witnesses will be cross examined ,just as court proceedings must

be strictly followed and charged for the support and cooperation of all to achieve success.

In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Matane maintained that all the required logistics has been provided to have an enabling environment for effective and efficient service delivery by the commission.

By Egena Sunday Ode

Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.

President Buhari said the sympathies of the entire nation were with the affected families.

“I assure the people with all seriousness and sensitivity that this administration is doing its

best to safeguard the security of people and will leave no stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of this senseless and barbaric incident, and bring them to justice,” he said.

He also expressed condolences to the government and people

of the State, and expressed satisfaction with the immediate response of the State government to the incident, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

My wife threatened to kill my Nasarawa killings heart wrenching, says Buhari first wife, children, P Man tells court resident Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the heart-wrenching murder of 45 farmers and scores injured following renewed hostilities in Lafia, Obi and Awe

3A 59-year-old surveyor, Adeoye Akintoye, asked a customary court in Igando, Lagos on Monday to dissolve his marriage to Modupe, alleging that she threatened to kill his first wife and children.

“When we met, I told her that I had a wife and four children, and she became pregnant with me.

“He threatened to commit suicide if I refused to marry.

Initially Modupe wanted me to divorce my first wife so that she could be the only wife, but when I refused. She vowed to kill her and the children, ”he said.

He accused his wife of being naughty.“He came to my church with his son and introduced himself as my wife. I warned him not to. Because I didn’t want my church to know that I had a second wife because I’m a deacon and a showgirl.

“My church is against polygamy. I will be severely punished now that Modupe has exposed me, ”he added.

Responding to the allegations, 36-year-old shopkeeper Modupe accused her husband of infidelity.

I caught him in bed with his other lovers. It deprived me of sex and turned me into a punching bag, ”he said.

The president of the court, Adeniyi Koledoye, postponed the case until February 10 for an additional hearing.

President Muhammadu Buhari receives Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir Ahmed El Rufai accompanied by his Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan during a meeting at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Niger govt punishes erring medical workers for misconduct From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

N

iger State Government said it had sanctioned some senior medical workers for negligence and discovered one of its staff had been receiving salaries for over three years without stepping into any hospital or the Ministry of

Health.

The commissioner for health, Dr Mohammed Makunsidi while addressing Journalists at government house in Minna, said that the sanctions ranging from sack to demotion were invoked on some senior professionals in the health sector for “ gross professional

misconduct”.

Makunsidi also stated that there was also a shocking revelation where a member of staff of the ministry was found to be officially on Grade Level 4 but had been drawing the salary of a Grade level 14 officer.

The commissioner said the most appalling was the case of

a doctor and some nurses in one of the hospitals found culpable in the death of a pregnant woman for alleged negligence.

He hinted that the medical doctor is now on the run having been discovered to have opened a private hospital where he was diverting patients.

Again FRSC battle to clear Obajana gridlock

T

he Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, fought Monday to clear a traffic jam on the Kabba-ObajanaLokoja highway in Kogi.

The Nigerian News Agency reports that there was indeed a traffic jam on the Obajana road between 12:30 and 13:00 on Friday, which took staff 30 minutes to clear.

NAN reports that trucks belonging to Dangote and private individuals fought for a space on the road.

Motorists and commuters traveling

from Lagos to Abuja and those from Abuja to Lagos were stuck Monday morning in heavy traffic in Lokoja.

More disturbing is the attitude of truck drivers on Line III and Coal Yard.

Solomon Agure, the state corps sector commander, told NAN that “the stalemate arose as a result of a disagreement on how to pack their trucks.

“My officers and men rose to the challenge and sweated to address the situation as traffic increased.

“As I told you last time, a five-minute blockade on the Kabbah-Obajana – Lokoja highway will create a serious traffic jam and subject other motorists and committees to incalculable difficulties.

“Thank goodness FRSC was aware of the situation and was sweating before checking the situation around 11.00 am,” explained the FRSC chief.

Mr. Agure described the situation as “very unfortunate” and more “disturbing”, so many people are moving to spend

Christmas and New Years with their loved ones.

“FRSC staff were aware of the situation and would do everything possible to ensure that traffic flows easily along Obajana Road,” he said.

Contacted, Dangote traffic controller Samuel Ogunkoya blamed the situation on impatience on the side not only of truck drivers but other drivers on the road.

Ogunkoya denied the allegation that only Dangote trucks are at fault for the incident.

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

C

onference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has described as “not surprising” the rejection of the amended Electoral Act 2010 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

While reacting to the news that President Buhari has withheld assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and returned the Bill to the National Assembly, the CNPP in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, said “what would have been shocking is Mr. President assenting the bill.”

Giving reasons for its submission, the CNPP said “Nigerians should recall that President Buhari had excuses for refusing to sign the Electoral Act Amendment three times during the life of the 8th National Assembly led by Dr. Bukola Saraki.

“Even when the National Assembly removed all the clauses Mr. President stood against following his second rejection of the amendment to the Act, President Buhari still rejected the Bill, claiming that the 2019 election was too close for him to sign the Bill into law.

“So, it was not surprising that the President refused to sign the latest amendment to the Electoral law. It follows his tradition.

“First, it is obvious that President Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are not interested in free and fair elections in Nigeria.

They vehemently stood against electronic transmission of election results.

CNPP says nothing shocking over Buhari’s rejection of Electoral Act Amendment Bill “And here is a President and a political party that are beneficiaries of reformed electoral process but fail all the time to deepen the same democratic process that brought them to power.

“Unfortunately, we have a “Yes Sir” National Assembly that have no balls to veto the Bill and meet the expectations of Nigeria.

“The President’s reasons for not assenting the bill are baseless compared to the gains of a free and fair elections to the country and her people.

“There is the information flying around that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has a governorship ambition. So, being someone in government,

and protecting the status quo to possibly become a beneficiary of the current biased electoral process, won’t be impossible.

“His reported advice to Mr. President not to assent the Bill is therefore understandable as an interested party and a member of the political party in power.

“The APC itself and their populated national Assembly

cannot be taken seriously on issues that bother on deepening electoral process and reforms in the electoral system.

“Their main fears centre on electronic transmission of results and direct primary which would have swept the current leaders in APC out of power in 2023 for failing to deliver on their electoral promises”, the CNPP concluded.

Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (L) receives the report of the 25-man Implementation and Advisory Committee for the Reform of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria, from the Chairman of the Committee and a former Chief of Army Staff (1994-96), retired Maj.Gen. Alwali Kazir, during a ceremony in Abuja on (20/12/21).

Senate okays Finance Bill, extends capital implementation till March 2022

By Musa Baba Adamu

T

he Senate on Tuesday passed the Finance Bill 2021, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 7, 2021.

The passage of the bill two weeks later, followed the consideration of a report by the Joint Committee on Finance; Customs, Excise and Tariff; Trade and Investment.

Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, in his presentation, said the bill seeks to support the implementation of the 2022 Federal Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability by proposing key specific taxation, customs, excise, fiscal and other relevant laws.

According to the lawmaker, a total of twelve Acts were amended under the finance bill which contains thirty-nine clauses.

He added that the bill seeks to promote fiscal equity, align domestic tax laws with global best practice, introduce tax incentives for infrastructure and capital markets, support small businesses and promote increase government

revenue.

“The Finance Act 2020 was predicated essentially on having no new taxes and no new incentives due to the COVID -19’s impact on the economy as such it was structured across four broad thematic areas; Enacting counter cyclical measures and crisis intervention initiatives; Tax, fiscal responsibility, and public procurement reforms; Reforming fiscal incentives policies for job creation; Ensuring closer coordination of monetary, trade and fiscal policies; and Enhancing tax administration”, Senator Adeola said.

The Joint Committee, based on its observations, accordingly, recommended 5 percent Capital Gains Tax to be imposed on shares’ disposal transactions where gains exceed N250m in 12 calendar months.

It recommended that Gaming and Lottery Companies be taxable, as well as Oil and Gas Companies.

It underscored the need for Midstream and Downstream Oil and Gas Companies to be made liable to corporate tax without the benefit of tax exemptions for firms exporting goods to earn foreign exchange.

The Committee observed that doing so would prevent DoubleDipping by Gas Utilization Companies such that they cannot claim both (1) 3-year Tax Holidays; as well as (2) Petroleum Profit Tax Act Incentives or (3) Pioneer tax Holidays under IDITRA. The Joint Committee advocated for qualifying Capital Expenditure rules for small and pioneer Companies, to prevent double dipping by mandating that Companies cannot deduct qualifying Capital Expenditure to reduce their taxable profits where the relevant qualifying Capital Expenditure is used to generate tax - exempt income.

It sought more powers for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect NPTF levies on Nigerian Companies on behalf of the fund and to streamline tax levy collection from Nigerian Companies in line with President Buhari administration’s ease of doing business reforms.

The Joint Committee also harped on the need for the Federal Government to ensure that FIRS deploys both proprietary and third-party tech applications to collect information from taxpayers, enhance confidentiality and non-

disclosure and to enable them investigate tax evasion and other crimes and sanction non-compliant tax payers.

It further called for FIRS to be empowered to assess Non-Resident Firms to tax on fair and reasonable turnover basis on Turnover earned from digital services to Nigerian customers, with a further mandate to appoint persons for the purpose of collection and remittance of non- resident taxes.

The Committee demanded necessary reforms on securities lending transactions, minimum Tax for Insurance Companies and Companies in general, Taxation of Unit Trust Income, Real Estate Investment Trust, and Insurance Companies Capitalization by NAICOM in line with Tax Equity.

It urged the government to mandate FIRS as Principal Tax Revenue Collection Agency to collaborate with other law enforcement MDAs in streamlining Tax Collections by enhancing Public Financial Management reforms.

According to the Joint Committee, doing so would reduce revenue leakages and better track actual expenditure to revenue performance in line with the

provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended), Fiscal Rules and other Extant Money Acts.

It also called for the diversification of Nigeria’s revenue from Oil sector to other sectors to fund critical expenditures.

The Committee while demanding an increase of 0.5 percent in educational tax, pushed for close monitoring of unfolding development and policies on VAT, Tax Incentives, Projected increase Tariff on Tobacco, Alcohol and Carbonated drinks to fund vital expenditure on Health, Education and Security, with a possibility of introduction of new taxes, tariffs and levies as the economy recovers.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday also passed a bill to amend the 2021 Appropriations Act. The bill sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, scaled through second and third reading after it was considered during plenary.

The 2021 Appropriations Act (Amendment) bill seeks to extend the implementation of the Capital aspect of the Appropriation Act 2021 from December 31, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 16

POLITICS

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) national leadership has thrown its weight behind the Basil Ejidike led party stakeholders in Anambra State, even as it refused to accede to the request by Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, that the Caretaker Committee in the State led by Ejidike, be dissolved.

A statement issued yesterday by the Director, Media and

Jigawa Assembly passes N177.795,588bn 2022 budget

By Musa Baba Adamu

J

igawa State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the 2022 appropriation bill of N177.795,588bn into law.

The state appropriation was signed shortly after the committee on appropriation submitted its report.

The report was submitted by the chairman of the committee on appropriation Suleiman Musa Kadira.

Governor Badaru Abubakar had on Wednesday 10th November 2021, presented the sum of N177.795,588 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly for the 2022 fiscal year.

The budget which was tagged “Budget of Consolidation for Sustainable Socioeconomic Development”, succeeded the 2021 Budget of Sustained Economic Growth and Social Transformation” Kadira said the executive considered the whole sector of the economy and eventual improvement of the leaving standard of the teeming population of the state.

He said the personnel cost was earmarked the sum of N53b,035,588,00, recurrent expenditure N33b,923,000,000 while the capital development programmes was aggregated the sum of N90b,837,000,000.

Speaker of the House of Assembly Idris Garba Kareka commended the house committee on finance and appropriation for their efforts in considering the best budget.

APC backs Ejidike as authentic party Chairman in Anambra, shuns Ngige

Publicity, Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO), Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, said APC National leadership described the actions and members of the party loyal to Ngige as dissidents.

Recall that Ngige had during the State caucus meeting of the Party at his Asokoro, Abuja residence on Friday, December 11, called for the dissolution of the State Caretaker Committee led by Ejidike.

“The Meeting calls on the National Caretaker Committee and Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee to implement the above and dissolve the present Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State chapter and put in place a 7-man Interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the Party in the state and oversee the

conduct of all congresses of the Party in Anambra State, to hold in a fortnight after the New Year,” a communique which came out from the Ngige’s group meeting had requested.

But in response, the national headquarters of the APC rather, described the activities of Ngige’s group as that of “dissidents”, even as it recognized Ejidike’s position as Anambra State Chairman of the Party.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command - and copied to Heads of all Security Agencies in Anambra State - dated December 16, 2021 and signed by Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), APC said: “In recent times, the National Secretariat of our Party has been inundated

with reports of activities of some dissidents and fifth columnists within the fold of our Party in Anambra State.

“Therefore this correspondence becomes imperative, not only to clarify the fact that there is no fractionalization of our Party in Anambra, but also to call on your office to use the resources at their disposal to curtail such nefarious activities and bring the culprits to book.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Hon.(Sir) Basil Ejidike is the State Chairman of APC in Anambra State and has the mandate of the National Secretariat to relate with the security agencies on our behalf on all matters pertaining to his State Chapter,” the APC scribe stated.

Recall that State Caucus meeting of Anambra APC held at Andy Ubah’s office in Maitama, Abuja, had not only passed a vote

of confidence on Ejidike and his State Caretaker Committee, but also accepted and adopted the Report and Actions taken by his Executive, including the suspension handed down to the former state secretary, Chukwuma Agufugo and erstwhile Publicity Secretary, Okelo Madukaife.

The Maitama Anambra caucus meeting was attended by former Senators, current and former members of the House of Representatives, current and former Presiding and Principal Officers of the State House of Assembly, 14 out of 17 members of the State Caretaker Committee (SCC), a former Minister, current and former zonal and national officers officers of the Party, as well as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the Party in the recently held Anambra gubernatorial election.

R-L: NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, Acting Director, Special Duties NYSC, Alhaji Musa Abubakar and Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations Department NYSC, Mr Emeka Mgbemena., during the DGs interactive section with Journalist covering the organization, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

APC to PDP: Politicising anti-banditry efforts insensitive to victims, troops

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its insinuations that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is insensitive to the heinous activities of bandits in parts of the country.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the party urged Nigerians to take the such insinuations by the opposition for what it is and as being politically motivated.

APC said the comment is both callous and insensitive to victims and Nigeria’s gallant troops battling to end their criminal activities of the bandits.

“The regrettable attempt to turn a tragic situation into an object of politicking crosses the line of political decorum. True to form, the PDP continues to expose its desperate politics in which all is fair, including unguarded statements mocking the travails of citizens and efforts of security services to score political points.

“The PDP playing politics with the evil activities of bandits, insurgents and other criminal rings which had their roots in PDP’s shabby handling of their criminal activities

during their formative stages, has exposed PDP as unpatriotic, banal and a wobbling oppostion.

“While the PDP wallows in its delusions to score cheap points, the President Buhariled APC administration has strengthened our security services, particularly the Armed Forces through military procurement and strategic training which has led to great successes against insurgents, bandits and kidnappers”, APC said in the statement.

Further, the party said this included the dispatch of high-level security/assessment delegations and delivery of relief items to affected citizens by the National Disaster Management Agency (NEMA).

It said a case in point is the recent bandit attack in Sokoto State, where hours after the visit to the state by the federal delegation, Armed Forces, elements of the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force operations, neutralised dozens of the bandits and kidnappers, restored calm in the affected area.

It said the government of Sokoto state has commended the federal government’s prompt deployment of elite troops who smoked out the bandits and eliminated many of them.

The APC assured Nigerians therefore that President Buhari has not and will never relent in ensuring normalcy in all parts of the country.

PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

Tinubu, Akande must intervene in Ekiti APC zoning crisis – Group

By Musa Baba Adamu

A

s agitations for the zoning of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket to Ekiti South Senatorial District begin to shake the party’s foundation, a group, the Ekiti South APC Mandate, has appealed to the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the party’s first interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, to intervene in the conundrum and save the zone from perpetual marginalisation.

It appealed to the leadership of the party to prevail on Governor Kayode Fayemi to retrace his stand and support the zone for justice, equity, fair play and oneness to be entrenched in the state.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, the group’s Coordinator, Dr Michael Orimoloye, described the support being allegedly given by Governor Fayemi to the immediate past SSG, Biodun Oyebanji, as a betrayal of trust and disrespect to the zone.

In this regard, Orimoloye appealed toTinubu and Akande, who are respectable APC leaders in the southwest and Nigeria, to appeal to Governor Fayemi to embrace zoning, which was the same political matrix that launched him into power in 2007.

“We will like to appeal to the national leadership of APC to prevail on Dr Fayemi to reverse himself on the move to impose a candidate from Ekiti Central, failure which our party will lose the general election.

“It marvelled us that Governor Fayemi, who was the major beneficiary of zoning in APC could treat the south this way.

“In the last governorship election, Governor Fayemi won four out of the six local governments in the south to clinch victory despite the fact that the PDP candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola is from the zone. The impression then, which is now turning erroneous was that he will consider the zone for governorship after his second term tenure.

“In the countdown to the 2007 election in Action Congress, we knew the virulent agitations made

by Governor Fayemi and many of us from other zones for the North to get the ticket.

“At a time, it became North affairs with the emergence of Segun Oni from PDP. Why can’t this patriotic and justiceable gesture be reciprocated for political stability and trust?

“We remember with nostalgic feelings and relish, how Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had intervened then and we urge the national leader of APC to come to the aid of Ekiti South Senatorial district the same way he assisted Ekiti North to produce the Governor,” he said.

POLITICS

PDP Senators rant as Buhari rejects Electoral Act Amendment Bill

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday threatened to invoke section 58 (4 & 5) of the 1999 Constitution to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto against the 2010 Electoral Act Amendment Bill at today’s plenary.

President Buhari had in a letter forwarded to the Senate and read in plenary on Tuesday, cited series of reasons bordering on Security, economy, finance and existing Constitutional provisions of Political parties, for refusing assent on the bill as far as the recommended mandatory Direct primary for all political parties was concerned in picking their candidates for general elections.

Expressing his anger to journalists after the plenary, Sekibo said about 73 signatures of aggrieved Senators have been collected and that there is no going back on the decision to override Buhari.

“By law, we have the power to override him. That’s what section 58 (4 & 5) said.

“We will use our powers to do it.

And they are saying that people must be present at voting.

“Our rule gives us three methods

of voting. Voice vote, by signing the document (signature) and electronic voting. So we can use anyone.

“We have already collected signatures totalling about 73 now in and outside the Chamber and it cuts across party lines”, he said .

Also expressing his anger in a separate interview, Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), said the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, must extricate itself from public odium refusal of assent slammed on it by overriding the veto .

He said: “We must be reminded that members of the National Assembly are truly the representatives of the people because every Federal Constituency and Senatorial District seat is allocated to a segment of the Nigerian people who are their constituents.

“The members of the National Assembly consulted with a cross section of their constituents to reach an informed position on any matter of national interest and development.

“The issue of Direct Primaries in our electoral process has been well canvassed, elucidated, and argued by both Chambers of the NASS, and inputs were taken at public hearing from across the spectrum of all critical stakeholders.

“Both Chambers passed the Bill with some little variations in some sections which consequently necessitated the setting up of a Conference committee of five members each from both Chambers.

At the end of all the deliberations, Direct primary was agreed upon.

“The time has come when only popular candidates within the party should be thrown up for general elections. General elections in this way will become easier and less cumbersome for parties to win since they have truly popular candidates.

“As we speak today, the whole world has become a global village.

Nigeria should endeavour to revolutionise its electoral system as to avert bickering and unnecessary disputation that come with nominations or party primaries.

“In Chile, Gabriel Boric, a thirty five years old former student activist has won the run off in the Presidential election because he was truly popular and supported by the people.

“Less than two hours into counting of the ballots his much older opponent congratulated him and urged all his compatriots to support his incoming government.

“Nigeria must take a queue by allowing genuine inclusiveness

George Thompson Sekibo particularly our young people who are in excess of sixty percent of our population. All the devious designs to exclude them will not help us.

“I urge my colleagues in the National Assembly to do the needful by overriding the veto and make the bill ; law. This is not the first time it is happening in Nigeria.

“The NDDC Bill of 2001 was vetoed by NASS under Obasanjo who was a PDP president. The NASS should extricate itself from public odium and disrespect by going ahead to override President Buhari who is APC. History stares NASS in the face if indeed it is not a rubber stamp.”

YAF rejects campaign for secession of Yoruba Nation from Nigeria

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

coalition under the aegis of the Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) has kicked against violent agitations for the secession of Yorubaland or any other part of the country from Nigeria, even as it enjoined Nigerian youths to embrace peace and eschew acts that can lead to the disintegration of Nigeria, especially as the 2023 general elections approaches.

YAF, which stated these at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday addressed by its National Coordinator, Adeshina Animashaun, also urged the youths to avoid breaching the existing peace or aiding groups and individuals acting under the guise of agitating for secession to destabilise the entire country.

The Forum, which congratulated Nigerians on this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, commended

all citizens for standing firm and resolute on peaceful co-existence inspite of the significant peace and security challenges confronting the country in 2021.

YAF also praised the nation’s security agencies, the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), tradititonal rulers throughout Yorubaland and Leaders of Thought in Nigeria as well as the International Community, for ensuring peace reigned supreme at all times in the South-West geopolitical zone and the entire country throughout 2021.

It further appreciated the contributions of traditional rulers and the Leaders of Thought in the South-West towards the continued corporate existence and unity of the Nigerian nation.

The Forum urged all citizens to continue to tread the path of peace

by cooperating with the government in its efforts to tackle the current insecurity in some parts of Nigeria.

It further said Yoruba and Nigerian youths should, however, exercise great caution and vigilance to avoid aiding unknowingly or being used surreptitiously to destabilise the country by unpatriotic groups and individuals posing as ethnic champions.

It added that all Nigerian youths must avoid partaking in any unpatriotic activity that could threaten the peace of the country and contribute to truncating the 2023 polls, stressing that this would have serious consequences for them as individuals and Nigeria as a country.

The Forum rather enjoined the youths to join hands with the authorities and cooperate in ensuring that elections hold and they are able to register and vote for their preferred candidates at the polls without

violence or killing of anyone.

YAF advised Nigerian youths to maintain peace and eschew violence, urging all citizens not to be deceived by those claiming to be fighting secessionist causes.

It also appealed to Nigerians, the international community and other major stakeholders in the country to rise to the challenge and ensure no individual or group violates the peace or instigate violence in any part of the country, especially ahead of the 2023 polls.

The Forum further commended the security agencies and international community for their role in ensuring peace reigns supreme in Nigeria throughout 2021 inspite of the threats posed by secession agitators, militant groups and violent individuals planning to cause chaos and endanger the lives and property of the people of Nigeria.

APC: Andy Uba has no locus to challenge Soludo’s victory – Party chieftain, Moghalu

By Christiana Ekpa

G

eorge Moghalu, an All Progressive Congress Chieftain in Anambra State has hailed the judgement of the Federal High Court, for its ruling on a suit challenging the candidancy of Senator Andy Uba. Recall that the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Monday, nullified Senator Andy Uba’s and the All Progressive Congress’s participation in the last November 6 governorship election held in Anambra State.

Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, in the judgment, held that Uba was never a candidate in the election having emerged from an illegally conducted primary election by the All

Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Ekwo held that the plaintiff, George Moghalu succeeded in proving that the APC did not conduct a valid primary election from which Uba claimed to have emerged as the party’s candidate.

The judge ordered INEC to delete Uba from its record as a candidate in the election and as well as ordered the APC to refund to the plaintiff the N22,500.000 he paid for expression of interest and nomination forms since the party failed to conduct a valid primary..

However, Moghalu while reacting to the verdict of the high court in a press statement issued by the Director of his Campaign

Organization, Arch Okey Chukwuogo, on Tuesday, described the verdict of the court against Andy Ubah as a clear vindication of the wishes and prayers of the entire members of the party in the state.

The ex-National Auditor of the governing APC also said the judgement was long expected and a vindication of the lamentations of the members of the party over the imposition of an unpopular candidate on the party.

Moghalu posited that Senator Uba has no locus to go to the tribunal to challenge the victory of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo who won the gubernatorial election, and also insisted thàt that the concluded polls

was riddled with irregularities.

His words, “the judgement is expected because nobody sees illegality and calls it legal and fair is fair and it is good to take what belongs to everyone?

“I will be surprised if he goes to the appeal court and what are you appealing for when it is clear that no primary election was conducted in Anambra APC and by the judgement it means that Andy Uba was not a candidate in the said election.

“He has no locus to go to the election petitions tribunal to challenge the victory of the APGA candidate that win the election which he was not part of and he did not participate in.”

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

Stock Watch: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 Low

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2.80 3.15 0 1.94 3.94 0 0.27 0.27 0 0.64 0.64 0 4.60 8.60 0 37.00 68.30 0 3.79 4.21 0 9.65 10.05 0 31.50 34.00 0 1.90 1.92 0 18.45 18.45 0 1.72 1.84 0 23.25 23.25 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 0 6.10 6.10 0 1.75 1.75 0 186.00 186.00 0 6.00 6.65 0 14.60 14.55 0 1.80 2.00 0 3.37 3.37 0 4.30 4.70 0 14.00 14.00 0 7.35 7.80 0 1.62 1.65 0 1.91 1.96 0 4.95 4.95 99 0.33 0.33 0 21.85 21.85 0 29.60 30.70 0 0.20 0.20 0 12.20 13.05 0 32.60 32.95 0 72.00 72.00 0 1.18 1.18 0 1.53 1.53 0 31.50 31.50 0 0.51 0.54 0 0.20 0.20 0 23.25 23.25 0 0.44 0.44 0 0.30 0.30 0 1.36 1.36 0 0.72 0.72 0 0.52 0.49 0 1.83 1.83 0 2.45 2.45 0

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PAGE 19

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has partnered the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to establish an SME Digital Academy.

NCC said, the SME Digital Academy is a public-private partnership initiative being driven by the NCC, SMEDAN, and Sapphital Learning Limited, a leading digital learning platform, essentially to provide micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) owners with digital skills to enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

The Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde in a statement said, the partnership also aims to equip entrepreneurs and start-ups with the necessary digital skills required to navigate the increasingly digitised woworld.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the setting up of the scheme was based on the realization that in today’s global economy, a borderless educational and economic system will be the next stage of the digital economy.

The EVC noted that, while the collaboration between the NCC and SMEDAN was a step towards economic diversification, digital technologies were key in the implementation of this initiative .

He said the NCC had continued to work towards providing information and communications technology (ICT) support to various sectors in the country. He noted that with over 41 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, proper empowerment of entrepreneurs would create an extremely-powerful impacts on the nation’s economic growth.

Danbatta said SMEs’ empowerment would also help in providing employment, lessening societal vices, developing the economy, increasing foreign exchange as well as improving the general well-being of Nigerians.

“Knowledge is pivotal to the growth of entrepreneurship, as

NCC, SMEDAN collaborate on Digital Scheme for SMEs it provides the businessman or woman, the know-how on raising capital, strategic partnership, and proper organisational, administrative, sales and marketing skills required to run an effective business. Knowledge is, therefore, the food of every economy, especially, the digital economy, as it fuels its growth and stimulated the digital ecosystem,” he said.

Danbatta recalled that when SMEDAN set up the Digital Academy, in November 2020, as an avenue to support SME development during the Covid- 19 lockdown, the NCC was excited and immediately keyed into the strategic partnership because of the potential impact of the initiative on the Nigerian economy.

He acknowledged the role of SMEDAN as a bridge between the instructors and students, experts and start-ups, funding parties and businesses to the millions of MSMEs. “So, the timing is precise

for the collaboration as the country is in dire need of diversification.

Through the Digital Academy, the MSMEs, start-ups, freelancers, would be provided with a platform to access courses “on-the-go” from devices and locations of their convenience,” he said.

The EVC restated the unflinching commitment of the Commission to providing the required leverage needed for ICT development in Nigeria, just as it will support the Digital Academy to provide a digital platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Radda, who was represented by the Director, Enterprise Development and Promotion at the agency, Moses Ewans, expressed delight at the partnership with the NCC, and declared that over 41.5 million MSME were domiciled in

Nigeria.

Citing a recent survey, Radda noted that the entrepreneurs had contributed 49.78 per cent to the nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP), leading to the employment of about 59.6 million Nigerians which translates to 76.5 per cent of the labour force.

“These small-scale enterprises need to be encouraged and nurtured to enable them to create jobs and contribute to the alleviation of poverty and want.

SMEDAN, which is an agency in the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry and established over 15 years ago, operates on five platforms, namely; dissemination of information, delivery of business development services, networking and cluster formation, policy and public advocacy, and lastly, provision of access to critical resources,” Radda said.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Sapphital Learning Limited, Amu Ogbeide, in

his opening remarks, said his company is excited to be working with SMEDAN on the ongoing efforts to empower entrepreneurs and start-ups in the country. He also said that, through working with SMEDAN, Sapphital has been instrumental to the digitisation of SMEDAN’s entrepreneurial digital literacy journey.

Ogbeide also stated that at the beginning of the digital literacy program, Sapphital started with only three courses which have increased to over 60 courses in its curriculum.

“We believe that the Nigerian diversification journey is a work in progress and the country is on the exalted path towards full digitisation. The combination of the digital economy with SMEs will lead to exponential economic growth of the country,” he said, and concluded that the American company, Uber, was a success story of the power of the ICT and the economy.

L-R: The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education , Arc. Sunny Echono, Director ICT Federal Ministry of Education, Ahmed Jibril · and other officials during the Launch of the Ministry’s E- Learning Platform, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imoowo

Afreximbank gets A- Rating from JCR

By Etuka Sunday

A

frican Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has received an inaugural international-scale long term issuer rating of A- with a stable outlook from the Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR).

The rating reflects the strong support that Afreximbank receives from its shareholders, its preferred creditor status, its solid earnings capacity, and the crucial role that the Bank plays in supporting key African Union (AU) initiatives.

JCR noted in its assessment the growing pre-eminence of Afreximbank

in African trade, citing the Bank’s involvement in critical initiatives that underpin the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key indicator.

This new rating also captures the Bank’s key strength in structured trade finance, demonstrating its ability to de-risk its lending portfolio.

JCR observes that “under this circumstance, the Bank mitigates credit risk through measures including the use of the structured trade finance scheme to transfer payment risk to counterparties with higher creditworthiness, insurance and collateralization.”

Afreximbank’s achievement of the

A- rating from a second rating agency is a major milestone, coming at the end of its current strategic plan. It supports the fulfilment of one of the overarching pillars of the strategic plan, namely financial soundness, which helps the Bank to leverage competitive financial resources into the continent.

Strong credit rating gives assurance to investors who support Afreximbank’s fundraising activities as it demonstrates strong creditworthiness, thereby attracting funding at competitive terms.

The Bank plans to execute a debt capital market transaction in Japan and this strong rating by JCR is essential as it

gives lenders and investors confidence in the Bank’s credit profile.

Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, commented: “The A- rating assigned to Afreximbank is an affirmation of the Bank’s strengthening credit profile, underpinned by a strong risk management culture. We are also pleased that the work of the Bank supporting such initiatives as the AfCFTA is being recognized and its importance rewarded. This high rating which comes as the Bank is about to embark on a new 5-year strategic plan gives impetus to our fundraising activities.

This will positively impact Afreximbank’s ability to deliver on its mandate.”

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

BUSINESS

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a disruption in power evacuation to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) due to the ongoing industrial action by its workers.

Although Information about the protest was still skeletal as at the time of this report, however, TCN, informed the general public that it has available bulk power for delivery to the distribution load centres of the AEDC to offtake for

Blackouts in Abuja, Kogi, others as NUEE protest nonpayment of entitlements its customers.

Peoples Daily gathered that the strike may not be unconnected to the lack of payment of some entitlements.

When contacted, the AEDC spokesman, Oyebode Fadipe assures that the company’s

management would issue a statement to provide the needed clarification.

For the main time, the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah in a statement informed that power evacuation from injection substations across

AEDC franchise area has been disrupted following a shutdown of the AEDC facilities by its in-house workers’ union.

The areas under AEDC franchise include Abuja, Nasarawa, Kogi, Parts of Edo, Niger and Kaduna States.

“TCN regrets this disruption and assures Nigerians that normal bulk power delivery to AEDC will be restored as soon as the injection substations are opened for onward electricity supply to consumers”, the statement said.

NIPP: NDPHC awards Owerri Substation contract to Messrs. Ak-AY Elektrik

By Etuka Sunday

C

ompany (NDPHC) Limited has awarded the contract for immediate installation and energising of the Owerri NIPP 2 x 150MVA & 2 x 60MVA 330/132/33kV Owerri Transmission Substation to Messrs. Ak-AY Elektrik.

A statement by the Media Adviser, NDPHC, Sanya Adejokun said, the transformers had been installed more than 10 years ago without them being energised or without adequate preservation.

The statement noted that they were recently tested by experts who recommended vacuum drying process to remove ingressed moisture trapped inside the four power Transformers.

It said, it was therefore, pertinent for them to first be uninstalled and transported to GTA Factory in Lagos for the oven drying and then delivered back to Owerri for final erection and energisation.

According to the statement, the Executive Director, Networks at NDPHC, Engr. IfeOluwa Oyedele, has already dispatched letters to His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), intimating them of the development.

Oyedele said, “there was no attempt to steal the transformers.

The Indians are workers of GTA, subcontractors to our EPC Contractor, Messrs. Ak-Ay Elektric, who went to take the transformers

to their workshop for vacuum drying and testing.

Oyedele also asked for the cooperation of citizens of Imo State at this time so that the Contractor

can immediately commence work and for them to complete in record time.

This statement, therefore, corrects a misunderstanding

about the intention and status of the Contractors as published by a section of the media at the weekend.

“We thank the Government and people of Imo State for their

vigilance and sustained cooperation to ensure the protection and security of government properties and our workers”, Oyedele further said.

From left: Director of Macroeconomic Analysis , Federal Ministry of Finance,David Adeosun; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo;Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and Secretary of Programme office of the senior special assistant to the President on sustainable to development Goals, Engr Ahmad Kawu during the launch of the Baseline report and realignment of the National Statistical system with ADGs 2020 and commissioning of Ambulances in Abuja yesterday photo

TCN Upgrades Kaduna -Jos 330kV Transmission Line

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is set to commence the final stage of the construction of its new Kaduna – Jos 330kV double circuit transmission line.

TCN said, it would be followed with the erection of eight triplecircuit towers at the intersection point of the new double circuit and existing single circuit 330kV transmission lines, to enable the stringing of the three 330kV lines.

It said, the line would be

upgraded from “500 megawatts (MW) energy wheeling capacity to 1,500MW, which is 200 percent capacity increase. Reconstruction work willl be completed within eight days, from the 8th to 15th December 2021.

“Consequently, there will be power outage on the 132kV ZariaKaduna transmission line, 33kV Turunku, and part of the 33kV Jaji feeder, from 8 am to 5 pm daily for the eight days indicated, to ensure a safe working environment for the execution of the reconstruction work. On completion, the new

330kV double circuit transmission lines will increase the total capacity of the Kaduna – Jos line from 500MW to 1500MW”, it said.

Meanwhile, TCN has made arrangements, according to the statement, to continue to supply bulk electricity to Jos Distribution load centers in Jos, through the Makurdi 330kV lines 1 and 2, to minimize the effect of the capacity upgrade and assure that the project will be completed on the 15th of December as scheduled.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah in a

statement said, the decision to reconstruct and upgrade the Kaduna -Jos SC transmission line was due to the fact that the line is overloaded and can no longer cope with the load profile in that axis.

The completion of the new 330kV Kaduna- Jos DC transmission lines will resolve the present and anticipated increase in load demand on the line route.

The statement said, “TCN’s use of multi-circuit towers in some locations will prevent the demolition of properties in heavily built-up areas and still achieve increased

bulk transmission capacity along that line route. We will therefore dismantle and reconstruct eight (8) no existing single circuit towers into special triple-circuit towers.

“We regret any inconvenience the load shedding may cause electricity customers affected by the reconstruction works on the line and note that the increase in capacity to 1500MW will positively impact voltage stability on the axis. Bulk power transmission will be restored immediately after reconstruction work is complete”, the statement said.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

By Stanley Onyekwere

P

roliferation of illegal residential and commercial structures in all nooks and crannies of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been identified as one of the noticeable fallouts of the sudden upsurge in population within the Territory.

The FCT Administration’s Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, who made this assertion yesterday, explained that the population explosion makes it almost irresistible tendency to start erecting structures in FCT without recourse to the development plan of the Territory.

Adesola, who was represented

by Director, Office of the

452 Sex workers rehabilitated in Abuja

By Stanley Onyekwere

A

s past of efforts at sanitising the social landscape of nation’s capital city, the FCT Administration has disclosed the comprehensive rehabilitation of about 452 commercial sex workers, who were recently taken off the streets.

This disclosure was made yesterday by the Mandate Secretary of FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) Hajia Hadiza Kabir, during its an end-of-the year media briefing, in Abuja.

Kabir noted that the two FCT Ministers had scaled up actions to develop a Capital City that has a socially friendly environment void of moral bankruptcy.

She said that the regular clampdown on some red-light zones and arrest of commercial sex workers, was a social responsibility, through which the Secretariat rescues young women from the shackles of drugs and other forms of criminalities, while providing them with meaningful means of livelihoods.

The SDS Secretary explained that with the trainings and skills acquired by the rehabilitated commercial workers, with the starter packs given to them, they were expected to contribute hugely to the country’s GDP. She also stressed that the administration had embarked on several programmes targeted at alleviating the plight of other vulnerable members of the society.

According to her, the troubling menace of baggers within Abuja, was being tackled by regular arrests and repatriation to their various home states.

She also reassured that FCT Administration will continue in its sensitization of the public on the dangers of allowing beggars, hawkers and mentally unstable people roam about on the streets of Abuja.

METRO

PAGE 21

Illegal structures proliferation fallout of Abuja population explosion- FCTA Permanent Secretary, Udo Samuel Atang, in his keynote address at the official flag-off of Knowledge Café workshop for 150 District Monitors across the FCTA, noted that people if not strictly monitored, and made to conform with the established law, would greatly compromise the city development.

His words: “ Abuja as one of the fastest growing cities in the world, has been projected to witness a surging population of 6,071,282 by the year 2050.This huge population upsurge which has been attributed to myriad of reasons, such as the position of Abuja as the Nation’s Capital City and the Centre of Unity, which naturally welcomes all groups, irrespective of ethnicity or religion.

“Also, the perception that Abuja offers better opportunities in terms of employments,education,secur ity,social amenities, life partners, among others. I believe that every one of us seated here today has one or two family members or friends that migrated from one rural location across the country to the FCT. “In view of the foregoing, it has become imperative for the

FCT Administration to nip in the bud indiscriminate erection of illegal structures and shanties within the Territory by constituting District Monitors, whose role is fundamentally to monitor structural development within the FCT, with a view to ensuring that the Abuja Plan is not compromised in any form.

“It is also pertinent to warn that, if the Territory must attain and maintain the global standard, in terms of aesthetic, functionality, as well as being the tourist hub of the sub-Saharan African region, unwavering effort and commitment must be put in place for proper coordination and implementation of a standardized development strategy for the FCT” .

He explained that the workshop aimed at exposing and equipping the District Monitors with the required information and knowledge-base that will guide their day to day operations, in order to ensure strict compliance to existing guidelines governing development in the FCT. Furthermore, the Permanent Secretary enjoined the District Monitors to take advantage of

this Knowledge Café workshop to sharpen their skills in service delivery to the teeming population of the FCT. He however, reiterated that the Administration will not condone any act of compromise and irresponsibility; and as such will deal decisively with any officer that may be found wanting in this regards.

Similarly, Acting Director Development Control Department, Garba Kwamkur, noted that most decisions that the department takes usually conflicts with the personal interests of highly placed and powerful persons in the society.

He added that the Department has done well, despite the myriad of huddles (challenges) district officers go through daily to discharge their duties of development control in the FCT He described the workshop as a very apt platform to deliberate on issues that would facilitate effective city management and service delivery to FCT residents.

Earlier in her welcome remarks, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, Acting Director, FCTA Reform Coordination & Service Improvement (RCSI)

Department, disclosed that the workshop, which is a monthly RCSI Knowledge Café, is one of the recommendations at the town hall meeting on removal of illegal structures the FCT, as a result of residents outcry over the removal of illegal structures from some parts of the Federal Capital City.

“We decided to start the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement department monthly knowledge Cafe with you as one of our very important internal stakeholders.

“The knowledge Cafe will bring experts from all the Administration’s technical and service delivery SDAs to interphase with service providers on how to use emerging technologies to improve our services,” she stressed.

Highpoint of the event was the paper presentation by Town planner, Yahaya Yusuf , a retired Director of Development Control Department, who took the participants through the topic: addressing the challenges of urbanisation and indiscriminate development in the Federal Capital City and the Role of District monitors.

L-R: Director General, FCT Hospitals Management Board,Dr Muhammed Kawau, SEcretary for Health and Human Services, Dr Abubakar Tafida and Anthony Ogunleye Chief Press Secretary to FCT Minister, during the media briefing by the Health Secretary on the COVID-19 4th wave, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Aliyu identifies unity, understanding as roadmap to peace

By Stanley Onyekwere

F

CT Minister of State Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has argued that it is not peace that brings about unity, but rather, unity brings about peaceful coexistence among people of divergent historical, ethnic and religious affiliations.

Aliyu, who made this observation at the official launch of peace and unity campaign held in Abuja, also asserted that people of different socioeconomic, cultural-norms and values, must tolerate one another for peace to reign in their respective domains.

She also reiterated that no matter the divergent views, tribes and religions, the unity of Nigeria was not negotiable, while calling on every Nigerian to join the peace campaign in their various states.

She, however, commended the organizers, the Ambassadors of Voice for Change in Nigeria for their thoughtfulness which crystallizes the relevance of peace in a national entity of multi-vocal groups.

Aliyu noted that the Federal Capital Territory Administration decided to partner with the group because responsible and responsive leaders must work assiduously towards unity and tolerance among

ethnic groups in the country.

The Minister, therefore, recommended absolute level of citizens’ orientation, education, tolerance, culturally relative norms and values be inculcated among the youths so as to make them the future leaders of this great entity called Nigeria.

In his remarks, the President of Ambassadors of Voice of Change in Nigeria, Mr. Bala Ahmed, said with the official launch in the nation’s capital, the campaign train would be moved to the 36 states of the federation to preach the gospel of peace.

While commending the Federal

Capital Territory Administration for the partnership, he also called on governments at all levels, religious and traditional institutions to domesticate the peace initiative.

Recall that the event was attended by renowned Nollywood actors and entertainment industry amongst whom are Timi Dakolo, 2face Idibia, John Ikechukwu Okafor popularly known as Mr. Ibu, Gentle Jack, Okey Bakassi, and Afro Beat star, Sir Shina Peter.

Others are Samson Siasia, Saeed Balogun, Francis Agoda popularly known as I Go Dye, Sunday Osakuri popularly known as original Stereo Man amongst others.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

PAGE 22

world news

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Abducted Haiti missionaries describe daring escape

T

welve missionaries who were abducted in Haiti managed to get away on their own, their organisation has said.

The group escaped their captors at night and used the stars for navigation to trek through dense bush for hours, a spokesman said.

Christian Aid Ministries announced the group were finally free last week, after being held captive since October.

The gang that seized them had demanded a ransom of $1m (£740,000) per hostage. It is not clear if any money was paid.

In total, 17 missionaries and their families were abducted, after they had visited an orphanage in the town of Ganthier, east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Five others had already been released.

Their ordeal brought international attention to Haiti’s growing problem of gang abductions.

“When they sensed the timing was right, they found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path they [had] chosen to follow and left the place that they were held,” spokesman Weston Showalter said at a news conference in Ohio.

Evading “numerous guards”, the group travelled in the direction of a mountain that they had seen days earlier, using constellations to guide them. It was not immediately clear how they managed to escape the guards.

The group included a married couple, a 10-month old baby, and children aged three, 14 and 15. There were also four adult men and two women. They travelled through “woods and thickets, working through thorns and briars,” Mr Showalter said.

He explained how the group, including all of the children, remained silent during the ordeal and that the infant was wrapped

Fifteen of the 17 missionaries who were held hostage in Haiti in clothing to protect her from the prickly briars. “Two hours were through fierce brambles. We were in gang territory the whole hike,” he said, quoting one of the escapees.

Around dawn they found a person with a phone who helped them call authorities.

The group was later flown back to Florida on a US Coast Guard flight, Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) said. Most have now returned to their families.

At the time of their release, police spokesman Gary Desrosiers told AFP news agency there had been weeks of negotiations between the gang, known as 400 Mazowo, and authorities.

Two group members were freed in

November, and another three in early December, but their identities have not been revealed.

Speaking at the news conference, David Troyer, director of CAM, said “people who sought to help us provided funds to pay a ransom and allow the negotiation process to continue”, although he did not explain whether any payment had been made.

CAM, based in the US, describes itself as a channel for Amish, Mennonite, and other Anabaptist groups to minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world.

The gang provided food and clean drinking water to the missionaries, the church said, and baby formula for the infant. However the water for cleaning was

contaminated, leading some of the escapees to get skin sores around their mosquito bites.

Mr Showalter denied initial reports that the group’s driver was a Haitian local. He said the driver was a Canadian, and that he is now also free.

“The hostages spoke to the gang leader on several occasions, boldly reminding him of God and warning him of God’s eventual judgment if him and the gang members continue in their gangs,” Mr Showalter said, adding that the group maintained a 24-hour prayer vigil while in captivity.

There has been no independent confirmation of Mr Showalter’s account by either US or Haitian officials.

CAM, which supplies Haitian children with shelter, food and clothing and says it has worked in the country for over 30 years, is one of many non-profit organisations providing aid in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Haiti’s powerful crime gang Kidnapping is one of the main activities that the 400 Mazowo criminal gang uses to finance itself.

In April, its members abducted a group of Catholic clergy who were later released, and it is unclear if a ransom was paid.

Haiti has one of the highest rates of kidnapping in the world, as powerful gangs exploit the lawless situation to profit from ransom payments.

This year has been particularly bad, with nearly 800 kidnappings reported before the end of October.

The rise has come in the wake of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in July, as rival factions fight to gain control of the country in the face of a struggling police force.

Source: BBC

U.S. attempt to split world under guise of democracy doomed to failure

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

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he so-called “Summit for Democracy” held by the U.S. in the name of democracy recently concluded amongst widespread criticism from the international community.

It is generally believed that the “Summit for Democracy” reeked of hypocrisy and was more like a show put on by American politicians. The event has proven nothing but the fact that the U.S. itself is the biggest threat to democracy.

The attempt of the U.S. to contain other countries and split the world by holding the “Summit for Democracy” was doomed to failure.

Although the Cold War ended 30 years ago, the so-called “Summit for Democracy” of the U.S. was full of Cold War mentality.

Based on its own standards, the U.S. labeled some countries and regions as democracies and the rest non-democracies, exposing its evil intention of pushing the world back into a bipolar system. Fortunately, the international community sees right through its ruse.

The so-called “Summit for Democracy” runs counter to true democratic spirit from its framework to agenda, said an article published on the website of The News International, a Pakistani news outlet.

The summit was political manipulation purely out of political purposes, said Don Pramudwinai, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and

Foreign Minister.

Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), a famous think tank, wrote in an article published on Nov. 28 that the “Summit for Democracy” initiated by the U.S. “attempts to turn the multicolor modern world into black and white divisions.”

The so-called “Summit for Democracy” was a tool used by the U.S. to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs and maintain hegemony, observed the media of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and many other countries in the Middle East.

Trying to turn democracy into its own property, tool, and weapon, the U.S. has betrayed and trampled over the spirit and value of democracy.

Whether a country is democratic or not should be decided by its own people, not by a handful of finger-pointing outsiders.

There is no perfect democratic system in the world that suits all countries. The establishment of democratic systems and the advances of democracy in various countries have their own historical and national characteristics, as well as unique values.

However, the U.S., which poses as an “international judge of democracy,” is attempting to monopolize the definition of democracy with its own criteria in total disregard of the

enormous differences in the culture, history, and civilization of different countries. The act is, in fact, the complete opposite of democracy.

The U.S. peddled American democracy through the “Summit for Democracy” but rejected truly democratic international cooperation, defying the principle of the sovereign equality of all nations enshrined in the UN Charter, pointed out Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

For a long time, the U.S. has willfully interfered in other countries’ internal affairs and launched wars against others to export democracy.

However, instead of fostering democracy, its hegemonic acts have led to numerous humanitarian disasters in other countries.

Through the U.S. Agency for International Development and other government agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations in the U.S., including the National Endowment for Democracy, the country has engaged in infiltrating and subverting other sovereign countries by inciting “color revolutions.”

The U.S. has indiscriminately imposed unilateral sanctions against other countries on the pretext of promoting democracy, and launched military interventions in countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, which have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, caused millions of injuries, and displaced

tens of millions of people.

As it caused countless tragedies in the name of democracy, the true purposes and actual harm of its exporting democracy have become increasingly prominent.

A poll conducted among people in Arab countries, who have long suffered from America’s exporting democracy, suggests that 58 percent of the respondents have a negative attitude toward the foreign policy of the U.S., and 81 percent consider the U.S. a significant threat to the security of Arab countries.

Democracy is the common value of all mankind. The U.S., however, has made use of democracy to serve its selfish interests. Such misdeeds have ripped off its mask of “democracy defender” and revealed the true features of the country as a “democracy wrecker” to all.

If the U.S. really wants to defend democracy, it should, together with the rest of the world, promote peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom, which are shared values of humanity, stick to the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter, push ahead with democracy and the rule of law in international relations, address global challenges and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

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N e w s F r o m A S I A Ghana MPs brawl in parliament over mobile money tax

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brawl has broken out in Ghana’s parliament during a late-night session over a contentious government-proposed levy on electronic transactions.

MPs shoved, pushed and threw punches at each other, while others tried to stop the fighting.

The chaos started after opposition MPs rushed forward to prevent Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu from leaving his seat to vote, local media reports.

He was chairing the session, which was then adjourned because of the disorder.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the proposed levy of 1.75% on electronic transactions, which includes mobile-money payments.

It says it will hit low-income people and those outside the formal banking sector.

But Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Artta has said it is necessary to widen the tax net, arguing that it could raise an extra 6.9bn Ghanaian cedi ($1.15bn; £870m) next year.

The parliamentary session began on Monday morning and broke up after midnight, the local Graphic newspaper reports Many Ghanaians have expressed disappointment at the behaviour of their MPs, saying they ought to be role models not behaving immaturely.

The deputy speaker’s vote was seen as crucial as parliament has been heavily divided over the proposed tax.

It was approved by parliament’s finance committee by 13 votes to 12, but only after its chairman cast the decisive vote in favour of the proposal, the Graphic says.

The parliamentary session is due to resume on Tuesday.

Ghanaian politics has been fractious since last year’s election, when the NDC and President Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 137 parliamentary seats each.

One seat is held by an independent, who has thrown his weight behind the governing NPP, giving it the edge.

In January, soldiers entered parliament to end a brawl among MPs over the election of a speaker - the NDC’s Alban Bagbin was elected to the post, after some NPP members voted for him rather than the NPP’s Mike Oquaye.

Mr Bagbin was not present during the chaotic session on Monday, leaving Mr Owusu from the NPP in the speaker’s chair.

Brawls in other parliaments: • Turkish MPs traded blows earlier this month after an opposition MP was allegedly insulted • Armenian MPs fought three times in two days in August - one broke out after

Ghanaian lawmakers are heavily divided over the proposed levy Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian was called a “lying populist” • India’s upper chamber was described as “war-like” during an altercation in August over proposed legislation • Pakistani MPs sustained minor injuries in June after lawmakers traded blows and threw books at each other

• A Bolivian MP complained that her hair was grabbed by another MP during a brawl in June that also saw other lawmakers involved in a fist-fight • Lawmakers in the Pan-African Parliament punched, kicked and made death threats during a session in South Africa in June

Omicron: South African scientists probe link between variants and untreated HIV

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outh African scientists - hailed for their discovery of Omicron - are investigating the “highly plausible hypothesis” that the emergence of new Covid-19 variants could be linked, in some cases, to mutations taking place inside infected people whose immune systems have already been weakened by other factors, including, though not limited to, untreated HIV. Researchers have already observed that Covid-19 can linger for many months in patients who are HIV positive but who have, for varying reasons, not been taking the medicines that would enable them to lead healthy lives.

“Normally your immune system would kick a virus out fairly quickly, if fully functional,” said Professor Linda-Gayle Bekker, who heads the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in Cape Town.

“In someone where immunity is suppressed, then we see virus persisting.

And it doesn’t just sit around, it replicates.

And as it replicates it undergoes potential mutations. And in somebody where immunity is suppressed that virus may be able to continue for many months - mutating as it goes,” she added.

But, as they push ahead with their research, the scientists are anxious to avoid further stigmatising people living with HIV, both in South Africa - home to the world’s largest HIV epidemic - and globally.

“It’s important to stress that people who are on anti-retroviral medication - that does restore their immunity,” Professor Bekker said.

Two cases of particular interest have now been detected in South African hospitals.

One woman continued to test positive for Covid-19 for almost eight months, earlier this year, while the virus underwent more than 30 genetic shifts.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira, who leads the team that confirmed the discovery of Omicron, noted that “10 to 15” similar cases had been found in other parts of the world, including the UK.

“It’s a very rare event. But it is a plausible explanation that individuals that are immuno-suppressed… can basically be a source of virus evolution,” he said.

South African scientists have faced criticism - and even death threats on social media - after their recent discovery of the Omicron variant triggered swift, controversial and economically damaging travel bans from Western nations.

They are keen to pre-empt any suggestion that their country, or the continent, should be singled out for producing new variants.

The link between immuno-suppressed patients and new Covid variants is “a highly plausible hypothesis”, said Professor Salim Karim, a leading HIV specialist and former chair of the South African government’s Covid19 advisory committee.

“But it’s not proven. We’ve seen five variants come from four different continents.

So, to scapegoat Africa is simply outrageous.

“It’s saying that we’re not worried about immuno-compromised people from the rest of the world. We’re just worried if they’re black and from Africa,” Professor Karim added.

South Africa condemned travel restrictions imposed by Western governments Scientists also note that there are many other reasons, globally, why people’s immune systems might be compromised.

The emergence, for instance, of the Alpha variant has been linked to a patient receiving treatment for cancer in the UK. “Diabetes, cancer, hunger, auto-immune diseases, chronic TB, obesity - we have a huge population of people with suppressed immunity for other reasons,” said Professor Marc Mendelson, head of infectious diseases at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur hospital.

In South Africa, nearly eight million people are living with HIV. But about one third of them are not currently taking medication.

In Masiphumelele, a crowded township

The late Papa Wemba was one of rumba’s biggest stars squeezed between rocky hillsides and the Atlantic Ocean, south of Cape Town, a quarter of the adult population in the township is estimated to have HIV. “There’s lots of issues. Some [people] don’t want to get tested. Some don’t want to know. There’s stigma around HIV,” said a community liaison worker, Asiphe Ntshongontshi, 25, explaining why, despite a hugely effective health programme both here and nationwide, a significant number of people were not taking drug prescriptions.

There is currently no evidence that any of the current Covid variants of concern have emerged in Africa, although the sudden arrival in southern Africa of a variant as transmissible as Omicron has fuelled speculation that it may be linked to someone local with a compromised immune system.

Scientists tracking the virus say they hope that concern about a potential link with HIV will spur greater global action at a time when the fight against HIV has been neglected, in some areas, because of the pandemic.

“It’s a worldwide problem - this need to

understand how viral infections thrive in our global community. And the best resource we have [for tackling it] at the moment is vaccination. That message has to go out loud and clear,” Prof Bekker said.

While Africa still lags far behind the rest of the world in Covid vaccinations, researchers in South Africa say it is important to focus particular attention on people with weakened immune systems, who might need four or even five booster shots for the vaccines to trigger an appropriate immune response.

“If we want to slow down the risk of creating new variants, we have to take up this challenge in every country around the world. That’s to try to ensure immunecompromised individuals are fully vaccinated and that they have detectable immune responses to vaccines.

“And if not, they must be given extra doses until they develop an immune response. That’s our best protection from the possibility that immune-compromised people are developing variants,” Professor Karim said.

Source: BBC

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand mark 10 years of joint Mekong River patrols

By Sun Guangyong, People’s Daily

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video conference was recently held in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province to summarize the experiences of the China-Laos-Myanmar-Tai joint Mekong River patrol and law enforcement mechanism achieved in the past 10 years.

The four sides all agreed to deepen cooperation and mutual trust, enhance friendly exchanges at all levels, show support on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and improve their cooperation mechanisms, so as to advance the building of a LancangMekong community with a shared future.

The four countries carried out their first joint patrol on Dec. 10, 2011, which marked the official initiation of the law enforcement cooperation on the Mekong River, also known as Lancang River in China.

Over the past ten years, the four sides, upholding a vision of common,

comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, have consolidated and deepened the joint Mekong River patrol and law enforcement cooperation, and made innovations in and expanded service models and cooperation fields. They have developed a law enforcement cooperation mode that is more inclusive, a multilateral mechanism that is more effective, and regional cooperation that is more active.

On the section of the Mekong River in northern Thailand, commercial vessels are sailing orderly today after 10 years of the law enforcement cooperation, composing a harmonious picture with the chimney smoke curling up from the residential houses on the two banks of the river. Vessels would always sound their horns to greet each other when they meet.

“We sailing on the river are like families, as we all call the Mekong River home,” said a Laotian captain Somphong.

What Somphong feels is felt by many. Sailors from various countries

have expressed their gratitude to the joint patrol and law enforcement mechanism, saying it has brought back both vitality and security to the river.

Over the past 10 years, law enforcement departments from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have carried out over 180 joint missions, clamped down on 36,173 drug-related crimes, seized 136.93 metric tons of drugs, and cracked down upon 66 human trafficking cases.

Meanwhile, they also offered huge assistance for the people along the Mekong River. They have rescued 130 commercial vessels and 536 crew members, and escorted thousands of commercial vessels, recovering losses of nearly 200 million yuan ($31.42 million).

At present, police vessels from the four countries are patrolling on the Mekong River 25 days each month on average. Police visibility stands at over 80 percent on ordinary days and may hit 100 percent on important dates. The cargo volume

handled by ports along the river increased fourfold from ten years ago, and the number of tourists has been on a 20-percent rise each year.

The joint patrols have brought a sense of security to the people along the river and the commercial vessels passing through it, making the river prosperous again.

An official Phichai works at the port management bureau of Chiang Saen, Thailand told People’s Daily that the Thai government has built a new port in the district where cargos are no longer shipped in bulk, but in containers.

“The increased investment from the government and ship owners came from their confidence in the security on the Mekong River. The shipping business on the river will definitely become more and more prosperous,” the official explained.

The water police station of Wan Pong, Myanmar undertakes the joint patrol missions on the Mekong River. The head of the water police station Yewinoo said the river has witnessed an obvious traffic increase

China endeavors to turn construction waste into resources

By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily

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t China Construction Fourth Engineering Division Corp.

Ltd.’s construction site in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong province, residual waste is ground into fine aggregates and turned into bricks permeable to water.

The construction project is able to process 500 cubic meters of solid waste for eight consecutive hours per day on average, with the waste processing and recycling rate reaching 40 percent to 50 percent, said Niu Yongxu, manager of the project.

Turning construction waste into resources and putting them into use right on the construction site can not only save debris clearing and transportation fees, but effectively reduce dust and other kinds of

environmental pollutants during transportation, Niu noted.

Since 2018, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China has carried out a pilot project to treat construction waste in 35 cities and districts.

Under the pilot project, the 35 cities and districts have basically established a construction waste classification, management, and whole-process supervision system and accelerated the construction of waste disposal facilities and waste utilization projects.

It is estimated that the utilization rate of construction waste in the 35 cities and districts reached about 50 percent, 15 percentage points higher than that before the pilot project was implemented in 2018 and 10 percentage points higher than the national average of Chinese cities.

The annual construction waste disposal capacity of these cities and districts has exceeded the amount of local construction debris produced annually.

Construction waste can be divided into earth, mud, engineering ,demolition, etc.

It has been calculated that the amount of urban construction waste produced in China exceeds two billion tons a year, which is about eight times that of domestic waste and accounts for about 40 percent of the total solid waste generated in urban areas of the country.

Construction waste occupies a large land area and can pollute groundwater, soil, and air if it is mismanaged.

Accurate waste classification plays a crucial role in improving waste utilization rate.

An environmental technology

company in east China’s Jiangsu province has an intelligent waste disposal line for waste generated from building decoration. The intelligent waste sorting robot of the line can accurately identify the material, size, and position of waste and then grasp and put it into the right waste container.

Waste from building decoration is complicated, as it includes concrete, plasterboard, paint bucket, and scrap metal, said Chen Lian, manager of the company, adding that through seven identification methods, the company’s automatic waste sorting technology can help classify such waste into more than ten categories and accurately sort it for reutilization.

Jiangsu province has speeded up the construction of waste disposal and reutilization facilities. So far, all cities with subordinate districts

since the joint patrol mechanism was initiated. “The livelihood and economy in the regions along the river have greatly improved,” he said.

The four countries have enhanced communication and coordination in intelligence through joint patrol and law enforcement cooperation, which has resulted in fruitful outcomes in the combat against drug dealing, smuggling, and illegal immigration, said Wichai Chaimongkhon, Secretary-General of Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board. Relevant cooperation mechanisms among the countries along the Mekong River are becoming more and more diversified and effective, he added.

The joint patrols have become a force of justice that safeguards the stability and security along the Mekong River, and set an example of successful law enforcement cooperation among different countries, said Siphan Phutthavong, head of the border guard department of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army. have built facilities for construction waste recycling. Over 60 percent of the counties and county-level cities of the province have built and put standardized waste utilization facilities into operation.

One of the goals of China’s construction waste treatment pilot project is advancing the construction of a whole-process waste supervision system.

Shanghai and some other cities in China have included the daily supervision of construction waste into the endeavor to build a smart city featuring network-based unified management, basically forming a waste supervision system that ensures real-time detection of violations and automatic generation of punitive measures through information sharing among government departments, big data analysis, and other informationbased methods.

China maps out agricultural, rural modernization in next five years

By Yu Jingxian, People’s Daily

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hina recently released a plan to advance agricultural and rural modernization during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), which specifies the goals and major tasks of the country’s agricultural and rural modernization in the next five years.

Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agricultural and rural affairs, said it was the first plan of China that designs agricultural and rural modernization as a whole and aims to advance the two simultaneously.

The plan includes the development features, general requirement, major goals, key tasks, major projects and policies of agricultural and rural modernization during the 14th FiveYear Plan period.

China’s work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers has gone through a historic shift in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, focusing on pushing forward rural vitalization in an all-round way, Deng introduced.

He said the plan takes the implementation of rural vitalization as a guidance and common prosperity as

a goal, and pursues a path of integrated design and simultaneous advancement of agricultural and rural modernization.

According to the plan, China will see a further consolidated foundation of agriculture, comprehensive progresses made in rural vitalization, and significant advancement in modernizing agriculture and rural areas after five years of efforts.

Regions with better conditions will take the lead in basically realizing agricultural and rural modernization, while consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation will be effectively aligned with rural vitalization in regions that have shaken off poverty.

By 2035, China will have made decisive progress in rural vitalization, and modernization of agriculture and rural areas will be basically achieved, the plan says.

The plan specifies seven major tasks in modernizing agriculture and rural areas between 2021 and 2025.

To advance agricultural modernization, China will improve its capability in supplying major agricultural products including grains, improve the quality and

competitiveness of the agricultural industry, and improve the modernization of the industrial and supply chains in the agricultural sector.

To modernize rural areas, the country will take steps to make the countryside more livable, greener, and more civilized and harmonious.

Besides, China will also align rural vitalization with its efforts to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation.

At present, new growth drivers represented by digital economy are rapidly taking shape, and the integration between digital technology and agriculture and rural areas is also accelerating. New technologies, products and modes are constantly emerging.

Infrastructure, intelligent agriculture and digital villages are three emphases of the plan.

The plan says the construction of 1000M fiber optic networks, 5G and mobile internet of things in rural areas shall be synergetic with those in urban areas, calling for digital and intelligent upgrading of agricultural production and rural infrastructure.

It also advocates the establishment

An agronomist gives a lesson in a greenhouse of a pitaya production base in Changfeng township, Yingjiang district, Anqing, east China’s Anhui province, Dec. 1, 2021. (Photo by Huang You’an/People’s Daily Online) and application of a rural big data system, as well as in-depth integration between agricultural businesses and a new generation of information technologies, such as internet of things, big data, AI, and block chain. It calls for efforts to build a batch of digital farms, digital irrigation areas and intelligent ranches and fish farms, to constantly improve digital development in the agricultural sector.

The plan proposes to build a “click-and-mortar” digital service system for rural residents, extend the “Internet +” government services to primary levels in rural areas, further enhance the construction of intelligent rural communities, drive

rural education, healthcare and culture sectors with digitalization, and make rural governance and services more intelligent and targeted.

To accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, China must pursue integrated urban-rural development.

Taking counties as an important starting point for integrated urbanrural development, the plan has made a series of concrete arrangements, including granting urban residency to rural people who have moved to cities, promoting integrated urbanrural development at county level, and smoothening the flow of factors of production between urban and rural areas.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

Amended electoral Act: Ortom commends Presidency for declining assent From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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overnor Samuel Ortom has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declining assent to the amended Electoral Act. It would be recalled that the National Assembly had passed the amended Electoral Act and forwarded to the Presidency for assent.

Amongst the amendments are the issue of direct primaries and electronic transmission of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Makurdi, Governor Ortom said there is need for the National Assembly to reconsider the clause for direct primaries.

He however, noted that the electronic transmission of result will deepen democracy and add value to the electoral system.

“I have been privileged to be a member of various political parties and I know that primaries should be the responsibility of the political parties. Consensus is even better because it solves the problem of acrimony and unnecessary expenditures.

“This also gives opportunity to smaller political parties to participate in the process.”

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NEWS

NDE trains 645 in Benue From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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ver 645 participants have benefited from various programmes of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, in Benue State.

They include, 460 for the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme, BNOAS, 138 for Advanced

National Open Apprenticeship Scheme, ANOAS, 40 participants for implementation of the Quick fix Demand Drive Skills Training and 7 others were given starter packs under the resettlement loan Empowermemt Scheme.

Speaking at the event, Benue State Coordinator, NDE, Mr. Musa Bala Sadauk lauded the

trainers and trainees for their dedication and commitment to the programs and advised the participants to make judicious use of the knowledge acquired as well as equipment given to them.

He particularly, told participants of the Resettlement Loan Empowerment Scheme that there will be strict supervision and

monitoring of their business by officials of the agency.

Head of Department, Vocational Skill Development Mrs. Hilda Lawani explained that the aim of the program is to impart skills on unemployed persons to enable them set up enterprises for self reliance, poverty reduction and wealth creation.

Imo workers to get ’13th month’ salary bonus – Uzodimma

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ov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has announced plans to pay 13th month salary as end of year bonus to workers in the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Mr Oguwike Nwachuku, on Monday in Owerri.

Uzodimma said that efforts were ongoing to elevate deserving civil servants, adding that all outstanding payment of salaries and pensions would soon be

cleared.

He urged civil servants to remain committed to the service of government and try not to be partisan. ”All verified 43, 000 workers without issues will never be owed salaries by this government because we do not regard payment of salary as achievement by any governor, the worker deserves his wage.

“Promotion issues will be looked into as long as the workers remain committed and we want

you to desist from blackmailing government.

“Your happiness is my happiness, your sadness is my sadness, your hunger is my hunger “, he said.

The Head of Service, Dr Camilus Iwuagwu, thanked the governor for introducing the automated payroll system, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, provision of free mass transit, Civil Servants Clinic and training of workers.

Iwuagwu thanked the

governor for granting the request to revisit the genuine cases of workers and pensioners who, as a result of some problems were omitted from salaries and pensions.

Also, Rev. Philip Nwansi, state Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress commended the governor for being workersfriendly.Nwansi expressed confidence that all those with issues of unpaid salaries and pensions would soon have reasons to rejoice.(NAN) From left: Representative of the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Dr Sanjo Faniron; Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Musa Bungudu; Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSSC), Dr Emem Omokara; and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mr Mansur Kurlya, during the Capacity Building on Ageing Mainstreaming in Sector Plan and Inputs into NSSC Strategy, in Abuja yesterday

EU distributes 20 motorcycles to 7 LGA’s in Adamawa From Umar Dankano,Yola

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he European Union (EU) in its drive to ensure increased food production and security in Northern Nigeria has distributed 20 motorcycles to 7 Local Governments Areas in Adamawa state.

Making presentation of the 3 motorcycles each to the field officers in Mayo belwa and Numan councils weekend, Team Leader of the implementation partners(OXFAM & CRUDAN), Mr.JohnBosco Abazie told the gatherings that the EU is funding the project to improve sustainability in food security and increased income sources to community members.

Abazie who is the Monitoring,Evaluation,Learning Social Accountability Officer of OXFAM, said the project funded by EU was determined to encourage food farming with a view to eradicating poverty through village savings and Loans Association.

IPCR set to develop “Peace – Desk” National Policy (PNP) – DG

By Ochiaka Ugwu

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he Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) may have concluded plans to develop “Peace – Desk” National Policy (PNP) contents that would enable her establish and nurture peace culture in various agencies.

In a welcome address delivered Monday at the 4th Session of Workplace Peace Desk Stakeholders Engagement held in Abuja, Director General of the Institute, Dr. Bakut tswah Bakut said the main objectives of the proposal were to re-build the culture of peace, cementing the relationship between trade unions and managements and restoration of cohesion in workplace.

His words, “I am pleased to have this great audience in the Institute for Peace and Conflict

Resolution as part of the outcome of our strategic extension peace promotion activities to the Nigerian workforce and labour sectors.

“It is equally encouraging that these distinguished persons in the fields of human resources, labour and trade unionism made out time to be here.

“Comrades, permit me to inform you that IPCR which was established in 2000 to promote peace in Nigeria and Africa have four (4) thematic areas; Research, Policy Advisory, Conflict Intervention and Capacity Building. The agency also focuses on strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for Peace Promotion, Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.

“Moreover, the surging cases of conflicts issues in the country

with attendant humanitarian burdens made it imperative for the Institute to strategically design various strategies for peace promotion and peacebuilding, including this initiative that brought all of you here today.

These include but not limited to Insurgency, cultism, gangsterism” and terrorism.

“In view of the need to collapse the negative trajectory, this initiative aimed at bringing workers from the public and organized private sector into the main activities of conflict resolution.

“It is hoped that this deliberate effort will not only positively affect the work environments but it shall also increase the hands that will be on deck for resolution, and by extension impact the various communities to which the workers

shall retire to after service.

Also speaking, Head of Internal Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Hepzeboh Achanya represented by Andy Nkemneme said the workplaces are composed of employees from different backgrounds, priorities, perceptions, views and understanding which predispose it for conflicts. She said these conflicts manifest in several negative forms with the attendant retrogressive consequences on the individual and organization’s productivity.

Continuing, she said employees were the productivity assets of every organization and hence the need to avoid workplace conflicts in order to engender healthy and competitive work environment for high productivity cannot be over emphasized.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

26

FEATURE

Interstellar probe: A mission for the generations I magine working on a project you know you have no hope of seeing through to completion.

Would you have the motivation to even get it going?

Absolutely, says Ralph McNutt from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL) in the US. McNutt, with colleagues, has just published a detailed report that envisions a long-lived interstellar probe - a mission to the space between the stars.

Nasa’s legendary Voyagers are travelling through this domain right now, but McNutt’s probe would go further and faster and would expect still to be working 50-100 years after leaving Earth.

“Suppose this thing launched in 2036, and it got to the end of the nominal mission in 2086,” he pondered. “That puts me at about 130 years old. I’m not going to worry about it. You have to hand these things off. I say to people, ‘if you’re into instant gratification, do not get involved with space exploration’.”

Voyagers 1 and 2 made history in the 2010s when they left the bubble of hot gas that surrounds our Sun, its so-called heliosphere, and entered the interstellar medium - the region of space dominated by the particles, dust and magnetic fields generated by other stars.

Today, more than 40 years after setting out on their grand adventure, these sentinels have traversed, in the case of Voyager 1, some 23 billion km; or 155 times the Sun-Earth distance, a separation scientists refer to as the Astronomical Unit to keep the numbers manageable.

The Voyagers have told us new things about the galactic environment in which our Sun lives, but that wasn’t their primary goal. They were originally conceived to survey the outer planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus - which they completed in spectacular fashion.

Their late career move was just a bonus.

McNutt’s team wants to reverse the priorities.

“The Voyagers had instruments on board that were tailored to the exploration of planets. They did not have the dedicated instrumentation to really understand processes at the edge of the heliosphere,” said JHU-APL’s Elena Provornikova.

The proposed interstellar probe would be built from the bottom up to deliver the desired science, she added.

To be clear, this is not a mission to another star. The nearest star systems are too far away for an operational probe to reach with current technology.

But the spacecraft would be an enduring traveller in the gap between the stars.

The new study, initiated at the behest of Nasa’s heliophysics division, is described as a deep dive on the engineering required and runs to almost 500 pages.

The working concept is an 850kg spacecraft, equipped with sensors to measure parameters such as charged and neutral particles, magnetic fields and dust.

The probe would be launched around 2036 on a super-heavylift rocket with additional stages to give it a thumping escape velocity.

The spacecraft would take a

The aim would be for the interstellar probe still to be working 100 years after launch

Telescope views of the heliospheric bubbles around other stars

To be funded, the probe concept will need wide support in the space and solar physics community mere 6.5 hours to pass the orbit of the Moon and reach Jupiter in seven months for a sling-shot manoeuvre that pumped it up to a peak speed of six-to-seven astronomical units per year.

That’s over a billion km every 12 months.

“

But it’s also longevity that matters. The Voyagers are now prioritising instruments because their radioisotope thermoelectric generators have become so weak.

But with two next-generation nuclear batteries now under development with Nasa, it’s

expected the interstellar probe could still be sending data back to Earth a century into an extended mission when it would be hundreds of AU away.

“What our study has done is take these dreams that the scientists have and put the

But it’s also longevity that matters. The Voyagers are now prioritising instruments because their radioisotope thermoelectric generators have become so weak. But with two next-generation nuclear batteries now under development with Nasa, it’s expected the interstellar probe could still be sending data back to Earth a century into an extended mission when it would be hundreds of AU away.

engineering behind them,” explained payload systems lead for the study team, Alice Cocoros.

“And we’ve come to the conclusion that with near-term technologies, technologies that won’t need a whole lot of infusement or development, we can accomplish all the science we want to do with this mission concept, which is pretty exciting.”

And when it came to it, if the funding agencies were so minded the probe could still include a flyby of an interesting object on its way out of the Solar System.

Perhaps another pass of Pluto which we saw for the first time with the New Horizons mission in 2015, or maybe a rendezvous with one of those icy cousins that share the same far-flung orbit around the Sun. But there’s more than enough investigation to be done beyond the heliosphere. The Voyagers’ data has piqued many new questions about the nature of our Sun’s bubble, says project scientist Pontus Brandt.

“Four-point-six billion years ago, our Solar System started to take form, and with it this magnetic bubble which shields us from all the dust and plasma that we plough through on our journey through the galaxy.

“Having this interstellar probe will allow us to not only understand the current state but also understand where we come from, and how this has affected evolution; and where we’re going next. Not many people know but we are about to exit our local interstellar cloud that this heliosphere has been ploughing through for the last 60,000 years.

We’re entering a completely new region.”

Whether the interstellar probe gets the funding it needs to get off the ground (about $1.6bn; £1.2bn) will depend on the wider support of the solar and space physics community in the US and what they consider to be the most pressing research topics in their field.

They may think the money would be better spent on projects investigating the Sun’s influence closer to home. Right now, with the Parker Solar Probe, they’re enjoying the delights of flying through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, a mere 8 million km from the star’s surface, or photosphere - the very place from where everything that fills the heliosphere originates.

And it should be said, there are other concepts out there.

China has a proposition it’s working on called Interstellar Express. And the Russian-Israeli entrepreneur Yuri Milner has proposed Breakthrough Starshot, a private venture to send a fleet of tiny “StarChips” in the direction of the nearest star system.

“There are two things that really inspire people,” said Pontus Brandt.

“One is obviously ‘to boldly go where no-one has gone before’, but the other aspect is the beauty of a long mission, where you do it for your future generations because inevitably that is where space exploration is going to take us. We do this for the future generations.”

The JHU-APL team discussed its report at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans.

Source: BBC

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

Kida becomes BCG advisor

By Ameachi Agbo

B

oston Consulting Group (BCG), a global strategy management consulting firm, has announced the addition of Ahmadu Musa Kida as senior advisor, to its West African team.

Prior to joining the BCG team, Musa Kida was the deputy managing director, Deep Water Services at TotalEnergies, Nigeria where amongst other accomplishments, he delivered the Egina Field Project, which achieved First Oil at the end of 2018, and was able to achieve

peak oil production of 200,000 barrels per day.

Since stepping aside from his role as DMD, Musa Kida has maintained his commitment to contributing to local knowledge across the Nigerian energy space and currently serves as NonExecutive Director at both Heirs Oil and Gas and TotalEnergies Nigeria Limited.

Musa Kida is a civil engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University with a post-graduate diploma in Petroleum Engineering from Institut Francaise du Petrole

(IFP), France.

Commenting on his appointment, Musa Kida said, “I am delighted to be a part of the BCG West Africa Team. BCG has over the years contributed to Africa’s development and I am excited to be a part of the team.

I look forward to accomplishing more feats with the team while sharing my knowledge base and deep expertise acquired over these years” he said.

Tolu Oyekan, managing director and partner, BCG (West Africa), and head of BCG Nigeria

said: “We are thrilled to welcome Musa Kida to the leadership team of our West African office.

His wealth of experience will undoubtedly contribute to BCG’s ambitions to advance Africa and the world on various topics including sustainability and energy transition.”

Oyekan, who is also a skilled management consultant with global experience across several sectors including; finance, manufacturing, and energy, stated that the arrival of Musa Kida will expand leadership capacity and increase BCG’s

ability to serve as the advisor-ofchoice, to senior leaders across the region.

The BCG West African operations is based in Lagos, Nigeria, with diverse professionals who are passionate about unlocking Africa’s potential.

These professionals with different backgrounds are dedicated to delivering integrated solutions through cutting-edge management consulting for social, public, and private sector organisations across West Africa and beyond.

LMC pronounced Indefinite Postponement league match

T

he League Management Company, LMC, has postponed indefinitely, the matchday 1 fixture of the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season involving Sunshine Stars FC of Akure and Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, indefinitely.

The league organisers announced the postponement without a new date on Tuesday.

LMC noted that it would take a decision on the match which was initially billed to hold on Sunday but later shifted

to Monday which could not also hold.

It however did not stipulate a definite date when the decision on the match or sanctions against the two clubs would be made.

“The League Management Company (LMC) has noted the stalemate arising from the fixture between Sunshine Stars and Wikki Tourists which was originally fixed for Sunday and subsequently rescheduled to Monday but did not hold.

“The match has now been

postponed indefinitely and the LMC will review the situation and make a decision in due course,” LMC said The Sunshine Stars of Akure vs Wikki Tourists of Bauchi Match was shifted from Sunday to Monday when it was reported that the visiting team, Wikki Tourists could not turn up for the match.

Sunshine Stars’ appeal to walk them over was not considered rather the match was rescheduled to hold on Monday, December 20, at

the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu Ode. On the said date, the home team, Sunshine Stars refused to turn up for the match, consequently, Wikki reportedly “walked them over”.

LMC’s announcement have put to bed, in the meantime, confusion surrounding who takes the three points as both clubs await decision of the league body.

The 2021/2022 NPFL season kicked off on Friday

with newcomers, Remo Stars beating MFM away in a SouthWest derby in Lagos.

Rangers International FC also recorded an away win against Katsina United on Sunday while defending champions, Akwa United humiliated former champions, Kano Pillars 3-0.

Matchday 2 of the new season will hold on December 26, with South East oriental derby, Enugu Rangers vs Enyimba International signposting the days schedules.

Afcon 2021: Caf president Motsepe says next month’s finals will be ‘exceptional’ PG30 >>>PG31

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

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National Council on sports approves November 2022 For Sports Festival, Asaba 2022

By Albert Akota

T

he National Council on Sports has approved November 2 to 15, 2022 as the dates for the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta State tagged Asaba 2022 just as the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare described Delta State as the incubator of talents for the nation’s sports development.

Speaking on Monday in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, at the Extra-ordinary National Council on Sports meeting, the Minister thanked the State for hosting the all important sports meeting, stating that the successes of Nigeria in sports won’t be complete without the contribution of the State, and the giant strides of her athletes.

“Therefore, this meeting today puts us at the cusp of another National Sports Festival (NSF) which we refer to as our own Olympics.

The National Council on Sports meeting today has become necessary in order to update Council on developments, and deliberations on issues that concern the hosting of the 21st National Sports Festival which Delta State had earlier won the rights to host in November 2022”.

“Interestingly, Delta State came first at the recently concluded Edo 2020. Now, we are happy that they have the opportunity not just to host, but to validate their first position.

Arising from the award of the hosting rights to Delta State, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has continued to engage the Host State on the need to finetune the road map in preparation for the NSF”, Dare emphasised.

The Minister commended the National Council on Sports for their commitment and steadfastness to sports development, lauding the support he and the Ministry have received over the past two years. Also, he expressed gratitude to the host Governor, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa for his immense contribution to sports development, stating that the feat achieved by the nation at the just concluded Tokyo Olympics won’t have been

possible without the 12 athletes adopted by the Governor under the Ministry’s Adopt-anAthlete initiative. “ He single-handedly adopted the largest number of athletes and we are glad that out of the two medals we won, one of them was won by one of the athletes adopted by the Governor. That is Ese Brume,” the Minister asserted.

In a bid to exalt the National Sports Festival as Nigeria’s version of the new

Olympics, the Minister announced that the Ministry in collaboration with the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has established a Department that is solely responsible for the National Sports Festival and Para-Sports. “With this development, Para-Sports has equally been given the desired attention”, the Minister concluded.

Governor Okowa in his remarks, thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports

Development for the opportunity to host the National Sports Festival, promising to not only surpass the standards of Edo 2020, but make the 21st edition of the games, the best in its history.

The highlight of the event was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the hosting of the NSF tagged “Asaba 2022” by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Minister, Chief Sunday Dare.

Dreamland Academy emerged Champions Of Dreamland/Embassy Of Hungary U-19 Cup

By Amaechi Agbo

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reamland Academy of Abia State on Sunday, emerged new champions of the of the 8th edition of Dreamland/ Embassy of Hungary U-19 Cup Tournament.

In the final played at the Turf Arena, River Plate Garden, Abuja, the Abia State Academy defeated Jazzy Stars FC of Jos , Plateau State 4-3 on penalties to lift the coveted trophy.

The regulation ended 1-1 after Dreamland surrendered their early second half lead in the dying moment of the match.

In the penalty shootout, Dreamland, 6th edition champions in May 2019, converted four out of five spot kicks while Jazzy Stars who reached the final after defeating Jamba FC on same penalties could only convert their three kicks.

Highlights of the five-day competition which started on Wednesday, December first, 2021 were presentations of individual as well as Life Time Achievements Awards to deserving persons In the individual awards, Cletus Victor of Dreamland Academy won the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.

Kelvin Yusuf, from Jamba Soccer

Academy won the Highest Goal scorer.

Best Player of the tournament award was giving to Godwin Eden of Goddosky FC. Dr Sandor Beer, Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria; Elizabeth Dios-Kovacs, Deputy

Ambassador and Andras Dios, Head of Sports and Culture Project in the Embassy recieved Life Time Achievements Awards for their support in promoting Dreamland/ Embassy of Hungary Cup and grassroots

sports in Nigeria.

A total of 6 talented players were selected by the European scouts who will travel next year to sign for various clubs in Hungary and other countries.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

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Patrice Motsepe became Confederation of African Football president in March

Afcon 2021: Caf president Motsepe says next month’s finals will be ‘exceptional’

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he president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Patrice Motsepe, has reiterated that the delayed Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead as planned.

Motsepe was speaking with less than three weeks until the tournament kicks off as he visited Yaounde’s Olembe Stadium, which will host the opening match on 9 January.

His comments came as speculation persists that the finals will be delayed further or even cancelled because of the latest problems with the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“I will be in Cameroon on 7 January with my wife and kids to witness this incredible competition,” Motsepe insisted on Monday.

“You can see that there’s a huge commitment and a focus to make sure that there’s good

progress.

“We are going to host with the people of Cameroon an exceptional tournament. It will be the most successful Afcon.

We are ready to show the world the best of African football and African hospitality.

“This tournament is important for the people of Africa and I’m so proud and so excited with the work done.”

Eto’o fumes at Nations Cup doubts Also on Monday, Samuel Eto’o, who was elected president of Cameroon’s FA earlier this month, hit out at the constant reports placing the competition in doubt, many of which come from Europe.

The former Barcelona star highlighted the fact that the European Championship took place earlier this year as the pandemic continued to rage

across the continent.

“If the Euros took place in the middle of the pandemic, with full stadiums in several cities in Europe and there was no problem, why wouldn’t Afcon be played in Cameroon?” he told French station Canal+.

“Or are you trying to say that like we’ve always been treated, we Africans aren’t worth anything so we have to put up with it?

“I don’t see why Afcon wouldn’t take place. The Cameroon FA that I represent will defend hosting this competition to the end.”

Like former African Footballer of the Year Eto’o, Motsepe, 59, also seemed surprised by the continued rumours surrounding the 24team finals.

“We have to believe in our people,” the Caf boss said. “We

have to stop being the ones that lack confidence and are always expressing negative views of our people.

“All over the world there are competitions with challenges but we have to be more optimistic because sometimes we are over critical of ourselves.

“If we’re not going to have confidence in what we do, who’s going to have confidence in us?

“This is the generation where Africans must believe in Africans. We can host a football competition that’s as good as you can see in Europe and the world.”

Cameroon had been slated to host the 2019 Nations Cup, but the country was stripped of hosting rights in November 2018 with Caf citing delays in the country’s preparation for the tournament.

Mark Igoche plans to resuscitate domestic basketball in Nigeria

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ith the year 2021 gradually winding down, a prominent stakeholder in Nigeria basketball and proprietor of Mark Mentors Basketball Club, Igoche Mark has promised to resurrect the dying domestic basketball leagues in 2022 across Nigeria.

Mark's promise was contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Kingsley Aigbonoga on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement Mr Mark lamented the sorry state of domestic basketball in the country but vowed to change the narrative.

"We have concluded plans to make 2022 a year filled with numerous basketball championships/invitational tournaments in order to make up for dearth/deficit experienced during the reign of those who led basketball in Nigeria before now.

"In the coming days, the timetable will be made available to the public. The New Phase of Basketball Movement is ready to erase the abomination committed in the last four years.

"Certainly, our domestic league will become an envy to many." The statement stated.

SPACE FOR SALE The countdown to 2023 (3) WEDNESDAY COLUMN I . . . putting the people first

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021

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Tottenham consider appeal against Uefa decision to award Rennes Europa Conference League win

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ottenham Hotspur are considering an appeal against Uefa’s decision to award Rennes a 3-0 victory after their Europa Conference League fixture was postponed and they exited the competition.

It was ruled Spurs should forfeit the match as they called it off because of rising Covid-19 cases.

Manager Antonio Conte says the club are speaking to lawyers about the decision.

“It is not definitive, but there is another step to confirm or not this incredible decision,” he said.

“We are very, very confident for the next step and I repeat we deserve to play the qualification on the pitch, not in the court. I can’t accept this. We are very, very disappointed with Uefa for this decision.

“It’s unfair for sure. We deserve to play for qualification on the pitch, not in this way. I’m very disappointed with Uefa’s decision.

“I don’t want to understand but I hope in the future something can change because we deserve to play for qualification on the pitch, not in this way. It’s not our fault.”

Spurs also saw their match with Leicester postponed last weekend because of the outbreak of the virus.

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join Nigerians to rejoice with Mr. President; 79 hearty cheers to the great performer and a democrat, a symbol of integrity and national rejuvenation. It is no coincidence that allies and foes alike are lining up to admire the man who you cannot deny within yourself, for the great services he has rendered this country, regardless of what is said in the media for political purposes. I am a fan and lover of your personality, the integrity that distinguishes you from the lot. I have continued to wonder how a man could have been the head and leader of the country in the past, and held all the various high ranking positions you have held in trust for the people, and still not belong to the rank of the leaders who have mortgaged the present and future of the country for personal advantages?

How could you, like them, not be a proud owner of oil wells? I am still wondering, how could you, like them, not be a billionaire? The only iota of truth in the islamisation rhetoric they worked all hard to build against you is that you are an ardent believer of your God; a staunch adherent to what is morally right. And so, you are hated because your choice of morality has jeopardised their sworn path of corruption.

They may hate you today, but you should be rest assured that their number is limited to the corrupts and their beneficiaries who saw your emergence and administrative policies as obstacles to continuous perpetration of their ill-acts against the country, and whose fortune are fast declining financially and politically because they are losing relevance in an increasingly saner system.

Someone, tired of their decision not to see your good works, chose to qualify your achievements as unseen and underappreciated works.

Mr. President, the majority of us saw your works and graciously appreciates your doggedness in restoring hope to the nation developmentally. Who could have believed that so soon, Nigeria would return to the pathway of infrastructural development?

Who would have believed that we would at this point, be joining the serious minded nations in railway transport development, building road infrastructure at an alarming, progressive and consistent pace; turning around the nation’s airport to a wonder and cynosure of all eyes. It is quite unbelievable this is happening after decades of past decadence and maladministration.

We saw the rice revolution and what it has brought to the country along its entire value chain, and we cannot but be grateful to the agent of change who despite hate

0806 564 8620 0704 385 9705 0814 292 9046 08074420617

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USSIJU MEDANER info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com and constant derailing attempts from the enemies of the country and the lurking PDP, has refused to be perturbed and has stayed his course in taking the country to the next level.

I am still wondering what magic PDP is hoping to perform that would not make 2023 still about His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, whether he is on the ballot or not. I am seriously touched and amazed at the PDP show of confidence that it could spin a surprise; that is totally impossible, when it all comes down to the numbers, and when the list of unprecedented achievements of the last seven years are table sidea-side the rottenness and unbridled corruption of the preceding sixteen years, water will naturally find its level.

Using insecurity and religion; inciting uprising across the country would always have its limit and would always come to its stationary point; the time will come when rationality would prevail and PDP will be remembered for what it was and is still is. The time when Nigerians would compare rationally what insecurity looked like in the days before the Buhari government and what it is now.

The North would soon spit at the money bags that are turning to the streets against the government now. Why? Because they would be reminded of how they could not even approach their mosques at the least, talk less of talking openly against Boko Haram without paying the full consequences in those days when it matters most.

They would be reminded how those who summon the courage to be bold paid with their lives.

PDP would have to be really ready to answer questions or tacitly return into its shell to save its face, because this time around the defeat would be humiliating.

How did Nigeria, an oil producing and refining nation totally

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become a fully dependent refined product importing nation with the overwhelming consequences on the everyday life of the country and her citizens in a space of sixteen year while the party was calling the shots? They would have to explain to rational Nigerians how they managed to re-appropriated all the accumulated fund for the building of their Wadata Plaza that left the party still with an uncompleted secretariat despite over availability of fund for the project; and yet claim they are prudent enough to be trusted with national resources to build the nation economy, social and physical infrastructure. They would equally have to explain to Nigerians how their newly appointed NWC met over 280 million naira in debt with exactly no money in account.

PDP would have to really explain to Nigerians what Diezani stand for in the chronicles of the history and achievements of the party; what Dasuki represents; they would have to truly explain to us how they see James Ibori’s integrity and financial prudency as a leader of the party they want Nigerians to put their trust in.

PDP would have to set up its machineries to explain away the lots of Patience Jonathan’s stolen funds while they were in power; would have to explain to us how its current chairman who took N400 million to organise official prayer for a country at a time the nation was under siege of terrorism when ironically what the money ought to be used for was to fight against terrorism.

2023 would be a year of much revelation; 2019 electioneering began with Obasanjo’s rapprochement, the process that forgave Atiku Abubakar on behalf of Nigerians and Nigeria for his many corruptions and atrocities against the wellness and survival of the commonwealth and the organisation of the panel that

2023 would be a year of much revelation; 2019 electioneering began with Obasanjo’s rapprochement, the process that forgave Atiku Abubakar on behalf of Nigerians and Nigeria for his many corruptions and atrocities against the wellness and survival of the commonwealth and the organisation of the panel that presented him to Nigerians.

presented him to Nigerians. 2023 has begun again with his yet another open speech, claiming the President and his party has nothing left to offer the country and Nigerians should not expect any salvation from him again.

It would be proper to inquire whether the former President has become allergic to good things, because, despite insecurity, there are damning great admirable achievements everywhere to behold and ongoing in this country right now.

Perhaps, seeing the railway the former president literally killed during his tenure bubbling back to life is more of an insult to his person than an achievement to the nation? Maybe the nation’s airports that he watched became moribund should have remained moribund in his honour; and maybe, could he be secretly proud of his lieutenant that he allowed him all the leeway to pilfer the struggling country to the point that he himself could not contain the malfeasance and magnitude of damage inflicted on the nation and its people which was why he later managed to find some comfort in exploding in his book, ‘My Watch’ about his lieutenant, vice president, Atiku Abubakar?

2023 would be about asking Obasanjo and the whole of his apologetics that are in union to oust the current corruption-fighting Administration to save their many corrupt-fed investments across the country: are they blind to the rice revolution; are they blind to the N-Power and other social interventions; are they blind to the railway revolution; the roads and bridge constructions; the new state of Nigeria airports and air transportation? As a military man, is he not seeing the effectiveness and seriousness of the military’s onslaught against insecurity in the country?

Or is that they do not just care about these kinds of good works?

GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!

DAN GAYE GAYE DAN

El-Rufai decries military’s inability to reach bandit’s locations

—News

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