SATURDAY 15TH MAY 2021

NLC Mobilises to Shutdown Kaduna Monday Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has started mobilising its affiliate unions and civil society organisations to join the strike in Kaduna State, scheduled to commence midnight Sunday, May 16.

NLC had threatened to mobilise workers in both public and private sectors to shut down economic activities in the state over what it described as obnoxious anti-worker policies: arbitrary and illegal declaration of redundancies; premature

compulsory retirement of all officers on grade levels 14 and above, by the state government.

In a circular issued by its acting General Secretary, Ishmail Bello, NLC instructed the leadership of all its affiliate unions to ensure that the strike

commences from midnight, Sunday, May 16.

"We write to communicate to all affiliate unions of the NLC to fully mobilise all their members in Kaduna to a complete and indefinite withdrawal of services until a counter directive is issued

by the leadership."

The circular also urged allies and affiliate unions in neighbouring states to mobilise to Kaduna to support the strike.

Already, one of the allies, the Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) has offered to give

total support for the planned shutdown of economic activities in Kaduna State A statement signed by its Director, Femi Aborisade said that other unions, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Continued on page 6

Buhari Hosts Chadian Interim President, Assures Him of Support… Page 6 Saturday 15 May, 2021 Vol 26. No 9532

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19th INEC Office Burnt, Commission Frets, Convenes Emergency Meeting Says preparations for upcoming electoral activities may be affected Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is worried by the serial fire

attacks on its offices in some states, especially in the Southeast zone, which have resulted in the destruction of buildings and vital election equipment.

The latest destruction took place in Enugu State on Thursday night, where INEC’s office in Udenu Local Government Area was set

ablaze by hoodlums.

Following the series of attacks, the Commission resolved to convene an emergency meeting of the

Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) next week to discuss this disturbing trend.

The Commission is also

convening an emergency meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners Continued on page 6

Parents Panic as Abductors of Kaduna Greenfield Varsity Students Cut Contact Interactions severed 8 days ago after demanding fresh N170m ransom N60m earlier paid by parents ignored Charles Ajunwa in Lagos and John Shiklam in Kaduna Parents of the remaining 16 abducted students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State, have been thrown into further confusion, following the decision of the kidnappers to cut further communications with them.

Bandits invaded the school on April 18 and abducted 22 students and a staff.

They initially demanded N800 million for the release of the students. However, to push their demand for ransom, they killed five of the students on two occasions, when negotiations were still ongoing.

Sources said the last time the kidnappers called any of the parents was on April 8, eight days ago, during which they made fresh demand of N10 million ransom on each

of the 16 students and a staff of the university still being held, which comes to N170 million.

Prior to this, the parents had collectively paid N60 million ransom without getting a result.

The decision of the kidnappers to cut communications for days has been causing great anxiety among the parents, with some of them afraid for the lives of their children.

“We don’t know what is happening again. We don’t know what is happening to our children. They (kidnappers) are not talking to us again.

You know they have been threatening to kill them if we don’t pay more and suddenly we are not hearing anything again. We are so scared and praying that God will touch Continued on page 6

SOLIDARITY FOR EVER...

President Muhammadu Buhari, and Chadian Interim President, Mahamat Deby, during the Chadian leader’s visit to Buhari in Abuja…yesterday godwin omoigui

President Urges Sultan, Other Spiritual Leaders to Help Fight Crimes…Page 8

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Buhari Hosts Chadian Interim President, Assures Him of Support Promises to help Chad actualise smooth 18-month transition Deji Elumoye ÓØ ÌßÔË President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the Republic of Chad of Nigeria's readiness to help that country stabilise and return to democratic rule within 18 months as promised by its Transitional Military Council President, Lt General Mahamat Deby last month.

The President, who gave the pledge yesterday while receiving Deby, also lauded the efforts

of the Nigerian neighbour in the drive to fight terrorism in the country.

The President, in a release issued after the closed-door meeting by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, emphasised that Nigeria would assist the Republic of Chad to stabilise, and return to constitutional order.

According to the statement, he said: “We will help you to ensure a smooth transition in 18

months, as you have promised your people."

President Buhari further said that Nigeria would help strengthen the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

He also said: “We are bound together by culture and geography, and we will help in all ways we can. Nigerians know and appreciate the role Chad played in helping us to

combat terrorism, and we will continue the collaboration.”

The President said the late Marshal Idris Deby “was a personal friend, and a friend of Nigeria, and Chad has been very steadfast in defending Nigeria,” so the country should not hesitate to ask for help in areas it deemed necessary. Speaking earlier, Deby thanked Nigeria for the solidarity shown after the passage of the former President, noting that the main objective of

the Transitional Military Council “is the security and cohesion of our country.”

He expressed his commitment to democratic, free, fair polls in 18 months, telling President Buhari: “You were very close to Marshal Itno. I’m here to reaffirm that relationship, and for you to support our transition. We rely on our brother country Nigeria, as we have shared history, culture and geography. We are ready to be

guided by you in our journey to constitutional rule.”

Former President of Chad, Marshal Idris Deby, had died in battle last month, while leading troops to confront insurgents, who had come into the country through the Libyan borders.

The country thereafter set up the transitional council, headed by the son of the deceased, Lt General Mahamat Deby and a return to democratic order is expected in 18 months.

President: Fugitive Wanted By ICPC over $65m Fraud Not My In-Law Festus Akanbi ÓØ ËÑÙÝ, Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha ËØÎ Kingsley Nweze ÓØ ÌßÔË President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the fugitive, Gimba Yau Kumo, declared wanted by the Independent Corrupt Practics Commission (ICPC) over an alleged $65 million fraud is no longer his son-in-law.

The ICPC yesterday began a manhunt for Kumo over alleged fraud, committed with two others, while he was the Managing Director, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria

(FMBN).

A statement issued yesterday by the President's spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the latest move by the ICPC to declare Kumo wanted, notwithstanding his connections, has shown the seriousness of the Buhari administration to fight corrupt practices in the country.

The release stated, inter alia: "A running story to the effect that the ICPC has declared ‘an in-law of the President’ wanted in connection with fraud involving the large sum of money, USD65 million to be exact. This should normally be

an affirmation that our anticorruption agencies/institutions are truly independent and allowed unfettered freedom by the President; which is in fact the case. That a state institution can issue such is a measure of the administration’s commitment to accountability, equality and justice.

"To set the records straight, the person declared wanted by the ICPC is not an in-law to President Buhari. While at some point in time, the said fugitive from justice had been linked to a family member in marriage; that relationship has

ended some years ago.

"It is therefore unfortunate to bring the Presidents family into this case. It is in our view an attempt to generate views and sell copies of sensational reporting.

"The President's position at all times is that the law be allowed to take its course. As is well known of him, President Muhammadu Buhari will not provide any cover for crime, no matter who is involved."

The ICPC yesterday began a manhunt for Kumo over the alleged fraud.

Kumo, a former Managing

Director, FMBN, got married to Buhari’s daughter in October 2016 in Daura, Katsina State.

According to the commission, Kumo is wanted alongside Tarry Rufus and Bola Ogunsola over alleged misappropriation and dispersion of national housing fund.

The notice, published on the commission’s website was signed by the ICPC spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua.

It reads, “The persons whose pictures appear above, Mr Tarry Rufus, Mr Gimba Yau Kumo and Mr Bola Ogunsola, are hereby declared wanted by the

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in connection with issues bordering on misappropriation of National Housing Funds and diversion of the sum of $65m.

“Anyone who has useful information on their whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters, Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station.”

Kumo’s tenure at FMBN was characterised by allegations of corruption.

(11,000) workers have been short-listed for disengagement on account of being in service for 30 years and above and/or being on level 14 and above."

CLS urged other unions, including the TUC, to unite and join forces with the NLC to defeat the unitary ideology in industrial relations and the vicious war on workers’ rights being waged by the Kaduna State government, "otherwise, other state governments would emulate the draconian and wicked labour policies and practices in Kaduna State, and workers’ rights in other states nationally would come under severe threat."

Officials of the Kaduna State Government were not available for reactions to the strike starting next Monday,

but the government has persistently defended the ongoing rationalization in the civil service, citing bloated wage bill, redundant staff and dwindling revenue.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai said a significant amount of the statutory federal allocations to the state “is being spent on the wages of public servants.”

He said the decision to shed weight in the civil service was one of the necessary moves to salvage the state's finances.

El-rufai adds: "Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service. It is a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of the majority of the people of this state. The public service of the state with less

than 100,000 employees and their families cannot be consuming more than 90% of government resources, with little left to positively impact the lives of the more than 9 million that are not political appointees or civil servants. It is gross injustice for such a micro minority to consume the majority of the resources of the state."

He promised to work with the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAS) to expedite payments of the contributory pension benefits to cushion the effect of the disengagement.

El-Rufai also vowed to give "preferential treatment to those disengaged that are willing to take advantage of the state government's various agricultural and entrepreneurship development schemes."

to continue to discharge its responsibly, including the conclusion of the expansion of voters' access to polling units, resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), capacity-building activities, the review of the draft Strategic Plan 2022-2026, engagement with stakeholders, as well as all scheduled and pending elections.

At least, 19 offices of the Commission have been gutted by fire in the last two years, findings have revealed.

A breakdown of the fire incidents showed that the most affected states include Akwa Ibom (4); Abia (3); Anambra (2) and Imo (2).

Other states that witnessed fire incidents between February 2019 and May 2021 are Borno, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kano, Ondo, Plateau and Rivers. Abuja was also affected.

It was learnt that while 11 offices were burnt by hoodlums, eight others were gutted by fire under mysterious circumstances or by electrical fault.

Continued on page 38

NLC MOBILISES TO SHUTDOWN KADUNA MONDAY should unite and join forces with the NLC to defeat the unitary ideology in industrial relations being spearheaded by the Kaduna State government.

"We call on all trade unions and pro-labour civil society and human rights organisations to join forces with the NLC in its just strike in Kaduna State against the following obnoxious anti-worker policies: arbitrary and illegal declaration of redundancies; premature compulsory retirement of all officers on grade levels 14 and above, officers who are 50 years and above, and officers who have been in service for 30 years or more; conversion of permanent employees on grade levels 1-6 to casual workers status and stoppage of pension for pensioners who

have earned pension for 5 to 10 years but have refused to die,” the statement said.

The centre said that the right to pension “is a constitutionally guaranteed right,” which is also guaranteed in the civil and public service rules in Kaduna State.

"For the avoidance of any doubt, Rule 02809 of the Kaduna State Government Public Service Rules (2005) and Part II, Regulation 10(3)(c) at page 34 of the Unified Local Government Service Staff Regulations (2012), provide that the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier,” it said.

The Centre further said that the phenomenon of physical insecurity involving bloodshed,

killings, abductions, kidnappings, insurgency, and terrorism in Kaduna State is related to economic insecurity.

According to CLS, Kaduna State has become one of the most dangerous states to visit, work or live. "This is because of massive layoffs which the state government started in 2016/2017 when about 22,000 teachers, 8,000 workers in MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies), 800 workers in the state's Internal Revenue Service Dept, and over 4,000 local government workers were laid off.

CLS adds: "This year, according to the NLC, the state government has disengaged 6,000 workers, including local government and primary health care workers. Eleven thousand

19TH INEC OFFICE BURNT, COMMISSION FRETS, CONVENES EMERGENCY MEETING (RECs) on Wednesday 19th May 2021 in Abuja ahead of the meeting of the ICCES. INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, remarked yesterday: “The latest destruction of the Commission's physical infrastructure and electoral facilities in Enugu State calls for an immediate review of the measures necessary to secure INEC's assets across the states."

Okoye, in a statement adds: “The spate of fire incidents

involving the facilities of INEC in some states of the Federation had unfortunately persisted. This time around, it is Enugu State, where the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Emeka Ononamadu, has reported that the INEC office in Udenu Local Government Area was set ablaze.

"The latest tragic incident occurred around 8.40pm on Thursday 13th May 2021.

No casualties were reported.

However, the office building was extensively damaged while

electoral materials and office equipment were destroyed in spite of the best efforts of the Enugu State Fire Service to contain the inferno. The Commission appreciates the intervention of the Fire Service.

The attention of the Police has been drawn to this yet another very worrisome development for investigation.”

The INEC national commissioner said the attack in Udenu Local Government was the third incident involving INEC's local government offices

in three states, in less than two weeks.

"First, there was the destruction of the office in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State on 2nd May 2021.

This was followed by the fire at the Ohafia LGA office in Abia State on 9th May 2021.

"This is yet another setback to the Commission's ongoing activities and preparations for upcoming electoral activities,” said Okoye.

Meanwhile, the Commission, Okoye said, is determined

PARENTS PANIC AS ABDUCTORS OF KADUNA GREENFIELD VARSITY STUDENTS CUT CONTACT their hearts not to harm our children. We are anxiously waiting for them (bandits) to call and say something, so that we will know that our children are alive,” remarked one of the parents yesterday.

The distraught parents are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to help secure the release of the students before “something sinister happens to them.”

Speaking in Kaduna yesterday during a special prayer session for the release of the students, spokesman of the parents, Mr. Marcus Zarmai, urged Buhari to use his good offices to secure the release of their children.

According to him, the kidnappers have demanded N10 million from each of the parents of the students, making

a total of N160 million for 16 students.

“We are worried about their safety. The innocent students had spent 24 days in the kidnappers’ den. Even after, we the parents have collectively paid them over N60 million ransom for the release of our children, they failed to release them.

“We, the parents are appealing to the federal government to assist us to pay the ransom demanded or find any other way to ensure the safe return of our children,” Zarmai pleaded.

One Sani Idris Jalingo, the leader of the bandits who abducted the students, had in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA), Hausa service, on May 3, threatened to kill them if a ransom of N100

million, in addition to 10 new Honda motorcycles, were not provided the following day.

Jalingo confirmed that the families of the abducted students had already paid N55 million, adding that money had been spent on feeding the students.

One of the students was released after his parents paid N20 million ransom to the bandits.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-rufai has not helped matters by openly declaring that he would not pay ransom to kidnappers. However, he has not been able to motivate the rescue of any of the abductees since his declaration.

Security agencies have also been lethargic in their approach to freeing the Greenfield 17.

Most Nigerians still cannot comprehend why they cannot track the location of the abductees and rescue them, despite previous numerous communications between the parents and the kidnappers.

The federal government and the Kaduna State Government and security agencies have come under intense criticism for their failure to secure the adducted Greenfield University students after 28 days in the dungeon of their abductors.

After the kidnappers killed the first three students, the leader of the pan-Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, remarked that it was regrettable that security situation could break down so bad in a regime led by a retired army general.

He said: “It shows the extent to which security has broken down under General Muhammadu Buhari. It shows his incompetence and how far he is inefficient as a former commander. Each time we talk about him, Lai Mohammed will put up a propaganda saying everything is in order and Buhari is the best President that we have ever had. It is until they kill all of us that they will now know he should have left the place. Law and order have broken down in the country, there’s no doubt about that.

The earlier people persuade Buhari to get out of the place the better for all of us.”

Mike Ozekhome, (SAN) said he wasn’t disappointed at the floppy manner in which the federal government

has been handling the issue of kidnappings in Nigeria, especially in the recent time.

The fiery lawyer said Nigerians ought not to be surprised at the turn of things in the country, given the failure of the government to resolve previous kidnappings. He asked, “What were Nigerians expecting? Where is Leah Sharibu? Where are the Chibok girls abducted since April 2014?

Has this government ever walked the talk in its vain glorious posturing against Boko Haram, armed banditry, herdsmen, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the board in Nigeria? Has Nigeria not been turned into a sprawling field of crimson and pouring the blood of innocent Nigerians?”

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NEWS

News Editor Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (sms only) Email ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

Again, Northern Groups Call for Buhari’s Resignation over Insecurity Claim banditry forces president to stop celebrating Salah in Daura Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over insecurity, accusing him of failing to secure the lives and property of the citizenry.

The coalition claimed that the nefarious activities of bandits and other criminals terrorising Katsina and other Northern states, forced President Buhari to stop celebrating Salah at his country home, Daura.

While claiming that the only available option for Nigerians was President Buhari’s resignation, the CNG insisted that insecurity, poverty, unemployment, inequality, and corruption had continued to haunt the country, particularly the Northern region.

The CNG, in a Salah message by its North-west Zonal Coordinator, Jamailu Aliyu Charanchi, titled: ‘Failed Presidency: Buhari Should Resign Now’, claimed

that President Buhari also failed to “create jobs in addition to soaring debt levels and mega corruption scandals which have continued unabated.”

Charanchi, in the message, added that the president may have meant well for the country and its citizens before he ascended to power,butsixyears on, his administration has failed in the vital area of providing security for the nation.

According to him, the chain of unchecked vicious attacks on communities and schools, mass abductions, incessant killings in the president’s own Katsina State have exposed the state and the entire North to dangerous crimes.

He said: “Northern Nigeria, from where Buhari extracted most of his votes in the 2015 and 2019 elections in the hope that its people can live secure lives, and its children can live in a nation they can be proud of, today bears the brunt of his bad governance more than other Nigerians.

“The North has under a presidency that tends to run away from threats, been virtually abandoned to the mercy of a rampaging insurgency, spreading banditry, kidnapping and other crimes that appear to sense and exploit the huge vacuum in the political will and capacity to

challenge them.”

He added: “This unacceptable level of exposure of Northern communities to dangerous crimes is such that even Buhari fears to dare celebrate the Salah in his native town of Daura.”

He lamented over what he described as the deteriorating

economic status of the country, saying the country depends on loans to stay afloat.

He added: “The poor policies

by Buhari’s economically failed administration of continuing to make the poor poorer and exposing the vast majority of Nigerians to everything that makes life difficult

for people.

“The economy is not creating jobs for the youth. Nigeria is a country where some people have captured the state and are treating it like a personal property and that is why after amassing loans in trillions we are still borrowing, because all the monies are stolen.”

Abaribe: Calls for Restructuring Fuelled CONSOLIDATING THE BRAND . . .

L-R: Davido’s Manager, Bobo F. Ajudua; MD, 1XBet Nigeria, Oluwafemi Babalola; the new 1XBet Brand Ambassador, Adeleke David, a.k.a Davido; and Business Development Manager, 1XBet Nigeria, Ewuzie Chigozie at the unveiling of Davido as Brand Ambassador of the betting company in Lagos...

by Buhari’s Executive Arbitrariness recently David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ áÕË

Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has blamed the recent calls for restructuring and agitations for secession on the arbitrariness of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Abaribe stated this yesterday in Awka, Anambra State, while addressing lawyers during the second day of the 25th Law Week of the Awka branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The lawmaker who spoke on the topic: ‘Executive Lawlessness in Nigeria’s Pseudo-federalist Geo-polity: Shouldn’t Nigeria Restructure Her Structure’, said there were several cases of executive lawlessness on the part of the federal government.

He said: “There are a litany of executive arbitrariness by the APC-led government of

the Buhari’s presidency that has led to thunderous clamour for restructuring.

“Before now, Nigerians have argued stridently over discrimination, but the recent upsurge in perceived impunity and bias in federal appointments by the Buhari presidency has sparked concern of a very dangerous slide to a sectional strife.

“The nation seems to be on a meltdown. In the wake of the unprecedented ravaging insecurity spreading all over the country, many of the things that hold us together as a nation continue to unravel, and the APC-led government seems powerless to stop the slide.

“It is very unfortunate that the present government and the inherent lawlessness have given impetus to the quagmire leading Nigerians to question the system as presently constituted.

The country is in limbo.

Naira Trades at Record Low on Official Market after Devaluation Festus Akanbi

Naira eases to a record low of N419.75 to the dollar on the official market yesterday in a currency devaluation, aimed at unifying multiple exchange rates as lenders quoted the market weaker in late trades.

Reuters reports that the naira dropped to N419.75 per dollar, from its last trade at N381 on Monday, its last official session.

The official market rate, backed by the central bank, has been stuck at N381 to the dollar for almost a year after two devaluations last year.

No quotes have been available on the naira’s official rate since

Tuesday.

On the over-the-counter spot market, the currency traded at N410.65 against the dollar yesterday, and it was quoted at 483 on the black market. Nigeria operates multiple currency regimes, which frustrate businesses and have prompted calls from the World Bank for the rates to be unified to attract investment.

Rising dollar demand has put pressure on the naira as providers of foreign exchange, such as offshore investors, exited after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a fall in global oil prices.

The World Bank has linked approval of a $1.5 billion budget support loan to currency reforms.

NNPC Begins Selection Process for Maintenance of Refineries Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÌßÔË

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday commenced a bidding process for the provision of operations and maintenance services at the country’s three petroleum refineries.

The facilities include: the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) as well as the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

While calling for qualified

entities to indicate their interests in the contracts, the national oil company stated that it was seeking to engage reputable and credibleOperationsandMaintenance (O&M) companies to operate and maintain the three facilities to ensure reliability and sustainability in order to meetthenation’sfuelsupplyobligation.

According to the corporation, the scope of work shall cover long term as well as short term production/ operations planning, production and operations execution, monitoring, reporting and optimisation of operations.

For close to two years,

the comatose facilities have not refined a drop of crude oil, although the corporation continues to spend close to N10 billion monthly in the “operations” of the non-functional assets.

The NNPC further noted that the contractors that would be eventually selected would be expected, among others, to engage in process and controls engineering, quality control, quality assurance and laboratory, environmental management as well as turn-around-maintenance planning and execution.

The contractors, the NNPC stated, must have experience

in such maintenance jobs in Africa or in Nigeria and must provide at least three specific examples of O&M services and or Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) experience on refinery, gas processing, LNG and other process industries.

In March, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the largest refining firm in the country, the Port Harcourt refinery, awarded to an Italian company, Tecnimont SPA, to be carried out in three phases of 18, 24 and 44 months.

US Unhappy over Jailing of Nigerians for Blasphemy Festus Akanbi

The United States government has criticised how Nigerian courts have continued to sentence citizens to long jail terms for blasphemy and death.

The US position was disclosed by the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during the release of the 2020 International Religious Freedom Report this week.

He wondered why the Nigerian government has not brought anyone to justice for the “massacre” of members of the

Islamic Movement in Nigeria also known as Shiites.

Quoting the report, the Blinken said, “In Nigeria, courts continue to convict people of blasphemy, sentencing them to long-term imprisonment or even death.

Yet the government has still not brought anyone to justice for the military’s massacre of hundreds of Shia Muslims in 2015.”

He further stressed that religious freedom is a human right and the freedom enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adding that

America would continue to defend freedom of faith globally.

“Religious freedom, like every human right, is universal. All people, everywhere, are entitled to it no matter where they live, what they believe, or what they don’t believe.

“Religious freedom can’t be fully realised unless other human rights are respected, and when governments violate their people’s right to believe and worship freely, it jeopardises all the others,” the US State

Secretary noted.

The Shiites have for over five years been regularly taking to the streets particularly in Abuja to demand the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat.

Both of them have been in detention since December 2015 after a bloody clash between members of the group and soldiers in the convoy of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Insecurity: Buhari Wants Sultan, Other Spiritual Leaders to Help Fight Crimes Deji Elumoye ÓØ ÌßÔË

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III and other religious leaders of all faiths and backgrounds to unite in support of the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and the novel Coronavirus

pandemic.

The President, who was responding yesterday through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, to the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar’s telephone call to felicitate with President Buhari on the successful completion of the Ramadan fast and the observance of the Eid.

President Buhari called for continuous dialogue between the leaders of Islam and Christianity, the two major faiths for peace and stability to reign in the country.

He commended the Sultan for his effective leadership of the Muslim Ummah and credited him with the unity of

the community sustained under his watch.

The Sultan during the call pledged his commitment to the continued existence of the country as one and assured the President of the support of the Sultanate in the ongoing efforts to tackle the challenges facing the nation.

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NEWS Embrace Insurance, Cut Losses, Aba Business Community, Residents Urged

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in ×ßËÒÓË

REWARDING EXCELLENCE . . .

L-R: President/CEO, Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited, Eric Opah, receiving the Next Bull Award from President, West African Union of Tax Institutes, Dame Gladys Olajumoke Simplice at the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s Nigerian Investor Value (NIVA) Awards in Lagos...recently

UTME: JAMB Considers Postponement, 600,000Yet to Register

Kuni Tyessi ÓØ ÌßÔË

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering the possibility of postponing the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, (UTME) scheduled to hold between June 5 and 19 as over 600,000 candidates have made unsuccessful attempts to register for the exercise.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this during a virtual meeting with UTME committees and stakeholders yesterday, said so far, 1.1 million candidates had registered for the 2021 UTME The JAMB boss stated that

the board anticipated approximately 1.9 million registrations at the end of the exercise.

He said even though 50 per cent of candidates had already registered without problem, there was need to carry everyone along, adding that after meeting with stakeholders on Saturday, the board would decide on whether to shift the exam forward or not.

“The possibility of shifting the exam forward is still high; but that will be determined after our meeting with stakeholders.

This is because about 600,000 candidates who have indicated interest in the exam are yet to register. There is need to give

everyone the opportunity,” he said.

While apologising for the new initiatives introduced in the 2021 UTME, Prof. Oloyede explained that it was not to punish candidates but to rather expose candidates in the habit of indulging in various forms of malpractices.

The examination body, which is responsible for the conduct of the entrance examination into the nation’s tertiary institutions explained that candidates were expected to provide two pictures in the exam script. Pictures of who registered for the exam and of persons who registered for NIN.

While calling on candidates to take note of the process, he added that the essence was to dictate any disparity in the process.

He said, “We apologise for putting you through some hardship in the registration.

The government directed that anyone participating in JAMB must have their NIN. This is beyond our control. Those who are yet to register should do so.

“The mock exam is billed to come up on Thursday. It is an exam meant to test out capability. As you all know, the main exam is coming up on June 5 and 19 2021.

Unity of Nigeria Negotiable, Says Igbo Group Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Izu-Umunna Cultural Association of Nigeria (IUCA), a Pan-Igbo Think-Tank, affiliated to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has dismissed the claim that the unity of Nigeria was not negotiable, stating that the country’s unity was negotiable as strengthened and fortified by the resolutions of the Southern governors in their recent meeting.

Commending the governors on their position, the group however, argued that it would depend on what the different ethnic nationalities that constitute the country were prepared to bring to the negotiating table.

In a statement signed by the association’s president, Dr. Ugo

Pat Ihekum and Secretary, Chief Tony Egwuonwu, the group joined other Nigerians to thank the governors for their efforts as they look forward to urgent convocation of a national conference as they expressly requested from the federal government.

The statement reads: “The affirmation of Your Excellencies to the commitment of the people of Southern Nigeria to the unity of the country on the basis of justice, fairness, equity, oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its people is an eloquent testament to your unalloyed loyalty and strong belief to the continuous existence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The IUCA described the

governors’ meeting in Asaba, Delta State, as epic, commending them for the bold decisions taken.

According to the statement, “While we hope and believe that you will work towards actualising those bold decisions, we affirm that if those issues that make up your communiqué are favourably looked into by the federal government, it would go a long way in reducing the scourge of insecurity ravaging the country.”

Noting that the governors’ 12-point communiqué released at the end of their meeting which called for restructuring of the country, the evolution of state police, the review of revenue allocation, the ban of

open grazing of cattle across Southern Nigeria among other well-meaning decisions point to a fresh ray of hope for the suffering Nigerians.

The statement noted with curiosity that while the governors were meeting at Asaba to expand the frontiers of unity of the country, “the federal government were having a National Security Council meeting at Abuja to take some far-reaching decisions that focus on security of the Southeast and South-south regions, without a representative from the South-east, a throwback to the lack of inclusiveness which is at the centre of the restiveness of the youths from Southern Nigeria.”

Police, Hunters Arrest 2 Suspected Kidnappers James Sowole ÓØ ÕßÜÏ Men of the Nigeria Police and local hunters have arrested two suspected kidnappers at different locations in Ikaram and Akunu axis in Akoko area of Ondo State.

The suspects, were arrested when the local hunters and the police were combing forest, to rescue two persons that were kidnapped recently in the area.

The Vice Chairman of Akoko North East Local Government, Mr. Deji Obayan, said one of the suspects was arrested due to his curiosity.

Obayan said he saw a man on Thursday around 4:00p.m.

when he was going to his hometown, Akunu.

The Vice Chairman said he intelligently drove to man’s side along Obayan farm a kilometre to Akunu and asked for his mission and the man said he was going to Lokoja.

However, it was observed that the man spoke flawless English and coherent messages but the dressing was very rough.

The man’s action made Obayan to invite members of Akunu Vigilante Group who came to carry the suspect to the military post in Akunu.

“When a search was conducted on the man, an

ATM card, soap box, black dresses, and black underwear were found in his luggage.

“When he was searched whether he has phone, it was noticed that he recently had canal knowledge of a woman.

He had been transferred to Ikare Divisional Police Office for proper investigation.

It was also gathered that the second suspect was accosted at Ajowa Akoko with an army identity card and his phone.

A source said that the man has been handed over to Okeagbe Akoko Police Division for further interrogation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ade Gbodi an HND farmer

kidnapped along Ikaram Okeagbe Road recently had been released.

A source said the man was released after the payment of an undisclosed amount of money as ransom.

The Akala of Ikaram, Oba Andrew Momodu, said the hunters, vigilante and police had were engaged in combing the forest.

The monarch appealed to government to come to their aid as fears have griped the residents of Ikaram Ajowa, Akunu and Ikakumo over the incessant kidnapping in the area that is affecting farming, commercial activities.

The business community and entire residents of the commercial city of Aba have been urged to embrace the culture of getting insurance policies to cover their properties and businesses in order to reduce losses in the event of unforeseen disasters.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chimaobi Ebisike made the call when he visited the scene of a fire incident at Aba South Local Government Area, saying that it was high time people started buying insurance policies.

The fire outbreak which razed a house on Zion Street off Ngwa Road, claimed the life of a young girl and left her aged mother seriously injured and presently battling for her life in a hospital.

The federal lawmaker, who represents Aba North/Aba South federal constituency in the National Assembly, said that he was saddened by the ugly incident which resulted to loss of life and destruction of properties in his constituency.

He told residents that with an insurance policy it would be easier for landlords and business owners to indemnify their properties and businesses in the event of unforeseen disasters like

fire incidents thereby minimising losses.

According to him, after validating a claim for insured loss, insurance companies would normally issue payments to the value of the loss incurred hence the need for members of Aba business community to buy insurance policies.

The lawmaker further counselled Aba residents to avoid careless handling of inflammable substances to avoid fire outbreaks and its attendant havoc.

Hon. Ebisike, who is the newest member of the National Assembly, donated N1 million to the aged mother of the fire victim to assist in offsetting her medical bills as she battles for her own life in a hospital.

Earlier an eye witness, Tochukwu Ihekoronye had told the federal lawmaker and his entourage that the fire incident was caused by a lantern explosion. He said that the deceased and her mother had moved into the house barely a week before the unfortunate incident.

The landlady, Mrs. Virginia Nwosu, who is a widow, expressed gratitude to the Aba federal lawmaker for coming to sympathise with the victims of the fire incident and assisting in efforts to help the critically injured survive.

Omotoso: Sanwo-Olu Has Completed 1097 School Projects The Lagos State Government has completed more than 1,097 school projects covering 970 schools across the State, just as it has also ensured the upgrade and rehabilitation of 322 dilapidated public schools and the furnishing of Primary Schools with 87,000 dual composite unit of chairs and desks in two years.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed this while representing the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, at the commissioning of the completed school infrastructure projects at Ogudu Junior Grammar School, Ogudu on Friday.

According to him, the project being commissioned is inline with the “Education and Technology” pillar of the present administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, saying that “If we must actualise our Greater Lagos vision, quality education must remain one of our most solid building blocks”.

While commenting on the vital role of education in the growth and development of a megacity like Lagos, Mr. Omotoso stated that it has become imperative for the government to ensure that the children have access to quality education and an enabling environment for excellent learning.

His words: “In order to accelerate our children’s access to world-class pedagogical learning, we have aggressively embarked on the provision of blocks of classrooms, administrative offices, school furniture, laboratories, modern toilet facilities and security across the six Education Districts and Local Government Councils.

Therefore, our children have access to quality education irrespective of their location”.

The Commissioner averred that the Lagos State Government

was convinced that teaching and learning could only take place effectively in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, hence the government’s commitment to the provision of new infrastructure and the rehabilitation of existing ones.

“I am glad to note that our investment in the education sector has been yielding positive results. Our students’ performance has improved tremendously in examinations, national and international competitions. They have also improved in morals, etiquette and confidence in public speaking”, he said.

Omotoso further noted that other gains of the investment in the education sector by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration include the Lagos State team emergence as winners at the 2021 National Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientist (JETS) competition, which took place at the National Mathematical Centre, Kwali between February 21 and 27, 2021.

The Commissioner, therefore, urged community leaders, school administrators, staff and students of Ogudu Junior Grammar School to take ownership of the project and ensure that miscreants do not destroy or cart away the property of the school.

In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, represented by Mrs. Oluranti Olagbaju, stated that the school infrastructure projects were evenly distributed across the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas.

“There is hardly any school in the State that was not touched by either a new school building, new classroom block, hostels, security structures, school fence, toilets, furniture and boreholes among others”, she said.

SATURDAY MAY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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MAY 15, 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

IBRAHIM GAMBARI: ONEYEAR ON

The Chief of Staff to the President has managed to keep his head above turbulent waters, writes Sanya Onayoade

P

rofessor Ibrahim Gambari is one of the greatest diplomats that have shaped the international status of Nigeria since independence. But restricting his influence to the diplomatic circle will be a disservice to a man whose towering status straddles many spheres of life. He is simply an enigma venerated home and abroad.

Away from his global shuttles as an envoy with multiple portfolios, he berthed in Aso Villa, Abuja, on May 13, last year, armed with the Presidency’s most strategic task: Chief of Staff to the President. As he marks his one year in office, the reflections since his time in the saddle will be an admixture of the pleasant and the not so pleasant. His stint has never been a stroll in the park, and may not be in the near future unless the insecurity pervading the nation is nipped. But men of steel are produced at times like this.

He came in at a very testy time in the annals of the nation, and has managed to keep his head above the turbulent waters. So far, he has exhibited the nature of his profound calling: less visibility but more strategic actions. A year ago, the rationale for his choice after the sudden demise of Mallam Abba Kyari couldn’t have been far-fetched. Prof. Gambari understands politics and diplomacy; he has in his pouch top level bureaucracy, administrative sagacity and ingenious skills that had been deployed previously in hostile environments. President Muhammadu Buhari needed loyalty and he found it in a man wired by long diplomatic service. He needed a close ally, someone he would be most comfortable with and in whose hands he could literally hand over his soul. He found it in a man he had crossed path with during the military era, and who had been the perfect fit to handle the nation’s diplomatic shuttles at the time.

Abba Kyari expanded the frontiers of his office, becoming the heartbeat of the Presidency and the de facto Emperor of the Presidential bureaucracy, leaving behind big shoes at his transition. Gambari filled those shoes without fuss. Did he? His appointment was dogged with controversies in some quarters, not borne out of his competence to hold the mantle of the office, but the politics of it. He was seen as a recycled figure to hold the reins at the twilight of his career. Some saw him as

GAMBARI IS A TACTICIAN, NEGOTIATOR, MEDIATOR AND MODERATOR - ALL QUALITIES THAT HAVE BECOME INVALUABE IN MANAGING THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE OFFICE HE PRESENTLY OCCUPIES

a spent force seeking to hibernate and spend time in a “Retirement Home.” And for others, the office of the Chief of Staff demeaned the weight of his decades-long achievements.

Whatever the permutations and ventilations then and now, the pedigree of the super diplomat cannot be underrated and the office he currently occupies is too strategic to be sacrificed on the altar of political sentiments.

Born of the aristocratic Fulani Royal Emirate on 24 November 1944 in Ilorin, Kwara State, Gambari attended the then Provincial Secondary School, Ilorin; King’s College, Lagos and obtained a B.Sc in Economics (with specialty in International Relations) at the London School of Economics in 1968. He added an M.A. (1970) and PhD (1974) degree in Political Science/International Relations from the Columbia University, New York, USA. He was a teacher at City University of New York, the University of Albany and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; was a visiting Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University and Howard University between 1986 and 1989. He served as a research fellow at the Brookings Institution and was a Resident Scholar at the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre. Little wonder that these academic laurels earned him a well-deserved place as an MVP in Nigeria’s diplomatic space.

Besides serving as Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985, he was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and was twice President of the UN Security Council; Under-SecretaryGeneral for Political Affairs in UN; Head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur; Chairman of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Cyprus, Zimbabwe and Myanmar.

Gambari is a tactician, negotiator, mediator and moderator - all qualities that have become invaluabe in managing the complexities of the office he presently occupies. President Buhari couldn’t have found a better soul mate and confidant!

Onayoade is a media and brand consultant.

BOB MARLEY PLAYS 40YEARS ONTO ETERNITY Uzor Maxim Uzoatu pays tribute to Robert Marley, a remarkable musician

I

t is difficult to believe that 40 years had swept by since the death of the legendary master, Bob Marley.

Yes, Robert Nesta Marley, universally known and adored as Bob Marley, died at 11.40 on Monday morning, May 11, 1981.

Born at 2.30am on Wednesday, February 6, 1945, he was only 36 years old when he passed on but he had more than conquered the world.

Rastafarian, revolutionary, poet, icon, Bob Marley was arguably the most remarkable musician of his age.

He was the product of a liaison between a black mother, Cedella Booker, and a white father, Captain Norval Marley who was a quartermaster with the British West Indian Regiment in Jamaica.

There was scant education for the almost fatherless Bob. In a 1975 interview Bob Marley said: “If I was educated I would be a damn fool.”

He was toughened in the slums of Trench Town in Western Kingston, Jamaica. It was Peter Tosh who taught Bob how to play the guitar when they formed the group known as The Teenagers, a group made up of Bob, Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Junior Braithwaite and two girls who sang the background vocals.

Bob Marley had started writing tunes in 1961, and according to his biographer, Stephen Davis, the young musician was then “a light-skinned, sharp-featured teenager with an askew mouth and dashing eyes.”

Bob worked as a welder until a freak accident affected his eyes and made him decide that welding was not his forte in life.

In 1962, Bob met Jimmy Cliff who was, at 14, something of a child prodigy and

singing sensation.

The producer Leslie Kong recorded Bob’s first few songs, notably “Judge Not”, “Terror” and “One Cup of Coffee.”

Bob had no roof over his head at age 18 and had to make do with living in the streets. By 1963 Bob and his group were now known as “The Wailers”, and their meeting with the acclaimed master of Jamaican music business, Clement “Sir Coxsone” Rodd, launched forth their musical careers.

It was the meeting with Rita Anderson that changed Bob Marley’s life completely.

Rita was initially attracted to the boisterous Peter Tosh as opposed to the always “observing” Bob who hardly ever talked.

As Bob had no home to retire to, Rita took him in. They were married on February 10, 1966, but Bob flew away to work in Delaware, USA, a day after their fairy tale wedding, leaving Rita behind to wallow in bewildering desolation.

It was akin to how Bob’s father left his mother except that, in this case, Bob eventually returned.

Bob later hooked up with the wizard of sound engineering, Lee Perry, who had nicknames such as Scratch, Little, Upsetter, etc.

Bob Marley and the Wailers backed up Johnny Nash in his worldwide smash hit, “I can see clearly now.”

It was not until 1971 when “Trench Town Rock” was released that Bob Marley and the Wailers came into hot demand.

Bob met the legendary producer Chris Blackwell of Island Records in December 1971 and things would never be the same again in the world of music.

The release of the album Catch a Fire in December 1972 by Island Records put Bob Marley firmly in the consciousness of the

world.

Bob Marley alongside The Wailers recorded the album Burning in 1973.

Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone broke up with Bob Marley in January 1975, even as the third album with Island Records Natty Dread was released barely a month after.

The fourth album was called Bob Marley and The Wailers Live.

The release of Rastaman Vibration in May 1976 shot Bob Marley up to the top of the world music charts. He toured America and Europe for three months to promote the breakthrough album.

Bob Marley was shot at in Jamaica on Friday night, December 3, 1976, as evoked in Marlon James’ 2015 Booker Prize-winning novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. He narrowly escaped the assassination attempt as the bullet missed his heart and went through the bicep of his left arm.

Two days after the shooting, Bob Marley hit the stage in the “Smile Jamaica” concert to the huge appreciation of an 80,000-sellout crowd.

The release of the album Exodus in 1977 shook up the very foundation of music to its roots, and it is no wonder that Time magazine would later name it “Album of the Century” worldwide in Year 2000.

Kaya was released in 1978 and the album showcased Bob’s talent as a passionate singer of love songs.

The album Survival serenaded Zimbabwe’s independence with the song Zimbabwe in which Bob Marley asserted: “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.”

The last album released by Bob Marley in his lifetime was Uprising. A posthumous album containing the hit track

“Buffalo Soldier” was released shortly after his death.

Bob Marley broke barriers in music. A committed artiste, he put his music in the service of humanity. Music was a political weapon for him, a masterful art imbued with a rich vein of meaning. He was unapologetic in his militancy, and he was richly rewarded with a reach all over the universe. Jamming with his “I Threes” of his wife Rita, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, Bob Marley was poetic sublimity writ large.

A football fanatic, Bob got the first intimation of the cancer that would eventually kill him when he wounded his toe in a training match. Cancer cells were diagnosed in his leg wound, and these cells were removed surgically. He took the pain and played his music, and then on October 7, 1980 tests showed that he had lung and stomach cancer together with brain tumour.

The doctors said he would not be alive after five weeks. He however stayed alive until May 11, 1981, when he lapsed into unconsciousness at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida, USA, after telling his mother, Cedella Booker, “Come closer, come nearer…”

Even so, Bob Marley is larger than life and death because today is globally known as “The Bob Marley Day”, and the music plays on: “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny, And in this judgement there is no partiality.

So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle, ‘Cause that’s the only way we can overcome our little trouble….”

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MAY 15, 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Barka da Sallah...

Rochas As An Advocate Of United Nigeria

T

he political history of Nigeria is replete with divisive tendencies, and sectional leaders who at various times had mirrored the country in their own lenses, rather than build a cohesive union out of the realities of the country’s diversities. Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha is in a class of his own bearing in mind his strong belief and strident advocacy for a united Nigeria where equity, justice and peace will reign supreme.

This world view is traceable to his orientation as a businessman, politician and philanthropist and has endeared him to most Nigerians. Owelle Rochas was born to an Igbo father and mother, raised in the North and empowered financially under a Nigeria President of Yoruba extraction.

As someone who is inclined to philanthropic activities, he set out about 23 years ago to attend to the needs of the downtrodden in the society by building schools across the country and offering free education to the poor. Rochas foundation built schools in Kano, Zaria, Jos, Sokoto, Owerri, Ibadan, Yola and Bauchi.

The schools have also graduated thousands of Nigerians who wouldn’t have smelt the four walls of an educational institution but for the intervention of Rochas Foundation.

For a man who has risen to the pinnacle of financial success at a very young age he considered the establishment of the schools and rendering altruistic help to the underprivileged as a means of giving back to the society.

In doing this he never discriminated against anyone on the basis of religious and ethnic background. In fact he is famous for being at home with Muslim faithful as well as Christians and people from all walks of life.

Realizing the importance of promoting societal peace and harmony through unity, Owelle Rochas had built a “Unity House” in the centre of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, and this has become a rendezvous and “Political Mecca” of some sort to all Nigerians.

In his political activities he never ceases to preach peace, love and unity among all Nigerians, and as a fluent Hausa language speaker he is at home with the high and low in the Northern part of the country.

Realizing that the obverse of unity is division, and invariably conflagration Rochas Okorocha can be said to be obsessed about the unity of Nigeria and a clear indication of this is in his well-known traditional title of “Owelle” which is traceable to the late great Zik of Africa, Owelle of Onitsha and first Nigeria’s ceremonial President. Zik in his own time had made several concessions including accepting to be president rather than prime minister so long as Nigeria’s independence was not derailed, hence Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was bestowed with the position of prime minister in the first republic.

By and large Owelle Rochas politics is tailored along the conciliatory and unifying style of politics for which

late Dr. Azikiwe was well-known. His style of politics and indeed relationship with people from all corners of Nigeria resonates with Zik’s political ideology that Nigeria can be bigger and better as a united entity. Rochas has never deviated from this path hence he endeavors at all times to give people of other religions and ethnicity a sense of belonging.

This nationalistic approach has also won him a great deal of goodwill and followership across the country but majorly in the northern part of Nigeria where the ordinary masses see him as a leader with a caring heart.

No wonder he is adjudged as the most popular politician from the Southern part of the country but accepted widely in the north today.

Suffice it to say that his brand of politics is mostly acceptable to the Northern masses, and after President Muhammadu Buhari who could always bank on 12-million northern votes at every election cycle. Rochas still commands that size of followership in the North and the 2023 elections will serve as a litmus test for many of his contemporaries who are clinging to straws and believing that they will buy their way to the presidency of the country.

There is no gainsaying that to attain any political mileage in a heterogeneous society like Nigeria political leaders must endeavour to build bridges across ethnic and political divides and this will inspire confidence amongst the peoples that power will be used for the good of all.

Chukwudi Enekwechi, JP, Abuja

The End of Ramadan

E

id al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar (though the Muslim use of a lunar calendar means that it may fall in any season of the year).

Also called the “ Festival of Breaking the Fast”, it is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Eid is the only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities, so the day of celebration varies by locality.

The holiday is widely called The Eid prayer which is performed in congregation in open areas like fields, community centers, or mosques. No call to prayer is given for this Eid prayer, and it consists of only two units of prayer with a variable amount of Takbirs and other prayer elements depending on the branch of Islam observed. The Eid prayer is followed by the sermon and then a supplication asking for Allah’s forgiveness, mercy, peace and blessings for all living beings across the world.

T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR FESTUS AKANBI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

The sermon also instructs Muslims as to the performance of rituals of Eid, such as the zakat. The sermon of Eid takes place after the Eid prayer, unlike Friday prayer which comes first before prayer. Some Imams believe that listening to the sermon at Eid is optional. After the prayers, Muslims visit their relatives, friends, and acquaintances or hold large communal celebrations in homes, community centers, or rented halls.

Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

According to certain traditions, these festivals were initiated in Medina after the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca.

Traditionally, Eid al-Fitr begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon. If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets), then the holiday is celebrated.

Generally, Muslims prepare for Eid prayer by bathing, preparing themselves and dressing in new clothes. On their way to the prayer, traditionally held in an open area, Muslims recite takbeerat, praising God by saying “Allahu Akbar” meaning Allah is great.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for one to three days, depending on the country and the people because each country has a set of customs associated with Eid. Adamawa locals from various villages under Lamido Fombina used to entertain people after Eid prayer at the Lamido’s Palace, Yola.

Eid greetings also vary depending on the country and language, the most popular greeting is “Eid Mubarak” (blessed Eid) or “Eid Sa’id” (Happy Eid) and “Barka da Sallah” in Hausa language.

Each country has traditional desserts and sweets that are prepared before Eid or on the morning of the first day. These foods range from special biscuits and bread to cakes and puddings. Clothes are also important marker of Eid. Whether people choose to wear traditional or modern, western clothes, all must be well turned out. Throughout the day, family elders distribute cash or gifts to the children and women.

Eid Mubarak!

Ahmad Usman Mohammed, ABC, Yola

14

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

NEWS Fortune Global Emerges Next Bull at NSE NIVA Awards Charles Ajunwa

GOOD TO SEE YOU …

L-R: The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State and current Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson and Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba at the Force Headquarters, Abuja…yesterday

Court Sets Aside Conviction of Companies Allegedly Linked to Patience Jonathan Alex Enumah in Abuja The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday set aside the conviction of four companies allegedly connected with the former Àrst lady, Patience Jonathan.

A three man panel of the appellate court presided over

by Justice C. N. Uwa in a unanimous decision nulliÀed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos on the grounds

that the judgment breached the principle of fair hearing.

Justice Babs Kuewumi of a Federal High Court in Lagos had in 2016 found the companies guilty as charged, but declined to pronounce sentence pending the conclusion of other persons in the matter.

The aͿected companies include Transocean Property & Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development & Investment Ltd, Pluto Property & Investment

Company Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Company.

Kuewumi had convicted the companies based on admittance of guilty by some purported directors of the companies.

However the defendants not satisÀed with the decision of the trial court had approached the appellate court to declare it null and void and consequently set it aside.

Delivering judgment via Zoom on Friday, the Court of Appeal

held that the convictions of the four companies amounted to a nullity having being done in gross disregard of statutory and constitutional provisions.

Counsel to the appellants, Ige Asemudara, had contended that the circumstances of the conviction of the companies being a nullity, is one in which the court could set aside its own decision, and accordingly urged the Court of Appeal to allow the appeal and set aside the conviction.

CAC Wades into Balogun Business Association Crisis Charles Ajunwa The Corporate Affairs Commissions (CAC) has waded into the crisis that has split the Balogun Business Association (BBA) into two factions, declaring the Okey Ezibe group as the authentic group against the faction made up of Mr. Tony Obih, John Ezeako and Jones Okpala.

In a letter on true position from the CAC signed by the Registrar General and contained in their bulletin, the Commission declared

re-constitution of the Board of Trustees of Balagun Business Association as illegal, having been obtained through the instrumentality of false documents.

Part of their letter reads: “The Certificate of Registration issued on 3rd July, 2018 is hereby revoked and cancelled in line with the provision of section 41(7) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. This is based on the unassailable fact that while Chief Emmanuel Ohanugo and Alhaji Magaji Mohammed died years

before the purported meeting re-appointing them as trustees was held, Mrs. Caroline Nwazojie had left Nigeria at least three years before the meeting was held.”

CAC also dissolved the EXCO of the organisation on the ground that having been elected on the 20th of November, 2017, that their tenure had expired on the 19th of November, 2020 based on Article 8, section 4(e) of the Constitution of the organisation.

The Commission noted that going by the Constitution, that

the Ex-officio members of the EXCO should take charge, it therefore directed them, led by Chief Okecchukwu Ezibe to appoint a Caretaker Committee that would take care of the association and conduct election within two months. Other Ex-offico members are: Chief Nicholas Okeke, Mr. Ikechukwu Obiora and Mr. Okwudibia Anyaorah.

The Commission requests the Ex-officio members to forward to her the list of caretaker member appointed.

Shipping and logistics company, Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited (FGSL) has emerged winner for the Next Bull Awards at the 2021 Nigerian Investor Value (NIVA) Awards formerly known as Top 25 CEOs and Next Bulls Award.

The award was in recognition of the appreciable innovation the company has made in improving the industry through exceptional service delivery.

The award, which was held in April, is the brainchild of a collaboration between the Nigerian Stock Exchange and BusinessDay Media.

Upon a rigorous selection process, FGSL came top on a long list of 136 firms to earn the accolade.

Commenting on the feat, President and CEO of Fortune Global, Eric Opah, said ”We are humbled by this recognition and it speaks to our long-time commitment to strive for excellence in our business operations. To be named Next Bull is a commendation of the work done behind the scenes, and it is even better, much more coming on the back of the pandemic which created severe alterations in the activities of businesses.

“We are resolved to use this

recognition as a springboard for greater achievements. Our mandate to make the indigenous shipping and logistics sector on par with its foreign counterparts remains in place.

It is our hope that this will contribute to the improvement of the national economy and demonstrate to peers that a customer-centric outlook and technical know-how will ultimately engender competitive advantage.”

The bestowment of the accolade on the organisations follows from multiple statements of interest by well-informed investors to acquire shares in the firm should they become listed in the near future.

The award selection process included extensive consultations with experts in different financial sub-sectors such as retail and institutional investing, financial journalism and other sectoral experts.

According to organisers of the event, FGSL has shown: ”Impressive growth, market reputation, regulatory compliance and world-class corporate values. It is heartening to see that despite an arid initial public offering on the NSE in recent years, there remains a strong appetite and solid support among investors for well-run companies with strong market positions, executing with discipline on their strategy, and led by visionary leaders.”

‘Governors, not Buhari Can Stop Attacks on Security Forces in S’East, S’South’ A Civil Rights Advocacy Group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked governors of the South-east and South-south states to deploy their security votes to procure services of professional forensic private investigators to untangle the identities of the unknown gunmen destroying facilities in their states.

The group said it believed that President Muhammadu Buhari was incapable and unwilling to stop the cocktails of attacks given that for six years, terrorist and violent crimes including kidnappings, and invasions of communities by armed Fulani militia had increased in leaps and bounds all across the country even as the President had manifested alleged absolute lack of capacity or will power to check the widening spectres of violence and killings.

This was contained in a statement from the Executive Director of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko who insisted that only political, religious community and civil society leaders of South-east

and South-south extractions could resolve the attacks if they try because “the President that does not trust South-east military officers to head any commanding role of significance under his administration for over six year since coming to office won’t be in a hurry to solve the emerging security nightmares in the South-east and South-south.

“HURIWA wants governors of South Eastern states and their South-south counterparts to spend parts of their security votes to engage the services of private forensic investigators to uncover the identities of the attackers of national security institutions and assets in their regions. Wikipedia had in a report described security votes as a huge amount of money allocated to the 36 states in Nigeria for the sole purpose of security services.

Based on Wikipedia figures on Niger Delta states, Delta State governor receives the highest of N2bn monthly followed by Akwa Ibom State with N1.8bn and Rivers State with N1.5bn.

‘Gbajabiamila Didn’t Oppose Delta ALGON, PDP Chieftain Back Southern Southern Governors’ Governors on Restructuring, Open Grazing AdedayoAkinwaleinAbuja The House of Representatives has clarified that the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila did not oppose the Southern Governors’ calls for restructuring and ban on open grazing.

The House in a statement issued yesterday by its Spokesperson, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, insisted that the publications were false and misleading.

Kalu, therefore, cautioned the media to be mindful of peddling false news in the bid to misinform the general public, saying this is misleading and detrimental to the country’s democracy.

He said: “The attention of the House has been drawn to several

publications on online and traditional media claiming that the Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, is opposed to the Southern Governors’ call for restructuring.”

The Spokesperson, however, restated the accurate reproduction of the statements made by Gbajabiamila.

“This is not a time for name-calling or blaming one person or the other.

If truth be told, we all have equal shares in the blame and whatever challenges we have, we all must come together. In the same way we all have equal shares, we must all come together to make sure that we resolve whatever issues there are.

“Like I said earlier, the greatest nations have gone through challenges worse than this and I believe that it

is that spirit of oneness and that spirit of togetherness and unity and love that will take us through this. You know sometimes there are many things that people have said here and there and you never know where these things are coming from.

“Sometimes God even puts you through challenges so that you can come out of it stronger, bigger, better, bolder. That’s what I believe is gonna happen to Nigeria. We’re all put together in this one geographical space for a reason. It wasn’t by happenstance or coincidence or by chance.

“It was ordained by Almighty God and He doesn’t make mistakes, He doesn’t go wrong. What He decrees is what will be and I believe He put us all together.

SylvesterIdowuinWarri Delta State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has backed Southern Governors on restructuring and ban on open grazing of cattle in the Southern part of the country.

ALGON chairman in the state, who is also the Chairman of Ika North East Local Government Area, Mr. Victor Ebonka, while briefing journalists at the monthly meeting yesterday, lamented that Southern farmers were losing millions of naira to the plundering of food crops through encroachments on farmlands and exposing the region to famine and acute food scarcity.

He urged the governors to match their resolutions with actions, saying:

“enough is enough of these criminal herdsmen who have been terrorising our people.

“We are tired and sick of the activities of these killer herdsmen.

Our farmers now find it difficult to go to the farm for fear of being raped, killed or kidnapped. Our rural dwellers can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed for fear of being attacked by these ravaging armed herdsmen.

“We, therefore resolved in our meeting to enforce the ban on open grazing in our various local government areas. We have asked our council chairmen to liaise with relevant authorities and ensure the immediate enforcement of the ban.

“Open grazing is no longer acceptable to us as a people. Those who

trade in cows should devise a better and modern method of keeping their cattle. We shall no longer tolerate open grazing in our communities.

“We also back our governors on the call for a national dialogue, restructuring, respect for Federal Character among other resolutions reached by our Governors,” they said.

Also former Delta State Governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has commended the decision of 17 Southern Governors in Nigeria to ban open cattle grazing and recommendation for the activation and establishment of ports in other states of the federation to create new jobs and promote socio-economic activities in the country.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ, 2021

08054699539

Reflecting Sensibilities of All Nigerians in Federal Appointments

O

ne of the resolutions at the end of the meeting of 17 Southern state governors held last Tuesday was the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the sensibilities of all Nigerians are respected and reflected in federal appointments. The governors recommended a review of appointments into federal government agencies (including security agencies) “to reflect federal character as Nigeria’s overall population is heterogeneous.” This time around, it was not a PDP or APC affair. This is heart-warming. The governors, who also affirmed the commitment of the people of Southern Nigeria to the unity of the country on the basis of fairness, equity and oneness, spoke with one voice on this skewed appointment menace inflicted on this country by Buhari.

Our President is the only one unaware that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-religion and multi-cultural country and that everybody must be given a sense of belonging with appointments into federal Departments and Agencies. Southern governors must go beyond issuing statements.

They must insist on Buhari doing the needful.

This country’s unity and diversity have never been this mismanaged.

The boundless unevenness in federal appointments by the Buhari government is the major factor stoking agitations for Nigeria’s breakup.

This is the truth that must be told. Skewed appointments have created a loss of a sense of belonging in many parts of the country, hence the constant cries of marginalisation, agitation for secession and calls for restructuring. President Buhari is unperturbed. The more we shout, the more he does it. How do you explain a situation whereby virtually all heads of military and paramilitary agencies are from a section of this country? Why should most of the key federal government departments and agencies be headed by people from a section of this country? I am talking about big agencies like Customs, NPA, Pencom, NNPC, DPR, FIRS, NCC, NBC, TETFund, SEC, CAC, UBEC, NIMASA, NPHCDA, FAAN, NDIC, AMCON and NUC. Buhari evidently cares less about the unity of this country.

Let’s talk more about facts and figures around skewed appointments. I can safely say that under Buhari, 90 per cent of heads of military/paramilitary agencies are people from just a section of the country. Take away the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor and Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amao, and you will understand what I am saying. Here we go: Director-General, Department of State Security, Yusuf Bishi; National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Nava Staff, Awwal Zubairu Gambo;

Buhari

Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Retired Colonel Hameed Ali; Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohammed Buba Marwa; Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede; Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abubakar Audi; Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba; Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, and Controller-General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa. On top of all these, the Defence Minister Bashir Magashi is also from this favoured section of the country.

Does this list smell pan-Nigeria? It is bad enough that the heads of these military and paramilitary agencies are all from the core north. It is even worse that they are all Muslims. In a country where religion remains an issue, concentrating the security apparatus in the hands of one tribe and one religion is a betrayal of trust of Christians and southerners and an affront on our constitution. My dear President, those around you won’t tackle you on your slanted appointments based on these points. They are largely bread and butter politicians who only deliver propaganda and insults to Nigerians. They persistently abuse well-meaning Nigerians who disagree with these skewed appointments. These bread and butter politicians are not winning friends for you. Rather, they are in fact helping to grow the rank and file of Nigerians who genuinely hate you. Whoever wants Buhari to succeed must persistently tell him the truth.

Buhari has indeed been stoking this country’s

fault lines in the last six years with his skewed appointments. The crooked appointments of heads of military and para-military sectors of his government have been most infuriating.

Our dear President fully understands the importance of Chapter 2, Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), and has chosen to persistently mock it. As a reminder, this section states that “the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

Not even one of Nigeria’s military and paramilitary agencies is headed by a South-east indigene and states in this zone are supposed to be federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is incomprehensible. Ohanaeze’s National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia recently remarked: “It is unjust and unfair to sideline the South-east in the security architecture of the country. Injustice promotes insecurity; it promotes all forms of crisis and problems.

With injustice, there is no peace anywhere. We thought that the President would be concerned about the level of injustice, agitations and crises we have in the South-east and would try to ameliorate these things but unfortunately, he is not thinking in that direction.”

I can also remember Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal recently sending a message to Buhari that the federal character law was put in the Constitution, “to avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily and eroding the unity and strength of our country and in the process, weakening the foundation of our country as well as the hope of its federating units.”

Bamidele adds: “We have an extremely bright and exciting future in one indivisible and indissoluble nation that is propelled by unity in diversity and all hands must be on deck to ensure this aspiration is guided jealously.

May I also add that it is not only morally and politically correct to ensure compliance with Section 14 (3) of our Constitution, establishing the federal character principle.

“It is in fact, a fundamental obligation imposed on government and all its functionaries as contained in the preceding Section 13 of the said 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria (as altered), which unequivocally states that ‘it shall be the duty and responsibility of all organs of government, and of all authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of this Chapter of this Constitution.”

The intervention of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, which I have tagged “The Voice from the North” is inspiring. He remarked: “I support Southern governors’ resolution. There is a need to review federal government’s appointments to reflect federal character. There is no fairness in the allocation of appointments across the geopolitical zones. If you are not fair and equitable in your administration, in your management, if there is nepotism, where only one section is given positions in government, then there will be problems. There is truth that some sections are being highly favoured at the detriment of others.

“What we know in this country as a federalist is that there should always be a balance in terms of appointment into federal offices, even in the local governments. If you don’t practice fairness at the top, then you cannot get it at the lower table and people will begin to think of self-actualisation, self-determination and so on, and it will reflect negatively.

Unless we ensure fairness and equity in the leadership of the country, we cannot grow the economy.”

For me, all those controlling federal structures must continue to guard jealously the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which they all swore to protect in the public and national interests. I very much doubt if those around Buhari will allow him read my epistle today on federal character, but I take solace in the fact that history is always a good judge.

Boko Haram’s Entry into Maiduguri

INEC, Please Perish Idea of More Political Parties The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has received 45 applications from associations seeking to be registered as political parties and the applications are being processed. The commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee’s Chairman, Festus Okoye, says it’s a constitutional and legal obligation and mandate, “and the commission will register any of them that satisfies the constitutional threshold.” This is coming after the commission struggled in several courts for over a year before getting affirmation for the 74 political parties it deregistered for failing to satisfy the requirements of the amended Electoral Act. I sincerely hope our lethargic INEC is joking about looking into fresh applications.

Yes, INEC is constitutionally and legally empowered to register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. However, there is clearly no need for new political parties and the good thing is that there is nowhere in the Nigeria Constitution and the Electoral Act that says INEC “must” register new political parties. I have studied sections 221 to 229 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), dealing with registration of political parties and can safely say that INEC can, in the interest of this country, ignore applications for new political parties for now,

Yakubu

if it is genuinely interested in conducting free and fair elections.

One of the problems INEC created for itself in the 2019 elections was the large number of political parties it registered. It was the first time in the country’s history that ballot papers had 91 political parties, which evidently created logistic glitches for the umpire. A long list of political parties will always overburden INEC as seen during that general election.

It is also in the interest of Nigerian voters not to register more political parties. During the 2019 elections, voters went through hell sifting ballot papers clogged with political parties that only existed on paper. There were 91 of them on the ballot papers. It was so confusing. Right now, we have 18 registered political parties. This is still excessive. This country does not need more than five political parties. A situation where political parties exist only on paper is not decent for democracy.

Also, multi-party democracy does not mean unlimited numbers of political parties.

I spent years, canvassing for the reduction of the political parties in our dear country.

Deregistration of the 74 political parties was good riddance to rubbish. INEC should not take Nigeria back to those dark days of useless parties clogging ballot papers. Yes, it is part of democracy to allow as many political parties as possible, but for now, this country lacks the capacity to manage such a large number. Our election umpire does not even have the capacity to monitor the large number of political parties. The constitution amendments carried out by the 8th National Assembly substantially addressed the problem of multiple unusable political parties in Nigeria. For me, there should be further reduction of the number of political parties to not more than five.

Zulum

The entry of Boko Haram terrorists into Jiddari Polo area of Maiduguri, early this week, left me shattered. The bastards arrived the town on motorcycles and gun trucks, setting ablaze houses. Many had to flee deeper into Maiduguri.

They also attacked the army base located in Jiddari Polo. The attacks lasted close to an hour before the military repelled them. Some of the terrorists were killed while three soldiers lost their lives.

All these happened inside Maiduguri, hitherto a haven for millions of displaced residents of Borno State. It simply means that nowhere is safe again in this troubled state.

Jiddari Polo is less than 10 minute-drive to Government House. How did the terrorists get that close to Maiduguri center? The intelligence network of the military failed; that is if there is anything like that in the first place. Emphasis should be on technology-driven intelligence.

Unfortunately, this country lacks the manpower and equipment for this. So, the terrorists have simply been exploiting this gap. Intelligence and technology are vital in modern warfare. We must urgently seek help from foreign military contractors before Maiduguri too becomes a killing field.

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SATURDAY MAY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Ferdinand Ekechukwu 08035011394 Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

Ayinla Omowura’s Biopic is Ready Highly anticipated biopic on the life and times of Ayinla Omowura, the legendary Apala music exponent is finally set for release. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

T

he Tunde Kelani’s feature Àlm has been conÀrmed to hit cinemas on June 18, 2021. The biopic follows the story of late iconic performer Ayinla Omowura. ConÀrming its release date, the ace Àlmmaker shared a teaser via Instagram with the caption: “Ëd mjrq s̹‫ظ‬r̹‫ ظ‬Mi day̹‫ ظ‬Mo wi nʫ̹p̥‫ع‬...Ayinla the Movie Ànally in Cinemas from June 18, 2021.” Shot in Abeokuta, the biopic follows Ayinla’s rise to fame and his tragic end.

Filming of ¶Ayinla’, a musical Àlm started on December 2020, with actor Adedimeji Lateef in the lead role. ¶Ayinla’ also stars Omawumi Dada, Bimbo Manuel, Kunle Afolayan, Debo Macaroni, Ade Laoye and many others. The biopic was co-produced Jade Osiberu’s Greoh Studios.

The cinematographer known for his love of adaptation of literary materials and exploring cultural phenomenon says this is an important but unusual Àlm by many standards. The ideation or obsession which gave birth to the movie, according to the veteran Tunde Kelani, lasted more than three years and refused to die despite twists and turns including the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie answers questions like who is Ayinla Omowura" Why is his music still relevant after his tragic death forty years ago" What is the root that nurtured his craft and music" In Kelani’s opinion elsewhere, Abeokuta produced three major musical sons: “There is Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey who

is a conservative but Ayinla Omowura was diͿerent because he was revolutionary. He grew up from a very poor background and he had to fend for himself.”

Incidentally, Kelani grew up in the beautiful town of Abeokuta, the cradle of economic and cultural power in the western region of Nigeria. Adding that, the shoot coincided with two related events that were held namely the anniversary of Tawakalitu Omowura, Ayinla’s favourite wife who passed on six years ago, and the 97th birthday celebration of Omowura’s lead drummer, Alhaji Rahman Adewole, aka Oniluola (one who drums self into wealth). Ironically, the latter, incidentally passed on shortly after his birthdate.

Born in 1933, Ayinla Omowura born Ayinla Waheed Yusuf, who grew to fame in the 70s with his genre of traditional African music called ¶Apala’, is considered one of the most original Yoruba musicians of post-colonial Nigeria.

His music was popular in South-West Nigeria in the 70s. Sadly, the controversial music prodigy died during a brawl in a bar with his estranged manager, Bayewu in Abeokuta on May 6, 1980.

The enigma fondly called Egunmogaji or Anigilaje was at the peak of his meteoric rise to stardom when he met his untimely death. He was 47. Forty years after, his musical legacy lives on in ¶Ayinla’, having another moment in the spotlight. Although a biography “Ayinla Omowura: Life and Times of an Apala Legend” was released last year. The Àlm is set in the 1970s and early 1980s been the time of the occurrence.

Adedimeji Lateef in a scene from Ayinla Omowura

Segilola Ogidan’s Tainted Canvass Her own experiences of sexual exploitation in different forms by men and women from when she was five and how those events shaped her as an adult, manifest in Segilola Ogidan’sTainted Canvass, a movie which starts screening soon, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

I

n the light of the ongoing case brought against Nollywood actor, James Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, who was accused of molesting a minor by Princess Adekola Adekanya (Princess), Tainted Canvass, a movie which opens on May 16, appears topical and timely, albeit handy on the issue of child sexual abuse. The feature Àlm tells a poignant story of the dangers facing children in the society. Directed by Segilola Ogidan and produced by Orwi Manny Ameh, the movie gets its o΀cial premiere in collaboration with Alliance Franoaise de Lagos and Igodo Àlms.

Featuring great stars like Segilola herself, Kehinde Bankole, Tina Mba, Efa Iwara, Nonso Bassey, the Àlm explores mental health and motherhood, and the psychological eͿect of the sexual exploitation of children in adult life. ¶Tainted Canvas’ follows the story of its central character, Morayo, a London-based artiste, forced to recall horriÀc childhood memories of her mother, Rose (Kehinde Bankole). She takes a journey back to Nigeria where she must Àght to overcome the experiences

that molded her damaged mental state as she confronts painful family secrets.

According to Ogidan, who also stars in the lead role, ¶Tainted Canvas’ is loosely based on some of her childhood memories of Lagos and the need to spotlight the eͿect of child abuse and postpartum depression.

Once speaking on the inspiration behind ¶Tainted Canvas’, Ogidan admits that it’s loosely based on her childhood memories of the city and the need to speak up about child abuse and postpartum depression.

Both topics spoken about in hush tones in Nigeria.

She said: “I feel that a lot of abuse happened to a number of children not because their mothers didn’t care, but in fact because they were going through something of their own and on this occasion postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis”. The story unveils the process of healing she had to undergo to let go of the past that haunts her.

When it Àrst screened at the Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona last year, it got the Àrst-time director basking in the euphoria of her Àrst win amid the Coronavirus pandemic as ¶Best Drama Feature’.

Sharing her excitement on the pre-

miere of the Àlm “Tainted Canvas” on Instagram then, Segilola wrote: “« I Ànally did it. My Àrst feature.

My Directorial debut. A story close to my heart that has been in development for many years because it kept evolving because I kept evolving.

“It’s not sensational in any way. But it is a rollercoaster. Of emotions. That range from pain, to anger, to love, to hate, to love again and then to hope.

It’s based on my own experiences over the years from when I was Àve of sexual exploitation in diͿerent forms by men and women and how those events shaped me as an adult.

For years, I saw myself as ugly and unworthy of true love. I’m a painter.

And so the best way I knew to rid myself of some of that pain was to paint. But those paintings which I ended up burning were tainted because I felt tainted.

“I tried to end my life a few times.

But God had other plans. However, now as a woman with my own beautiful kids, and surrounded by so much love from my friends and my stunning family, I am able to Áip the narrative and instead of see myself as ¶ugly’ because of the taint, I am beautiful because the taint makes me a wonderful and unique Segilola masterpiece.”

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Seyi Shay Vibes with Yemi Alade in New Song Ferdinand Ekechukwu

I

t’s normal to see artistes share their experience with the opposite sex possibly fellow industry colleague or someone not within the scene. That’s exactly what Nigerian singer/songwriter Seyi Shay has done with her new song, ‘Pempe’, which features fellow songstress Yemi Alade as a guest artiste. “Pempe” Produced by Kel P is a cool Afrobeat/Pop record with lovely vibes.

The two minutes and 55 seconds afrobeats song o΀cially dropped midnight Thursday April 06.

Hours after the song release, the afropop star unleashed the visual which depicts with a thrilling storyline the “woman power” factor. On Pempe, Seyi Shay and Yemi Alade address social media trolls, the inconsistencies with what men want from women, over-sexualization and misrepresentation of women in the music industry and beyond. This is her Àrst release for the year.

‘Pempe’ followed her previous song ‘Tuale’, featuring guest artistes such as rap sensation, Ycee, Zanku boss, Zlatan, and Small Doctor.

This the Àrst time Seyi Shay and Yemi Alade would team up for a song. ‘Pempe’, roughly translated from Nigerian street slang means, ‘hot lady’ and beÀttingly, the two stars have not just made a new song but created a brand new lingo on the record with Seyi Shay leading with a catchy hook and infectious verse. “You yarn me say you want a serious something, pempe / We just start to yarn you say you want my cookie, pempe / I’ve drawn the line if you get mind, make you cross, pempe / And The Alarm must sound if you touch my private property, pempe,” Seyi Shay croons Yemi Alade’s verse expands on the theme of the song, highlighting the struggles that come with being a ‘Pempe’ - from unending attention to everything else in between. Sharing her experience barely hours to the single release, Seyi Shay said she became uncomfortable with rumours that followed after taking photos with random people.

The songstress explained via a series of tweets why she had stopped taking photos with male fans and some male celebrities which is the crux of ‘Pempe’. She revealed how some of these male fans and celebrities have misused the opportunity. “People talk so much about ‘pretty privilege’ but always forget to talk about some of the mess you deal with when you’re ‘pretty’.

Ask your pretty friends and sisters. #Pempe,”

Yemi Alade and Seyi Shay

she tweeted.

“Should I start mentioning the names of guys who at one point said they slept with Seyi Shay when I’ve never met them in my life? They want to associate with a hot girl so bad at the expense of anything. Insecurity of fuck-boy-rism? #Pempe.”

She further tweeted.

“I’ve taught myself not to pose with random guys (‘fans’) or some famous male Àgures because what usually follows is rumours that we’re dating. To my hot girls dem, We move!! #Pempe, every hot girls anthem, drops at Midnight.”

These two big Nigerian female artistes feel it’s high time they made some changes in the industry hence their collaboration. Seyi Shay adds: “Some say women don’t support women, I and my sister @yemialade came together to change that narrative.”

Free TV Users in Lagos Lament Reception, Signal Quality Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

I

t was described as the game-changer for television broadcasting in Nigeria but two weeks after FreeTV was launched with fanfare in Lagos State, subscribers of the country’s o΀cial Free-To-View digital television platform have been moaning over the quality of its signal and reception.

Launched on 29April in Lagos by Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, as part of the national digital switchover (DSO) strategy, FreeTV was projected to Lagosians as the peak in digital broadcasting.

However, users appear to be disappointed and have been vociferous in expressing their disappointments. Notably, they have taken to FreeTV’s o΀cial social media pages to ventilate their anger.

One of the prominent complaints were about the unavailability of signal reception and activation problem in some parts of Lagos.

Kunle Olorode expressed his disappointment over the issue on FreeTV’s Twitter page. “With your reception not in Ikorodu, we need not bother about FreeTV for now,” he wrote. Another subscriber, Enoch Xcellency Sabo, wrote: “Activation problem, subscription problem, Refreshment problem, and all these, you must pass through their ‘Top’ dealers which also needed commission.

Then what’s good about it?”

It is the same experience for Adesua Muyiwa Mathias, who decided to narrate his encounter with FreeTV on Facebook in a philosophical manner.

“Do you people remember ‘strong decoder’ product in Nigeria then. When this decoder is

about to send dstv to exile we destroyed it by ourselves. Don’t be disappointed that this your decoder can only work or be view(ed) for just few times. As long we are still in this country NIGERIA,” Mathias wrote.

Osho Abiodun’s complaint is a bit more frontal. He is demanding a refund from FreeTV for his inability to activate all the 10 decoders he purchased from a dealer in Lagos.

“I bought 10 decoders from one of your distributors in Lagos and all are not working.

The dealer can’t activate the decoders. Now, I don’t want to have any issue with FreeTV as from today and I want my money back,” he wrote on Facebook.

For those who have been a bit lucky with the signal, the number and quality of channels available have been disappointing. Some o΀ce them claimed they were deceived by the promoters of the service about the channels catalogue, saying it is short of what was advertised.

“I think heard 60 channels too. How come 20 channels (are showing)? Remaining 40 channels, according to the minister,” Morakinyo Oladipupo wrote on Facebook. Another subscriber on Facebook, Idris Ismail Ijetta, made similar complaint, saying: “My question is this, according to the minister, he said Lagos will received (sic) 60 channels. But we that we are using FreeTV, d (sic) one with DTH, that is d (sic) decoder with dish; we are just receiving 22 channels. Pls, add more channels to DTH.” Isiorho Eddy also bewailed on FreeTV’s Facebook page that the only channel working on his decoder was the one showing sports advertisement, while Emeka Godson urged the operator to “please add more reasonable channels”.

It is not only those who are using the recently

launched service in Lagos that have bared out their grievances. Although it was rolled out in 2016 and is currently operational in six states (asides Lagos), a litany of complaints by earlier subscribers Áooded the social media pages of FreeTV for its poor signal or monotonous list of channels or the discrepancy of the channel catalogue.

An Onitsha-based subscriber,Arinze Otimkpu, asked on Facebook why there is inconsistency in the number of channels provided, writing: “Why is FreeTV is only giving us only 12 channels while FreeTV Ghana is given Ghanaian about over 50 channels?”

Uzoma Sunday, another subscriber in Abuja, noted that he can hardly view the channels listed on his decoder. “Make una update this una decoder... We for Abuja no dey enjoy am again oooo, cracking stations here and there,” he wrote.

Olumoh Yusuf, who did not state his location, demanded an update of the service’s channels, writing: “You have good decoder, good service for only terrestrial decoder but with just few channels. It will be highly appreciated if you can add more channels like Aljazera, BBC, MBC action, MBC max, Bollywood (English) so as to make it sweeter.All these channels are free to air.”

Another prominent issue raised by subscribers and intending subscribers is that of abysmal customer service. Subscribers lamented the refusal of FreeTV staͿ to respond to their enquiries on the purchase of antenna, activation, subscription renewal and signal disappearance, despite the operator promising at the launch to be customerinclined and customer-friendly.

Tindi Terkimbi Joseph could not hide his disappointment. “I am highly disappointed with FreeTV. I bought the barely a year, it got burnt,

all eͿorts make to reach there (sic) customer service proved abortive. I will never buy again,” he wrote on Facebook.

An intending subscriber, Mbanugo Steve, also expressed similar sentiment. “Some of the questions I wanted to ask like names of stations on oͿer, price and where to buy, have been asked over an hour ago. But nobody is oͿering any answers,” he said.

Also, all attempts by Chidiebere Amaechi to ask where he can purchase the set-top boxes in Alapere, Ketu area of Lagos, and Tunde Niyi Biodun to know what number he can send a text message in order to activate his FreeTV unique package proved abortive as their messages have not been replied one week after posting them on Facebook.

The lack of the operator’s representatives providing reply to subscribers’ enquiries prompted Sunday Anthony Odeje, a subscriber, to post this Facebook message: “Sorry to inform those of you that are asking questions, that people managing the Facebook page of FreeTV does not respond to questions from customers. You can ask questions from now till next, you will not get any replies from them. However, I have used free tv for more than four years now.”

A check on the website of FreeTV revealed that the “about us” page had no contact details, while the “contact us” page was unavailable.

Perusing through the operator’s Facebook page, it was discovered that the number listed on the page - 0703887277 ² is actually operated by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the broadcasting regulator, and not by FreeTV. The attendant, a woman, stated that the decoder costs between N12,000 and N13,000. She was, however, hesitant to provide more information, urging the caller to visit the website for more details.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

19

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg

07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Olushola Michael Sets up Mini Film Studio Olushola Michael is one of Nigeria’s Àlmmaker/actor who has proven his worth in the industry over the years with several accolades and appraisals to his works. With over 40 Àlms and counting, he is not taking a break on serving more quality productions to the movie audience.

With a Àrm love for the industry, he has embarked on a new mini Àlm studio project in Lagos which is bound to be a strong support system for the industry.

Excited Olusola revealed that he could not wait to serve the good people of Lagos.

Speaking further he said, “We are fully open for operation and this is going to be the beginning of a complete feel of great entertainment. Elixir is a mini Àlm studio, where all kinds of activities, like shooting a complete movie, TV-sitcom, live

interview, residential lodge, house party, commercial, TV-presentation, and many more can be carried out. One uniqueness of Elixir is that, every set is moveable and can be created to producers taste.”

Elixir has its own set for police station, hospital, Church, Mosque and more but it’s indeed a studio every movie maker needs to explore to ease the stress of moving about just to get a good location for production.

On what inspired the name Elixir, he said, “I don’t believe in naming things after you, even the o΀cial name for the whole organization is Ivy League Productions not Olusola Michael Production, there’s no point naming an organization after you. Everything you do lives after you so if you do it well, you don’t need your name.”

Olushola Michael

Joseph Edgar Partners Ladi Soyode for ‘Awo’ Play

Joseph Edgar

InÁuential Theatre Producer, Joseph Edgar (The Duke of Shomolu), fresh from the massive success of “Ibiom”, which showed in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has concluded plans to partner with prominent lawyer and cultural activist, Ladi Soyode, in bringing to the stage the historically important Play, Awo, this August at the wonderful Glover Hall in Lagos.

Awo, which has been written and would be directed by talented director, Makinde Adeniran, will take a deep and introspective look at the life and times of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, with special attention to the very critical role Mama HID Awolowo played in it.

Awolowo, in one of the most iconic

statements ever made, had described Mama as his jewel of inestimable value, making her very central to the story of Awo as told by master story teller, Makinde, who happens to be the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of The National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners.

Makinde will tell a colourful and exciting story of the life of one of the most important African personalities of the 20th Century in beautiful songs and dance routine and indepth characterization garnished by Áuid delivery, enhanced with riveting suspense.

Speaking about the play, Edgar said, “Awo will be a powerful study in leadership, passion and strong incisive family values. It remains very impor-

tant at this juncture of our national life for this story to be told using the very exciting medium that is stage to strengthen our link to the past as we strive to forge a National reawakening in all aspect of national life.”

Ladi Soyode averred that the story of Awo had caught the attention of international Àlm makers but that it was very Àtting for it to be Àrst told in this format because of the need to perfectly capture its true essence. The production suite has versatile actor Yemi Shodimu as Co Executive Producer and Olisa Adibua in the same role and has already secured the support of the larger Awolowo Family. The play will run from mid August through the Àrst week in September.

King Joel Celebrates Khabir Joins ‘Don Crucifixto’ Family Mother’s Day As part of his Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), multi-talented Nigerian-American rapper, King Joel, has announced that in appreciation of mothers in Nigeria for their impact towards every child’s upbringing, he is is rolling out a N2.5 million cash giveaway to mothers.

Speaking on the need to appreciate mothers, King Joel stated that the role of a mother in a child’s life cannot be overemphasized, “as they are responsible for the proper moulding of whatever a child becomes in future; hence the need to always appreciate them is important.”

As part of the giveaway, mothers need to go to Iamkingjoel page on Instagram and drop a comment and a winner will be selected and announced in a week. A cash prize of N1 million will be presented by Joel himself while the three other lucky mothers will get N500, 000 each to picked by theshaderoom, instablog9ja and his fans who are known as AngelsOf God. It is however pertinent to note that King Joel is surely one artiste to lookout for in the Nigerian music

industry as he has plans to get a grip of the western markets too.

King Joel

The American-based Nigerian entertainment brand, Don CruciÀxto, which is known for its contribution to the growth of talented African youths, both home and abroad, is on a mission to foster the dreams of yet another talent from Nigeria named Khabir. Tumi Oluyole, the record label owner, announced on his o΀cial social media page that the newest musical contract with Khabir is the next big thing to happen to the Don CruciÀxto family as Khabir makes an addition to the two front liners of the label.

Khabir, since the day the announcement of his deal with the record label was made public, has got new attention on him. He is seen as a young champ with great singing abilities that could pave way for him to the top, as he advances in his career. Before now, little is known of Khabir but when Oluyole popularity known as Sean Dampte, speaks, the media world tends to take a listen. According to Oluyole, also known as Sean Dampte, the talented and young Afro pop singer, Khabir, would be releasing a debut single before the end of May, while promising that Khabir is the future of the new Afro-Fusion sound which has the heart of every music lover in deep now.

Khabir

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SATURDAY MAY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

21

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

POLITY

Ondo Partners La Campagne Tropicana for Tourism Justina Uzo

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he Ondo State government is seeking to improve its non-oil revenues through the tourism sector, which has strong links to economic growth. As a result, it has gone into partnership with Wanle Akinboboye’s La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort.

This partnership is coming on the heels of a recent successful Asun Carnival staged in Ondo Town by Akinboboye and his team. The carnival has now been adopted as an annual event by the people of Ondo Town.

Akinboboye remarked: “As you are aware, our glorious state is filled with many natural attractions. These attractions include an expanse of coastline of sandy beaches, countless mountains, rivers and the famous Idanre Hills where mountains came to host a conference and then refused to leave. Ondo State also has a rich cultural heritage that embraces unique music and dance.

“Our state must harness her natural features, culture and talents to create and operate a tourism and entertainment industry that focuses on showcasing the best of Ondo State’s culture and natural features while creating wealth and hope for our youths.”

He also stressed that the new effort is coming as Ondo is experiencing a cultural tourism boom amid the pandemic.

Akinboboye pointed out that his meeting with the Ondo State governor last week to hatch a blueprint was productive.

Akeredolu remarked after the meeting: “We want to realise our dream for the development of the Ondo tourism and entertainment industry. We have entered into a strategic alliance with a private sector practitioner, Otunba (Dr.) Wanle Akinboboye, founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, who is also a son of the soil

from Ondo Town,” the governor declared. ‘‘Otunba Akinboboye has been in the tourism industry for over three decades and has shown his mettle via the creation of his flagship resort in Ikegun Village in Lagos State. He was also involved in the initial creation of the Mare Festival and recently the Asun Carnival launched by Destination Ondo, an initiative created by him this month for his town and by extension, our state. ‘‘We believe that with this partnership, our expectation for tourism and entertainment development will be realised and our Sunshine State will once again set the pace in finding unique and creative solution to our challenges as a people. We believe that the employment generated by the type of tourism industry we envisage for our state will provide opportunities for all. This is because it does not focus solely on educational achievements. Rather it embraces an understanding of our culture, the ability to showcase our music and dance and a willingness to display our pride in the talents and heritage of our great people.’’

The governor has moved swiftly to enhance the operating environment. So far, the state government has listed the tourist attractions of the state that they want to put on the global travel map.

Apart of the government’s commitment to the tourism is the creation of atmosphere for peace and security to thrive in the state through empowering a security outfit for the state known as Amotekun.

The Ondo State governor said: ‘‘In Nigeria today, key issues that require intense focus by government are security and youth engagement, employment and empowerment. It was with this in mind that the Ondo State government, under my leadership, established and is operating the Amotekun Security Force which has introduced and maintains a security network that leverages the security skills of our people to assist in making Ondo State a more

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State (left) with Mr. Wanle Akinboboye of La Campagne Tropicana

secure state. ‘‘With this initiative, our government is also focusing on job creation and youth empowerment. In this regard, we are aware that the major part of the security challenges in Nigeria arises from the disenfranchisement felt by millions of our youths who are unable to find gainful employment to generate the income they require to cater for their basic needs and the dreams to which they are entitled to.”

Akinboboye added: The Ondo State governor is calling on the people of the state to take a ride with him on the Destination Ondo’s tourism bus. I would also encourage others from Ondo State who have made their marks in their various areas of endeavours to lend their support to the development of our great state and people, so that they can be proud, not only of where they are now, but also of where they originated from.”

Northern Governors’ Wives Charge Mothers On Training of Children

Laleye Dipo in Minna

W

ives of the 19 Northern states governors have counseled mothers on the inculcation of proper moral upbringing in their children.

In their Ed il fitri message made available to newsmen in Minna on Thursday, the governors’ wives said proper training of children “is one of the panacea to insecurity in the country.”

In the message signed by the Chairperson of the forum and

wife of the Niger state governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, they said sound morale training in children “is one of the ways to make them responsible and better citizens.”

The forum declared that mothers, who are home keepers and character moulders, should also redouble their efforts in inculcating sound morals and discipline “in our future generations.”

They noted that with the high level of insecurity in the country, mothers need to instill in our children habits that will ensure they are vigilant in order to protect themselves, adding that the country is currently faced with the challenges of insecurity that has disrupted the lives of so many people, which only proper

training of the children can surmount.

The forum congratulated Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Ed El Fitri festival but pleaded with the faithful to remember to always be their brothers’ keeper and pray for the peace and unity of Nigeria.

They also charged Muslim faithful to continue to put into practice, the lessons learnt during the holy month and pray for peace and the unity of the states and the country at all times.

Meanwhile The Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, had in a similar message called on Nigerians to live in peace with one another to foster peace and national unity.

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Ore Famurewa; Managing Director, Mr. Ben Langat; Chairman Board of Directors, Mr. Moyo Ajekigbe; and Executive Director Finance, Mr. Marc Galjaard, at the 48th Annual General Meeting of FrieslandCampina, WAMCO Nigeria Plc held in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Secretary, presidential visitation panel of the Federal University, Otuoke, Barr. Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola; Chairman, presidential visitation panel of the Federal University, Otuoke, Mallam Haruna Lawal Ajo; Professor Imaculata I. Nwokoro; Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri; Prof. Elizabeth Amuta; Barr. Timipa Jenkins Okponipere; and Hon. Saliu Abdulkareem, during the presidential visitation panel of the Federal University, Otuoke courtesy visit to the governor...recently

L-R: The holy matrimony between former Miss Tamunohekerebia Florence and Moses Mosimaballe Adamu, took place at Golden Gate International Christian Center, off Bitterleaf Road, Owudo Community, Abuloma, Port-Harcourt …recently

L-R: Marketing Director, MPLMAC - Court Properties Ltd, Mr. Spencer Mac-Ejere; Chief Executive Officer, Festy Hair Lounge. Mr. Festus Benson; and Mr. Phillips Igheagbon, at the official opening of Festy Hair Lounge In Ikeja, Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

POLITY Corona School Students Win COBIS, History Awards Ayodeji Ake reports that the academic excellence awards and medals recently presented to the students of Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Ogun State, by international communities and the mouth-watering multi million dollars scholarships awarded by international universities, demonstrate that the foremost school remains a citadel of excellence where the best brains are being groomed

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orona Secondary School (CSS), Agbara, Ogun State, one of the foremost secondary schools in Nigeria, is focused on producing well- rounded and proudly Nigerian young men and women equipped for and leadership. It also has a mission to provide world class education to children, while inculcating high moral and ethical values. The past and present achievements of this great citadel of learning have proven its commitments to building leaders.

Recently, three students of the school bagged the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) awards; three students won the National History Awards (NHA), with one overall winner; and a student bagged Association for International Schools’ award.

The award presentation held on May 10 at the school premises, had in attendance the Principal, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola, teachers, organisers of the awards and students. In her address, the excited Oluwadamilola noted that the students had made the school proud for their diligence and commitment.

The Principal said: “This is an event where we are celebrating excellence. An excellence that has been validated by international organisations, not the one we say to ourselves ‘we are doing well.’

We have been participating in The National History competition for the past six years and at various levels, we have won. We have been winners at senior and junior categories but this is the first time we are combining both at the national level with one of our students emerging overall winner, by scoring 100 per cent.

“The other awards are AISA. Many international schools belong to this organisation. Every year, AISAwould want to reward students across the continent for excellence and we always put in for that competition. For the first time, we won an award for excellence and for the second time we won again.

“COBIS award cuts across various nations of the world. In all countries of the world, you find COBIS school. COBIS award is not just for academic performance but also the impact of the student on their larger community and within the school community. The award is in six categories and each school is expected to put in for only three: nominations and talk about what the students have done with evidence. We went in for three and we won the three.”

Despite the fact that the final students are yet to write their WAEC exams because of the pandemic, the three COBIS winners already have admissions in International universities.

They all have admissions in about 15 schools with scholarships already. The scholarships are not based on only their academic performances but also all the different things they do aside from academics. And if we sum the worth of all the scholarships, we have over $2 million worth of scholarships for some of our students.

“What we do in Corona Secondary School is to give them that enabling environment to become the best in whatever they are doing. We don’t only read here, you do all social activities because that is the totality of human being and with that it brings up abilities. Let’s learn to encourage our children to be the best in every way. People that are in the position to make and enforce the laws should give our children the enabling environment .Our children shouldn’t be what we should be playing with and I’m sure they will make us proud if we give them what they need” she said.

In his commendations, Coordinator, National History Competitions, Mr. James Onimisi, said the students of Corona Secondary School “are teachable students with hardworking teachers.”

L-R: Principal, Corona Secondary School, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola; Council of British International Schools (COBIS) Award winners, Jay Esemudje; Tamara Akika; Kenechukwu Ozoemene; and acting Vice Principal, Mrs. Mojisola Johnson, at the COBIS award presentation held at Corona Secondary School Agbara, Ogun State.

Onimisi adds: “We are here to celebrate our students in the just concluded history award. The overall student is from Corona Secondary school. With what I have seen, they have good teachers and they have teachable students. As we have seen, the overall best student is not offering history. We are advocating that history should be compulsory for all students. I will wish to encourage other schools to take advantage of this completion because it will help the student to know their history and encourage nation building.”

The History and Sociology Teacher, Mr. Olusanjo Fagbohungbe who supervised the students for the National History Award, applauded them for their hard work and the school for supporting the students at all times.

“Nothing is good as success. We thank God for the enablement and also try our best but it has been a regular thing. For sometime now, we have been taking our students for competitions and we have been winning. What I discovered was that we have willing students here and we are also very available. This balance has really helped us to achieve a lot and we are not stopping here,” Fagbohungbe said.

The Head Prefect, Master Jay Esemudje, who doubles as the recipient of COBIS award and the only student awarded the AISAaward in the whole of Africa with over $600,000 worth of scholarship, appreciated the school for her tremendous support: “I received the COBIS award for my contribution to the Wonder School Community. This award is the recognition of students that do things they love. I believe that if you do things you enjoy and impact positively, you are also a good student.

“The AISAawards came as a surprise and it’s an honour to have been picked among the students all over the continent. AISA awards map out Africa and it’s about the tenacity of the students and the passion that we have to develop our community and

when I say community, I mean the country at large. It’s an honour to be a recipient and truly I didn’t see this coming, I just kept doing what I know how to do best.”

Another COBIS award recipient, Miss Tamara Akika, in her testimony said life had given her enough and all she wanted to give back, which eventually won her an award: “The award I won was the significant contribution to the African community. I believe I won this award because of my impact on my community and I’m very passionate about helping people and putting smiles on their faces. I have developed a lot of projects which were of significant benefit to the larger society. I also believe that this award is a motivation for people to do the best they can as individuals in his/her community.”

The third COBIS award recipient, Master Kenechukwu Ozoemene, said: “The award was for the outstanding efforts in activities done in my extra-curricular activities and also improving on my grades and the amount of things I have done in the school community. I sincerely didn’t see this coming, I was quite surprised when I saw my name among the recipients of this award. My simple message is that if something you want does not exist, then make it happen.”

The overall winner of the National History Award (NHA) in Nigeria, Miss Oyindoubra Akika, a year ten student, expressed joy. She said preparing for the competition wasn’t that easy as she doesn’t know anything about history but with the help of her teachers she was able to perform better than she expected.

Another recipient of the NHA, Miss Toluwanimi Sonuga, a year 11 student said: “I’m excited about the award that was presented, it’s a result of hard work. I almost saw this coming because I felt we would win because my school has been a winner at all times.”

Kwara’s Deputy Governor, Others Honour Adedoyin’s Mother at Fidau

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jomu-Oro in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State witnessed a huge gathering of prominent leaders, monarchs, elders and other Nigerians on Thursday, May 13, 2021. They were in the Igbomina town to honour one of their own and former Commissioner for Infirmation in Kwara State and Oloriewe

Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Kayode Alabi and Oloriewe of Oro Kingdom, Oloye Raheem Adedoyin at the Fidau for Adedoyin’s mum in Ijomu Oro, Kwara State... recently

of Oro Kingdom, , Oloye Raheem Adedoyin, who hosted the Fidau Prayer to mark the eighth day of the demise of his mother, Madam (Princess) Awawu Ajibike Adedoyin.

The late Madam Adedoyin transited on Friday, May 7, 2021 and was buried at Ijomu-Oro on the same day in accordance with Islamic practices. At the event were the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Kayode Alabi; the deputy speaker, kwara state house of Assembly, Hon. RaphaelAdetiba, Former Member , Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Moshood Mustapha, Chairman, LUBCON,Alhaji Jani Ibrahim andAll Progressive Congress (APC) stalwart, Senator Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi.

TheOloroofOroKingdom,ObaAbdulRafiuAjiboyeOyelaran1led other monarchs and traditional chiefs to the well attended occasion.

OtherhighprofilepersonalitiesinattendanceattheeightdaysFidau prayer which took place at the market square of Ijomu-Oro included MallamSaliuMustapha,Hon.SaliuMustapha;ChiefWoleOke;Hon YinkaAluko, SAto Kwara State Governor on Special Duties;Alhaji TajudeenAdigun; member of Kwara State House ofAssembly, Hon Felix OmotayoAwodiji; representatives of KwaraAPC, Lagos State branch and members of Omo Ibile Igbomina led by its National President, Engr. Timothy Adebayo.

Also in attendance were popular YorubaActor, Lasun Ray, Titus Ashaolu, SAN, Chief Wole Oke, Hon. Layi Ayinde, Hon. Hassan Bagudu,PrinceShuaibOlanrewaju,new-reappointedcommissioners

Alh.FemiWhyte,MrsDeborahAremuandMrsRemilekunBanigbe; former Commissioner Ben Duntoye Alh. Tajudeen Adeyemi, Mr. SundayAbikoye,ChiefSundayIbitoye;MrsGbemiEbikuadje, High Chief Jide Adebayo, Alh. John Adegboye and Ahmed Akorede.

Delegation of Oloriewe’s classmates in Unilag led by Mr. Fred Ohwahwa and Oloriewe’s Premier Club,Aura Club 86 led byAlh. Tajudeen Adigun and other eminent personalities were present at the Fidau prayer The eldest son of the deceased, the Oloriewe of Oro Kingdom and former Commissioner for Education in Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulraheem Adedoyin expressed profound appreciation to all present for attending the eight days Fidau prayer of his late mother.

Adeedoyin described the death of the mother, Princess Awawu Ajibike Adedoyin as a great loss not only to the family but to the entire Oro Kingdom.

Oloriewe mentioned that the late matriarch was a fantastic mother who imbibed in all her children hard work, discipline, love and fear of Allah during her life time.

He said the children would continue to carry on with the selfless service to humanity and to God among other good legacies his mother left behind.

Moshood Mustapha said Late Princess Adedoyin was a good mother not only her children, but to the entire children that came across her.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

POLITY/TRIBUTE

UsingAgriculture asVehiclefor EconomicProsperityinOgun Femi Ezekiel

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he reality of venturing into agriculture as an alternative avenue to drive any economy and reduce poverty, in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by any administration cannot be over-emphasised, given its significant contribution to food security, job creation, and to a large extent, in generating revenue into the coffers of the government.

This was the maiden approach the current administration in Ogun State adopted at inception. Vision drives mission. There is no gain saying the fact that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration has demonstrated its commitment and resolve towards resuscitating the once-upon-a-time mainstay economic prosperity (agriculture) of the defunct old Western Region for survival, growth and development of the state. This approach wasn’t at variance with the vision of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of the defunct Western Region, who took agriculture to the next level in guaranteeing self-sufficiency in food production and shoring up the revenue base. Currently, livestock breeding has also taken a central-place of pride in driving the agro-business in the country. Apart from being the biggest in poultry farming, the state remains the largest producer of cat fish.

The agricultural agenda of the administration is one of the most ambitious in the country, with well-over 80,000 individuals in line for linkage to land, market, credit facilities, and training.

An approval of the road map by the current administration has had direct relation to food security, job creation and agricultural industrialisation, which are pursued in an inclusive manner that deliberately incorporate youths and small-holder farmers.

It should be noted that one of the obstacles to youth involvement in agriculture and sustainable investments in agricultural value chain opportunities, especially in primary production, remains access to land and difficulty in linking farmers, including potential ones, to land and agricultural mechanisation, particularly in South-west Nigeria/forest zone, where a difficult terrain exists.

This is in addition to other socio-economic factors limiting access for agricultural land.

Conservatively put, it is on record that well-over 80,000 individuals have, so far, since the current administration came into office on May 29, 2019, registered for the agricultural value chain opportunities in growing crops to meet up the demands of industries in the state that house the largest agro-industrial hub in the country.

Worthy of note is one of the prominent milestone achievements, which is the commitment towards coming to the aid of young farmers and investors in agricultural land-clearing and preparation (ploughing, harrowing and ridging) and mechanisation of planting to a tune of 2,500 hectares of land in the 2020 planting season, despite the year was ravaged with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. And these interventions provided the support for the individuals to enjoy the infrastructure, such as lands, and access to credit linkage as part of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrower’s Programme, which is one of the biggest and most successful in the country. It is made up of 4,565 cassava beneficiaries, 1,081 rice beneficiaries and well-over 14,000 cassava and rice beneficiaries under the FGN/IFAD/Ogun Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), amongst others.

Resulting from the commitment of the current administration to linkage to land clearing and mechanisation as one of its interventions, the federal government has come to the aid of the

state government, with the land clearing project of 450 hectares for agricultural and industrial sectors. The gesture is to enable farmers and young people deliver on their production targets to factories, and also to pay back loans to credit partners to attain economic prosperity in their farming business.

By and large, it has become imperative to note that there is a need to strengthen its partnership in order to deliver, in line with the agenda of the current administration to aggressively pursue partnership with national and International Development Agencies, which have a mandate of throwing their weight behind the Agricultural Value Chain Opportunities.

As an administration that is not resting on its oars, it is keenly interested in byproducts of agricultural investments that are sustained industrialisation, job creation and food security, while the private sector is expected to continue to do more of their business in an enabling environment where the needed support is provided.

However, the recent expression of interest by a team of the National Agricultural Land Department Authority (NALDA) that visited Governor Abiodun, in his office, in a bid to partner Ogun State in growing its agro-business, has offered a ray of hope of a sustainable economy.

The decision by the federal government to breathe life into NALDAand give support to states in the agricultural agenda is timely. Without mincing words, Ogun State is blessed with 1.2 million hectares of arable land, with 80 per cent still lying fallow for cultivation.

It is to be noted that while credit agencies are not willing to fund land clearing (bulldozing), and young people look up for assistance in this area, the state government has, in the recent past, in demonstration of its commitment, released 450 hectares of land to partners and government agencies in support of youths in agriculture, as requested.

Notwithstanding, it is of the view that, in the embedded vision, Governor Abiodun had taken cognisance of the fact that sustaining agriculture, as an engine room for industrialisation, would propel the economic prosperity of the state. Thus, the engagement of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach in driving the economy in just, fair, inclusive, methodical and participatory governance, is a way of stimulating and increasing the agro-based sector for optimal contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

While playing host to the NALDAteam, led by its Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne, at his Okemosan, Abeokuta office, recently, Abiodun expressed delight for the interest shown in partnering with the Ogun State Government.

According to him, the governor attributed the success of the administration’s agricultural project to the unflinching support of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, whereby agriculture is seen as a “triple barrel pillar” that allows the state to feed its people, create employment and as well, generate revenue into the coffers of the state government.

Besides, he noted that his administration had recently begun the construction of its Agro-Cargo International Airport located at Ilishan-Remo to boost the agricultural sector. Abiodun said the state won a bid to become a special agricultural processing zone, with the state taking the advantage of the Agro-Cargo Airport that sits on 5,000 hectares of land to its side.

“We are prepared to support NALDA, especially with the provision of land for the purpose of an Integrated Farm Estate.

“We are setting up a team of agricultural experts to look into ways of starting a Garri Packaging Plant in a no distant time and ensure that the youths, especially graduates benefit immensely

Abiodun

from the training programme on soil testing and extension services,” the governor said.

However, it was gathered that the state would benefit from the Integrated Farm Estate, Garri Packaging Plant and, a training programme on soil testing and extension services for 200 young graduates in agriculture and other science-related degrees.

With its initial 700 hectares of land at Ijoga-Orile, in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state, for Cashew Estate, the reactivation of the estate for food production is seen as another milestone towards self-sufficiency and economic growth.

“We are committed to achieve your desire in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision on food security and job creation.

We will partner with you and be fast with it.

“Our programmes are in phases and we are committed to make living from them.

“We won’t sit back and watch you (Ogun State Government) do it alone. We will partner with you to make your state the food basket of the nation.

“Our mandate is to complement the efforts and activities of your agricultural sector.

“We will create market to bring development in the agrarian sector and create employment and job security through our activities.

“Ogun state is slated as one of the pilot states for the project.

“We are requesting for lands, sustainable for this project. And as soon as possible, we are ready to develop them. We know that Ogun State has capacity in cassava production. We will be off-takers from the farmers.

“You (Ogun) are the first among other states in this project and your efforts and vision can’t be over-emphasised,” said the NALDAboss.

Meanwhile, NALDA’s Integrated Farm Estate is going to be sited in Ogun State, in the three senatorial districts. The Integrated Farm Estate is a concept that takes in everything from production to processing, packaging and marketing.

In line with the aggressive push for sustainable growth and development in the agro-business, there is no doubt that the bold initiative of the current administration in the state is a right step to guaranteeing food security on account of drought resulting from the global climatic change.

Ezekiel wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital

Exit of Izuwah, Vacuum in Fight for Autistic Children Michael Wilson

T

he demise of Chidi Izuwah, a man described by those in medical space as “Father of Autism” in Nigeria has left a huge gap in the treatment, awareness and intervention of autism in Nigeria. In a country saddled with a high dose of religious and superstitious beliefs, many ailments and conditions are always seen as something spiritual or supernatural. One of the ailments that people are yet to come to terms with is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate, interact socially with his environment and also involves unusual behavior that might be repetitive and rigid in nature. This particular ailment has been viewed from different lenses ranging from superstitious to spiritual. The change of this perception has always been the lifetime project with the late Izuwah.

Having done a lot of intervention, awareness and sensitization to the public, Izuwah brought to the fore the challenges of children with autism and what the government need to do to be involved in this. His opinion on autism was in line with the scientific position and what was written in scientific journals. He said that “The communication issues in ASD might be absent, delayed, or abnormal speech for age.

They might have inability to understand facial expressions, act as though deaf or repeat words said to them. Some might have words but not for effective communication while some have poor comprehensions skills, hence inability to follow instructions”. A major

trait with ASD is the absence of social skills characterized by disinterest or insensitivity to goings on around them, aloofness and a difficulty in connecting or playing with other children.

Some might not understand the concept of pretend games or use toys in a creative way. They might not understand feelings of others or share interests or achievements with others (drawings, toys).”

The late Engr. C.K.C Izuwah is archetypical in terms of being a strong advocate and father, co-founder of Our Lady of Late Izuwah, his wife and some Autistic children Guadalupe Health FoundaHe was personally involved in domestic affairs assocition and Autism Centre in Port Harcourt and Abuja in ated with nurturing a young mind with ASD and went Nigeria. His passion stemmed from a family member into individualized personal research for management being diagnosed with Autism (ASD) 18 years ago (2003). protocol in a quest to satisfy his active cerebral mind.

With his wife, Dr. Doris Izuwah, the Our Lady of This passion led him to read extensively about this Guadalupe Centre for Autism started from one room in disorder to the extent that he was sometimes mistaken his humble home in Port Harcourt and has grown to a for a medical doctor in the field due to the wide knowlcapacity of providing multidisciplinary services to over edge he had garnered over the years and his exuberance 100 children with special needs, while providing jobs to with intellectual finesse while discussing autism. more than 50 youths.

24

˜ ˾ MAY 15, 2021

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION

BY

Media Professional, Not ‘Practitioner’

Y

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

OU are welcome today: “…Nigeria is considerably significant to enter into direct contact with makers of vaccines with a view to negotiate (negotiating) favourable (a favourable) cost and a more efficient delivery

mechanism.”

“With gratitude to God for a life well spent, the entire management and members of staff of… sends (send) her (their) condolence (condolences) to the family of our chairman….”

“We are leaking in various holes towards various leanings and we still are lacking in leadership that has any model to solve our miriad (myriad) of problems.” “…development media practitioner (professional)….”

“In the eyes and reckoning of every Imo citizens, there has only been two administrations in the state.” Every Imo citizen or all Imo citizens…and this: there have (not has) only been two administrations in the state.

“NPA commends FG over (for) port reforms” “Nigeria’s aviation industry witnessed some changes during the administration of late Musa Umar Yar’dua….” The administration of the late….

“After four years of solid performance on the saddle…” Let God’s will be done: in the saddle.

“Some states have seized the opportunity to make waves….” It is only in America and Nigeria that opportunities are seized. In New (Formal/Standard) English environments, you either use or take opportunities. ‘Seize’ inseparably involves the use of some measure of force or deployment of violence.

“Gowon, Jang, others pay last respect to…”

No news: last respects.

Yet another headline goof from the above edition: “Tantalizers fete (fetes) kids on Sallah Day” Tantalizers is just a company.

“Post election panel is illegal and diversionary” Get it right: Post-election panel illegal, diversionary “It is perhaps in this light that the series of consultative meeting....” Folk (popular) etymology: the series of consultative meetings. “in this regard, one must doff one’s hat for Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr....” This way: doff one’s hat to

(not for).

“In the last elections, voters had to choose between three parties essentially….” ‘Between three parties’ is simply acidulous. Formal expression: among three parties….

“The security-men who arrested Chima were eight in number (what would ‘eight’ have been?) and arrived at about 10 a .m. in the morning.”

Towards Standard English for readers: at 11.a.m or about 11a.m, if there is an element of uncertainty. To employ the two in one breath is irksome. How does this sound: ’10 a.m. in the morning’?

“Of course film-makers should also watch them so that the public can be told the videos are not some Hollywood make-belief.” My comment: make-believe.

“Pondering over the nation is the spectra of economic corruption and a descent into (to) chaos and anarchy.” Singular: spectrum and plural (spectra).

“It is therefore most expedient for ex-Generals like Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida to re-examine its (their) role in government and take a honourable bow from politics.” A time to quit: an honourable bow.

“Even now, no talk of regional or sub-regional integration is complete in this continent without an echo from Nigeria.” Diplomacy: on the continent. “…am convinced that what held the audience spell-bounded (spellbound) and excited was the fact of an Anglophone being able to tell him in their own language.”

“Instead, people compete and fall over one another for the crumbs and fallouts from the ‘high table’ (platform/dais/rostrum) and even defend the indefensible.” ‘Fallout’ is uncountable. “…we swept them under the carpet pretending that all was well when in actual (what for?) fact we were heading towards apocalypse.” “…others point out the moral ground for such action (an action), given Labour’s antecedents in the past.” ‘Antecedents in the past’? This is unacceptable for obvious reasons. One of these days, somebody would write ‘future antecedents’!

Delete ‘in the past’.

“As at 1985 there are (were) over 36,000 dams in the world with about 18,000 in China alone.”

“Are you therefore surprise (sic) to find mediocres promoted beyond their highest level

of competency.” The noun form of ‘mediocre’ (an adjective) is ‘mediocrity’ or ‘mediocrist’ “Statistics of African debt profile shows (show) that Nigeria owes about 15 per cent of the continent’s debt.”

“But none of these leaders coming with large (a large) retinue of people (would it have been of animals?) will agree that it is important to back-up (back up) their good wishes with concrete policy (a concrete policy) in the area of debt management for sustainable growth.”

“Within the 15 years of the four military regimes under review, Nigeria moved twice from one extreme end of the scale to the other in her (its: no feminization of the English language) relation with other nations.” Either extreme or end—both cannot co-function.

“General Babangida’s emergence on the scene brought an initial soothing balm in Nigeria’s foreign relations because of his early release of a transition programme.” ‘Soothing balm’ is offensive to good scholarship. What else, apart from soothing, would balm do?

“While the Chinese were still protesting the bombing of their embassy in Belgrade, NATO had gone ahead to bomb the Swiss embassy, causing damages (damage) to the Angolan embassy and hit (hitting) a hospital, among others.”

“What is laying a siege on (to) public wealth and traumatizing all those who dared to point accusing fingers.” Delete ‘accusing’ because of its contextual redundancy. And this: point the finger (stock expression).

“How does the separation of powers that are (is) discernible in Government textbooks operate in real life.”

“Just as the banning of books and newspapers give (gives) rise to an illicit trade in them….”

“Perhaps it may interest you to note that the average take home (a hyphen) pay of a fresh university graduate a month, in any of the Federal ministry (ministries), was slightly above N3,000.”

“Their roles and participation in the furtherance of dictatorship has (have) seriously.…”

“Issus bothering on meeting employers’ obligations to employees in form of salary….”

There is a sharp distinction between ‘bothering’ and ‘bordering’, which applies here.

“While contesting the alleged sale of the bakery

Nigeria and Her People: Media Assassins

U

EBERE WABARA

rged by the seeming deterioration of almost every facet of our national lives, we managed to squeeze in two elements last time...well, more like one and a half. We believe our public service, to some extent, is a big cog in our forward motion as a nation, and the seventh element is our scant regard for ethical conduct, and a dubious reliance on cronyism, cash-driven emotional attachment to oddity and roguery.

This is how we introduced it: “The seventh element has a number of similarities to the one above. What do we hold as National Ethos? What Values do we deliberately infuse in our children? What informs our Succession dynamics? A nation that runs on auto-pilot, winging its ways through challenges and upheavals, makes an easy candidate for self-combustion.”

As long as we continue to defend thieving politicians who ‘happen’ to come from our villages; as long as we embrace teenagers swanking nightclubs in gaudy expensive apparels and bling automobiles because they are generous and charming; as long as we support the land-grabbing thugs who maim and molest innocent land owners because we cannot afford lands in choice areas; as long as we trivialize the atrocious mishandling of governance and democratic tenets because, deep down in our hearts, we know we won’t do any better; as long as...so long a roll of irresponsible and depressive admission of corporate guilt and frailties. We are doomed to gyrate on the same spot, weighed down by the enormity of our backwardness and pitiable arrogance. Activities without purpose, persistence without vision, hard work without ambition or imagination. Nuts!

Our penultimate element we believe is essential to building a great nation, and a greatly sensitized citizenry, is locked deep in the Communication matrix. Do we have a tradition of communicating to the people, with the people or at the people? Do our people believe anything coming out of the communication channels of the government and its numerous agencies? Do they still trust the traditional media? Do they, largely, indulge the perfidies of people’s media (the social mass media) as a vicarious rebellion against years of government propaganda and falsehood? Do the communication managers of government activities give a hoot about getting the right message across, at the right time, in the right frames?

So many questions more, and the available indices show

an abysmal lack of understanding, or acceptance, of the salient matter in communicating to all the people of Nigeria as citizens, not as party faithfuls, opposition figures, wailing wailers, buharists, or any other names we have supplanted the different blocs of contrary or supportive positions.

The ascendancy of Fake News all over the world, but with particular severity in Nigeria, is perhaps ignited by sentiments which, rightly or wrongly, presuppose that government lies a lot, steals tons of money, wears itself out scheming how to punish the ordinary people, and scavenge whatever remains of their hardearned resources; and thus a fight back, fair or foolish, is necessary and expedient. The psychosis that fuels the propagation of Fake News is probably beyond the scope of trained communicators or professional critics. We can only deduce illness of lunacy from observable symptoms; hardly will any psychiatrist want to become mad so as to better understand and therefore prognose possible treatment regimen.

Therefore, the government, and any organisation desirous of being taken seriously in the communication exchange process, should be transparently open and responsible; be brutally intolerant of vices amongst own officers that you want the people to desist from; and be willing to accept corrections, redirections and revisions in matters of public discourse and policies. After all, the goal is to make your government accessible and relatable to the people it governs. The probable response is a people willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt, even when the signs don’t look good; a people with a growing sense of trust in an open, courteous and sensitive government which doesn’t seem peopled by egomaniacs, pedophiles, arrogant power-grabbers and gluttonous poli-tricians.

As we all know, you respond to stimuli opposite you: if government spokespersons give bullshit, of course the vocal representatives will return in loads of unsavoury condiments verging on the treasonous and gas-lighting. Sadly, the so-called opposition appears overwhelmed with the demands of the requisite strategy for effective, focused and people-oriented communication that can moderate the truancy and tardiness of the incumbent talking heads; and mitigate the frustrations and disappointments of the people.

While the communication mix may be chaotic and free-for-all, as we now observe with the operators in the media offices of the current dispensation, the silence or mild grumbling of the Nigerian

and its ultra-modern equipments….” ‘Equipment’ is uncountable.

“The frequency with which administrations are changed at the grassroot level makes it difficult for any sustainable development to be accomplished.” Immutable: grassroots makes.

“Given the robust profiles of majority of the INEC commissioners, there is every hope that the commission may get its acts together in the April elections.” A review: a majority of…and the fixed expression: get its act (not acts) together.

“Hong Kong, as a colony, is made up of the harbour that is reputed to be one of the busiest in the world comprising of some outlying settlements, ceded to Britain by China in 1842.”

This can’t be a challenge: ‘comprising’ does not require ‘of’.

“I feel the permanent solution is not in importing fuel from abroad….” The importation couldn’t have been from within these shores!

“Their roles and participation in the furtherance of dictatorship has (have) seriously.…”

“Issues bothering on meeting employers’ obligations to employees in form of salary….”

There is a sharp distinction between ‘bothering’ and ‘bordering’, which applies here.

“While contesting the alleged sale of the bakery and its ultra-modern equipments….” ‘Equipment’ is uncountable.

“The frequency with which administrations are changed at the grassroot level makes it difficult for any sustainable development to be accomplished”. Immutable: grassroots.

“The impression seems to have gained ground that the voter registration was just another white elephant project, a wasteful jamboree.” Get it right: just white elephant. All the trash about ‘project, a wasteful jamboree’ is simply pleonastic.

“Just imagine if all the money which was sunken into the Ajaokuta steel project.…” Tense mix-up: delete ‘sunken’ for ‘sunk.’

“I escaped death by a hair’s breath” No lexical mayhem: a hair’s breadth.

“I detest the idea of somebody being nun talk less of my own daughter.” ‘Talk less’ is Nigerian English employed in place of ‘not to talk of’ or ‘let alone’ which are standard entries.

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only)

media in the multiple-whammy of reported allegations of high crimes and shocking corruption, is disgraceful, if not scandalous.

We do not read follow-ups of published news on heists in government circles...news trails of high corruption trials vanish from our media at different stages of investigation or prosecution; parallel investigative reporting has wallowed in the pools of aristocratic picadillos and billionaires’ petty prattles.

Observers of this current anomie watch in awe at the speed our media space is sliding, and must worry that some of the watchdogs appear to wear their new toga of lap dogs quite comfortably, and unguardedly. It is made more ridiculously irreverent by the upsurge in internet-enabled disruptions where every media outlet now has an online version not directly gated by same operators who handle the traditional lines. It is indeed worrisome that some of those so-called mainstream online appendages lead in promoting annoying errors and blatant misinformation, in the race to beat the marauding bloggers and career offloaders in their game.

When we look away in compromised indifference at the lechery that goes for many online publications; when we respond harshly to inveterate rabble rousers; when we chuckle at the idiocy of charlatans who masquerade as ethnic champions and agitators; and do nothing to warn and vilify irresponsible and unedited dissemination of hateful manifestos, wrongheaded ethnic profiling, visual rascality of sundry media merchants and intermediaries...we merely lounge in the shade of a mighty tree replete with nestling killer bees and venomous serpents. We saunter in our comfort zones as media assassins swagger across acres of the hearts and minds of our impressionable children.

Don’t be fooled: no one is safe in a nation where the media is free-for-all, where all readers are writers - and none a reporter of facts and truth. Frightening.

25

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

The Rise and Rise of Access Bank Oluchi Chibuzor writes on Access Bank Plc’s aggressive expansion drive in the continent

T

he recent revelation that Access Bank Plc is among the list of financial institutions from Africa and the Middle East that have expressed interest in the acquisition of Union Bank Plc and other African assets of Atlas Mara Group, a Pan-African banking group, is a cheering news.

Atlas Mara Limited, the London Stock Exchange-listed pan-African banking group started by Mr. Bob Diamond, it was gathered has received a number of approaches for its 49.97 per cent holding in Union Bank of Nigeria.

Indeed, listing Access Bank Plc among the suitors is a clear reflection of the resolve of the financial institution headed by Herbert Wigwe, its chief executive officer, not to relent in its aggressive expansion drive.

From a tiny bank in 2002, Wigwe who took over from his close friend and business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, in 2014, has completely transformed the bank which then was ranked 65th among 89 banks operating in the country.

Over the years, Access Bank has evolved from an obscure bank into a world-class African financial institution. Today, it is one of the five largest banks in Nigeria in terms of assets, loans, deposits and branch network; a feat which has been achieved through a robust long-term approach to client solutions – providing committed and innovative advice.

Access Bank has built its strength and success in corporate banking and is now applying that expertise to the personal and business banking platforms it acquired from Nigeria’s International Commercial bank in 2012.

As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank has continued to focus on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant.

Wigwe has helped to develop some of Africa’s biggest companies in the construction, telecommunications, energy, oil and gas sectors through Access Bank.

Clearly, the news about Access Bank’s interest in Union Bank which came exactly a day after the former announced its completion of all regulatory procedures that led to the renaming of Grobank Limited as Access Bank South Africa Limited, showed that the Lagos-based financial institution is not ready to rest on its laurels.

The deal was finalised after Access Bank’s acquisition of controlling shares in the former Grobank Limited, South Africa. With this acquisition, Access Bank South Africa Limited is positioned to deliver a robust banking operation that connects key African markets.

During the official closing ceremony in Sandton recently, top executives of the two banks were upbeat about new opportunities for clients, noting that the bank will continue to support all its stakeholders, while opening doors to growth opportunities both in the short and long term.

To Wigwe, the acquisition in South Africa sealed Access Bank’s commitment to delivering its strategic aspirations of becoming Africa’s Gateway to the World, in line with its vision to be the ‘World’s Most Respected African Bank.’

“We look forward to the many opportunities our collective experience and deep understanding of the African market brings to our valued clients, and the journey ahead being one of great promise for our institution and the continent,” he added.

On his part, the CEO of Grobank Bennie van Rooy said, “This is an extremely exciting day for the South African banking industry. Our corporate customers will now have increased access to trade finance, treasury, international payments and loans through the wider distribution network

As a result of effective implementation of our cost reduction strategy, operating expenses remained flat, despite the inflationary environment and increased regulatory cost. Our retail banking business also showed steady growth with a 112 per cent increase in revenue to N57.5 billion and a 941,631 new customer sign-on via our financial inclusion drive during the quarter.

This improvement is evidenced by the consistent and robust savings account growth to N1.3 trillion , leading to a significant reduction in our cost of funds

Wigwe offered by Access Bank’s presence in the key trade corridors that connect Africa to the rest of the world.

“Banking with Access Bank South Africa means greater security as well as access to more products and services through a best-in-class digital platform, and a full retail banking suite will soon be on offer.”

Last month, Access Bank Plc also entered into a definitive and binding agreement with ABC Holdings Limited to acquire 78.15 per cent shareholding in African Banking Corporation of Botswana Limited (BancABC Botswana).

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions precedent, is expected to close before the end of this quarter.

ABC Holdings is a subsidiary of London Stock Exchange listed group – Atlas Mara Limited.

The South African country is renowned for its quality sovereign credit rating and stability.

Access Bank’s market entry in the country as well as the sub-region, is expected to further solidify its strategy as, “a strong banking partner in key verticals across retail and corporate banking, including especially supporting trade in payments across southern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa more broadly.”

Also commenting on the deal, Wigwe, said: “We remain committed to a disciplined and thoughtful expansion strategy in Africa, which we believe will create strong, sustainable returns for our shareholders and stakeholders at large, over the medium and long-term.

“The establishment of Access Bank through this acquisition in the Republic of Botswana will position the bank to deliver a more complete set of banking solutions to its clients active in and across the SADC and COMESA regions.

“This transaction complements our recent strategic growth acquisitions in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. We are building a bank of the future that Africans across Africa and the world would be proud of and look forward to welcoming the employees, customers and other stakeholders of BancABC Bostawana to Access Bank.”

In the string of expansion across the African continent – including Cameroon (operating license), Kenya (Transnational Bank), Zambia (Cavmont Bank), among others, the bank has said it intends to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) to expand its footprint to 20 countries across the continent.

According to Wigwe, across Africa, there is an opportunity for the bank to expand to high-potential markets, leveraging the benefits of AfCFTA. He said AfCFTA, among other benefits, would expand intra-Africa trade and provide real opportunities for Africa.

Wigwe said the bank would use its office in London to expand representative offices in India, Lebanon and China.

He stated that the plan is for the bank to establish its presence in 22 African countries so as to diversify its earnings and take advantage of growth opportunities in Africa.

According to him, Africa has enormous potential and there are opportunities for an African bank that is well run, that understands compliance and has the capacity to support trade and the right technology infrastructure to support payments and remittances, without taking incremental risks.

“We believe that we are best positioned to basically do all of that. Our focus is to become an aggregator in Africa and we are building a global payment gateway and providing trade finance support and correspondent banking across the continent. We are focusing on the key markets.

“The approach would always be that in the country we wish to go to, that we have the right skills. We would not just be a drop in the country in which we are present, we would make sure that we have an impactful presence in each of the major countries in which we are present.

“In doing this, we are also mindful of the country we are going to so as to make sure that it is of benefit to the bank. As we do this, we are working with our friends and partners.

“We are diversifying our earnings away from volatile markets as well and we are orchestrating our operations from the global payments gateway and ensuring that using Access Bank UK, providing corresponding services from digital platforms, the overall profitability of our franchise,” he explained.

Commenting further, on AfCFTA, he said the bank would use its digital framework to benefit from the deal.

“Coming to Nigeria, we think we need to continue to entrench ourselves in the local market because there is still so much work to be done.

“So, we are doing everything possible to satisfy our customers and also to ensure that our channels are adequately secured. We are also ensuring that our staff are very efficient,” the CEO said.

In view of the opportunities that exist in the market, Access Bank recently disclosed plan to transit to a holding company (HoldCo) structure. The bank has received the Approval-In-Principle from the Central Bank of Nigeria for the restructuring and the HoldCo will consist of four subsidiaries in order to tap into the market opportunities that are available in the consumer lending market, electronic payments industry and retail insurance market.

Access Bank Group will consist of Nigeria, Africa and international subsidiaries, while the payments subsidiary will leverage the strong suite of the bank’s assets, Wigwe said.

“Going into the fourth year of our 5-year cyclical strategy, our focus remains on consolidating our retail momentum and expanding our African footprint in a sustainable manner,” Wigwe said.

Also, in terms of its financial performance, despite the challenging operating environment, Access Bank delivered strong results in the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2021 with the gross earnings printing at N222.1 billion was recorded, up by six per cent above the figures posted in the corresponding period of 2020. PBT rose by 30 per cent to N60.1 billion, from N46.2 billion, while Profit After Tax (PAT) grew by 28 per cent to N52.6 billion compared with N40.9 billion in 2020 on the back of a 13 per cent growth in operating Income and a 16 per cent reduction in interest expense.

According to Wigwe, the performance showed the strong capacity of their business to generate sustainable earnings on the strength of their balance sheet, diverse revenue streams and their dedicated people.

“As a result of effective implementation of our cost reduction strategy, operating expenses remained flat, despite the inflationary environment and increased regulatory cost.

Our retail banking business also showed steady growth with a 112 per cent increase in revenue to N57.5 billion and a 941,631 new customer sign-on via our financial inclusion drive during the quarter. This improvement is evidenced by the consistent and robust savings account growth to N1.3 trillion , leading to a significant reduction in our cost of funds,” he said.

He said the increased adoption of digital channels and the growing customer base, the bank recorded a 29 per cent growth in USSD transaction value and 40 per cent increase in mobile and internet banking transaction value.

“In line with our risk appetite and efficient risk management, our asset quality continued to improve as guided with NPL Ratio of4.0 per cent (Dec. 2020 4.3 per cent), as we intensified our recovery efforts.

“Likewise, we expanded our loan portfolio cautiously as reflected by the marginal growth in our net loans and advances to N3.65 trillion year-to-date (Dec 2020: N3.61trillion).

“Furthermore, we maintained robust capital and liquidity positions, well above regulatory levels with a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 22.2 per cent and a liquidity ratio of 48.3 per cent, positioning us to support our customers across various markets and adequately execute our expansion strategy.”

Therefore, it is expected that the bank’s aggressive expansion drive will see it contribute positively in rebuilding economies in Africa that have been ravaged by the pandemic through its support to micro, small and medium scale enterprises, corporates as well as households.

26

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

INTERVIEW Suleiman Abubakar

In Nigeria, We’ve not Agreed on What Our Core National Interest is

The Director-General, National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Suleiman Abubakar tells Udora Orizu why a national consensus is needed to address worsening insecurity in the country, among other issues

S

o many discussions have been held on the lingering insecurity in the country, with billions allocated for the fight against insurgency and other security challenges.

However, no visible result has been seen.

What exactly do you think government should do at this point?

Security issues are everybody’s business. Insecurity doesn’t know parties, religion, and ethnicity. The killers, the insurgents, the bandits, kidnappers, kill Muslims, Christians, Northerners, Southerners, old and young. In their devilish acts, they care less about religion or colour or tribe. That we must establish first. In their own devilish acts, religion is not a factor or who they should kill, rape or kidnap. Why must Nigerians, the political class allow these secondary factors to shape our perception of addressing insecurity? Our major problem therefore is that while the insurgents and bandits opinions are not shaped by religion or all these sentiments, in our own response to fighting them, we allow religion, ethnicity, nepotism to shape the direction and that’s why we are in this mess today. In our response to insecurity I have observed that we have not been able to build what I call National Consensus.

You see in advanced democracies, they have their own challenges too but when it comes to protection of lives and properties, they are united. That’s why in America today, whether Democrats or Republicans, they have just one position when it comes to the issue of Israel and Palestinian.

Their approach may differ but their attitude to Palestinian, whether they should be given homeland, recognised or not is just one, whether Republican or Democrat. This is because it has to do with national interest. But in our own case, we have allowed subjective perception or definition of national interest, rather than an objective one. Survival of this country through protection of lives and property is a core national interest that no government should compromise. But our political class, with due respect, clergies, Mallams, traditional rulers, Nigerians, have not really agreed on what our core national interest is. If we agree on our core national values, then we shouldn’t be divided. The issue of ethnic profiling of insurgents should not come up; we should be united on the approach to bandits, up till now we have not agreed on the approach.

When some are talking about state police, others are saying no and so on. We have not really agreed. Today, you see this Governor here, the next day you will see him there, we have not agreed on common consensus. We must build consensus to address insecurity. We have what we call the passive members of terrorism, we have the active, and we have the sympathisers. One of the stimulating factors that aid terrorism activities, and gingers them, is that they know that at every point they are operating there’s a sympathiser somewhere that identifies with their course and that gives them that courage. So, when terrorists are operating, they know that there are people somewhere saying let them continue what they are doing.

As long as they know that there are sympathisers, either in the name of religion or ethnicity that tend to align with them, it will give them that guts to continue their devilish acts. So, until we as Nigerians build that consensus on insecurity we cannot get out of this mess.

Last week, the majority and minority caucuses of the National Assembly bickered over the latter’s call for Buhari’s impeachment due to his failure to curb the worsening insecurity. What do you have to say about this?

That’s politics, but before now the two parties have been doing well in the National Assembly, working together.

I just appeal to them to sustain that harmony. In fairness to APC parliamentarians, on issue of insecurity they have not been compromising, they’ve not been mincing words; they have not been stingy with words, in fairness to them. They’ve been frank and bold with Mr President, aired their opinion, they’ve not allowed partisanship to shape their views on that and that needs to be respected.

To me, the National Assembly has done very well on the issue of insecurity, they have been resolute, their stance in condemning insecurity is not negotiable and I appeal to them to just sustain it. Both parties should sustain it, they should not allow party politics to permeate into their perceptions of what is evil. They should continue as they have been doing, they should remain resolute, condemn it, and make sure the Executive takes the right decisions to

You will be two years in office as NILDS Director General, by the end of this month. What has the institute achieved under your leadership?

The institute is a capacity building institute for the National Assembly. It was put in place to provide knowledge, capacity for parliamentarians, parliamentary staff or other critical stakeholders before my assumption of office and they are living up to that mandate. Most of the credit goes to my predecessors and the staff. I’m not going to be just two years in office, by the end of the month, the institute itself will be 10 years in office as an institute. So, we’re looking at two years of my accomplishment and 10 years of the accomplishment of the institute.

When I came on board, I tried to sustain the legacy of my predecessors; I tried to improve on their achievements. Ensuring that the programmes put in place like training, capacity, providing technical assistance to the National Assembly in the areas of Bills drafting, scrutiny, policy scrutiny, and so on, I tried to sustain all those. But again I met on ground an institute that had in place staff that were not in good mood with the management. The issue of staff welfare was a big issue when I came on board, I met catalogue of staff on contract without confirmation, no promotion for staff, I met a lot of disgruntled staff who believed that they were not well-positioned.

So, I tried to address staff welfare because staff is key to productivity. I set up a committee to look into the grievances of those staff that had issue with their promotion and they were adequately promoted. Staff that were not trained were sent on international training. Almost 70 per cent of my staff, especially research fellows, was sent on international training within six months of my stewardship. Today, the legitimacy I get as DG was on account of the welfare and how endearing staff are to me. Another thing Abubakar is how have we been able to improve on the capacity of parliamentarians? Before I came on board, the institute focused get these devilish characters out of Nigerian soil. majorly on the National Assembly lawmakers, but I believe, with all sense of responsibility, that the institute is not just With the gale of defections, will Nigeria ever have a for National Assembly parliamentarians or staff alone. To stable political system as seen in advanced countries? deepen democracy, we have to go to the grass roots, we have Defections don’t mean we are not stable. Politics is to nurture democracy right from the base, and as such what about interest, most people are defecting on account of local politics, I don’t blame them, because everyone wants are we doing for parliamentarians at the state level? How to win elections. We have not reached where UK and USA are we handling their capacity? You can’t just focus on the are in terms of maturity, ideology-based politics, but again National Assembly; as a matter of fact people that come to the National Assembly are from the states. we are evolving, one day we will get there. Defection or So, one initiative I came up with is for our activities to get no, defection to me does not suggest that the country is down to sub-national level. So in 2019, the first thing I did not politically stable. was to call a round table of all speakers in Lagos. Out of 36 speakers, 33 were in attendance to discuss some fundamenThe constitution provides immunity for certain tal issues that have to do with Nigerian parliament, issue of elected officials of government which protects them financial autonomy, some rudiments of legislature and so from civil and criminal proceedings while they on. After that, we have had series of trainings for almost all remain in office. Allegations of corrupt practices state parliamentarians. These are some of the achievements; against some of these office holders have generated we’ve done so much more. People have felt our impact and the debate on whether immunity clause should be they now know we exist. retained or removed from the Constitution. Do you think it should be retained or removed?

There is newly inaugurated committee on the NILD’S For now, I believe that clause should be retained in the lecture series, to be chaired by Prof Attahiru Jega, can constitution to avoid abuse. We have a system whereby you give insight into what informed the initiative and the President at the center is so powerful that he can do expected outcomes? and undo. By the time you remove immunity clause One of our mandates as an institute is to create platform for governors, going by the experience we had under for engagement with the stakeholder, the Nigerian public, Obasanjo, you wouldn’t know what the center could do. critical stakeholders. We are talking about capacity buildA system where the center to a large extent controlled the ing; it must not start and stop within the chambers of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, the only protection governors have is that immunity clause. So if they remove National Assembly. As an institution, I said let us come up with a lecture series that will establish a nexus between the it today and they say we have one case against you, go to Executive and the Legislature. That will serve as a bridge court and they give order to the judge, anything can hapbetween the legislature and the Nigerian public. pen. For the sake of sub-national government, it should And the only reasonable way of getting that done is to be retained. Constitution amendment is a continuous create a platform whereby parliamentarians, either on exercise, as we advance and develop politically perhaps monthly or quarterly basis, will engage the Nigerian people we will get to a stage we can now say yes it’s time for us on issues that they need to know. And that’s why I created to remove it. But for now, for political stability I think it this lecture series called the distinguished parliamentarians should be retained. lecture series.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

Kelechi Nwakali Race Against Time?

15.05.2021

NEWS

GOING FOR BROKE PAGE. 29

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Kelechi Nwakali Race Against Time?

Kelechi Nwakali outpaces an opponent

After his exploits at the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile where he was voted as the tournament’s best player, culminating in his move to Premier League giants- Arsenal, many believe the Super Eagles had been guaranteed an emerging talent which was not to be as Kelechi Nwakali’s senior national team dream is still a mirage and frustration seems to be settling in for the former junior international. It emerged recently from his brother and agent, Allwell that the midfielder may switch nationality, though the former Porto player has denied it.

However, it only goes to show how much Nwakali’s alleged frustration has grown concerning his continued blank-out of the national team

T

hat Kelechi Nwakali is frustrated as Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr, is yet to look at his direction is not expected, most especially when he watches his name sake, Kelechi Iheanacho, whom he captained at the U-17 level starring for the same senior national team that he’s craving for an invitation even at the senior World Cup. Little wonder his agent and brother, Allwell has said he would be changing nationality.

Allwell, the elder brother of Nigerian attacking midfielder, Kelechi Nwakali, has claimed that other nations have approached the player over a possible switch of international allegiance.

Nwakali famously led Nigeria’s U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, to their agegroup World Cup title in 2015 and won the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player.

Despite his success at the junior levels, the 22-year-old has played only once for the senior national team, scoring in a ‘B Team’ friendly against Atletico Madrid in Uyo in 2018.

Nwakali has been on the books of

Premier League giants Arsenal, as well as MVV Maastricht, VVV Venlo, Porto and is currently on loan at Spanish side Alcoron from Huesca. The Nigerian has registered four goals in 15 league appearances in the Spanish second tier this season.

Allwell explained that his brother has Nigeria in his heart, but will consider all offers put to him by other nations.

“Some agents of foreign countries have approached Kelechi for a switch of allegiance so he would play for their national teams,” the elder Nwakali is quoted by Vanguard.

“Well, I cannot confirm if he has given it a consideration because I know his wish to play for the Super Eagles. He is still studying the proposals and has yet to take a decision.

“For a player who wrote the name of Nigeria in global football by winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015 as captain of the team, Nigeria is in his heart.”

Meanwhile, Kelechi has released a statement on reports that he plans to switch international allegiances away from Nigeria.

Nwakali has always represented Nigeria in his international youth career so far.

Yet the midfielder hasn’t made his senior debut, meaning he’s technically still eligible for a switch. The player’s older brother Allwell reportedly told the media that foreign country agents had approached Kelechi and the player was still “studying the proposals”.

But the former Arsenal man has quickly spoken out to deny this. Writing on his Twitter he said: “Contrary to reports circulating in the media, I remain committed to serving my country.

“It is always an honour to wear the green of Nigeria and it is my dream to continue to do so. I categorically deny these reports and will continue to work hard until I am called upon.

“I am hugely proud to have represented Nigeria at various levels and am grateful to have had these opportunities in my career thus far.

“I have never considered playing for another nation and continuing to play for Nigeria at international level remains my priority and my dream.”

Nwakali is currently contracted to La Liga side SD Huesca, but he went on loan to AD Alcorcon in the Spanish second division in January – in search of regular games.

The 22-year-old has made himself a starter for Alcorcon, featuring in the starting lineup in every single one of their games since he joined in February. He’s also been in good goalscoring form lately, scoring four times in his last seven games.

Arguably, it’s the most successful period of Nwakali’s career since his time on loan from Arsenal with MVV Maastricht between 2016 and 2018.

He didn’t play enough with Porto for various reasons, and it’s been a similar story with Huesca so far.

But the Alcorcon loan is providing hope that Nwakali can go back to Huesca and impress next season. It looks like he’ll be hoping for a senior call-up from Nigeria if and when that happens.

The midfielder burst into the limelight in the 2015 U-17 World Cup where helped he Nigeria win the title, scooping the Golden Ball award of the tournament in the process.

Besides representing Nigeria at the U-17 level, he has also played for the U-20 side and currently has one cap for the Super Eagles.

Nwakali will hope to play more prominently for his club in order to boost his chances with the three-time African champions.

The once-capped Nigerian international never played a senior game for the Gunners, but tasted some first-team action during loan spells away from the club.

In his short career, Nwakali spent time with MVV Maastricht (twice), VVV Venlo and FC Porto B. He has racked up a total of 80 career appearances so far.

But his future at Arsenal looks bleak.

Born on June 5, 1998, Nwakali started his career at the Diamond Football Academy and after his performances at 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, in which he won the Golden Ball Award, he signed with English Premier League side, Arsenal.

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Ndidi, Iheanacho Eye FA Cup as Chelsea, Leicester Clash Leicester City will be craving for a fourth English FA Cup win after the Foxes last won it in 1956 as they take on Chelsea today at the Wembley Stadium in England. Interestingly, Nigeria’s interest will be highly represented in today’s clash as the Super Eagles duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho would be hoping to become the eighth Nigerian players to win the prestigious tournament

Premiership Table Man City Man Utd Leicester Chelsea Liverpool West Ham Tottenham Everton Arsenal Leeds Aston Villa Wolves Crystal Palace Southampton Burnley Newcastle Brighton Fulham West Brom Sheff Utd

36 36 36 36 35 35 35 35 36 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 35 35 35 35

47 28 21 22 20 10 20 4 12 0 8 -12 -22 -18 -14 -19 -5 -22 -36 -44

83 70 66 64 60 58 56 56 55 50 49 45 41 40 39 39 37 27 26 17

PREMIER LEAGUE TODAY

Burnley v Leeds Utd 12: 30 Southampton v Fulham 15: 00 Brighton v West Ham 20:00 SUNDAY

Crystal Palace Tottenham West Brom Everton

v Aston Villa 12:00 v Wolves 14:05 v Liverpool 16:30 v Sheffield Utd 19:00

MONDAY

Fulham v Burnley 20:00

La Liga TODAY

Alavés Bilbao Atlético Barcelona Cádiz Getafe Real Betis Sociedad Valencia Villarreal

v Granada v Madrid v Osasuna v Celta Vigo v Elche v Levante v Huesca v Valladolid v Eibar v Sevilla

17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30

FA CUP FINAL

Chelsea v Leicester 17: 15

Hot Shot PLAYERS Today’s FA Cup final would be won and lost in the midfield where Wilfred Ndidi and N’golo Kante are expected to hold sway

T

he FA Cup will be draped in blue by the close of play today, as Leicester City and Chelsea battle it out for the chance to lift the prestigious trophy in front of 21,000 Wembley spectators.

The Foxes will be taking part in their fifth final as they search for their maiden FA Cup crown, while today’s game represents Chelsea’s 15th appearance in the showpiece event as they seek a ninth triumph.

Brendan Rodger’s men dumped Southampton out in the semi-finals to make plans for today, while Thomas Tuchel’s side ended Manchester City’s quadruple dream in the final four to book their spot in the 140th FA Cup final.

It only seemed fitting to witness the rejuvenated Kelechi Iheanacho score the goal which propelled the Foxes into their first FA Cup final since 1969, as this season’s top scorer in the tournament struck with 55 minutes on the clock to extinguish Southampton’s trophy hopes.

The meteoric rise of the Foxes over the past 10 years has led to the most unlikely of Premier League title wins, but that is the only piece of silverware that they have to show for their reincarnation so far, and there is belief that Rodgers could be the man to fill the cabinet again.

It has been a long and arduous journey for Leicester to book their spot in the FA Cup final for the first time in 52 years, with the Foxes losing 1-0 to Manchester City all the way back in 1969, and not one of their previous three final appearances before that ended in triumph.

Expected wins over Stoke City, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion preceded a pulsating 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the quarter-

finals for Leicester, who did not rest on their laurels against a declining Southampton outfit in front of a handful of fans at Wembley.

Now aiming to channel the spirits of the 1960s finalists, Leicester head into today’s showpiece event following a crucial win in the top flight, as goals from Luke Thomas and Caglar Soyuncu either side of Mason Greenwood’s equaliser saw them prevail 2-1 against a second-string Manchester United XI. The Foxes’ top-four destiny is therefore still in their own hands as they bid to return to the pinnacle of European football, but they must quickly renew hostilities with Chelsea three days after their FA Cup final battle, while a finalday meeting with Tottenham Hotspur is hardly a straightforward task.

Premier League fortunes take a backseat for now, though, as Leicester step foot onto the Wembley turf for a cup final for the first time since 2000, where two strikes from Matt Elliott saw them defeat Tranmere 2-1 in the 19992000 EFL Cup final.

Leicester’s record at the home of English football does not exactly make for positive reading, though, as they have lost 10 of their previous 15 matches at Wembley - winning four and drawing one - but they at least make the journey to the capital having prevailed in four of their last six games in all competitions.

A slice of personal history is also on the line for former Celtic boss Rodgers - a two-time Scottish Cup winner with the Bhoys - who will now hope to become just the second-ever manager to win both the English and Scottish FA Cups, following in the footsteps of none other than Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

Standing in Leicester’s way are Thomas Tuchel’s dogged and determined Chelsea outfit, who have been

transformed under the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss as they continue to fight for success on domestic and continental fronts.

The Blues are also going head-tohead with Leicester for a spot in the top four as the Premier League season heads for its final straight, but having come so close yet so far under Frank Lampard in last year’s FA Cup, Tuchel needs no added incentive to get the job done this week.

In doing so, the German boss would follow a similar path to that of Mikel Arteta - who took over at Arsenal halfway through the season and led them to FA Cup glory last year - and it was the Gunners boss who got the better of Tuchel in Wednesday’s London derby.

In a turn of events that Arsenal fans have become accustomed to seeing from their own team, Jorginho was forced into making a mistake and so nearly turned the ball into his own n e t h a d i t n o t b e e n f o r t h e h e ro i c s o f K e p a A r r i z a b a l a g a , b u t P i e r re Emerick Aubamayang was on hand to set up Emile Smith Rowe for the game’s only goal in the 16th minute.

C h e l s e a h u ff e d a n d p u ff e d b u t just could not find a way past a n i n s p i re d A r s e n a l d e f e n c e a t S t a m f o rd B r i d g e - w h e re t h e y h a d o n l y p re v i o u s l y c o n c e d e d t o We s t B ro m w i c h A l b i o n i n t h e P re m i e r L e a g u e u n d e r Tu c h e l - and a momentum-killing defeat is not what Chelsea needed before their 15th FA Cup final.

Lampard oversaw routine wins over Morecambe and Luton Town before being relieved of his duties, while Tuchel has witnessed his side dump Barnsley, Sheffield United and the former quadruple-chasers Manchester City out of the tournament, with Hakim

Harry Kane Mohamed Salah Bruno Fernandes Son Heung-min Calvert-Lewin Patrick Bamford Alexandre Lacazette Jamie Vardy Ollie Watkins Ilkay Gundogan Chris Wood Callum Wilson Danny Ings Marcus Rashford Kelechi Iheanacho

CLUB

GOALS

Tottenham 21 Liverpool 21 Man Utd 18 Tottenham 17 Everton 16 Leeds United 15 Arsenal 13 Leicester 13 Aston Villa 13 Man City 12 Burnley 12 Newcastle 12 Southampton 12 Man Utd 11 Leicester 11

Ziyech netting the only goal of the game against the latter.

While the trigger-happy Chelsea board are renowned for chopping and changing the Blues’ managers, one thing has been consistent with all of them - their penchant for cup finals.

Indeed, Chelsea have now reached the showpiece event of a competition for the fifth year running, and there is the small matter of a Champions League final to come later this month.

Chelsea were the masters of their own downfall aga i n s t A r s e n a l , b u t t h e y a re y e t t o c o n c e d e u n d e r Tu c h e l i n t h i s y e a r ’ s FA C u p a n d h a d s t ru n g a s e v e n - g a m e u n b e a t e n ru n t o g e t h e r b e f o re We d n e s d a y ’ s defeat, while their ridiculous s q u a d d e p t h m e a n s t h a t Tu c h e l has plenty of options for change ahead of the final.

Not since Newcastle United in 1998 and 1999 has a team lost b a c k - t o - b a c k FA C u p f i n a l s , a n d while Chelsea may have their e y e s o n t he ultimate prize in the form of the Champions League, lifting the prestigious FA Cup with fans present is enough motivation for any team to end the strangest of seasons with a flourish.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ, 2021

GLOBAL SOCCER

Super Eagles in training

Ndidi and Iheanacho eye FA Cup glory with Leicester

Musa, Ekong, 29 Others in Super Eagles Provisional Squad for Cameroon Friendly Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has drawn up a provisional squad list of 31 players for Nigeria’s prestige international friendly game against five-time African champions Cameroon in Austria on June 4. The game will take place at the Wiener Neustadt in the Austrian capital, Vienna starting from 8.30pm Austria time.

Headlining the list unveiled yesterday is Captain Ahmed Musa, with deputy captain William Ekong, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defenders KennethOmeruoandChidozie Awaziem, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo and forwards Victor Osimhen,

Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze also called.

Portugal-based Abraham Marcus is called for the first time and Enyimba FC’s energetic forward Anayo Iwuala, whose tenacity and drive has helped the People’s Elephant to the quarter finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, has opportunity to fight for a place and continue on his international footprints, following cameo appearances against Benin Republic and Lesotho in AFCON qualifiers in March.

The provisional list of 31 will be whittled down to 23 before

the Super Eagles fly to Vienna for the clash with perennial rivals, Indomitable Lions.

Cameroon wrestled down the Eagles for three of their five AFCON titles (1984, 1988, 2000) but have not beaten Nigeria in regulation time since a 1-0 triumph in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Stade Omnisports in Yaounde on 27th August 1989.

The Eagles lashed the Lions 4-0 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Uyo in September 2017 and were forced to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Yaounde, setting the stage for Nigeria’s qualification for the finals in Russia.

Venue of Joshua, Fury’s Fight’ll Shock the World, Says Promoter Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have finalised the date for their undisputed heavyweight championship clash and will meet in a specially-created stadium, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua and Fury’s fight will be onAugust 14 in SaudiArabia and was described by Hearn as “a done deal” although it is yet to be officially confirmed by both sides.

But Joshua’s promoter insists the focus is now on building a brand-new venue to stage this historic fight.

“They want to build a new stadium,”HearntoldSkySports about the hosts in SaudiArabia.

“They have indoors options.

“In August at 11pm it will be about 23 degrees.

“They want to create something very, very special. Last time they built a stadium for the Andy Ruiz Jr fight in just seven weeks and it held 18,000.

“This will be a similar set-up.

“They have the opportunity to hold it indoors but they want to create something that will shock the world. They want to build a stadium just for this

fight.”

The conclusion of the OlympicsonAugust7meansJoshua’s trainer Rob McCracken, who also coaches Team GB’s boxing team, will avoid a conflict of interests.

The religious celebration of Eid in Saudi Arabia is the only reason that Fury’s team have not yet received full financial documents from the hosts, says Hearn.

Joshua’s IBF, WBAand WBO belts and Fury’s WBC title will all be at stake to decide the division’s No 1.

Gen. Adebayo Junior Tennis Masters Serves off May 19 No fewer than 48 players will feature at the 1st General AdeyinkaAdebayoSouth-West Junior Tennis Masters scheduled to hold in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.

The tournament meant for U-14 and U-16 players will involve all the six South-West States namely Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and host, Ekiti, and it will serve-off from May 19th-22nd, 2021 at Ekiti State Tennis Centre, Trade Fair Complex, Ado Ekiti.

Thetournamenttagged‘Gen. AdeyinkaAdebayo Junior Ten-

nis Masters’ is being bankrolled

by Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Minister of Trade and Investment, while the organiser is the Ekiti State Tennis Association.

In a chat with sports writers in Ado Ekiti, Chairman, Ekiti State Tennis Association, Yemi Owoseni remarked that all was set for the tennis event, adding that provided the new COVID-19 directive does not obstruct the tournament.

Furthermore, Owoseni, the Vice-President, Confederation of Africa Tennis (CAT) Zone Two hinted that each state

would feature eight players, comprising of four boys and four girls respectively, adding that accommodation and feeding would be provided for all the players throughout the tournament.

He said: “We are featuring 48 players in the tournament, each state will present eight players, four boys and four girls for the two categories. Their accommodation and feeding will be taken care throughout the tournament days. The arrival day is on Tuesday, May 18, 2021,” he said.

Obaseki, Ojomo Shine at Captain’s Inaugural Amateur Open Golf Tourney Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Esosa Ojomo were given standing ovation in different levels at the Benin Club Golf Section (BCGS) 2021 Captain’s Inaugural Amateur Open Golf Tournament held over the weekend in Edo State The tournament organised by the BCGS Captain, Mayer

Ologbosere was part of the yearly golf event hosted by the new captain to launch himself into the realm of leadership position as the number one golfer in the section.

The tournament which teed-off with over 150 golfers across Nigeria lived up to the expectation of the participants

who graciously played the game of their lives in order to emerge victorious.

Played at the BCGS golf course, GRA, Benin City, Ojomo was adjudged the overall best winner with a resounding net score of 72 having played total of 82 gross, thus won the trophy and other prizes.

Chelsea Battle Leicester in Crunchy FA Cup on GOtv Jolli, Max Today

A

n English FA Cup could not come bigger than a fixture involving two top-four Premier League contenders - Leicester City against Chelsea at the iconic Wembley Stadium, England, and this is what SuperSport through GOtv Jolli and GOtv Max will be delighting its subscribers with at no extra cost today.

Both sides have proven to be great sides in the course of the season and would be showcasing the talents at their disposal.

While Leicester City defeated both Manchester clubs-City and United away from home at ensuring a top-four finish in the Premier League, Chelsea on their path ended Pep Guardiola’s City quadruple dream, stopping them in the semifinals of the FA Cup and also delayed the Etihad’s Premier League title party after beating the Citizens 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday.

The Blues did not have a good start to the season but have shown great level of consistency since Thomas Tuchel took over the helms at Stanford Bridge after former Blues’ cult hero, Frank Lampard was relieved of his job.

Leicester Manager, Brendan Rodgers on his part has improved the Foxes since his arrival at the King Power Stadium, that is why the match may be won and lost on the bench.

While Chelsea fans would be counting on the back to form of their French midfield jewel, N’Golo Kante, fans of the Foxes can count on perhaps the most improved player in the Premier League this season and club’s top scorer in all competitions - Kelechi Iheanacho to get the goals that would ensure victory.

The main battle will however be fought in the middle of the park where Kante would be slugging it out with Wilfred Ndidi and it is expected to be an interesting battle especially when one considered the fact the Nigerian replaced the Frenchman when he dumped Leicester for Chelsea and Ndidi have proven to be more than an able replacement.

The Nigeria international has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League since he moved to England from Genk over four years ago.

Ndidi joined Leicester City five months after Kante left the King Power Stadium for Chelsea in July 2016 with both players renowned for their ball-winning skills and work rates, but said he does not enjoy the comparison with the French man.

“Yes, the comparison used to irritate me but it’s football and I completely understand the fans because they love to find something to talk about,” Ndidi said.

“I focus on myself, I am always critical of myself, I do my best to improve as a footballer game by game and give my best for my club.

“The comparison with others, about who is better or if Kante and I play alike, is irrelevant to me. I think all that comparison was for those who love to talk and I didn’t focus on it.”

Meanwhile, Leicester will be hoping to have Jonny Evans available against Chelsea after the defender suffered from a heel injury that caused him to pull out of the shock 4-2 defeat at home against Newcastle United and was then in the stands against former club Manchester United on Tuesday night.

Whilst a 2-1 win at Old Trafford was a boost against Chelsea, Rodgers confirmed that Evans was still in pain ahead of the Wembley showdown.

“We’re just going to assess it over the next few days. he’s very determined to be out there at the weekend for us, so we just have to assess that over the next two or three days.”

Rodgers said. Interestingly, Chelsea lost 1-0 to London rivals, Arsenal on Wednesday, but the Blues fans are optimistic it would not have any effect on today’s encounter.

The game is evenly poised and could go either way.

GOtv Jolli and GOtv Max is however bringing the Wembley showdown to subscribers at no extra cost. The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester will air live on today, on SuperSport Football (GOtv Channel 31) from 5:15pm. Customers can upgrade to the GOtv Jolli package for N2,460 or get the full football experience on GOtv Max at N3,600 Visit www.gotvafrica.com or download the MyGOtv app which is available to iOS and Android users to subscribe or upgrade your GOtv package for the full 2020/11 football season experience.

Pinnick Endorses FCAAN’s ‘Train the Trainers’ Course in Akure

President of the Nigeria Football Federation and FIFA Council Member, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has commended the leadership of Football Coaches Association of African Nations (FCAAN) for its vision, commitment and investment in training coaches, as the body prepares for another landmark ‘train the trainers’ programme in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Sunday.

“The NFF is particularly impressed with your drive and the passion with which you have been executing the coaching programmes over the years. We need more inspired facilitators

like you to help the lot of our coaches, and lift them notches higher than they are at the moment.

“Personally, I am always excited at ‘train the trainers’ programmes. It is capacity enhancement that every professional, in and outside football, needs to be as good as they can be. Proficiency comes with passion for what you do, experience and quality training.

Your organisation is doing great work and must be praised,” Pinnick told Dr. Babatunde Terry Eguaoje, president of FCAAN in Lagos yesterday.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ, 2021

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Emmanuel Dennis

What Next for Emmanuel Dennis?

After falling out of favour with the top hierarchy at Club Brugge, succor arrived from Germany, with Bundesliga strugglers FC Cologne needing a striker to help them out of relegation. But with two rounds of matches left to play in the German Bundesliga,The Billy Goats have decided that Emmanuel Dennis would no longer be part of their plans, while the Blue-Black have stated the Nigerian is no longer in their future plans

W

ith two rounds of matches left to play in the German Bundesliga, FC Cologne have decided that Emmanuel Dennis would no longer be part of their plans as the club try to avoid relegation to the lower tier.

Dennis has not been called up to the club’s quarantine training camp, which opened on Wednesday evening.

According to the Geiss Blog, Cologne will stay in isolation at the Schlosshotel in Bensberg until their last home game of the season against FC Schalke 04 but without one of their Nigerian imports.

Youngster Tolu Arokodare made the team despite not scoring a league goal since joining the Billy Goats on loan last season.

But it is Dennis, who was loaned from Club Brugge for 1.2 million euros in January, who has been the bigger flop.

The 23-year-old Nigerian winger-cumstriker left Belgium after falling out with Brugge manager Philippe Clement, but he has failed to convince in Germany.

Dennis had a promising start to life in the Bundesliga, featuring prominently in the club’s wins against Arminia Bielefeld (3-1) and Borussia Mönchengladbach (1-2).

But he could only manage one assist after his first seven league matches, and the problems began.

And after a silly mistake that saw him lose possession after attempting a dribble in the closing stages with Cologne trailing 2-1 at Union Berlin in mid-March, the Nigerian forward was left out of the squad

that faced Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05.

Dennis was restored to the starting lineup by new boss Friedhelm Funkel in mid-April, but Cologne still fell 3-0 to Bayer Leverkusen.

And the manager may not have been impressed with Dennis as the Super Eagle did not get off the bench in the subsequent victories over RB Leipzig (2-1) and FC Augsburg (2-3).

Last Sunday, for the vital game against SC Freiburg, Dennis did not even make the matchday squad.

But it appears Dennis’ time in Cologne is now done with the Nigerian not joining the team in preparing for the final two Bundesliga games of the campaign.

Cologne sit second from the bottom and need to claim the remaining six points to stand any chance of avoiding the drop.

He was once the golden boy of the Jan Breydel Stadium, but this season has however been tough for him. Goals had been hard to come by for Emmanuel Dennis as he failed to find the net in nine league starts. With a move to German Bundesliga side, Cologne, the story remains the same.

The Super Eagles winger will link up with his compatriots Kingsley Ehizibue and Tolu Arokodare at the RheinEnergieStadion.

The forward has only made 13 appearances across all competitions for Club Brugge this season, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

Dennis was punished in November when he was axed from their Champions

League game against Borussia Dortmund for misconduct.

The forward left the team bus in anger after he was denied his preferred seating position and Dennis admitted the first half of the season has been difficult for him.

Upon the conclusion of the deal, Cologne managing director Horst Heldt highlighted some of the qualities of the Nigeria international that made the club recruit him.

“Emmanuel is a quick player, who can play through the middle as a striker as well as on the wings. His finishing ability last season saw him gain the interest of many top clubs,” Heldt said.

Dennis has been with Club Brugge since the summer of 2017 when he teamed up with the side from Zorya Luhansk.

The forward made more than 90 appearances across all competitions for Club Brugge and delivered eye-catching performances in domestic competitions and the Champions League.

In the 2017-18 season, he featured prominently as the Black and Blue won the First Division A title and also helped the club finished as runner-up in the 2018-19 campaign.

Dennis has explained why he had to leave Belgian Pro League champions Club Brugge.

The Yola-born player had left the team bus in anger after he was denied his preferred seating position and he has since reflected on the last six months.

“The last six months were not easy for

me,” Dennis told Cologne official website then.

Meanwhile, Brugge may have finally shut the door against Dennis returning after his loan spell in Germany, just as several reports suggest Serie A side Atalanta have renewed interest to sign the forward.

Club Brugge coach Philippe Clement has ruled out Dennis from returning to the club after his many troubles there.

Reports however said that despite failing to impress on loan at Bundesliga outfit FC Cologne, Italian club Atalanta are still interested in signing the Nigeria ace.

At a time last season, Atalanta were front runners to even sign the player.

The question now is how much will Club Brugge accept as transfer fee after they had initially hoped for as much as 25 million Euros for the former FC Zorya star.

Interestingly, German football journalist Daniel Pinder shared his thoughts on the possibility of Leeds United signing Dennis during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Pinder had this to say about the possibility of Dennis moving to the Yorkshire club, who he has been linked with in the past.

He said: “He definitely offers something different to Leeds striker, Patrick Bamford as he plays on the shoulder of defenders, and if the defence is playing a high line, then he’ll happily make runs in behind them.

“Bielsa likes his strikers to press from the front and Dennis does this well and he’s shown some good finishes during his time with Club Brugge, so I think Leeds could be a decent fit for him.”

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR

THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ˜˜ ͰͮͰͯ

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ, 2021

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

AUTO WORLD

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

TIPS OF THE WEEK

Top 20 Defensive Driving Tips to Keep You Safe Getting behind the wheel of your car may seem like a commonplace event, but it is likely to be the most dangerous thing you will do all day long. In the U.S., car accidents are the Àfth leading cause of death. Your odds may be even higher depending on where you live and what you drive, so make sure you’re covered with an aͿordable car insurance policy.

Although you can’t control the actions of other motorists, you have a great deal of control over how you operate your vehicle. That means you can increase your chances for a safe trip by following a few simple precautions. Here are twenty helpful tips to keep you driving happy.

2021 Changan Hunter

2021 Changan Hunter with French DNA, Mini Bus Debut in Nigeria

A

ll-new Changan Hunter pick-up jointly built by Changan Auto and Groupe PSA,the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, has debuted in Nigeria.

Also launched are two trims of eye-catching Changan Mini buses targeted at meeting the needs of commercial transporters as well small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) and logistic concerns.

A Chinese truck with strong European DNA, the Hunter midsize pickup and its mini bus siblings premiered in Lagos on Saturday in the presence of newsmen from the leading Nigerian mainstream and online media.

Speaking at the launch, Stallion Motors’ Head of Sale and Marketing, Vijay Singh, said the launch was aimed at serving the Nigerian business community and Government Sectors with vehicles that combine quality , ruggedness with affordability.

Mini Buses He explained: “Available for sale in Nigeria are two trims of Mini buses, namely Star 9 and star 5, each named according to seating capacity.

“Positioned as a leader for both business passengers and urban logistics, the star 5 and Star 9 mini buses are new generation of highly efficient commercial vehicles, powered by C10 1000cc engine tuned up to withstand daily rigours of commercial

transportation.

“Both mini bus versions come with Electric power steering, power windows and Central locking system.”

Whereas the new Hunter, which Singh described as a truck ready to charm the nation’s love of quality trucks with make-ups traditionally associated with saloons and SUVs, displays uncommon characteristics, especially stunning design, intelligent safety features and ruggedness, making it the right truck for Nigerian roads.

“Engineered to scale through the PSA-CHANGAN “CA-TVS” dual system verification,” he stated, “the 2021 Hunter did not only meet the strictest European standard, its total galvanized process guarantees ten years anti-corrosion.

“Meanwhile, the Hunter comes with an exciting feature known as forest air purification system, which means, no matter how harsh the road environment outside the van, Hunter will maintain fresh air, thereby providing drivers and passengers with a comfortable and healthy experience.”

In pickup segment compare to the competition Changan Hunter reveals with 2.4 Litter Turbo Patrol Engine with Manual and Automatic Transmission equipped with high end features like Led lamps, premium leather seats, Reverse camera, Cruise Control, push button Start, rear AC vent, 10“ display with touch screen, Bedliner with 226mm ground clearance.

“Being of Chinese-European parenthood,” Singh stated further, “Changan Hunter was designed

and engineered with strict adherence to European standard and EuroNCAP (European Car Assessment Programme) specifications in terms of safety, power, performance, comfort and equipment.

“Boasting of the highest safety technology, Hunter’s outstanding quality and durability makes it your companion for every road.”

Hunter’s Extraordinary Design As a wide-body, large pickup jointly created through Chinese and European cooperation, Changan Hunter was incorporated with international perspectives at the beginning of its design.

Crafted with amazing features of unmatched quality, Changan Hunter pickup is 5330mm long, 1930mm wide and 1 835 mm tall.

In the process of designing the pickup, the skilled and creative Changan design team fashioned muscular interior and exterior curves to convey surging power, which explains why the truck exudes uncommon character and charm.

Available in different colours, including white, grey, silver and blue, Changan Hunter comes with a big grille, encapsulating the brand’s logo, under which there is protection for rough road environments.

Equipment and Comfort Incredibly, the hunter is heavily equipped for safety and comfort. Installed on its cargo area is a rear view camera and a rear parking sensor.

Honda Unveils 2021 Accord Model in Nigeria’s Auto Market

H

onda Motor Company has unveiled the all new, luxurious, 10th generation, in Nigeria’s auto market.

A statement by the automaker’s representative described the vehicle as its best-selling midsize sedan VTEC turbo engine which debuts Àrst-ever turbo-charged engine with series of pocket-friendly and enticingly valuable tech adds-on.

The all-new auto tech being introduced into Nigerian automobile market by Honda Motor Company through its subsidiary in Nigeria; Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited, comes with new auto features and techs, featuring advanced new powerplant – turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo, dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) and VTEC that produces a peak of 180 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm and a torque of 233Nm@1600-5000rpm.

Speaking on the massively enticing experience which the 10th generation, 2021 Honda Accord promises to oͿer would-be users, Remi Adams, Head of Sales, Marketing and Logistics, Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited, declared that Honda Accord 2021 model is “all new from the ground up and is built on a new platform with a lower, wider stance, a lighter and more rigid unibody structure hinged on a lighter and more sophisticated chassis; advanced new power unit with Accord’s Àrst-ever turbocharged engine.

“Elegant and modern exterior detailing compliments the Accord’s new, more dynamic design.

The bold and upright front fascia is highlighted

by Honda’s signature chrome wing front grille positioned above a large main air intake and Áanked by available LED headlights and LED fog lights. The chiselled hood features a distinctive and aggressive raised centre, and the deeply sculpted

body sides enhance the visual length and strength of the lower body.”

Adams, who gave an insight into the operations and oͿerings of the new brand at the unveiling 2021 Honda Accord in Lagos on April 29th, 2021 said “The direct-injected 1.5-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine has a lightweight, low-pressure die-cast aluminium alloy cylinder head with exhaust manifold cast directly into the cylinder head, eliminating the need for a separate exhaust manifold.

“A low-friction, silent-chain drives dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. The cam drive is maintenance free throughout the life of the engine.

To help further reduce weight, new thin-wall hollow

camshafts are used and to beneÀt fuel e΀ciency, emissions and power, the turbo engine utilizes sodium Àlled exhaust valves.”

While talking on additional beneÀts expected to enjoy by would-be buyers and users, the Head of Sales, Marketing and Logistics, Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited, noted that the new Accord would enjoy added beneÀts in service so as to ensure adequate and timely servicing of the superb engine to get maximum e΀ciency.

“For the Àrst time, Accord will become the Àrst Honda model in our Nigeria line-up to enjoy 6-year free service for periodic maintenance parts up till 90,000km, whichever comes Àrst.

1) Focus on the task at hand Don’t let phones, radio, air conditioning, kids in the backseat, or a heated discussion with your spouse distract you from your job as the driver.

Always pay attention to the road and your vehicle.

The NHTSA states that drivers under 20 are the most prone to distractions while driving, with 11 percent involved in fatal crashes while distracted.

2) Expect other drivers to make mistakes.

Don’t trust anyone but yourself.

3) Slow down.

The 2009 U.S. Census reported 33,808 fatalities due to speeding. The faster you travel, the longer it takes to stop, and the bigger the impact when you crash. But do travel along with the Áow of tra΀c, as long as it does not exceed recommended limits.

4) Take advantage of safety devices.

Find a car with a high safety rating and large number of air bags. Invest in the right child restraints and seat belt adjusters for your family, and don’t forget to use them. According to the CDC, “Placing children in age- and size-appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.”

5) Always, always, always buckle up.

Many car accident fatalities could be prevented each year, by simply wearing a seat belt. The National Safety Council says that seat belts reduce your risk of injury in a crash by 50 percent, and that 75,000 lives were saved by seat belts between 2004 and 2008. Those least likely to buckle up are teens, rural drivers, intoxicated drivers, and commercial truck drivers.

6) When in doubt, yield.

If you aren’t certain who has the right of way, err on the side of caution. If you know you have the right of way, but another motorist seems to disagree, give in. Better to lose a bit of time than to get caught in a collision. According the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, men have a harder time yielding the right of way, with a ratio of 1.5 to 1 for ‘failure to yield’ violations.

7) Stop on red.

The leading cause of intersection collisions is running the red light. Sometimes it’s a lack of attention to the road. Sometimes it’s glare from the setting sun.

Sometimes it’s just plain hurry. The best practice is to slow down before each intersection, and evaluate the situation. Never race the yellow light.

8) Use your blinkers.

Confusion is the enemy of safe driving. Make your lane changes and turns predictable and smooth, and always signal in advance. “Nationwide, neglected or improper turn signals cause 2 million car accidents a year,” says Richard Ponziani, who conducted a recent study for the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Failure to signal can invalidate your insurance claim after an accident, which means you will be Ànancially responsible for any damage caused.

9) Let it go.

Road rage is not just an urban myth. Since you don’t know who might be behind the wheel of that vehicle that just cut you oͿ, it’s safest to back away and overlook the oͿense. Road rage has led to murder over trivial oͿenses in all 50 states. Getting even could get you killed, not to mention the innocent drivers in your vicinity. If you suspect that another driver may be drunk, stay away, and alert the authorities as soon as it is safe to do so.

.HHS D EX;HU EHWZHHQ \RXUVHOI DQG RWKHU motorists.

Tailgating leads to rear-end collisions, and you will be the one to foot the bill for the repairs. The NHTSA estimates that 1/3 of all tra΀c accidents are caused by tailgating, and could be prevented with proper distance. Allow at least two seconds of lead time in good weather, more in bad weather.

(Source: Trusted Choice)

2021 Honda Accord

Continued on www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 15,2021

35

AUTO WORLD

Uzodinma Buys More Innoson Vehicles for Security in Imo

I

mo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has acquired another fleet of vehicles produced by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), Nnewi, a reputable Nigerian brand.

The new set of 100 vehicles procured last week will complement those the governor acquired in March last year for distribution to various security outfits, particularly for the state’s ‘Operation Search and Flush’ outfit.

The governor prefers the vehicles because they are durable, purpose-built and are comparatively affordable, as he stated during their launch.

Gov. Uzodinma had on Wednesday, May 5, at a ceremony in Owerri, presented a fleet of 100 patrol vehicles produced by the Nnewi plant to the state’s anti-crime/banditry outfit, Operation Search and Flush, with a warning “to bandits, hoodlums and trigger-happy criminals that their time is up in Imo State.”

They included some units of the well-equipped, and highly acclaimed IVM G12 special purpose vehicle already popular with the military; as well as the IVM {troops} Carrier usually at its best during off-road duties, and used by many security outfits and can be spotted in the convoys of some government officials at various levels.

A statement from Innoson on the IVM Carrier pick-up supplied to the Imo State Government, says: “We designed the vehicle specifically for the

African road. It comes with an innovative chassis, front double cross beam independent suspension and rear leaf spring dependent suspension, and socket shock absorber, which reduces bumping on the road effectively and enhances smoothness of vehicle.”

There have been reports of commendation of the move by Gov. Uzodinma, particularly that of the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Abuja, Jelani Aliyu, who said he is very proud of Innoson, and is not surprised that the Imo State government has found the company’s vehicles very reliable and worthy of consistent patronage.

Aliyu said the NADDC would continue to support Innoson and other local assembly plants towards producing vehicles that satisfy the needs of the Nigerian market, as well as other markets on the African continent.

A report quoted an auto industry stakeholder and Managing Director of Lafbart Innovations and Consulting Ltd, Akure, Femi Olafunmiloye, as imploring other buyers to emulate the patriotic gesture.

Olafunmiloye, whose company produces tricycle and fabricates agricultural support equipment and parts for light trucks, said, “Gov. Uzodinma has done what others find difficult to do, and that is: Patronise and encourage local players in the auto industry, like Innososn. That is how it is done in every serious country. State agents have to be using locally made vehicles. That his is how to create jobs.”

Innoson’s well-equipped, and highly acclaimed IVM G12 special purpose vehicles

Volvo, Daimler to Replace Diesels With Fuel Cell Trucks

V

olvo and Daimler have now partnered to speed up the transition away from diesel trucks and towards fuel cell electric vehicles in the European Union.

According to JALOPNIK, they established a joint venture called Cellcentric to develop fuel cell powered heavy trucks and their projections for this diesel to FCEV shift predict a very fast pace, maybe too fast. It could be a big shift, though. If they get it right.

The joint company expects to begin production of the hydrogen-powered trucks by 2025, after which it claims demand for FCEVs will take off. In a statement to the Financial Times, Daimler said diesels will begin to lose market share soon: Martin Daum, chair of industry leader Daimler Truck, told the Financial Times that while diesel trucks would dominate sales for the next three to four years, hydrogen would take off as fuel between 2027 and 2030 before going “steeply up”.

So, two years after production starts, Cellcentric expects that the demand for FCEVs will be there, and the three year window Daimler claims actually aligns with the timeframe that Volvo had set for increased sales of its electric trucks, including both BEVs and FCEVs, per the Financial Times: The Swedish truckmaker is aiming for half its European sales in 2030 to be trucks powered by batteries

or hydrogen fuel cells, while both groups want to be fully zero emissions by 2040.

But it still feels like the shift the two companies — now partnered into a single company — are claiming here is a little quicker than what is possible.

Heavy trucks would make perfect candidates for the transition from diesels to FCEVs, but the infrastructure is just not there yet, and Cellcentric is making optimistic claims about the ability of that infrastructure to manifest within their timeframe.

Of course, these two companies make up a huge portion of the heavy truck industry in the EU, so if anyone could make halfway decent predictions about that segment it would be Volvo and Daimler, but even they know it’s uphill with hydrogen infra being what it is.

The Financial Times quoted Martin Lundstedt, the CEO of Volvo Group, about the need for hydrogen infrastructure growth. About 300 high-performance hydrogen refuelling points would be needed in Europe by 2025 and 1,000 by 2030, the companies said. Of the need to build the infrastructure at the same time as the trucks, Lundstedt said: “It can be seen as a chicken and egg. But we have said we will go for it. We will deliver the chicken. Someone else can deliver the egg.”

So, while it could very well be the case that these incredible fuel cell powered heavy machines could see production in 2025, and increased sales shortly after but the question is still going to be: Will the hydrogen be there to refuel them? (Source: JALOPNIK)

Daimler fuel cell truck

The Ten Safety Codes For This Sallah Did you read my last piece on the menace of one for the road? In that piece that ran for two weeks, I expressed my worry not just on the increasing cases of drink related crashes during festivities like the Sallah, Easter and Christmas, I equally expressed worry on increasing avoidable crashes on non-festive periods.

I am glad that the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID- 19 while announcing phase IV of the COVID- 19 lockdown across all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory directed the bars and nightclubs be closed until further notice. My worry is that the sales of alcoholic beverages of all sorts at parks across the country are still on. While applauding the move by the PSC which is meant to avert a nationwide upsurge, I have decided to refresh your memory with tips that should guide us as we join our Muslim brothers to celebrate this year’s Sallah.

Below, I have tried to distil for you a set of guidelines, which I believe will vastly improve your chances of having a safe motoring experience during the festivities.

I call the tips, the 10 Codes First Code: Thou shall not drive a motorized vehicle without a valid driver’s licence.

National Road Traffic Regulation 2014 specifically prohibits anyone who is not properly licensed from driving a vehicle. A valid driver’s licence is your legal right to drive on Nigerian roads. This legal right specifies and restricts you to the kind of vehicle you can drive.

Second Code: Thou shall diligently ensure thy vehicle is in good condition.

SAFE DRIVING with

Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa Assistant Corps Marshal Zonal Commanding Officer Federal Road Safety Corps.

You must diligently ascertain whether you meet the minimum safety standard despite the biting and crippling effects of the economy on your pockets. Simply put, this means that you must ensure your vehicle is well maintained and that all the necessary safety devices are in proper working condition. Don’t pay lip service to safety. Vehicle maintenance is key to safety. Remember that mechanical factor is one of the three ingredients responsible for road crashes. Having a sound vehicle is therefore a plus.

Third Code: Only in sound state of mind and body shall you drive a vehicle Before you sit behind the steering wheel you must critically ascertain whether you are in an emotionally, mentally and physically sound state to drive a vehicle.

Driving is pleasure, but this same pleasure kills, and has indeed end the lives of numerous people who before they embarked on the journey were convinced that the drivers were sound. These victims trusted their lives

in the hands of drivers whose mental, emotional and physical state they could not ascertain. So the choice you make is key if it is not a personal vehicle, then you must patronize a transporter with a track record of safety. A good number of people, especially in our clime drive under emotional stress. Some do so under financial stress. It is important you stay off the wheels if you have issues to contend with- issues that would affect your total concentration on the wheels. If you just won a jackpot from any of the ongoing promos, please allow someone else drive you or lest you forget yourself because of excitement.

Fourth Code: You shall not engage in reckless overtaking.

You must study and understand traffic rules and regulations that govern good driving culture. A typical Nigerian driver is self-centered and is not willing to share the road with other motorists. He exhibits this self-centered nature more often when other motorists try to overtake him.

Therefore, when overtaking other vehicles, do so when you are sure it is legal and safe for you and other road users. The road signs and markings will always guide you on when and where to overtake. The choice to determine when it is safe becomes yours to make and it is necessary you must learn how to use your mirror and glance behind you to see the blind spots.

Remember the look, look again and move routine.

Overtake only on the left and avoid overtaking on a hill, bend, and built-up areas or pedestrian crossing.

Fifth Code: Thou shall diligently observe speed limits Observe speed limits specified by traffic regulations for different vehicles. Speed is one of the critical factors identified by the World Health Organization and the World Bank as responsible for increased fatalities. What this simply means is that in the event of a crash, the chances of survival are dependent on your speed. So if you are a speed freak, watch it. Don’t forget that as you speed, anything can happen such as tyre burst, brake failure or even pedestrian crossing the road. Whenever you speed, remember that at 100km/h, your vehicle moves at 28 meters per second on a road. The speed for private cars on an expressway is 100km/h. Taxis and buses are allowed to maintain speed limit of 90km/h on an express road while articulated vehicles like tankers and trailers are to maintain speed limits of 50km/h on the highway. Within built areas, taxis and buses are to maintain speed limits of 50km/h. However, you must note that common sense often dictates lower speed limits. Common sense speed should therefore be lower in bad weather, or bad roads. The same should apply when the roads are busier.

Sixth Code: Learn the art of defensive driving Globally, defensive driving is the ‘voodoo’ to safety on the road. It is therefore and all round medication.

A defensive driver assumes he is the only sane on the road. Since crashes are caused by individuals’ errors, he is always cautious, obeys all rules, develop the right attitude such as patience, care, skill and consideration for other road users. A defensive driver never allows his safety to depend on the response of others, anticipates wrong action of other gives correct, prompt, adequate and clear signals.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 15, 2021

PEOPLE Olawepo-Hashim

A Voice for Peace, Unity in the Middle of Conflict Ikagbemi Modupe

H

e comes cool, appearing calculated, with a commanding height to boot. He eases into his environment with a certain cadence, soon to be recognised for his wits, and depth, solid in swaying notions, and penetrating in impact.

His measured pronouncements are regal, while his messages can melt even the hardest of stones. His travels have been rounded; beginning from student activism, to business, onto politics, and to statesmanship. He is perfecting these with brilliance, still being honed in the triangular process of thinking, writing and engaging. He is Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, business mogul, former presidential aspirant, politician, public affairs analyst, and polemicist.

Lately increasing his share of voice, through his many interventions in national issues, Olawepo-Hashim is not your regular politician. Reason being that he is neither dependent on it, nor soaked in its shenanigan. He literally stands above it, remaining purposeful and principled, to steady his values, amidst the shape-shifting possibilities of the politics of his clime. “I am in politics to be the change, not to be changed by its vagaries” he volunteers, adding “you lose your values in the phase of endless compromises, where you fall for everything, where anything goes. That’s not my style, and it is the reason our politics seem not to be progressing. We must be focused, upright and upholding, if we have to be the change.”

Olawepo-Hashim is strong about his vision, mission, and cardinal objectives for the Nigerian nation. He believes in the nation’s potential, if the strength of his conviction permeates the dimensions of the polity. It is for this reason that he remains an active interventionist on all fronts, dropping suggestions here, there and yonder, and imputing his thoughts on issues through different media genres. With vast experiences, the businessman has typified himself as a believer in peace, a consensus builder, and as a voice of reason in conflict situations.

Working as National Administrative Secretary of National Consultative Forum in 1990 to get a national consensus for democratisation and decentralisation of power in Nigeria, Olawepo-Hashim was also Secretary, South-South Zone of the PDP national reconciliation committee in 1999 during the sharia crises. These experiences have shaped his approach to discourses, trusting in the potentials in peace. It has also made him to be much more forthcoming on burning issues, like the recent experiences in the polity.

Disturbed by the crisis of insecurity, for instance, the activist who visited the Military demarcation line between North and South Korea in a solidarity match with Rim Suyong, the South Korean student leader in July 1989, during the match for peace and reunification, and nuclear demilitarisation of the Korean Peninsular, regretted that the dark days are here. Regardless, there will be light. His words: “The dark days are here as death covers the land. It is unending sorrows for most families as our country bleeds. Insecurity is the common word now; but I am a fervent believer that order shall return sooner than later. The dark days are here, even Europe had its dark ages that later gave way to enlightenment. That darkness surrounds a land does not mean that light will not still come. The root causes of insecurity are rising poverty, rising illiteracy, bigotry, and hate. Nigeria can rise again once we commit to tackle these causative factors of insecurity even as we rejig the security architecture and structure of governance.”

Easily pragmatic, the politician came up with specifics on dealing with the snowballing crisis of insecurity, achievable with 90 days, that is: establish a Defence Co-operation Agreement (DCA) with a friendly nation to halt the enemy’s advance, as those who are fighting Nigeria are from all over the world, as the enemy is multinational in its composition; put our house in order by resolving internal wrangling through dialogue, fairness, and justice; have a broad-based cabinet that can inspire hope, efficiency, and national unity; create the framework for states and local government to have their own police; have concurrent jurisdiction over mineral resources within their states and pay taxes to the federal purse; and decentralise electricity generation, transmission via local grid and distribution.

Pursuant to his belief in a strong national entity, he also once called on separatist agitators across Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast to cease hostilities and give room to resolve contending issues politically, while the government should also take quick action to stabilise the polity. Hear him: “Separatist operations are getting more widespread in the Southeast and agitations in the Southwest of Nigeria, heating the polity. We should adopt civilized ways of resolving contending issues, rather than indulging in acts that might not augur well for continued growth and national development. We shall continue to call for dialogue to strengthen the Nigerian federation.”

The Federal Government, he maintains, should take quick action to douse tension in the Southeast, while also advocating for devolution of power to state and local governments, besides cautioning the separatist agitators on the need to immediately cease hostilities. “We call on IPOB and other separatist groups to cease hostilities and to allow for political settlement of all grievances. When war breaks out, the weak and the poor on all the sides always suffer and all wars always end up on a round table, so why not talk instead of fighting?”

Olawepo-Hashim He did not stop there. “There is no point living in a tense situation. We need peace and harmony to prosper,” he said, appealing to all Nigerians to avoid provocative actions that could lead the country to war.

Frequently ingenious about his views, he lately declared that uniting Nigeria starts with re-uniting Northern Nigeria, a region with over 200 ethnic groups and diverse cultures, as the nation needs the much-desired unity amongst patriots, contrary to calls by elements of disunity for the country to divide. Olawepo-Hashim believes that a stronger and united Northern Nigeria, with its people and huge landmass, would not only enhance the growth of the region but would further unite other parts of the country for overall national development.”

Examining the Middle-Belt region, he stressed it remains the bridge for the unity of Nigeria and should therefore continuously be at the forefront of facilitating national reconciliation towards the good governance of the country. “The Middle Belt is doing its best. We should continue to do this in the interest of our dear nation and for future generation.”

Citing the example of Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, he said as an outstanding Middle-Belt figure, he has been in the forefront of the fight for national unity, “in utmost expression of his nationalism, and in the defence of national values.”

He is also not absent from the discourse on restructuring.

“There is the need for compromise and consensus building as solutions in the raging debate on restructuring in the overarching interest of unity, peace, security and development of the country. The federal government may continue to do nothing about devolution of power, especially on clear items that are practicable, the voices on the other sides too cannot continue to insist that every item on their shopping list must be disposed of before the next election.”

To the thinker, a compromise and consensus driven by the Federal Executive, Leadership via constitutional amendment Bill, on particular sections dealing with the concurrent, exclusive and residual legislative list are immediately possible, especially in such areas where there already exists a clear national consensus.

He went further: “It is time for us to agree on things that are agreeable and continue to discuss things that are not clear but may become clearer in the future. Compromise is never a sign of weakness but a noble act that springs from the depth of wisdom, honour and kindness.”

Noted for his creative ideas in the buildup to the last presidential race, he listed some areas where consensus seem to exist amongst warring factions as creation of states and local government police, side by side with the federal police, to make policing more efficient and to bolster national security, and amendment to enable state governments have some control over the development of all mineral resources in the inland basins.

Other areas of consensus are amendment to ensure concurrent jurisdiction of Federal and State Government over Electricity Generation, Transmission and Distribution, and Electoral Reform clause to include electronic transmission of results from all levels of results collations. These matters, he pursued, do not require the drama and time-consuming activities of a national conference. “A simple Executive sponsored constitutional amendment Bill narrowed to the above clearly defined items, may get resounding support, if properly managed with the 36 governors in Nigeria, as well as speakers of the states assembly. The requirements for 2/3 support from the states’ assembly of the federation will be achievable in order to meet the constitutional requirement of a valid amendment.”

He argued that the country must move forward together in peace and harmony, as nation-building will not be completed in one day.

“There will still be life after 2023 and I am optimistic that Nigeria will survive, and other issues can be looked into after 2023 elections by the grace of God.” Olawepo-Hashim then concluded: “Let there be compromise where there is clear national consensus. Compromise is a mark of confidence, not weakness. The only area where I see no compromise is the agitation by extremists’ forces to dismember Nigeria.

“For those of us who love Nigeria and for those who have sacrificed or suffered deprivation for the country’s democracy and the nation, the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria are sacrosanct. This is not a cliché; it was what our forefathers settled for in the Lancaster conference. It was a clause proposed by Great Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the leader of the Eastern delegation, and was agreed by all that Nigeria shall exist in perpetuity.”

This gentleman is a man amongst men: brilliant, determined, and still going, making him an 11 on a scale of one to 10.

–––Modupe is an Abuja based interdisciplinary scholar and consultant.

˜ ˾ MAY 15, 2021

37

MILESTONE

Edwin Madunagu on the National Question Kayode Komolafe

T

he theme to explore in the virtual conference to mark the 75th birthday of Comrade Eddie Madunagu is deliberately framed as “Progressive Politics as the Answer to the National Question: Problems and Prospects.”

The conference, billed for May 15, 2021, the birthday of Madunagu, practically commenced as soon the topic was tabled a few weeks ago in a WhatsApp group of about 190 members comprising comrades, friends, former students, admirers and well-wishers of the Marxist revolutionary.

From the tone and tenor of the vigorous debates grounded in highly informed and divergent perspectives, it seems that, perhaps, nothing could be more apt than the age-old dialectics of class and nation. The manner in which the various ideological categories in theme were contested amplifies the huge topicality of the National Question.

In fact, the debate on the National Question, especially on the Left in Nigeria, is reminiscent of the position of a scholar, Narihiko Ito, who once posed the question: “Is the National Question an Aporia to Humanity”? Now, philosophers talk of an aporia when a theoretical question is so laden with internal contradictions that the resolution of the question would seem irresolvable. But there is no doubt about the urgency of the National Question.

By the way, contrary to the distortion now prevalent in the everyday political chats about the various problems of Nigeria, the National Question (not all questions associated with the problems of Nigeria) is specifically a Marxist category for issues of national and ethnic oppression and exploitation. This oppression is distinguishable from class oppression and exploitation, which constitutes the primary basis of class struggle.

However, as a phraseology the categorical National Question has been so diluted that even climate change is classified as “one of the national questions.”

Significantly, Madunagu has devoted lot of time and intellectual energy to clarifications and elucidation on the National Question. He has engaged in theoretical formulation while making practical suggestions as answers to the question.

While the discussions towards Madunagu’s birthday continued, the tragic losses of Comrade Odumakin, the spokesman of Afenifere, and Comrade Innocent Chukwuma of the CLEEN Foundation, happened. In a tribute to Odumakin, who was the spokesman of the Yoruba ethnic organisation, Afenifere, Comrade Tony Iyare sought to justify the choice of championing ethnic causes by some elements of the Left . He contrasted the ethnic champions with those who “romanticise class analysis and the primacy of primary contradictions...” To make his point , Iyare invoked names of some great comrades as Marxists who at a point in the revolutionary struggle opted to be immersed in the “the struggles of their people.” Iyare listed the following exceptionally committed comrades to support his argument: Ola oni, Baba Omojola, Edwin Madunagu and G.G. Darah.

To be sure, it is a gross defamation of Madunagu’s ideological character for Iyare to include his name in this group.

Nothing in the revolutionary politics of Madunagu in the last 45 years could warrant this ideological scandal. What Iyare has done to Madunagu is nothing short of ideological violence! One thing that is indisputable about Madunagu’s revolutionary politics is the primacy of class struggle.

Yes, Madunagu has been cautioning the Left in Nigeria not to deny the reality of the National Question. However, for Madunagu, the resolution of the ethnic question doesn’t lie in the politics of the factions of the ruling. He has proposed a popular-democratic solution based on the struggles for a humane and just social order. So, the fact of the matter is that Madunagu continues to assert the primacy of class in dealing with the levels of contradictions in the society. And this is no romanticism. Madunagu has never been an ethnic champion in theory and practice.

It is , therefore, grossly unfair to distort Madunagu’s argument to justify the otherwise legitimate positions of other comrades. Whereas it is evident that the other three great comrades like many others at a conjuncture seemed to have been convinced about the primacy of the ethnic question in the politics of Nigeria. But Madunagu’s ideological position which is quite unambiguous from his prodigious writings on Marxism and the National Question is quite distinguishable from those of other comrades including Oni, Omojola and Darah. Attempts will be made to further demonstrate this point in this reflection.

Sadly, Comrades Oni and Omojola are no more to continue with the debate. Right from their heroic youth, they made remarkable sacrifices to advance the struggles of the working people in their lifetime. Thankfully, Darah is still very much active in the debate and this is reflected in his approving response to the Iyare piece on Facebook. As Madunagu himself pointed out recently, the deeply intellectual exchanges between Darah and the late Bala Usman some years ago constitute a reference point in the debate on the National Question. In that debate Darah accused Usman of professing a theory of “political geology.” This riposte was provoked

by Usman’s postulation that the fossil deposits in the Niger

Dr. Edwin Madunagu

Delta from which crude oil derived were formed from debris washed down by River Niger and others to the delta region.

It is important for the Left to rigorously examine this trend of comrades becoming militant ideologues of ethnic causes on the basis of the argument that in the present Nigerian condition, the primary contradiction is defined by ethnic oppression. The approach of the Left to the National Question has been somewhat been problematic. But things have not always crystalised this way. Time was when an element of the Left would feel more scandalised being falsely accused of ethnic chauvinism than being called a thief. Marxists and socialists used to strain themselves that their position on national issues were not coterminous with those of the ethnic factions of the ruling class. Not anymore! Today it is a badge of honour for some on the Left to demonise people of different ethic groups other than own including even the wretched of the earth in the enemy ethnic groups.

Since Iyare mentioned Oni, we may as well indulge in some historical reminders. When Oni died 20 years ago, it was extremely sad that comrades watched his funeral in Ibadan passively from distance as different “ Yoruba self-determination groups” took the centre state. He was buried as “ Olori Apapo Egbe Omo Oodua” (the president of the federation Yoruba ethnic organisations) and not as Comrade Oni, that inimitable fighter of proletarian causes who inspired generations of Nigerian Marxists and socialists. The one- time proletarian internationalist had turned an ethnic champion. Even now, Oni’s memorial is marked by the Yoruba self-determination groups and hardly by Nigerian Marxists and socialists.

Less than two decades before died, he had a memorable encounter with another great comrade of his generation, Ikenna Nzimiro, at the “Marx and Africa” conference held for a week at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The conference, which was convened to mark the centenary of the death of Karl Marx in March 1983, attracted the participation of comrades from all over Nigeria and other countries. The session on the National Question was an unforgettably heated one. Nzimiro presented a paper on the role of the Left in Biafra. While admitting that factions of the ruling class took control of things on both the federal and Biafran sides, Nzimiro explained that it became imperative for Marxists and socialists in Biafra to inject some ideological content into the agenda of secession. In particular, he pointed to the “Ahiara Declaration” as a document notably influenced by the Marxists in Biafra. Many years later Chinua Achebe acknowledged this fact in his last book, “There was a Country.” But at the conference, Oni and some other Marxists would have none of Nzimiro’s ideological points and explanation. Oni roared that Marxists should not rationalise secession to the applause of those who shared his Nigerian nationalism at the time. After Oni had emerged an ethnic champion, It would have been interesting to witness a meeting between the two comrades in which Oni could have explained his ideological epiphany to Nzimiro.

This attempt to defend the Madunagu clear position on the Nation Question is borne out of a study of his revolutionary career. Perhaps, Madunagu’s baptism into the politics of

the National Question was as a mathematics student at the University of Ibadan. In fact, this happened at the pre-Marxian stage of his life. He had sought to be elected the national secretary of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS).

The Nigerian civil was raging at the time. Imagine a Madunagu who wanted to lead Nigerian students in 1968! And the parents of this audacious contestant were from Nnobi, a few kilometres from Nnewi, the hometown of General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Head of State of Biafra. He was, of course, stoutly opposed because of his Igbo identity. A fellow student activist, Biodun Jeyifo, who would later become Madunagu’s life-long comrade and collaborator, supported the man branded as a Biafran. He lost the election, but the lessons learnt became useful in later years when Madunagu and Jeyifo had become revolutionary Marxists.

In of one the ideological sessions of the Democratic Action Committee (DACOM) in 1980, a Marxist cell in which Madunagu inspired generations of cadres in Calabar, this revolutionary Marxist slated the category National Question for debate.

The group also had as members non-Nigerian comrades who were committed to the struggles of the working peoples as proletarian internationalists. In retrospect now, it is clear why Madunagu had to labour to convince younger comrades that while class struggle remained the primary duty, it would be a grave political error for Marxists to ignore the National Question in theory and in praxis. Madunagu has been consistent with this formulation of his position since that time. He often refers to experience of European Marxists on the neglect of the National Question, as reported by Horace Davis, the author of “Towards a Marxist Theory of Nationalism.” When factions of the bourgeoisie mismanage the National Question, the poor people bear the brunt of the destructive violence that often follows the conflict.

For some time now, Madunagu has been sending notes in his column to the Nigerian Left on the popular-democratic solution to the National Question. For instance, on April 13, 2018, in one of his occasional reminders on what is to be done about the National Question he gave a recap of his position inter alia: “The aim here is to summarise my current position on the question of the geopolitical restructuring of Nigeria.

I say “current” because as far as I can remember, I started thinking seriously—and then debating and writing—about restructuring from 1986 as a member of the Political Bureau.

“Today, 32 years later, I am still thinking and writing on the subject. The present piece is implicitly a draft memo on this important political subject to the Nigerian Left. And, for the avoidance of doubt, the category “Nigerian Left” means the aggregate of socialism and popular democracy in Nigeria today.

“What I consider my current aggregate position on restructuring of Nigeria is constituted by several propositions articulated and refined over a fairly long period of time. For the purpose of this piece the propositions can be grouped under the following five broad headings: The impossibility of purely ethnic separation; redeployment and redistribution of national resources; levels of exercise of power and responsibility; principles of triple balancing; and popular-democratic restructuring at a glance. The propositions are not of the same status. Some of them are issues which the Nigerian Left should struggle to have inserted in the Constitution of Nigeria, while others are those that the Left should insert in its programmes, manifestoes and occasional platforms. I shall now take the groups of propositions one after the other…”

The tendency of some on the Left to accord the ethnic question the primacy of purpose poses a categorical challenge.

That is the challenge of developing a coherent theory to illuminate the Left’s path in the identity politics in Nigeria. The ideas popularised by Madunagu in the last few decades would prove constructive in this regard.

The National Question is as old as Marxism itself. Marx himself was implicated in the neglect of the National Question in his younger days. He said infamously that some nationalities were “non-historic.” The error would seem to be corrected in later years when he supported the struggle against colonialism. Lenin was more explicit about his ideological position.

Lenin encouraged communist parties to support the struggles of American blacks and Irish in their struggle for racial justice and national identity respectively. Lenin had important debates with his comrades including Rosa Luxemburg and Leon Trotsky who were not enamoured of nationalism.

As the topic of the Madunagu birthday conference suggests the problems and prospects of ideas to resolve the National question are relevant today. What is needed is what Lenin calls “the concrete analysis of the concrete situation.”

Indubitably, the thing that unites the people of Nigeria is their worsening poverty in which no part is exempted on the basis of ethnicity. There is no ethnic solution the problems of hunger, ignorance and disease. The factions of the ruing class also belong to the various ethnic groups. No ethnic faction of the Nigerian ruling class has the historical capacity to execute a national democratic revolution. The task of the transformation of the social order, therefore, remains that of the working people organised for the purpose. In such a condition of mass misery, the class question cannot but be primary.

That should reinforce the option of popular-democratic struggles (not ethnic profiling and demonisation) as Madunagu posits.

38

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸Ͱͯ

NEWSXTRA

Principal Suspect in Akwa Ibom Murder Case Paraded t Claims he killed victim in self defence

Okon Bassey ÓØ ãÙ The Akwa Ibom State Police Command yesterday paraded Uduak Frank Akpan, the principal suspect in the raping and killing of an Akwa Ibom job seeker, Iniubong Umoren, with the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel promising to ensure all the perpetrators of the heinous crime are punished.

The suspect was paraded to dispel rumours he committed suicide in police custody.

Akpan, who was paraded alongsidehisfather,saidhekilled Ini Umoren in self defence and not intentionally.

Iniubong’s ordeal started when she posted on Twitter that she needed a job and Frank Akpan invited her to come for an interview.

However, she informed her bestfriendabouttheinvitationto theinterviewanditwasthesame friendthatraisedthealarmwhen she received an audio message from Ini screaming. Subsequent

efforttoreachIniprovedabortive as her number was no longer reachable.

Narrating the incident while being paraded, Frank Akpan said: "I asked her whether she couldworkinafarmwherehard drugs are kept, as a secretary... she said she could.

"IaskedherthatIwouldliketo have sex with her before she left.

She agreed and gave a condition thatIwouldhavetousecondom, which I did.

"WhileIremovedthecondom,

shebecamefuriousandremoved the nearby stabilizer to hit me on the head."

According to him, in the ensued struggle, he moved to defend himself from her attack.

Hesaidhehitherwithapressing iron. He continued: "While I was bleeding, in order to stop her, I usedthestabilisertohither.When I hit her, she fell."

Akpan admitted that Ini was not his first victim. He said he had treated five other ladies in thesamewaybutIniwastheonly one who died.

Akpan told newsmen that

his father was not around and never assisted him in any way to either kill or bury the remains of the deceased.

His father, Frank Akpan, a retireddirectorinthefederalministry of lands, denied knowledge of the crime until he was invited by the police, even as he admitted that the house in which the murderwaseffectedwashisown.

On the fact that his son admittedtotakingadvantageofsixgirls in the compound, the father said; “I'mnotawareofthat.Thereason is that we just relocated from Abuja. I have not been around for 30 years.

We have been living outside.

We just relocated because I have been retired. It is not even up to two years since we came back.”

He denied ever being in the business of selling human parts as alleged.

Asked to comment on the kind of justice he expects in the case, Mr. Akpan stuttered and said “I'm not happy about what my child had done. I don’t even believe this can happen to me after I had sent them to school, tried to bring them up. Yea, justice can be done if the system so permits.”

Meanwhile, theAkwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has assured the world that he would leave no stone unturned in unraveling all those behind the murder of the Job-seeker in the State.

TheGovernorexpressedconfidence in the security agencies to get to the root of the killing of theyounggraduate,challenging female security officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state to ensure that justice is served.

President: Fugitive Wanted By ICPC Over Alleged $65m Fraud No Longer My In-Law

IN HIS VINE YARD...

L-R: Synod delegate, Sir Stephen Attah; Lay President, Diocese of Nyanya, Sir Dan Wari Nwazim; Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Joseph O. Job; Bishop Diocese of Nyanya, Right Rev. Kehinde Adeyemi; Diocesan Women's Fellowship President, Mrs. Modupe Adeyemi; the special guest who declared the Synod of Nyanya open, Dame Engr. Yewande Usman, Synod Secretary, Very Rev. Nkechi Nwosu; and Bro. Bassey Iton...recently

Ex-Gov Dickson Condemns Killing of Police Personnel, Seeks More Funding Kingsley Nwezeh ÓØ ÌßÔË Former Governor of Bayelsa State and Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Seriake Dickson, yesterday condemned the mindless attacks and killing of policemen and security agents in the country.

Senator Dickson called on those behind the heinous acts to stop the savage attacks on innocent policemen and other security officers deployed to carry out their constitutional responsibility of securing the nation.

The senator spoke during a solidarity visit to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali, and the top leadership of the force at the Louis Edet House Police Headquarters, Abuja.

Hecondemned"thedastardly acts of aggression and terrorism visited on police formations, killing of police officers and men and vandalising of police properties and other government facilities".

He said: “this is a very trying period in the life of our country and particularly for the police and I thought that I should be

here as the policeman that I always will be to show support to show concern and to join in condemning these acts of aggression visited on law abiding people doing their best to protect citizens of our country.

“I want to also use this opportunity to call for a cessation of all such attacks on police formations, officers and men that are going on in some parts of our country and to tell everybody that the police are not your problem, the police are not your enemies".

The senator said: “police officers and men are your brothers

and sisters from all parts of our country. I was also one of them so I consider it as something that couldhavehappenedtometoo.”

He called for more funding to the police to put the force in the position to procure equipment and organise regular training for the men for optimum performance.

Dickson said the police remained the most critical frontline law enforcement and security agency with the widest spread across the country in the campaign against crime and should be given the deserved attention in the area of funding.

RECYCLAN, EMPOWER Partner to Supply Blockchain Feedstock Ugo Aliogo RECYCLAN, involved in sustainable recycled PET supply from Africa, has announced a partnership with EMPOWER to set a new standard in transparent and traceable supply of certified post-consumer and post-industrial PET plastic from Africa.

A statement by the RECYCLAN stated that Empower was a blockchain-enabled platform that generates value out of plastic waste - enabling

collectors, recyclers, brands and consumers to make a real impact on the environment.

The statement said: “RECYCLAN which was founded in 2018 is a social enterprise that reprocesses PET plastic products that have been discarded as waste, and turns them into the highest-grade recycled PET product that is reused in the food and beverage industry.

This is done by the process of hot washing, sanitising, and extrusion; ensuring we conserve energy, reduce air and water

pollution, reduce greenhouse gases, and conserve natural resources.”

The statement also noted that RECYCLAN was operational in 14 African countries and in the United Kingdom.

The statement remarked that with the partnership, RECYCLAN had added state-of-theart transparency and traceability in its supply chain allowing for plastic that not, “only cleans up the environment and reduces carbon emissions, but also has a direct social impact.”

The statement hinted that EMPOWER platform ensures immutable data points and transparency as well as direct and measurable social impact.

The statement explained that Empower tracks all the materials from the point/place of collection to conversion to new products, adding that it gives plastic waste a higher value, “and turning it into new packaging, while making the unique journey of the product available for its customers with full transparency.”

It was alleged that the fleeing former boss of FMBN and three otherspaidthemselvesoutrageous severance packages at the end of their tenure in October 2014.

Lastmonth,thesenatecommitteeonpublicaccountssummoned Kumo to explain the alleged irregular award of N3 billion contract when he was still at the bank.

In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that the latest revelation of $65 million fraud in the Federal MortgageBankofNigeria(FMBN), inwhichPresidentBuhari’sformer son in-law, Kumo, is allegedly involved, “further confirms that theBuhariPresidencyisindeeda sanctuaryforfraudsters,treasury looters and common criminals.”

ThepartychargedtheICPCnot to succumb to reported pressure fromthecabalintheBuhariPresidency but to track down Kumo, and bring him to book alongside his accomplices.

ThePDPinastatementyesterdaybyNationalPublicitySecretary, KolaOlogbondiyansaiditspeaks volumesthattheBuhariPresidency had remained silent in the face of this huge fraud.

The PDP said it holds it as wicked,afflictingandprovocative “thatwhilemillionsofhardworking Nigerians cannot afford their

dailymealsandotherbasicnecessitiesoflifeduetothemisruleand corruptionoftheAllProgressives Congress(APC)anditsadministration, they are daily assailed by revelationsofunbridledtreasury looting under President Buhari's watch.”

The PDP adds, "Is it not provocativethatatthetimetheBuhari administration is moving to cut workers'salaries;increasethecost offuel,electricityandothertariffs; inacountrywithover33percent unemploymentandwherecitizens have been subjected to the worst forms of poverty; government officials, cronies and relations of those in power are busy looting ouragenciesandcartingawayour common patrimony?

"Itisevenmoredistressingthat thelootedFMBNmoneyispartof fundscontributedbyNigeriansto meettheirhomeneedswhichhas insteadfallenunderthepredatory proclivitiesoftheAPCadministration.

“While the Buhari Presidency paradesaholierthanthouattitude, thenation’svaultshavebeenlaid open for the ruthless pillaging by familymembers,relations,cronies in the Buhari Presidency.”

The PDP urged the Buhari Presidency to allow for an open investigation of Mr. President’s son-in-law.

CHANGE OF NAME

39

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͽ, 2021

SPORTS XTRA

Lazio Join Race for Onuachu, Nigerian Scoring Sensation Italian giants Lazio are in the market for a new centerforward, and there are not many strikers in Europe who are better than the Nigerian goalscoring wonder in Genk, Paul Onuachu and the SerieAside have shown

interest in signing the Super Eagles striker from Genk this summer,accordingtoReelRadio via TuttoMercatoWeb. Onuachu has been by some clear distance the best striker in Belgium over the current

campaign, with the 26-yearold netting his 34th goal of the campaign in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Anderlecht.

No Nigerian striker has ever smashed in more goals in a single season in any of

Europe’s 10 leagues.

That incredible haul includes 32 goals in the Belgian Pro Division Aand another two strikes in the FA Cup, which Genk lifted a couple of weeks ago.

The former FC Midtjylland

ace also found the back of the net twice in as many games for the Super Eagles during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.

His late winner againsttheBenin Republic in Porto Novo was crucial to helping the three-time African champions book their qualification ticket to Cameroon 2022 with a game to spare.

AllthesehaveseenOnuachu’s profile rise above the ceiling, with Genk expected to demand more than 30 million euros for a man they got for one-fifth that

fee only two years ago.

Celtic and Lyon are known admirers of Onuachu, but the FC Ebiede product could be tempted to join one of Serie A’s most attack-minded teams in Lazio.

Compatriots Victor Osimhen and Simy Nwankwo are currently based in Italy, with the former becoming even more influential at Napoli while the latter finished among Serie A’s top scorers despite his club Crotone suffering relegation.

Nadal on Track for 10th Rome Masters Title Rafael Nadal made it through to his 75th Masters 1000 semifinal by gaining revenge over Alexander Zverev to stay on track for his 10th Rome title.

The Spaniard needed nearly three-and-a-half hours to defeat Denis Shapovalov in the third round on Thursday, saving two match points, and backed it up brilliantly with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Zverev. The German had won his last three meetings with Nadal, including in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open last week, but saw his opportunities consistently snuffed out.

“Today I played much better than yesterday,” said the second seed. “I did a lot of things well, playing much more solid. I think I played one of the more solid matches on clay this year against a very tough opponent. It’s a great victory for me.

Nadal next faces a surprise opponent in American Reilly Opelka, who is through to his first Masters semi-final after a 7-5 7-6 (7-2) victory over Federico Delbonis.

Onuachu

Lingard Beats Iheanacho to Premier League Award Super Eagles star, Kelechi Iheanacho missed out on becoming the second Nigerian to win the two Premier League player of the month in the same season after he missed out on April’s Premier League player of the month to West Ham and England star Jesse Lingard.

The Nigerian international won the award in March and was on course to win it for the consecutive month after being nominated for April’s award.

However, the former Manchester City man missed out to Lingard, who also had a brilliant month for the Hammers.

Had Iheanacho won, he would’ve become the second Nigerian to win two awards in the same season. Peter Odemwingie remains the only Nigerian to win the award three times, and he won two in the 2011/2012 season with West Brom.

Other Nigerians to have won the award includeAustin Jay-Jay Okocha with Bolton Wanderers and Odion Ighalo with Watford.

Belgian B Champions Beat Rangers, Celtic to Sign Nigerian Wing-back Belgian First Division B champions Royale Union Saint-Gilloise have pulled off a transfer coup by signing London-born Nigerian wing-back Matthew Sorinola.

The 11-time Belgian champions fended off interest from Scottish giants-Rangers and Celtic to sign the 20-year-old.

Sorinola opted to try his luck abroad after rejecting a new deal at Milton Keynes Dons, whom he joined from Fulham in 2017.

TheAnglo-Nigerian, who was also on the radar of Championship and Premier League clubs as well as German and French teams, has put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise with an option for one year extra.

Several clubs had been battling for the signature of Sorinola after he put himself in the shop window with a string of fine displays in the League One and the highlight of his performance in the recently concluded season was his hat-trick of assists against Accrington Stanley in March.

He made a total of 43 appearances in all competitions and finished the campaign with a goal involvement of eight (2 goals, 6 assists).

Marshal Johnson, Ode Thompson, Michael Odibe, Jero Shakpoke and Prince Nake previously wore the colours of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Onugkha Ends Speculation over International Future, Dumps Nigeria for Russia FC Krasnodar loanee German Onugkha has ended speculation over his international future by revealing that he wants to represent Russia ahead of Nigeria.

Born in Moscow 24 years ago, the inform Vejle Boldklub frontman qualifies to represent the Super Eagles if he invokes the granny rule as he has a Nigerian father.

Onugkha recently earned rave reviews for his hat-trick in Vejle’s thrilling 3-3 draw with AC Horsens, a brilliant individual display that saw him named Player of the Round in the Danish Superliga. that he can break into the Russian na-

tional team in the next one and a half years.

“I don’t choose between Russia and Nigeria. Targeting the Russian national team, a year and a half, and I’ll be there. I am 100 per cent sure. It’s time, it’s time,” Onugkha said to Championat.

“The next season needs to be on a good note, that’s all. Why not? I am already 24 years old, I have good statistics, I can score goals. The next stage is the Russian national team. I can do it, I’m sure of it.

“I have now scored four in the RPL, four in Denmark. I look at the statistics of the same Zabolotny, the same Sobolev, who

scored ten and nine.

“Yes, even on Dzyuba. I can do as well.

Yes, now Dzyuba is the strongest striker.

He is in good and familiar conditions, where he is the leader and the captain.

They play on it.

“Then comes Sobolev, followed by Zabolotny but soon Onugkha will break into this trio. This is the next task.”

Onugha turned out for FC Torpedo Tamala, FC Narovchat, FC Atmis KevdoMelsitovo, FC Zenit-M Penza and FC Volgar Astrakhan prior to his move to Krasnodar in 2018.

Aluko Dumps Aston Villa for US Women’s Soccer Eniola Aluko has left her position as sporting director at Aston Villa to pursue a position in US Women’s Soccer.

The former England women’s striker became Villa’s first sporting director in January 2020 and was tasked with overseeing the club’s women’s teams.

Villa thanked Aluko, 34, and said she is leaving for an “exciting role”.

“I am very grateful to Aston Villa Women for giving me the opportunity to begin my transition from playing into a sporting director role,” said Aluko.

The former Birmingham, Chelsea and Juventus striker added: “It has been such a valuable experience to help the club during its first season in the Women’s Super League and I was delighted that we

were able to secure our top-flight status.

“I am sure Aston Villa Women will continue to grow and become a powerful force in the women’s game.”

Villa have seen head coach Gemma Davies, interim manager Marcus Bignot and now Aluko all leave the club within the space of a week after sealing their status in the WSL.

Pyramids Host Enyimba in Confederation Cup Q’Finals Enyimba will march onto the pitch this weekend for their 11 knockout stage game in CAF club competitions as they trade tackles with last season’s losing finalists in the CAF Confederation Cup, Pyramids FC in the first leg of the quarterfinal.

Enyimba pipped Orlando Pirates on the final day of group games to book a place in the last eight as Group A winners, while Pyramids

although in a more comfortable manner finished as runners up Group C. Coach Fatai Osho has a handful of players ruled out for the Pyramids clash. Influential winger Anayo Iwuala misses the tie due to suspension and defender Nabil Yarou is out due to travel passport issues.

Left-back Imo obot joins Stanley Okorom, Samson Obi, and Sadiq

Abubakar on the treatment table.

The rest of the squad is fresh and available for selection.

The tie which is billed for Sunday at 5pm Nigerian time will see the Elephants march onto the 30,000 capacity 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

Enyimba has fond memories of playing in Egypt, the best coming in 2003 where the Elephants lifted their maiden African title.

TR

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MISSILE

Ozekhome on Insecurity “The burglary of a whole Chief of Staff’s residence therefore merely points to the dire times and vulnerability of all. Whether in the air, on water, or by road, or in the markets, malls, schools, churches, mosques, streets, alleys, government seats, Nigerians are not safe from rampaging marauders.” – Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, lamenting the state of insecurity in the country.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

My 61st Birthday Gift to the 17 Southern Governors “ As you rightly put it, Buhari has helped to expose the fault lines we have ignored and may unwittingly help the process of the nations that make up this hapless country to emerge.

Britain is one of the most federal countries in the world, but they have modelled a system that allows them to put 4 separate nations forward in the World Cup (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) but they then go to the United Nations as one country, a superpower. It is a good thing for the main 9 to 12 component nations to dissolve into a Commonwealth of Independent States. We will then function as a borderless union of nations but with all the rights of independent states.

That way, Arewa Emirates may use their national budget to construct rail to Maradi or even merge with Niger. We can prevent stark illiterates from swamping us in the south as Okada riders or beggars...”

–Femi Babalola, a Pendulum reader

O

ur dear Governors, Please, permit me to write you this open letter. You will understand, and probably appreciate my epistle if you’re patient enough to read and digest its content, which I wrote not because of any mischief but out of real patriotism. I needed to state this clearly, and unequivocally, from the outset, because our country has become so divided, and degraded, to the extent that we can no longer engage in simple, decent and straightforward conversations, without someone reading satanic meanings into the motives behind your intervention.

By the grace of almighty God, I will be 61 years old on planet earth tomorrow, Sunday, 16 May 1960. I was born just a few months before Nigeria attained independence. Even if I was unaware of my environment at that stage, I grew up with great expectations, and the hope that Nigeria has the potential of becoming one of the greatest countries in the world. This hope was based on certain critical assessments. Nigerians are greatly blessed and naturally endowed with some of the most brilliant humans and definitely the most fertile lands and diverse mineral resources.

I was born in the ancient city of Ile-Ife and my proximity to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Africa’s most beautiful campus, afforded me the opportunity of learning literature, linguistics, philosophy, history, sociology, religious studies and so on. I grew up as an idealist having been brought up and indoctrinated in the seminal works of Walter Rodney, Frantz Fanon, Amilcar Cabral, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Nawal El Saadawi, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Paulo Freire and others. Most of the earliest authors I read painted a picture of Africa that was savaged, and ravaged, by the white colonialists who underdeveloped our continent. Little did we envisage that the neo-colonialists, the new Black slave masters would actually act far worse and commit greater atrocities than those who came from far flung places with their ships to ferry us into slavery in their countries. We did not in our wildest imagination envisage that our own leaders will become so bad that our youths and elderly would be forced to voluntarily borrow money, procure visas, buy air tickets, join sea pirates to run into slavery and servitude, uninvited.

You will agree with me, Sirs, that this is the sad but true picture of our situation today. Let me now return closer home. My childhood occurred under the Regional governments in Nigeria. Each Region developed or retrogressed at its own pace. I still wonder what got into the brains of our leaders that they decided to opt for the outlandishly expensive and grandiloquent American system of Democracy which has now forced us to practice capitalism without capital. But I’m not here to bemoan our

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi past but to focus on our future, which is currently threatened from all fronts.

As Femi Babalola noted above, if we were able to manage our differences delicately in the past, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally shattered the facade. And his acolytes have not made matters better. They have been talking big, arrogantly and recklessly, as if Nigerians have no right to criticize, oppose and admonish the President despite his abject cluelessness in matters of managing a multi-ethnic and multi religious country such as ours. Is it not strange and ironic that the ruling party, APC, used that very word, cluelessness, to describe and deride President Goodluck Jonathan, but they’re unwilling to tolerate same today? I had read as a young student that the only thing evil requires to thrive is for good men and women to keep silent. That has been the bane of our political arrangements and experiments. This is why many of us appreciate and applaud your recent meeting in Delta State and what has been tagged “The Asaba Declaration!” Even if it amounts to little or nothing, it is a sign in the right direction. You’ve gained influential admirers in two legal luminaries, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) and Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), both of whom I interviewed on my Leadership

series in the last two days.

At a time Nigeria has almost arrived at the periphery of Golgotha, both men still hold on tenaciously to the view that it is not too late to rescue the country. Although, my first special guest this week, Professor Banji Akintoye, vehemently disagrees with them, and is already a leading champion of the agitation for a Yoruba nation, they remain optimistic that we can still move away from the brink. But they left no one in doubt that if members of the political class fail to do the needful urgently and the gaping injustices continue unabated, things might fall apart beyond repair. They are worried at the total confusion and anarchy that will ensue amidst which the political office holders may lose their current positions in a state of emergency.

While commending your intervention, Dr Agbakoba advised that you need not waste time and resources sponsoring any fresh national conference.

You can engage your legal advisers to look at the 1999 Constitution and mark out the grey areas and forward to the National Assembly. Mr Falana believes that the conference that was organized under President Jonathan and its outcome has never been touched, so why waste more time and resources.

Please, consider the observations of these great Nigerians. Dr Falana was very emphatic that you have the right to control every inch of land space in your states and that the Federal Government cannot challenge you. He said you’re also legally covered, by the principle of self-defence, to defend your people, and no one can challenge you on that also. It is your duty right now and immediate responsibility to safeguard the lives and properties What I would like to add is that you should stop waiting for the Federal Government to do the right things. Whether they do or not, you need to think outside the box on how to transform your States and develop the well-being of your people.

The biggest problems causing the mayhem in all parts of Nigeria are mass poverty and abject ignorance. You must continue to invest heavily in primary and secondary education and vocational training thereafter. The formative years are very important. It is sad and saddening that most parts

of the North have virtually abandoned the Almajiri projects initiated by President Jonathan. Perhaps, the spate of terrorism and banditry would not have become exacerbated.

Each State has what it has pleased God to endow it with, but many have been wasted, underutilised or untapped. All the legal encumbrances should be cleared urgently because there is no basis for the impoverishment of Nigerians with all that we possess, free of charge. Besides, the future of our country is in our talented youths who care very little about the restructuring everyone is hollering about. All they want is the infrastructure and enabling environment put in place to enhance and build on their talents. In this way the States will thrive even more. Therefore, please, worry less about politics and power. Only God can give power, and only He can take it back. No matter how long you stay in power, you must quit one day. No one has taken his political office back home. Therefore, it is not how long you govern but how well.

I’ve been very worried about the almost master-servant relationship that exists between the States and the Federal Government. I believe this is the reason for our slow growth. The Federal Government will continue to disrespect you and behave like a village headmaster if you do not liberate yourselves. While it is good to respect the office of the President and other principal officers of government, you should not be subservient in the process. If Nigeria must survive, it would be on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity. I salute the courage of a few Governors who have stood up stoutly in the Defence of the fundamental rights of their people.

Finally, you need to reach out urgently and seek the cooperation of your National and State legislators. They have major roles to play in the next few months. If you make the mistakes of worrying more about elections, as Dr Agbakoba noted, there may be no country in respect of which you will conduct the elections. I hope and pray you will give kind considerations to my humble recommendations.

Thank you and warmest regards.

Special Thanks to the Olubadan of Ibadanland I recently got a pleasant surprise when I received a letter dated, April 9, 2021, from one of Africa’s most important monarchs. It reads: “My dear Chief, PROVISIONAL OFFER OF HONORARY CHIEFTAINCY TITLE, Royal greetings from His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

“I am directed to inform you of His Majesty’s approval of the Honorary Chieftaincy title of Onigege Ara of Ibadanland on you. Section 22(2) Cap 28 Laws of Oyo State 2000 empowers His Majesty, the Olubadan to confer both traditional and honorary Chieftaincy titles in Ibadanland on deserving individuals.

“The title Onigege Ara of Ibadanland is going to be conferred on you in appreciation of your creative and journalistic contribution to the development of our society... Please accept the congratulations of His Majesty on your consideration.” The letter was signed by Chief Adeola Oloko, for His Majesty. For those who are wondering, “Onigege Ara” means “the Man with the magic Pen”! It would be difficult to fully express how grateful I am to Baba mi, The Olubadan, and the good people of Ibadanland.

My relationship with Ibadan dates back to 1968 when I spent my holiday with my oldest sibling, Brother Toba Abiodun, who migrated to the US in 1969, and is till there till this day. Ibadan to me was like traveling to London. My brother and his adorable wife lived in Oke-Bola, very close

to the Cocoa House, probably the tallest building in West Africa at the time. I will never forget my first visits to Kingsway and Leventis Stores and my encounter with Father Christmas during this holiday. As I grew up, I became very fond of Ibadan city, arguably the biggest and most populous city In Africa. I read the Poem, Ibadan,

by John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo (1935-2020).

I read Blackman’s Dilemma by Chief Adeoye Oyebola (1935-2020), who incidentally was the last holder of the honorary Chieftaincy title of Onigege Ara of Ibadanland. I read Ibadan: The Penkelemess Years by Wole Soyinka. I bought so many books from Odusote Bookshops and later at Spectrum Books in Ibadan and was lucky to have known and interacted with many Ibadan icons including Dr Omololu Olunloyo, Alhaji Arisekola Alao, Professor Akinwunmi Isola, The Parakoyi, Chief Bode Akindele, The Agbaoye, Chief Harry Akande, Chief Rasheed Ladoja, Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Kola Daisi and other notables.

My biggest mentor and role model, Chief MKO Abiola, was the Bashorun of Ibadanland and my great benefactor, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr, aka The Spirit of Africa, partly grew up in Ibadan and built a beautiful mansion in Iyaganku. In the past three years, I have also been building my library resort and retirement home in Ibadan, not knowing this big honour was coming my way. I truly appreciate this gesture from The Olubadan.

The first Chieftaincy title to come my way incidentally was conferred on me and my wife. I was made the Onigege Ara of Jogaland and my wife was given the title, Yeye Onigege Ara by The Abepa of Jogaland, Ogun State, Oba Adeyemi Adekeye, nearly two decades ago. By a quirk of fate, the Olubadan is conferring the same title on me. I then bagged The Ogwanusi of Imeri Kingdom in Ondo State from The Onimeri, Oba Babatunde Adeniran. The occasion was so grand, and made even more so, at the instance of Dr Bode Olajumoke. It was graced by the presence of The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II. This was followed by the conferment of an Igbo title, the Onu na Ekwuru Oha 1 of Etiti in Abia State,

by Dr Ngozi Ibekwe. The next Chieftaincy title came from Oba Adedokun Abolarin Aroyinkeye I, The Orangun of Oke-Ila Orangun, Osun State, who honoured my wife and I with the titles of Yeye Basorun and Basorun respectively. I was also “gowned” in faraway Liberia, where I became The Kiazolu of the Grand Cape Mount County, by the Traditional Council of Liberia.

For the sake of completeness, I must mention that I have also been conferred with academic honours. I have so far received two doctorate degrees, honoris causa, one from Houdegbe North American University, in Cotonou, Bénin Republic, and the other from University of Professional Studies Accra, Ghana.

I am truly blessed.

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