SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2020

Buhari Suspends Dokubo as Amnesty Boss, Approves Oyo-Ita’s Retirement Technical committee to oversee Amnesty programme, Yemi-Esan is substantive HoS Omololu Ogunmade and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari last night approved the suspension of the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty

Programme, Professor Charles Dokubo, following a series of petitions over alleged corrupt practices.

On the same day, the President approved the retirement of former Head of

Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winnifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita from the Federal Civil Service.

Dokubo's suspension, according to the president's media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, was the fallout of the

report of a caretaker committee which recommended his suspension.

The suspension was said to have been orchestrated by numerous allegations and petitions against his handling

of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

According to a statement

by Adesina, such petitions and allegations prompted the president to direct the National Security Adviser

(NSA), Babagana Monguno, to set up a caretaker committee to investigate the activities of the programme.

He said: "Part of the Continued on page 5

Saraki: EFCC Lacks Evidence to Support Demand for Forfeiture of My Buildings…Page 14 Saturday 29 February, 2020 Vol 25. No 9091

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Coronavirus: Italian Improving, as 28 Contacts are Isolated in Ogun Scores of Turkish Airlines’ passengers wanted NCDC deploys rapid response teams to Lagos Ehanire: government will not impose travel ban on anybody Sanwo-Olu: No cause for alarm in Lagos Italian-Nigerian footballer becomes first sports victim Coronavirus could reach all countries, WHO warns First vaccination available from in April Stocks drop to lowest level in one year on NSE Chika Amanze-Nwachuku, Segun James, Martins Ifijeh and Chinedu Eze in Lagos, Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Federal and Lagos State health sources yesterday night confirmed to THISDAY that the Italian who brought Coronavirus to Nigeria and was subsequently isolated at a facility at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, is improving.

Nigeria confirmed this first case of Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, yesterday. The Italian, who works in Nigeria, returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos on February 25, 2020.

He moved to Ewekoro in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State on Wednesday, for a consultancy job with Larfarge Africa cement factory in the town.

Continued on page 5

WAR AGAINST CORONAVIRUS...

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folasade Jaji; Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a press briefing on the first case of Coronavirus in the State at Lagos House, Marina... yesterday

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PAGE FIVE CORONAVIRUS: ITALIAN IMPROVING, AS 28 CONTACTS ARE ISOLATED IN OGUN Also at a press briefing yesterday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi said the Italian was stable and was not showing any acute symptoms of the virus yet.

This is coming on the heels of the manhunt launched by federal, Lagos and Ogun states health authorities for all contacts of the infected Italian who brought Coronavirus to Nigeria.

Epidemiologists in Ogun State, supported by both Federal and Lagos governments, are line-listing every contact the Italian had at the cement factory.

Already, 28 workers of Larfarge Africa cement that had contacts with the Italian are selfquarantined and health officials will be checking on them for the next two weeks, to determine their status.

State and federal health authorities are also looking for all the passengers in the Turkish Airlines that brought the Italian to Lagos on February 25. He came into Lagos from Italy, en route Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Hamzat, who spoke on a television programme yesterday morning, said: “The young man landed and went to Ewekoro, Abeokuta. He fell ill, so we sent an ambulance there and he was diagnosed within four hours. We are ready and prepared. We are trying to track everybody on the airplane he came in through - people that he had met, and then we can isolate them.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi also confirmed that the state’s health authorities have begun a search for all the contacts of the Italian.

Abayomi expressed concern that the disease might be severe in those that had contacts with the Italian. He said the patient had been placed in isolation in Lagos.

Abayomi said: “We will use all the resources made available by the state and the federal government to respond to this case. We are working to identify all the contacts of the patient since he arrived in Nigeria.

“Please, be reminded that most people who become infected may experience only a mild illness and recover easily, but it can be more severe in others, particularly the elderly and persons with other underlying chronic illnesses.”

He warned residents not to create tension by spreading false information about the disease on social media.

“Citizens must not abuse social media and indulge in spreading misinformation that causes fear and panic. The Lagos State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), will continue to provide updates and will initiate all measures required to prevent the spread of the outbreak in Lagos,” he added.

Prof Abayomi said the Italian did not exhibit any symptom of the disease on arrival at the Lagos Airport.

He said the patient slept at a

hotel in Lagos from where he left for Ogun State, where he lodged in an accommodation provided by host.

The Commissioner revealed that the patient fell ill on Wednesday while still in Ogun State and was brought over to Lagos on Thursday, where he tested positive to COVID-19 and had been confined at the isolation facility at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba.

He noted that the patient was showing no acute symptoms of the virus yet, adding that the management of the company where the patient works in Ogun State had been cooperating with the State Government and had also put in place monitoring mechanisms for all those who came in contact with the patient.

NCDC Deploys Rapid Response Team to Lagos The NCDC has deployed its Rapid Response Teams to support the Lagos State Government in the fight against the Coronavirus.

The Director General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who spoke in Abuja, said the NCDC has also ”escalated the multi-sectoral coronavirus preparedness group to an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), at Level II to lead response activities”.

Ihekweazu assured Nigerians of their safety against the Coronavirus. ”The NCDC will continue to keep Nigerians informed. It is important for them to be focused on facts and not fear. ”Nigerians should protect themselves by staying calm, drink lots of water."

He said Nigerians should frequently wash their hands, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, practice respiratory hygiene and if anyone has fever, cough and difficulty breathing, they should seek medical care early.

The DG assured Nigerians, that with appropriate information, treatment and precautions, Nigeria will beat Coronavirus like Ebola.

The NCDC said that the team investigating the incident would in the next 48 hours be turning in their report.

Also speaking on Arise Television yesterday, Ihekweazu said that a team of health officials have commenced thorough investigation into the first case of importation of the deadly Covid-19 virus.

When asked if the team had identified some of the contacts, the DG said: "it is too early to give that information but the obvious ones are the copassengers of the gentleman in that plane. However, in the next 48 hours or so, we hope to start getting reports from the investigating team."

Ihekweazu said that the team has so far got the contact details of all those on the plane and are reaching out to them.

But the DG said that in line with practice in the health sector,

the identities of the contacts will be kept secret.

Larfarge Africa Cement Factory Quarantined The Ogun State Government yesterday announced that the whole facility of Larfarge Africa Plc, cement factory in Ewekoro, had been quarantined.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who disclosed this, explained that the victim had developed fever and was treated at the clinic located in Lafarge facility before he was rushed to Lagos on Wednesday when the case grew worse.

The Commissioner said a team of epidemiologists had commenced line-listing to detect all contacts the victim made during his stay in the state.

The Commissioner hinted that the victim made three contacts before his arrival in Ogun on Tuesday. Coker, however, said it would be premature to put the number to contacts he made in Ogun “since the case was just confirmed on Friday.”

Coker vowed that every single contact with the victim would be identified.

“Before arriving in Ogun State, he had made contact with three people, spent the night in Lagos and arrived on Tuesday morning in Ogun State. He stayed at a guest house and at about 4-5pm on Wednesday, he developed body ache and fever.

“The staff clinic of Lafarge was very sensitive to the case.

They responded speedily and contacted Lagos. They had a high index of suspicion and once they contacted Lagos, the protocol kicked in and the individual was transferred to Lagos in a closed ambulance according to protocol. He was transferred to the infectious disease centre in Yaba, Lagos, where tests were conducted and a definite confirmation came out earlier this morning hence, the press release nationally and from Lagos.

“However, my colleague, the Commissioner for Health in Lagos contacted me very early this morning to alert us about the situation. My message to the people of Ogun State is, there is no cause for concern.

“The epidemiologists in Ogun State, supported by both Federal and Lagos governments, are line listing every contact that this individual has had, which means we are going to phone them, get in touch with them, quarantine them and monitor their temperature for two weeks. Also, I’m urging us that individually, we have to be responsible for our health.

“Every single one of us has to have good respiratory hygiene, which means that if we have a cough or we have a cold, we have to cover our mouths with tissue or handkerchiefs and dispose them responsibly. Don’t leave them on surfaces because the virus could still be in those things, use them and dispose them immediately, don’t put

them back in your pockets,” she said.

In a related development, the federal government has directed officials of NCDC and Port Health Services to commence contact tracing of all the persons that have so far come in contact with the covid-19 patient.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire dismissed assertions that the nation was probably caught unawares by the first discovery of the virus in the country on Thursday.

He said that there was no issue of failure of the screening process or any negligence on the part of health officials.

The Minister said: “It is not a failure of screening or anything else. Everything was done very well and we have to commend the Lagos government and its officials for acting promptly and decisively.”

The minister also said that officials of the Port Health Services will be working with the airlines to study the aircraft manifest so as to figure the passengers the Italian sat with and others that he made contact with while aboard the plane.

Ehanire said that despite importation of the covid-19 into the country, the government would not impose travel ban on Nigerians or citizens of other countries.

The minister however expressed concern that the Coronavirus spreads easily because patients do not show symptoms immediately and may not know they have the virus for days, adding it was a relief that the patient showed mild symptom and is already under strict isolation.

"The relief is that the patient is not showing any serious symptom and the other relief is that as far as statistics is concerned, more than 97 percent of patients have recovered," Ehanire said.

"The man walked through the screening with no symptoms, but a day after he started to feel unwell and wisely enough, he went to a hospital and the doctor examined him, he tested negative for malaria, and he was immediately referred to LUTH where he tested positive for coronavirus and he was immediately put under strict isolation," Ehanire explained.

He said that the ministry had been in touch with the aircraft authorities to find out who his seatmates were and how many people had possibly been infected. “We will do everything possible and use the resources to limit and contain this virus so it doesn't spread," he assured.

Ehanire also said the discovery of Covid-19 case in Nigeria was not a failure of screening, noting that 80 per cent of Coronavirus cases were mild and could go undetected, as obtained in other countries that had recorded a case, while 20 percent were severe, though the disease was still under investigation.

He also said the four laboratories across the country

have full capacity to respond to the virus.

Ehanire said that Nigeria had already obtained treatment protocol from China, which was used to treat over 5,000 people from the virus.

Stocks Drop to Lowest Level in One Year Nigerian stocks dropped to their lowest level in the year in intra-day trade yesterday, following the announcement of the first case of the coronavirus in Nigeria.

The NSE all-share index fell 1.62 per cent to 26,373.83 points around mid-day, according to Bloomberg data, making it the biggest decline since early July 2019.

Also, the global oil markets have been roiled by the fastspreading coronavirus, as crude oil was on course for its biggest weekly loss since 2011, intensifying speculation that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies will strike a deal to support prices.

Futures in New York fell a sixth day after fears over the outbreak sent shares on Wall Street down by the most in almost a decade. With crude prices down more than 14 per cent this week, there are signs that OPEC and its allies could be nearing agreement on action to stem the rout before meeting in Vienna next week.

Bloomberg quoted unnamed OPEC’s top official to have said the group and its allies are displaying a “renewed commitment” to reach an accord as the virus puts the world economy on course for its worst performance since 2009.

Saudi Arabia has been pushing for deeper production cuts over the last few weeks, but Russia has so far taken a more cautious stance. One silver lining for markets is that prices are now at a level that may be uneconomic for U.S. shale producers.

“Whatever production cuts that might be forthcoming next week are too little too late, given how oil prices have declined so rapidly,” the report quoted an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore, Howie Lee as saying. “If OPEC+ cuts by 1 million barrels, that can shore up prices a little, but anything less is going to disappoint.”

Coronavirus Could Reach All Countries, WHO Warns In a related development, the World Health Organisation said yesterday that the coronavirus outbreak is “getting bigger and warned that the virus could reach most “if not all countries”.

Five more countries have reported their first case of COVID-19, all with travel history connected to Italy - Nigeria, Estonia, Denmark, Netherlands and Lithuania – Reuters quoted WHO spokesman Christian

Lindmeier to have said.

“The outbreak is getting bigger,” Lindmeier told a Geneva news briefing on Friday after Nigeria confirmed its first case.

“The scenario of the coronavirus reaching multiple countries, if not all countries around the world, is something we have been looking at and warning against since quite a while,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu: No Cause for Alarm in Lagos Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babjide Sanwo-Olu has warned against panic among the people following the confirmation of the case of Coronavirus in Nigeria.

The governor, who is the Chief Incident Commander on the COVID-19 virus in the state, disclosed that even though victim was an Italian who was on a business visit to Nigeria, “the man has been in stable condition at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (LDC), Yaba, where he has been quarantined.”

According to Sanwo-Olu, there is no cause for alarm yet on the incident even as he assured that the government would do everything in its powers to contain it.

"He will remain in strict isolation," says the governor, adding that the movements of the man from the moment he left the Turkish Airline flight to Nigeria is being traced to know all the people he came in contact with.

He assured that others who were in contact with him in Ogun state had been placed under watch.

Delta Switches from 'Watch' to 'Alert' Mode As a response to the first case of the dreaded Coronavirus infection in Nigeria, the Delta State Government has set up a team for a Primary Healthcare Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) as well as five Holding Centres in anticipation of quarantining of suspected cases across the state.

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, who disclosed this at a press conference in Asaba yesterday, stressed that the state public healthcare architecture was being strengthened because the state was switching to "Alert Mode" from "Watch Mode" activated over two months ago following the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the country.

Ononye said the Incident Management team from the state health ministry would work with the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the NCDC. While appealing to the people of the state not to panic, the health commissioner said that the state government was working in collaboration with directorgeneral of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to ward off the spread of the virus in Nigeria through "Standard Precautionary Measures".

Continued on page 54

BUHARI SUSPENDS DOKUBO AS AMNESTY BOSS, APPROVES OYO-ITA’S RETIREMENT Committee’s task is to ensure that allocated resources are properly utilized in consonance with government’s objective of alleviating problems in the Niger Delta region, and stamping out corruption in the Amnesty Programme.

"Consequently, the NSA recommended to Mr. President that the Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Professor Charles Quaker Dokubo be suspended, a recommendation that has been approved and which takes immediate effect."

The statement added that the president also instructed the caretaker committee to review and oversee the activities of the

programme henceforth.

The review and oversight of the programme by the Monguno committee, the statement added, are aimed at achieving government objectives for the programme.

Meanwhile, a statement confirming the latest development regarding Oyo-Ita was released yesterday night by the Permanent Secretary (General Services Office) Olusegun Adekunle, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Oyo- Ita’s retirement from the service, according to the statement, is with effect from

Thursday, 27th February, 2020.

The statement also announced the appointment of Dr. (Mrs.) Folasade. O. Yemi-Esan as the substantive Head of the Civil Service of the Federation with effect from Friday, 28th February, 2020. She has been operating in acting capacity since Oyo- Ita went on indefinite leave.

However, the statement stated that the decision to approve Oyo- Ita’s retirement by President Muhammadu Buhari was also without prejudice to the on-going investigations into certain allegations against the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The President thanked Mrs

Oyo-Ita for the invaluable services to the nation and wished her well in all future endeavors.

Mrs Oyo-Ita sensationally rocked the civil service in August last year, after she tendered her resignation as the HoS following reports of her grilling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for alleged financial impropriety to the tune of over N3 billion emerged.

Though Oyo-Ita’s resignation letter was initially rejected by Buhari, the President eventually asked her to proceed on an indefinite leave to allow for the conclusion of investigation

being carried out by the anticorruption agency.

Her suspension on September 18, 2019 paved the way for Yemi-Esan’s appointment in acting capacity.

Adekunle further stated that the ratification of Yemi- Esan’s appointment as the substantive HoS was in exercise of the powers vested in the President

by Section 171 (2) (b); and in compliance with Sub-Sections (3) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Until her new appointment, Yemi- Esan, a Dental Surgeon, was the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,

a position she assumed since 18th September, 2019.

She had at various times, served in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Ministries of Information, Education and Petroleum Resources.

The statement said the President charged the new HoS to bring her wealth of experience to bear in the new position so that government could deliver on the priority areas of development already outlined.

Buhari also urged her to make the stabilisation of the Federal Civil Service top most on her agenda.

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NEWS

News Editor ÒË×ÏÐßÖË ÑÌß ͸΀͹͹;Ϳͽ΁΀͹͸ ̙sms only) Email ËÒË×ÏÐßÖ˲ÙÑÌß̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

HEALTH OUR PRIORITY...

L-R: Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker; Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR; and the Special Adviser on Communication, Hon. Remmy Hassan, at Governor's Press Briefing on taming Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Osinbajo, Gowon, Appeal to Leaders to Exhibit Humility Victor Ogunje ÓØ ÎÙ ÕÓÞÓ Nigeria's Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, as well as some servinggovernorshaveappealed to Nigerian leaders to always exhibit decorum and humility while presiding over the affairs of the people for national unity and cohesion.

The prominent Nigerians said humility in governance elicits stability and remove frictions between the leaders and the led for economic prosperity.

They spoke in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday, during the dedication and consecration of SaintPeterAnglicanChurchultra modern auditorium donated to AnglicanCommunionbyalegal Icon, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

Speaking during the church service marking the dedication , Vice President Osinbajo commended Olanipekun for dedicatinghislifetoGodthrough the donation.

The number two man said: "David was the most favoured inthehistoryofmankinddespite

not being a saint of any kind.

"If you read your bible, God described David as a man after His heart. Even while trying to describe Jesus, they referred to him as a son of David. But why was David so favoured? Some saidbecause hesanganddanced for God, but that is not the case, it was becausehebuiltatabernacle for God. "So, when this smart lawyer (Olanipekun) told me a year ago that he was building a house for God, I considered him a wise man.And as youare doing this, the mind and heart of

Ajumogobia, Others Call for Petroleum Sector Reforms Charles Ajunwa

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), has called for the speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), warning that continuous delay is negatively affecting Nigeria’s efforts to attract investment in the sector and also ensure optimal management of the country’s oil and gas resources.

Mr. Ajumogobia made the call when he led a delegation of the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) to the House of Representatives, to seek for collaboration with the lawmakers on the need to hasten the passage of all outstanding bills concerning the nation’s oil and gas industry.

Ajumogobia who is the Chairman of ExpertsAdvisory Panel of theNigeriaNaturalResourceCharter (NNRC), a non for profit policy institute that has been at the fore front of calls and advocacy on the needtoreformNigeria’spetroleum sectorandimprovetheinvestment climate, pointed out that existing

legal framework which confers such enormous powers on the MinisterofPetroleumResourcesis not in the best interest of the sector.

Hesaidthatthedelayinthepassage of the PIGB has hampered Nigeria’s oil and gas resources full maximisation. According to him, Nigeria needs better oil and gas management and only a legal framework can help achieve that.

Responding, the Speaker of the HouseofRepresentatives,Rt.Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, promised that the 9th National Assembly see issues concerning petroleum sector reforms as priority and that both the Senate and the House are in sync on the need to move the sector forward especially as the presentadministrationisworking towards improving the country’s investment rating and business environment.

The NNRC used the opportunity to present their flagship report,theBenchmarkingExercise Report (BER) for 2019 which was launched last week inAbuja. The BER, which is a biennial report on

the developments within the oil and gas industry, is regarded as the most incisive well-researched findings that recommend best practice.

Speakingontheneedfordeeper sector reforms, Ms Tengi GeorgeIkoli, Programme Coordinator, NNRC, said that with the rate neighbouring countries are discovering crude oil and gas, if Nigeria keeps procrastinating, investorswillhavenooptionthan to seek for alternative investment elsewhere, leaving Nigeria.

She added that that is why the Benchmarking Exercise Report is very important for stakeholders in the industry to use it as a guide in engaging relevant authorities.

The NNRC used the opportunity of the visit to the House of Representatives to engage the Clerks of the National Assembly on their roles in improving the management of Nigeria’s oil and gasresourcesforthebenefitsofthe people, noting that improving the nation’s investment climate is a collective responsibility.

God will always attend to your supplications .

"You have filed so many briefs and won many cases, but this edifice you donate for God is the best brief because it is filed for God," Osinbajo stated.

TheformerHeadofState,Gen. YakubuGowon,saidOlanipekun started fighting for the rights of the people since his university days at the University of Lagos in the 70s, saying that agitation had groomed him ahead for leadership. Gowon said: "as a student, Olanipekun was attacking my government when

I was the military Head of State.

He was fighting for the students as a leader, so his contributions to the growth of humanity now that he has become a successful lawyerisnot surprising."Waxing philosophicalinhiscontributions, Olanipekunsaid:"Withthisdonation , I will be more humble. I Will never serve any other god except the living God. I stand on this pulpit to tell you that I don't belong to any secret society. The secret of my life is God." Olanipekun advised wellmeaning Ekiti Indigenes to comehomeandcontributetothe

development of the state, saying Governor KayodeFayemialone can't fix all the problems.

"Staying in Lagos,Abuja and watch from afar without coming around won'tsolveourproblems at home. When we die, what shall we be remembered for?"

He queried .

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Governor Fayemi, described the donor as an "epitome of humility, decency, compassion and hardwork and competence,"whohasdoneEkiti proud in his chosen career and conduct .

FG Orders Police to Immediately Unseal Peace Corps Office Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has directed Police to without further delay unseal the Corporate Head Office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) located in Jabi District of Abuja.

The directive is to ensure that the Force comply with two separate orders of the Federal High Court,Abuja, on the police to vacate the Peace Corps office where they have been laying siege since 2017.

Only few months ago former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) andConvener#RevolutionNow Protest, Omoyele Sowore were released from custody following a similar directive to the Department of State Service (DSS) by Malami.

The letter dated February 27, 2020 and signed by the Director, Public Prosecution of the

Federation, Mr. Mohammed Diri on behalf of the AGF noted that the police cannot continue to lay siege over the premises since there is no pending appeal against the federal High Court judgmentswhichorderedpolice to allow the Peace Corps access the office.

Justice John Tsoho had in 2018 halted the trial of the National CommandantofthePeaceCorps ofNigeria,AmbassadorDickson Akoh in the 13-count alleged criminalchargesbroughtagainst him by the Nigerian police, following the passistent refusal of policetoopenthecorporatehead office of the Corps sealed up since February 28, 2017 during its official inauguration inAbuja.

Delivering ruling in the motion on notice brought against police by Akoh, the court held that police as an institution established by law must not be seen breaking laws and disregarding courtordersandjudgmentswith inpuunity.

In the ruling that lasted about 30 munites the court said that it was wrong of police to have chosentodisobeytwojudgments of the court which directed it to unseal the office in the past one year.

ItwouldberecalledthatJustice Gabriel Kolawole before his elevation to the Court of Appeal had in a judgment on the enforcement of fundamental human rights ordered police to unseal the corporate head office of the corps on the grounds that the action was unlawfull, illegal and breach of the fundamental right of peace Corps members to own property.

The judge awarded N12.5 million against police and in favour of Akoh and 49 others over their unlawful arrest and detentionbypolice.JusticeTsoho inanotherjudgmenthadordered police to vacate the offce of the organisation on the grounds that the presence of police in the office was against the law.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 29, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Niger Delta Ministry, NDDC Merge In Brief Devt Agenda for Oil Communities

Ugwuanyi Reconstitutes ESUT Council

Emmanuel Ugw in Umuahia Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs yesterday said that it was determined to collaborate with all stakeholders to remove every obstacle to the development of the oil bearing region of the country.

Minister of State in the ministry, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura stated this in a keynote address he presented at the peace, security enlightenment

and sensitisation programme held at Okeikpe in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.

He said that the expected transformation of the Niger Delta region "cannot be singlehandedly achieved by any one organisation, individual or agency," hence the need for collaboration and synergy.

He announced that both the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta

Development Commission (NDDC) would not work at cross purposes since they have a common agenda of fast tracking development of the Niger Delta.

To this end Senator Alasoadura stated that the ministry "will implement programmes to harmonise the existing Niger Delta Action Plan of the Ministry and the Niger Delta Mandate of NDDC into a single development agenda."

According to him, the

FOR UNITY AND PROGRESS...

L-R: Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi displaying the 20th National Sports Festival Torch of Unity after receiving it at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday. With him are his Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Vitus Okechi (left) and the South East Zonal Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, EDO 2020, Jane Owoh

process would ensure robust participation of the people from oil producing areas with effect from 2020 fiscal year.

"We will continue to create more opportunities and fora that will facilitate and stimulate the enabling environment for fruitful partnership and act responsively within our mandate for the common good of the people," he said.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu represented by his deputy, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, said that despite the restiveness that has characterised oil communities the oil producing areas of Abia have been an exception.

"Our youths have been patient and understanding," he said, adding that the peaceful disposition of Ukwa youths has made easy the jobs of the Niger Delta Ministry in fostering peace and stability in the area.

He called for compensation of Abia's oil communities for their peacefulness and urged the NDDC "to come and tidy up" ongoing projects in Abia.

The permanent secretary in the Niger Delta Ministry, Olusade Adesola said that the enlightenment programme with the theme, 'Dialogue, a Panacea for Peace and Development' was part of the proactive measures to promote peace, stability and security in the Niger Delta region.

Earlier the chairman of Ukwa West Local Government, Chief Sylvanus Nwaji, commended the ministry for taking "a good step in the right direction" by organising the peace dialogue.

He asked the ministry to attend to the needs of oil communities of Ukwa by completing the Niger Delta Housing Estate, skills acquisition centre and the Owaza - Obehie - Azumini Ukanafor road dualisation project.

‘A Quarter of Nigerian Population May Suffer Mental Illness in their Lifetime’ A quarter of the population of Nigeria, translating to about 50 million people, may suffer from mental illness in a lifetime, a consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Ibrahim Mshelia, has said.

Mshelia, who is a consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri, said the growing rate of violence crimes, including insurgency, armed banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, among other had led to increase in mental health cases across the country.

There has been increased violence in every part of the country, with kidnapping in the southern parts of the country and armed struggle, particularly insurgency and banditry, in parts of the north. Many citizens have had to flee from troubled regions to other parts of the country or even seek refuge in foreign land.

One such pathetic case was that of the family of Edwin Osara who had to flee to Kaduna in the northern part of Nigeria from the southern part of the country to save his sick daughter, Deborah Osara from female circumcision promoted by his extended family,

but only to be attacked and left in the pool of blood by raging Boko Haram.

Osara, who was hospitalised for three months after recovering from gun injuries and trauma, subsequently fled with his equally traumatised family to United States.

Osara, is not the only one that has to flee from violence in the North, many in Maiduguri have had to leave the town including journalists with Ibrahim Yahaya, who was with Daily Trust asking to be deployed to Lagos after his family was left traumatised with spate of Boko Haram attacks in the troubled town.

For Osara and Yahaya, they are among the lucky ones, but many others have members of their families killed, one businessman, Sunday Abdullahi, who had earlier fled Maiduguri at the peak of the insurgency was compelled to come visiting his family when the communication network were down. He was shot with one of his sons in his living room by Boko Haram and the rest of the family left traumatised.

Dr. Ibrahim said cases like that

of Osara family are prevalent in the country especially in the Northwest which includes Kaduna.

The consultant said a study

by A.O. Busari (2014) conducted in North-western part of Nigeria

showed a prevalence of psychotrauma of 33.6 per cent -62.5 per cent among the participants, lamenting that, “with the increase of traumatic experiences this figure is expected to be higher.�

Police Arrest Two Suspected Ritualists in Ondo James Sowole in Akure The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two men suspected to be ritualists at Idoani in Ose Local Government Area of the state.

The arrested men are Idris Sule, 50, who was said to be farmer and another man simply identified as Alhassan, who was said to be an Alfa.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, who disclosed the arrest of duo, said police recovered from the suspects, a human skull and two arms badly roasted.

Joseph, however, debunked stories trending on the Social media that the PPRO said investigation has commenced on the incident adding that details would be given

later.

Joseph debunked the stories trending on Social media that a man of God was caught with 17 fingers, human skull and some parts of human being in Akure and also that operatives of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ondo have arrested and attacked another footballer at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area.

The PPRO, who described the stories as imagination of authors that wanted to hoodwink the reading public.

He said no such incidents happened at Alagbaka area of Akure, the state capital and at Ore in the state.

The PPRO advised people to always crosscheck their facts before publications.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, yesterday, reconstituted the GoverningCounciloftheEnuguStateUniversityofScienceandTechnology Ě™ ĚšËœ ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă Ë› ĂœĂ™Ă?Ë› ÙÎĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂŁ Ă‘ĂĄĂ?ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă˜Ă‹Ă’ Ă‹Ă?

Pro-chancellor and Chairman. In a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, the governor also approved the appointment of Lady Jane Nnamani, Dr. Nicholas Onyebuchi Agbo, Prof. Ă?ÓÞË Ă‘ĂŒĂ&#x;Ëœ ĂœĂ™Ă?Ë› Ě™ Ă˜Ă‘ĂœË›Ěš Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă– äĂ?Ă&#x;Ă‘ĂĄĂ&#x;Ëœ Ă‘ĂĄĂ? Ă—ĂŒË› Ă‹ĂĄĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‘Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ&#x;äĂ&#x; Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă Ë› ĂœË› ĂœË› Ă•Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x; Ă˜Ă“Ëœ Ă‹Ă? Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Council of ESUT. Aroh added that members of the council, pursuant to the first schedule, statues 5 and 10 of ESUTLaw CAP 74 OF Enugu State 2004 (as amended) also include theVice Chancellor of the University, two persons appointed by the University Senate from among members of the institution’s Senate, one person appointed by the congregation from among members of the congregation and one person appointed by the convocation, from among members of the convocation.

NDE Recruits 2,200 Youths

Nofewerthantwothousand,twohundredunemployedschoolleavers, widowstheVulnerablesarecurrentlyengagedbytheNationalDirectorate ofEmployment(NDE)fortrainingunderthedirectorate’sVocationalskills acquisitionandschool-on-wheelsprogrammeinOsunState.TheNDE DirectorGeneral,DrNasirMohammedLardandisclosedthisyesterdayin Oshogbo,throughMallamIsmailYekeen,NDEOsunstateCoordinatorat theceremonymarkingthecommencementoftheTrainningprogramme.

Accordingtohim,theVocationalskillsacquisitiontraining,comprisesof differenttrades,basedonthechoicesandpreferencesoftheprospective trainees,whiletheSchool-On-Wheelsschemewhichisbeinghostedby theOriadeLocalGovernmentofOsunState,ismorespecialisedscheme involving trades such as, hair dressing, knitting, bag making, and metal fabrication.

KUST Suspends New Registration Fees

KanouniversityofScienceandTechnology,(KUST)Wudilhassuspendedthe implementation of the upward review of the registration fees and charges.

The new fees earlier fixed to take effect from the present 2019/2020 academic session is now put on hold for exigencies reasons. In a statement signed by head of information and public relations unit, Sa'idu Abdullahi Nayaya, noted that the decision to suspend the increment was reached by the university's senate at its 94th council meeting held on Thursday. The release noted that the management decision also followed the intervention of the visitor of the university and Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who pledged to argument the shortfall in the registration fee.

NGO Decries Lack of Free Legal Services A non governemental organization (NGO), Access to Justice has decried the dearth of free legal service providers among legal practitioners to underprivileged persons who need them. Deji Ajare, a project director for the group stated this during a two day capacity building workshop in Awka, Anambra State on the anti-torture act and draft rule that guides the implementation; an even held for legal practitioners, civil society organizations and the media. Ajare who was also a resource person at the workshop, while speaking on the topic; the challenges of providing free legal services to the poor, said lack of lawyers who offer pro bono services was part of the reason there are too many awaiting trial victims in our correctional centered today. He emphasized that if more lawyers offered free legal services to underprivileged persons, awaiting trial in most correctional centers across the country, the problem of congestion in correctional centres would be a thing of the past.

Ex-Commissioner,OthersDefecttoAPC

A former commissioner for Information during the administration of Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?Ăœ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă™Ăœ Ă&#x;ÕÙÖË Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ă•Ă“ Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ëœ Ă™Ă—ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ™ĂŁĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ hundreds of his teeming supporters in the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) have defected from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state. The event which took place at Okerimi- Oro in Irepodun Local Government Council Area of the state was attended by the leaders of the APC in the state. Among those in attendance include the KwaraSouthSenatorialChairmanofAPC,Hon.OlayemiOlabanji,theDeputy Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞËĂ?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ÞËÞĂ? Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă™ĂœËœ ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;ÕÙÖË Ă‹ĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ëœ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? of the House of Assembly representing Irepodun Constituency in the state Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ–ĂŁËœ Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă‹ĂŁĂ™ åÙÎÓÔÓ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ë› ĂĄĂ™Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ“ Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă‹Ă› representing Share/Oke Ode Constituency among others. Addressing the crowd at the event in Okerimi- Oro, Comrade Duntoye said that, "Ordinarily, we are not people who jump from one party to another but after a critical review of this administration and with the obvious steady growth and development being experienced from this progressive and people oriented administration, we are left with no other choice than to dump the PDP for APC in the state so as to join hands with the state Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq to move the state forward in the interest of Kwarans. Our ideology has always been Kwara first."

Abuja hosts Dubai Tourism Road-Show

WiththegoalofpromotingDubaiproductsandservicestoAfricantourists, Dubai’s Department ofTourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism)kickedoffitsDubaiTourismWestAfricaTradeshowinNigeria withaone-dayeventinAbujaonWednesday,26thFebruary,2020.The road-show which took place at Edmund's Multi Purpose Event Centre, Wuse2,Abuja,hadover50companiesfromthetourismindustryincluding Airlines,Hotels,Destinationmanagementcompaniesandentertainment providersinparticipation.Itwasanopportunityfortherelevantstakeholders inthetravelindustrytonetwork,interactanddevelopsolidpartnerships withkeytradepartnersinNigeria.Theeventwhichrecordedaturnoutof over 400 attendees, consisted of breakout network sessions, partner presentations, one-to-one meetings, an education session and Dubai ExpertcertificationsandabriefingupdateonExpo2020. Speakingat theevent,H.E.Dr.FahadAlTaffaq,theAmbassadorofUnitedArabEmirates toNigeria,revealedthatin2019,Dubaiannouncedthatarecord-breaking 16.7millioninternationalguestsvisitedtheEmirate,representinga5.1 percentyear-on-yearincreaseincomparisonto2018.

9

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29 2020

Abacha Loot: Situating the U.S. Anger Correctly

L

ast Sunday, the media was awash with reports that the federal government had denied entering into any agreement to pay the Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, or any other third party, $100 million from funds recovered from the family of the late Nigerian head of state, General Sani Abacha. According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the Nigeria government remains committed to working with the United States and other countries to recover the country’s assets stashed abroad.

Malami said: “It is pertinent to recall at this juncture that prior to the 2020 agreement with the United States and Island of Jersey; the federal government signed an agreement for the return of over $300 million in 2017, which was effectively deployed for the purpose for which it was agreed to be applied without any issue of reputation.

The FGN is also negotiating the recovery of assets from several countries and the agreements for the recoveries and the procedure for recoveries are always presented to Federal Executive Council for approval and duly made public once the processes have been concluded. No third-party interest was captured in the Council memo that was approved by the Council.”

The red flag raised by the United States over the alleged planned payment of $100 million to a 3rd party, has nothing to do with the $308 million forfeited Abacha loot, for which an Asset Recovery Agreement was recently signed with the government of Jersey and the U.S. According to the treaty, the $308 million will be used to expedite work on three major infrastructures i.e. Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Abuja – Kano Expressway and the Second Niger bridge. The red flag also has nothing to do with the $300 million returned to Nigeria in 2017, which the Buhari government said it utilised for social safety for Nigerians.

The red flag raised by the U.S. has to do with additional funds traced to Bagudu. Malami admitted that the USA and the Bagudu family had been in court since 2014 over assets already rescinded under a 2003 agreement. He said the matters are to be determined by courts in the United Kingdom and the U.S., adding: “The Bagudu family assets in contention, which constitute a distinct and separate cause of action, do not have anything to do with the assets already recovered and being recovered under the Abacha 2014 non-prosecution agreement.

It is, therefore, mischievous and pedestrian for anyone to seek to turn the law and the facts on its head on the matter of repatriation, whose terms are clearly spelt out and agreed among the parties.”

Malami did not fully address the issues being raised by the U.S. government. The red flag evidently has nothing to do with assets already recovered. Now, here is the truth that must be told. Back in 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) initiated a forfeiture action against a host

of assets, including four investment portfolios, held in London in trust for Bagudu, and his family. This is according to U.S. district court filings. The United States is seeking forfeiture of over $177 million from Bagudu. It is raising a red flag in connection with this, by accusing the Nigerian government of planning to pay Bagudu €98.5 million (about $100 million) from this $177 million.

How and why? According to the court filings, despite the forfeiture action initiated by the U.S., following a request by the Nigerian government in 2003, “Buhari’s government says it can’t assist the U.S. because it’s bound by a settlement Bagudu reached with the administration of then-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.” According to a December 23, 2019 memorandum by U.S District Judge, John D. Bates, in Washington D.C., under the terms of that accord, which was approved by a U.K. court, Bagudu returned $163 million of allegedly laundered money to the Nigerian authorities, which in exchange dropped all outstanding civil and criminal claims against him “stemming from his involvement in government corruption”. That meant “Nigeria renounced any interest whatsoever” in Bagudu’s trust assets, including those the U.S. is attempting to recover for our country, the memo stated.

Bagudu allegedly successfully sued Nigeria for violating the 2003 settlement and the U.S. is now claiming that the Buhari administration reached a new agreement with him in 2018, according to the court filings in Washington. That would allegedly result in the transfer of ownership of the investment portfolios, worth €141 million ($155 million) to the Nigerian state, which would then pay €98.5 million to Bagudu and his affiliates, according to Bates’ December 23 opinion. The funds are currently restrained by the U.K. at the request of the U.S. According to the U.S., the Nigerian government claims the updated 2018 agreement with the Kebbi governor, which requires court approval in the U.K., will “curtail and mitigate its looming exposure” from the judgment in Bagudu’s favour. The American DoJ alleged that the Buhari’s administration submitted the 2018 deal to the U.K. court last September to support its application to unfreeze the assets so they can be sent to Nigeria. The court is yet to make a decision.

The U.S. is further claiming that the Buhari administration is saying a 17-year-old agreement entitles Bagudu to the funds and prevents Nigeria from assisting the U.S., according to filings by the US DoJ, at the District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, United States.

The DoJ alleged that Bagudu, 58, was part of a network controlled by Abacha that “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria.”

Matthew Page, an associate fellow at London-based Chatham House and former Nigeria expert for U.S. intelligence agencies said: “This case illustrates how complex and

“The United States has asked the government of Nigeria to withdraw litigation it has instituted in the UK that hinders the U.S. effort to recover these additional funds for the people of Nigeria.” contentious repatriating stolen assets to Nigeria can be. Instead of welcoming U.S. efforts, Nigeria’s lawyers appear to be supporting the interests of one of the country’s most powerful families.”

A visibly angry U.S. government remarked in a February 3, 2020 statement issued by its DoJ: “In addition to the more than $308 million forfeited in Jersey, the Department of Justice is seeking to enforce its forfeiture judgment against approximately $30 million located in the UK and over $144 million in France. The United States is also continuing to seek forfeiture of over $177 million in additional laundered funds held in trusts in the name of Abacha associate, Bagudu, the current governor of Kebbi State, and his relatives as beneficiaries. The United States has asked the government of Nigeria to withdraw litigation it has instituted in the UK that hinders the U.S. effort to recover these additional funds for the people of Nigeria. The United States entered into the trilateral agreement to repatriate the Jersey assets because of its longstanding commitment to recover asset for the benefit of those harmed by grand corruption and because of the important safeguards embodied in the agreement.

“This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section working in partnership with the FBI. Through the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement agencies seek to safeguard the U.S. financial system from criminal money laundering and to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Where appropriate and possible, the department endeavors to use

Ibrahim Gaidam’s Prickly Boko Haram Story

Gaidam

It was so depressing watching the APC Senator representing Yobe East, Ibrahim Gaidam, saying that many Boko Haram terrorists “are willing to lay down their arms but are afraid of the consequences of their action.” He said numerous members of the group had defected and many more are willing to repent if given a window of opportunity.

Gaidam added: “There is the need for a more strategic and comprehensive approach to entice those members of the group, who after realising the futility of the course they are pursuing, have eventually decided to voluntarily lay down their arms and chose the path of peace.” These bloodthirsty terrorists are evidently not interested in amnesty, except Gaidam knows what we don’t know. The facts on ground don’t support this. In the last five years, Boko Haram has intensified attacks on innocent Nigerians and the military, killing thousands of people.

Perhaps, this former governor is one of

those with access to the terrorists. He is unaware that the military achieved virtually nothing with its own rehabilitation programme for captured terrorists.

This former governor of Yobe State, who proposed a bill for the education, deradicalisation, and rehabilitation of “repentant insurgents,” in the Senate last week, added salt to injury when he said the victims of Boko Haram were already being taken care of by the North East Development Commission. Haba! Which commission?

Over a million IDPs are wallowing in abject poverty and hunger in camps across the North-east, yet, Gaidam says they are being well taken care of.

Obviously, this former governor of Yobe State lacks ideas on how to end Boko Haram insurgency. Deradicalisation and rehabilitation can only come after the Boko Haram leadership and its members have been degraded. We can’t put the cart before the horse. The government must do the needful by degrading the terrorists.

recovered corruption proceeds to benefit the people harmed by acts of corruption and abuse of public trust.”

These are the questions Malami should address: Did the Nigerian government institute litigation in the UK, hindering the U.S. efforts to recover these additional funds for the people of Nigeria? Did the Nigerian government get a memo from the United States’ DoJ, asking it to withdraw litigation it has instituted in the UK that hinders the U.S. effort to recover these additional funds? Was there any judgment in Bagudu’s favour in the UK? Did the Nigerian government sign an updated agreement with the Kebbi governor in 2018, which it said would curtail and mitigate its looming exposure from the judgment in Bagudu’s favour? Did the Nigerian government, at any point, tell the U.S. government that it could no longer assist the U.S. to recover the fresh funds traced to Bagudu because it is bound by a settlement Bagudu reached with the Obasanjo administration in 2003? Did the Nigerian government submit a 2018 deal with Bagudu to a U.K. court last September to support its application to unfreeze the assets so that they can be sent to Nigeria?

These are the pertinent questions awaiting Malami’s response. I sincerely hope that he would respond appropriately this time around.

A Word for Babagana Zulum

Zulum

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, believes Nigeria needs 100,000 more soldiers to win the war against Boko Haram.

He suggested at least 50,000 of the recruits should come from his Borno State, irrespective of whether or not they have western education, to prosecute the ongoing war against terror. My dear Zulum, modern warfare has gone beyond drafting thousands of troops against the enemy.

Zulum is still living in Stone Age. He is unaware that modern warfare is largely technology and intelligence-driven. Proper funding is also vital.

Those managing this war against Boko Haram have also lost touch with modern warfare.

Well, our gallant soldiers are doing their best against Boko Haram but lack the capabilities to end the war. Borno governor and other leaders in this state should help push my contemporary and pragmatic submission on how to end the war: We must hire the best brains from anywhere in the world to assist our military to end this war. The ultimate aim is to decapitate Boko Haram. The strategy for getting result against Boko Haram is largely through aerial power.

Technology, intelligence, quality equipment and quality manpower will also be needed. It requires quality fighter jets and quality armoured attack helicopters. Our gallant military lacks the competence and equipment for these. So, our President must hire Israeli, South African or Russian mercenaries to finish this war. This is the only way forward. I hope Zulum will read this and put pressure on Buhari to do the needful.

10

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

SUPER SATURDAY Anita Joseph and MC Fish

HottestLovebirdsinTown Nollywood actress, Anita Joseph, has tied the knot with her man, comedian/actor, Michael Fisayo (MC Fish). It seems this actress and mother of one might have found lasting love at long last, with the manner she has been going about celebrating. Well, only time will tell, as not many would want to cast their hopes on a lifetime romance, given Anita’s controversial lifestyle, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

I

Anita and MC Fish

n this part of the world, where celebrity marriages have become a burning issue and is perceived to be jinxed, of what purpose would it be to be celebrating one? Most of them are consummated on the altar of love, and love as it is, seems to elude a number of them, owing to “irreconcilable differences” and the nature of their jobs. However, a couple of them have been able to join the lucky ones who find sustainable love and settle down.

On Friday February 14, 2020, it was the turn of feisty Nollywood actress, Anita Joseph, as she tied the knot with comedian, Michael Fisayo, in Lagos.

The actress and her man, MC Fish, as he is popularly known, tied the knot on that special day which was Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate love. To Anita, “We decided to get legally married on Valentine’s Day because we are in love with love. My husband gave me the liberty to choose the date because it is generally believed that the wedding is for the woman.”

Prior to exchanging their wedding vows, while celebrating her on her birthday on January 4, 2020, the lover boy, wrote on Instagram; “Happy birthday Anita A lot of people think they knew but they don’t, you are misunderstood, misquoted and sometimes taken for granted but these people can’t do half of what you do in a day. You’re a hardworking mother, business owner and actor. You’re rare gem, a star that will always shine, who knows her roots and does her job diligently. Sometimes, the way you selflessly put others before you never ceases to amaze me. You are a treasure and anyone who’s lucky to have you as a friend knows this. So I say happy birthday to you my sunshine. I love you so much. May God bless you and grant you all your heart desires IJN. Amen.”

Anita responded saying “Awwww my love, amen to your prayers, and I love you deep my king.” The show of affection did not end there. Her man had something up his sleeves. More surprises were to follow on that day as she turned 35. Her man surprised her with a live band and cakes while the actress was out and about.

Still on the wedding, after tying the knot, Anita made sure to share several loved up photos with her husband to the joy of her fans online. The case is not any different even now that they have been married for almost two weeks. The film star even posted more photos from their wedding on Instagram as she spoke on when they met and how their relationship has been since then.

The mother of one may have found lasting love at long last, only time will tell. However for months now, ever since they met, and to the time leading up to their union, hardly a day passes without the curvaceous actress hinting or posting pictures or comments relating to their relationship as she flaunts the man, MC Fish, on her social media space. Lanky Michael Fisayo is a hype man, an actor and a host.

For those who have been following the escapades of the Anambra State indigene on social media, her wedding to MC Fish is seen as a joke taken too far. But for Anita, her smiles have not ceased since June 8, 2017, when she met her man. She explained further

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

11

SUPERSATURDAY Hottest Lovebirds in Town

that they had lived a blissful life together and almost forgot that they were not married. The actress wrote: “This smile has never ceased since 8th June 2017, and it will remain that way forever because our union is Strong oh!

Our meeting was divine and magical... and from that moment our story began.

“At a point, we forgot we were not even married. E too sweet us so we just say make we kuku do am for ndi umu nna na umunne. @realmcfish Jehovah will shock you with blessings my husband. He will bless your bread and water. You will hype all over the world.

Your microphone is blessed, your voice is sanctified, and you’re amazing. Your talent will take you to places and doors of favour s will be opened unto you pappy.”

On his part, Fisayo had earlier in a chat revealed why he loves Anita and why he is making her his wife: “Yes, the only special woman in my life is Anita Joseph, she is a Nollywood actress.” When asked if he’s not afraid to settle down with an actress, the fast rising comedian said: “No, I’m not scared at all. I believe it’s not about what the person does; it’s who the person is. My woman fits all the criteria.

“I understand it’s her job, so whenever she is acting, or even doing lovemaking scene thing, I will just sit back and watch my baby girl do her thing because I know she is acting. It’s not the real thing, it’s her job, we are both entertainers and we have understanding. Anytime I watch her movies and she does the sexy things, I would say ‘babe you need to do that for me too, we should try it tonight’ so it’s usually like that, that is how I’ve been able to cope, and we are both happy.”

The controversial screen diva, who never shies away from strutting her massive backside, for sure would

miss her freedom and that begs the question now the status quo has changed… As much as she appears happy to be off the single ladies market, she would miss uploading videos of herself showing off her voluptuous boobs in a bathtub. One of the things she would miss most about being single is her twerking videos.

She confessed, “I’ll miss my twerking videos. My husband does not like them. He once told me, ‘Your body is massive and you’re the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever seen. Please don’t twerk anymore. However, I twerk in the room these days.”

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ͺ΁˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

RELATIONS BETWEEN EUROPE AND AFRICA Africa and Europe need a strong partnership to tackle the key challenges of today, writes Ursula von der Leyen

T

he European Union and Africa are longstanding strategic partners, whose prosperity and security are closely interlinked. The partnership between Africa and Europe is finally coming of age and it’s time to take it to a new level.

Africa wants to take its future into its own hands and Europe needs a strong Africa. Our aspirations coincide. We both want to create good jobs, manage human mobility, drive the digital innovation, reconcile economic growth and the environment, and silence the guns in Africa. We are both ready to play our part to achieve these goals.

In the coming months, our two continents will discuss how to turn these aspirations into reality.

(This week) the African Union’s Commission and the European Commission hold the tenth meeting in our history – as the first milestone in a year that can redefine cooperation between our continents, shortly before the EU presents its new comprehensive Africa Strategy. The goal is for both sides to take their cooperation to a new level in the Africa-Europe Summit in October.

Our two continents are changing fast and the world is much more complex, but with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development or the Paris Agreement we have showed that if Europe and Africa join forces we can help shape a better future for the next generations.

We need a stronger partnership to tackle the key challenges of today, be it the green transition or the digital transformation, attend to the aspirations of our youth and fight inequalities.

Economic growth in Africa continues to outperform that of the other continents: Africa will be home to the majority of the world’s fastest growing economies in the coming years. Business environments are improving and the digital revolution is spreading fast: three in four Africans have a mobile phone, and African start-ups attract investment from all over the world. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement could add a multiplying

WITH THE AGENDA 2030 FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OR THE PARIS AGREEMENT WE HAVE SHOWED THAT IF EUROPE AND AFRICA JOIN FORCES WE CAN HELP SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS

effect to all these trends.

We owe it to the future generations to leave them a healthy planet. The future will be green or there will be no future. It depends on our collective ability to stop global warming. No place suffers more than Africa from climate change. European Commission is pushing for bold action inside Europe on all these issues. The European Green Deal will make Europe the first climate neutral continent. But solutions will only be sustainable if they are agreed and shared across continents.

Together we can create an economy that works for the people, boosting investment in strategic sectors and investing in the education and skills our youth need to succeed in the labour market.

We can scale up the use of digital technologies to improve business, health care and service delivery.

And we can do so lowering the carbon footprint in the process. Africa does not have to repeat the same mistakes that other continents did: it can move directly to a new economic model, which is more respectful of the planet and more technologically advanced.

Our cooperation does not start from scratch. Our sister organizations have been working for over two decades. The EU is Africa’s first partner in trade, investment, development assistance and security.

We are working closely together in support of Africa’s initiative to silence the guns by 2020.

Europe has consistently supported African solutions to African problems and has mobilised 3.5 billion euros since 2004 through the African Peace Facility.

This year has to bring about tangible change for Africans and Europeans. The 2020s can be the decade of a new and more mature friendship between our two continents. Together we can build solutions that work for Africa and for Europe alike.

Ms. Ursula von der Leyen is the President of the European Commission.

COPING WITH EXTREME HEAT WAVE Tayo Ogunbiyi canvasses the need to plant trees as a buffer against global warming

T

hough it rained recently in some parts of the country, experts have, however, maintained that the intense heat wave being currently experienced across the country might persist for some time. Trust the social media to trivialize even the most bizarre occurrence. Of late, the extreme heat situation has become a butt of jokes in the social media. Video clips of people intermittently pouring water on themselves as they walk and even drive are now awash in the social media space.

Now, talking more seriously, medical experts have disclosed that excessive heat has damaging effects on victim’s health as it can lead to dehydration-due to excessive loss of water, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and sometimes death.

Among others, critical danger indicators to pay attention to in hot weather include weakness, tiredness, and dizziness, shortness of breath, vomiting and general body disorder.

Experience from across the globe actually validates the reality of the menace of excessive heat. In August 2003, Northern France had a nasty experience of rare extreme heat for over three weeks.

The result was catastrophic as it led to the death of over 15,000 people. Same year in England, over 2,000 people died as a result of a 12-day heat wave.

With the current state of heat wave in the country, one only hopes things won’t become worse. In Lagos, the situation is even more unpleasant as the metropolis

is presently experiencing a protracted heat wave which has ushered in strange hot weather with temperature over and above 32.2c.

Experts have offered useful tips on how to keep abreast of the situation, and a good eating habit, that is effectively complemented with drinking of plenty of hygienic water at intervals, has been acknowledged as quite essential. Naturally, to fight dehydration, the body requires constant supply of water.

Reduction in the intake of caffeinated or intoxicating drinks is also one of the recommended antidotes to the consequences of excessive heat. Also, ensuring good ventilation in residential places as well as regular bathing at nights has been recommended It is, however, important to emphasize that being a direct consequence of the global warming challenge which the entire world is currently contending with, long term solutions as against immediate remedies would be more appropriate and effective in dealing with excessive heat. In this respect, one would like to make a strong case for tree planting.

Trees have been scientifically proven to be very useful as first line of defence in the fight against global warming as they absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, replenish the air with oxygen and also contribute immensely to the aesthetics of the environment.

They also check erosion and stem the

tide of windstorm by serving as wind breakers. On another note, trees are brilliant cleansers. They remove other pollutants through the stomates in the leaf surface. It is considered that trees act as what some call a Carbon Sink, storing the gas in its branches, trunk, leaves, etc. instead of leaving the gas to become free floating and further polluting the atmosphere. In this natural function alone, trees directly reduce the growth of the greenhouse effect and counteract global warming.

Trees also serve the purpose of overall air quality enhancer, and a much needed one at that. They provide natural habitats for many small creatures, and reduce the temperature by providing shade. All in all, a tree is not just a beautiful work of nature standing amongst the many phenomenal picturesque settings of this world; it is a powerful and vital tool for human survival.

Modern science recognizes that without tree manufacturing oxygen, life on earth would have been impossible. As the world concentrates on global warming and its adverse effects on climatic changes, it is imperative that the public be more educated and enlightened on efficacy of trees. Although planting of trees has long been a suggestion to better the earth, there is a desperate need for sustained action at making it not just an annual ritual as it is being practiced in most states of the country

but what everybody, especially land owners, must embrace if we are to take the decisive trend of climate change serious.

According to climate experts, humaninduced global deforestation is responsible for 18-25% of global climate change.

The United Nations, World Bank and other leading non-governmental organizations are therefore encouraging re-forestation and other activities that promote tree planting to mitigate the effects of climate change. Ironically, as simple as tree planting process is, only quite a few pays adequate attention to it this clime. This is not surprising since we are used to waiting for disaster to occur before doing the right thing.

Undoubtedly, tree planting is one of the most valuable tools available to help to provide environmental stability. It is thus in order to optimally key into the reality that governments across the world encourage the culture of tree planting.

Hopefully, in our country, more individuals, corporate bodies, community leaders, religious bodies and NGOs would give sufficient attention to tree planting. In view of the enormous importance of trees to the quality of human life, it would be foolhardy to neglect this simple and less expensive venture that is naturally endowed with life giving aura.

Ogunbiyi is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

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ͺ΁˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Be prepared...

Climate Change and Fire Outbreaks

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lobally, climate change has become one of the most serious environmental challenges facing our planet. It has been a critical issue for quite a long time and stakeholders have been deliberating and devising ways of combating it.

Annual evaluation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that scientists learn more about the consequences of global warming, and many agree that environmental, economic, and health consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue.

It has become a known fact that the prevalence of fossil fuels and its usage such as oil, gas and coal are burned to generate energy, large amounts of the greenhouse gas are emitted into the atmosphere.

Moreover, the emissions of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide increased in the last decades because of intensive agriculture. All these gases allow solar radiation to get through the atmosphere to the earth’s surface but prevent the radiation from returning. This has no doubt resulted to global warming.

Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gases that remain semi-permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as “forcing” climate change. Gases, such as water vapor, which respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are “feedbacks.”

In its Fifth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there’s more than 95 per cent probability that human activities over the past 50 years have warmed our planet. It is believed that for over five decades, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history.

Although this may not be in consonant with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data which show that global averages in 2016 were 1.78 degrees fahrenheit (0.99 degrees C) warmer than the mid-20th century average. It is believed that 17 of the 18 warmest years have occurred since 2000.

The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years. The panel also concluded there’s a better than 95 per cent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous

The Supreme Court is Supreme Again

oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth’s temperatures over the past 50 years.

An overwhelming research has it that extreme heat waves have caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world in recent years. And in an alarming sign of events to come, Antarctica has been losing about 134 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2002. This can speed up if we keep burning fossil fuels at our current pace, some experts say, causing sea levels to rise several meters over the next 50 to 150 years.

Strangely, the climate change has begun to have its impact on the Nigerian environment. It is now a normal scene for fire outbreaks in Nigeria as reported in various national dailies and social media platforms.

Early this year, virtually all the states had their fair share of fire outbreaks in one way or the other which could either be blamed on human errors or natural disaster considering the weather.

January 5th 2020 was a gloomy day in Oyo town, Oyo State as the over 400 years historical market, Oja Akesan got burnt with goods worth millions of naira destroyed.

Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman, Wuye, Abuja

T

he Supreme Court is supreme again. One will not have thought that this refrain will be on the lips of many after a series of assault on the supreme court.

This started over two years again, when the homes of judges were ransacked by a special police crack team and then the judges started to speak in a bit to counter revelations when their home was ransacked. Various luxury items were revealed and people started wondering how did the judges afford these items. A lot of Nigerians became sick like a parrot and doubted the integrity of the court.

Hence when the sledgehammer started to fall on the court judges Nigerians supported the actions; after all they couldn’t vouch for the judges any longer. A lot of people claimed that the initial assault on the judges was just in preparation for a grand political revelation. This revelation was the Walter Onnoghen case and as they say the rest is history.

The supreme court has to restore itself and the barrage of election petitions cases didn’t help. Close to 800 cases inundated the court and the judgement divided a lot of Nigerians. The presidential election petition was one that further heightened the polarity in Nigeria’s polity but the supreme court decision was suspect in many quarters; some claimed the

T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU 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

judges were bribed or threatened but the politicians had a lot to say not reaching a compromise. The PDP called it travesty, the APC called it a triumph for democracy. The supreme court was in the center.

Emeka Ihedioha’s case had opened the floodgates for review, when to his dismay a Hope Uzodinma that came fourth was given a judgement by the supreme court to be sworn in as governor. Also the supreme court made bold pronouncements on the Bayelsa case that favored the PDP and made Douye Diri the Governor on Valentine’s Day after David Lyon had rehearsed a day before. I bet Father Mbaka didn’t see that coming.

After these judgements, a plethora of pleas for review followed. At first, the process of making a case for the review was fought out by television lawyers: the Justice Oputa’s fallibility quote was everywhere to the extent that people thought the legal silk has resurrected.

Then a flurry of pleas for review started to pour in, everybody wanted one. Everybody thought the supreme court was having a yard sale and lawyers were quick to look for bargains everywhere.

At first Emeka Ihedioha’s case was sent in but due to filing it would get a verdict on 2 March.

Then the deputy governor-elect or prior deputy governor tested the nullification of his election due to certificate issues. All the legal big wigs were ready for this; the APC got Chief Wole Olanipekun and Chief Afe Babalola. This was akin to Ronaldo and Messi playing a five aside against Enyimba. But Amina Augie with the big VAR lense called off any onslaught and slammed the lawyers reaffirming the finality of the supreme court. But will this finality continue?

Rufai Oseni,rufai@rufai.com.ng

A Letter Out of Place

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resident Trump’s visit to India ran into a problem with names, specifically that of the two great cricket players Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli whose names he mispronounced. There are many names in the world that are difficult to pronounce but not these two and surely, he would have heard the names before and how to pronounce them. If a name is difficult then a pre-apology, ‘I’m not sure if I am going to pronounce this correctly’ would be a good option. Since it was obvious that he was reading the names syllable by syllable then he should have apologised later.

If an Indian politician had introduced him as President Tramp instead, there would have been a diplomatic incident! I wait to hear his apology.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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1THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

NEWS Wike Splashes N100m on Wakirike Women for Defending Democracy Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

WELCOME ...

L-R: Bishop of Church of God Mission International, Lagos Central, Bishop Sunday Attah; presiding Bishop of Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Margret Benson-Idahosa; and Bishop of Lagos, Church of God Mission, Bishop Matthew Egwowa, during the Apostolic visit of the Archbishop to Lagos Central Bishopric… recently.

Saraki: EFCC Lacks Evidence to Support Demand for Forfeiture of My Buildings Chika Amanze-Nwachuku A former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the final forfeiture of his Ilorin home to the federal government, insisting that the anti-graft agency could not rely on mere suspicion that government money was used in funding the construction of the house in question in obtaining the forfeiture order.

Saraki’s lawyers, led by Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, posited that while the EFCC could rely on mere suspicion in obtaining an interim forfeiture order, the agency should provide concrete evidence and prove beyond reasonable doubt its claims in order to obtain a permanent and final forfeiture order.

Arguing the application before Justice Rilwan Aikawa on Thursday, the former Senate President’s lawyers noted that the EFCC has not produced any oral or documentary evidence of approval, instruction or endorsement by Dr. Saraki to justify the forfeiture order.

The commission had on December 2, 2019 obtained an order temporarily forfeiting the former Senate President’s houses – Plots No. 10 and No. 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin,

Kwara State – to the Federal Government of Nigeria, claiming they were built with funds stolen from Kwara State’s coffers.

Consequently, the Commission has approached the court to make an order for a permanent and final forfeiture of the property.

Arguing the application before Justice Aikawa on Thursday, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo had argued that two Ilorin houses belonging to Saraki, must be forfeited to the federal government because they were built with funds allegedly stolen from the coffers of Kwara State.

The anti-graft agency claimed that it had evidence that Saraki, who was Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011, diverted not less than N10 billion belonging to the state.

According to the EFCC, the sum of N1.09 billion spent on the two Ilorin buildings was part of the N10 billion allegedly stolen by Saraki.

But Saraki’s lawyer, Ogunwunmiju, who vehemently opposed the application, insisted that the houses were built from his legitimate earnings.

The Senior lawyer submitted that N252.2 million out of the N1.09billion used for developing the property represented what Saraki was paid for the development of a five-bedroom apartment, which he was entitled to as a two-term governor

of Kwara State.

Ogunwunmiju drew the attention of Justice Aikawa to the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 of Kwara State, which stipulated that an elected two-term governor of the state was entitled to a fiveand four-bedroomed duplex, respectively, at any location of their choice within Kwara State.

He said rather than allow the state to build the house for him, Saraki chose to collect N252.2 million so he could add money to it to build a house to his taste.

Ogunwumiju further argued that all the exaggerated claims by the EFCC on withdrawal of government money and its use to acquire property were the same claims made before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court between September 22, 2015 and July 6, 2018 when all the courts concluded and gave judgement respectively to the effect that there was no prima facie case established against Saraki.

The senior lawyer further noted specifically that Count 7 of the decided case, which went up to Supreme Court states as follows: “That you, Dr. Olubukola Abubakar Saraki.... (made) various lodgements into your Guaranty Trust Bank account at GT Bank GRA, Ilorin, through your aides as the Governor of Kwara State

and your account officer and which funds you handed over to them in cash at the Kwara State Government House...which were not fairly attributable to your income, gifts or loans...”

The same old story is being repeated by the EFCC before Justice Aikawa at the FHC, Lagos, Saraki’s lawyers noted.

The lawyers also submitted that the EFCC produced no new evidence different from what was presented before the CCT and the appellate courts in 2015 and this amounted to re-opening a case that had been decided up to the Supreme Court. “This is just a case of bringing back through the back door a case they had earlier lost.”

According to Saraki’s lawyers, the claim of transfer of funds belonging to Kwara State Government has no evidential link to the former Senate President as there was no document or instruction or testimony by any witness linking him to any such illegal transfer of money.

“We will like, for emphasis, to state that the fictitious claims

by EFCC of a certain amount being taken from government coffers and deposited by aides have no basis, is totally untrue and a fabricated lie. The agency has not produced any oral or documentary evidence of approval, instruction or endorsement by Dr. Saraki as proof of such act.

Growing Suicide Rate in Nigeria Worries NEPAD, Women Doctors Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The increasing rate of suicide among young people, general inequality in the country and the plight of the physically challenged, yesterday came under the spotlight at the Africa Union Development Agency/ New Partnership for Africa’s Development summit in Abuja.

Speaking during the second ‘Consultative Forum on Sharing Experiences for the Conduct of 2nd Peer Review of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, President, Medical Women International Association (MWIA), Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi, described the situation as worrying and urged

stakeholders to be more supportive of people with mental health issues like depression.

She noted that apart from the role of government, individuals and families must take the growing menace of suicide seriously by encouraging closer family ties. “ Your voices must be heard.

Women can’t be silent when all over the world there’s crisis.

We have to completely get rid of guns and ammunition. We want our own home-grown solutions. Women shouldn’t be given fish or taught to dish.

They can own the lake.

“But there’s also something that is happening in our country

that is very strange. It is the increasing level of suicide in the country. Today there are thousands of people all over the country dealing with mental illnesses. We need to stop trivialising the situation” she noted.

Nwadinobi said that one way of reducing the suicide rate was by mentoring and value reorientation at the family level.

In her remarks, Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator/ Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD, said the meeting, otherwise called ‘The African Peer Review

Mechanism (APRM)’ was set up to brainstorm on some challenges like mental illness, gender inequality and bad governance plaguing the country.

She said: “This is a consultative meeting and interaction with citizens of Nigeria. It is to gather an assessment report of where we were, where we are and where we want to be.

“It is a welcome development where citizens will come up with their opinion and knowledge to add value to the country. It is inclusive governance which is the vision of the present administration.

Every citizen is very important and every opinion counts”

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has instituted a N100 million Empowerment Programme for Wakirike Women from Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas for the roles they played in defense of democracy during the 2019 Elections.

The governor also decried the inability of the country to conduct credible elections after several years of practising democracy.

He spoke yesterday at the Government House Port Harcourt during a Solidarity visit by the leaders and people of Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas.

He said:”It is unfortunate that up till now, we cannot conduct free and fair elections in Nigeria.

“It is unfortunate that the giant of Africa lacks the capacity to conduct credible elections”.

While commending the Wakirike Women for defending the Rivers mandate against the invading soldiers during the last general elections in the state, Wike urged Rivers people to always ensure that their votes count during elections.

“At all times, continue to defend and protect the Rivers mandate”, he said.

He said out of the N100 million meant for the empowerment Programme for the women of Wakirike ethnic Nationality, N50 million has been reserved for Okrika Local Government Area and N50 million for Ogu/Bolo.

He commended Wakirike

people for maintaining peace in the area, saying that his administration would fulfill key developmental pledges to them.

On the Okrika Grammar School, Wike urged the leaders of the area to write to the Anglican Church for the school to be released to the state government for total reconstruction He reiterated his respect for Traditional Rulers, saying that they are under obligation to promote the culture of Rivers people.

“We must always promote our tradition and culture. I have respect for Traditional Rulers. All I say is that we should promote our own culture,” he said.

In an address on behalf of the Wakirike Ethnic Nationality, Senator George Sekibo said they were at the Government House to congratulate the Rivers State Governor on his well deserved victory at the polls.

He praised the governor for the key appointments to Wakirike ethnic Nationality, the projects executed in the area and the recognition/upgraded of Traditional Rulers’ stools of the Wakirike Ethnic Nationality.

He said: “We appreciate the mutual relationship we share in this democratic journey, and wish to remind our Governor of his promises to the Wakirike people during the electioneering campaigns in Okirika and Ogu/ Bolo Local Government Areas”.

He urged the Rivers State Governor to reach out to the Wakirike women who courageously defended Rivers votes, despite the deployment of soldiers.

Unemployment: FG Lauds ITF’s Unprecedented Strides Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The federal government has hailed the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), describing it as one agency that is helping the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to achieve its policy objectives.

Disclosing this in Jos on Friday afternoon, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo observed that a huge number of Nigerians are unemployed and are in poverty. “As a consequence of this, the country has witnessed a rise in insecurity and other social vices. In the face of the absence of white collar jobs, the only feasible alternative is for organisations like the ITF to ensure that their mandates are fully actualised.”

The minister, who was in Jos to commission a modern E-Library complex, a central store, and additional 32-room block at the ITF Staff School, said it was for the laudable mandate of the Fund that he was gratified about the modern library, which according to him will enhance the staff of the fund to effectively carry out the mandate of equipping Nigerians with requisite skills for employability and entrepreneurship.

He assured that the federal government will continue to put such policies in place that will ensure that organisations like the ITF whose activities have direct impact on the life of Nigerians thrive.

Meanwhile, the Governor of

Plateau state, Simon Lalong, who also congratulated the ITF on its giant strides in providing engagements for the teeming unemployed Nigerians, acknowledged that his state had benefitted tremendously from the ITF. He also hailed the efforts of the Director General of the Fund, Sir Joseph Ari. Lalong said: “His efforts have led to the empowerment of thousands of Nigerian youths with cutting-edge skills for entrepreneurship and employability in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy on poverty eradication and wealth creation.

“Here in Plateau State, particularly since the assumption of Sir Joseph Ari as DG, our people have benefited from several phases of the Fund’s flagship skills acquisition programmes such as the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), where over 1000 Plateau citizens were empowerment with skills and start-up kits.

“Most of the beneficiaries are today either earning a living in paid employment, or are successful entrepreneurs who are employing others. Because of the impact of the NISDP, the State Government sponsored additional number of trainees for the programme.

“We shall continue to sponsor such additional numbers for your programmes because I am convinced that skills acquisition is the way to go. We are seeing the results and the multiplier effect is evident.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

15

NEWS

Katsina Has 25,000 Blind Persons, Says Foundation Francis Sardauna in Katsina A United Arab Emirates (UAE) based non-governmental organ-

iSation, Noor Dubai Foundation on Friday revealed that Katsina State has 25,000 blind persons with only four ophthalmologists

‘How We Fight Crime aggressively in Enugu’ The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ahmad Abdulrahman, has restated the Command’s continued readiness to combat crimes aggressively even as he enjoined the people to embrace community policing, Mr. Abdulrahman stated this yesterday during the commissioning of two blocks of nine rooms constructed by the Transition Committee of Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA) at the Divisional Headquarters, Amagunze.

The CP commended the Transition Committee Chairman, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, for recognising and prioritising security of the people and the welfare of the Nigerian Police, noting that it was in tandem with the Governor’s determination to ensure that the people of the State slept with two eyes closed.

“On behalf of the InspectorGeneral of Police and the entire Enugu State Police Command, we are very much appreciative of this kind gesture and commend the Council for adding momentum to our determination to secure lives and property.

“We are going to treasure this building, for to whom much is given, much more is being expected. We want to assure the good people of this local government, the Chairman, who took the bull by the horns,

and the Governor that we will fight crime aggressively throughout this jurisdiction and beyond” he said.

Mr. Addurahman added the secret of effective policing was in working with the people.

“Many have asked me how I was able to beef up security in Enugu State within such a very short time. I told them that I simply worked with the people. Apart from the security apparatus in the state, I extended my hand of fellowship to the grassroots.

That has been my magic wand, nothing extraordinary.

“Community policing is policing simplified and we enjoin the good people of Nkanu East and Enugu State to come closer to the police.

We are getting down to the grassroots to recruit credible persons, who will function as community policing operatives because security is best driven by the people in their own localities.

“They will be providing information and also be advising the police because they know what and who is disturbing them. The police, as professionals, will process and refine the information and nip the problems in the bud. That way, there will be collaboration and cooperation, he added.

Ekiti Sacks Teachers for Molesting Students Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Board of Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission has dismissed the three teachers accused of sexually molesting pupils in their schools.

The teachers include Messrs.’

Ajibola Gbenga and Olaofe Abiodun both of All Souls Grammar School, Ado Ekiti and Mr Olaitan Adeyanju of Osi community High School, Osi Ekiti.

Until their dismissal, the trio were middle level officers in the teaching profession. While Mr Ajibola, a Grade level 12 Officer taught Computer Education, Mr Olaofe, a Grade Level 14 officer was a teacher of Chemistry. Mr Adeyanju on the other hand was a GL 13 officer who used to teach Accounts.

Their dismissal was announced after the plenary of the Teaching service Commission held on Thursday 27th February, 2020.

Speaking on the issue, the TESCOM Chairman, Hon Babatunde Abegunde, in a statement on Friday, stated that the action of the teachers amounted to gross misconduct unbecoming of those entrusted with moulding the destiny of younger ones.

He explained that the

penalty meted out to them was in line with the Public Service Rules and the State Teachers’ Manual.

The Chairman noted that the Commission followed the Due process as llaid down by extant rules to avoid miscarriage of Justice in arriving at its decision. He explained that the erring staffs were first queried and interrogated at the school level before repeating the process at the Commission.

According to the Chairman, the trio appeared before the Commission’s Disciplinary Committee which, after thorough investigation that took it to affected schools and communities, now made appropriate recommendations.

Commenting on the matter, the State solicitor General, Mr. L. B. Ojo, who is a member of the Board of TESCOM commended the management for giving the officers fair hearing and ensuring quick dispensation of justice.

The State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Comrade Odugbesan expressed displeasure on the misconduct of the teachers stating that his union is a disciplined body that would not condone acts of Child molestation and sexual harassment among its members.

spearheading its eye care centre.

Pained by the menace, the charitable organisation in collaboration with the state government, said it had inaugurated a fouryear integrated and sustainable eye care programme to improve quality of life and socioeconomic status of the affected persons.

The representative of the foundation, Dr. Rabiu Mansour, who disclosed this to journalists in Katsina while speaking on the achievements of the programme, said six million Katsina citizens were expected to benefit from the programme within the period under review.

He explained that the foundation, which commenced the programme in October 2019, had so far conducted 1,039 successful cataract surgeries and eye screening for 5,238 patients in Katsina, Daura and Funtua

general hospitals within four months.

He reiterated that 2,313 visually impaired persons had been treated with either medications or eye glasses, six ophthalmologists and optometrists and one optician had been employed to boost efficient service delivery.

“Katsina state has over 25,000 blind people and another 100,000 people with some visual loss, but there are only four ophthalmologists to cater for this population.

Currently only about 10 to15 per cent of eye care services are being covered in the state.

“In line with Noor Dubai Foundation’s new strategic plan, it set up a four- year (2019-2023) integrated and sustainable comprehensive eye care programme in partnership with Katsina state government.

In addition, a Nigerian office

of the Noor Dubai Foundation have been set up in Katsina.

“The programme is aim at improving quality of life and socioeconomic status of people of the state through improved access to quality eye care. It will cost about $2 million with the Katsina state government contributing additional 20 per cent in kind.

“We intend to conduct cataract surgeries for 12,000 people to restore their sights and 37,000 people are to be screened and treated for eye diseases. While 320,000 school children will also undergo eye screening and treatment. And 1,000 people with permanent visual loss will be rehabilitated”, he added.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Yakubu Nuhu Danji, said about 4,000 visually impaired

people were consulted and 2,000 have been treated by the foundation.

While admitting that the state has 25,000 people suffering from blindness, the commissioner said the alliance between state government and the foundation would eradicate the impediment.

He said: “As you are all aware, Katsina state has 25,000 people suffering from blindness and right now we only have four ophthalmologists manning the eye centre we have”.

Danja said the state government had inaugurated an awareness committee to educate the residents, particularly rural dwellers on the need to patronise the eye care centres to prevent them from impairment.

MERITORIOUS AWARD. . .

Media Adviser/Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Mr. Oguwike Nwachuku (left), receiving the award of the Grand Facilitator of Catholic Students in Nigeria, conferred on governor by the President of NFCS (UNIZIK), Mr. Korie Larry (middle) and Secretary of the Group, Precious Nwaeze (right) at the Government House Owerri… yesterday

NIWA to Enforce Regulations on Nigerian Waterways, Says Moghalu Sylvester Idowu in Warri Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu has assured that the agency would henceforth enforce regulations guiding the activities of operators on the nation’s waterways.

He gave the assurance yesterday after inspecting rehabilitated equipment and other facilities at NIWA’s zonal office in Warri,

Delta State.

Moghalu said the agency would enforce the use of permits by boat operators to ensure that worn-out boats were not allowed to operate on the waterways.

Aside that, he disclosed that all boat operators would be licensed after screening to ensure that they were properly trained to move boats on waterways and seas, noting that the measures

were aimed at saving lives of Nigerians who travel by water.

“We are doing the much we can to first of all standardise the process, having a clear data on those who are operating on our waterways,” he said.

The NIWA Chief Executive also disclosed that the agency had begun the clearing of 10,000 km water channels of debris and hyacinths to ease

movement of vessels and boats.

On safety of personnel and passengers, he said NIWA will ensure that nobody boards boats and vessels without wearing life jackets.

Moghalu said the agency had signed a memorandum of understanding with a firm for the provision of life jackets across all waterfronts in the country.

Diaspora Voting Not Achievable, Says Chairman Senate Committee Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Chairman Senate Committee on Diaspora, Non-governmental organisation and Civil Societies, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, has said that diaspora voting being championed in the country may not be achievable in view of many challenges that are accompanying it.

Senator Basiru who represents Osun Central senatorial

district at the National Assembly stated this in Ilorin, Kwara State capital while fielding questions from journalists shortly after presenting his public lecture at the Correspondents’ Chapel of Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin.

The public lecture is entitled, ‘Democracy and Rule of Law’.

He said that, while he is in support of calls for

diaspora voting, it appears more conceptual as challenges accompanying makes it difficult to be realistic.

He added that, “Section 172 of the Nigerian Constitution stipulated that a prospective voter must be registered. It would therefore be infeasible for diaspora to register physically most especially for the legislative elections. Which constituency or ward would their votes be counted for?

He noted that, “Even if they are allowed to vote in the presidential election, what would be the value of their votes? Would the diaspora votes represent addition to required percentage in any state? Or, will such votes be regarded as the 38th State or what?

The lawmaker stressed that, “the issue of data is very important and key to diaspora voting which the country does not have.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

NEWSXTRA

Kano to Introduce Integrated Urban Transportation System Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

PEACE AMBASSADORS...

L-R: Secretary, Rotary Club of Ikeja, Kola Anigioro; immediate Past President, Niyi Adelaja; Guest Speaker, the Vice Consul, US Embassy, Ross Conroy; Vice President, Dotun Lampejo; and past President, Lanre Fasehun, at the celebration of Rotary Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month by Rotary Club of Ikeja, District 9110 at Airport Hotel, Ikeja...recently

The Kano State Government has revealed its plan to introduce modern integrated transportation system in the Kano metropolis.

The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Mu’azu Magaji, said the proposal was in line with the Governor Ganduje’s vision and determination to transform Kano city into a world class city which will be conducive, functional and attractive to investors from around the world.

Magaji made the disclosure yesterday during a media chat in his office, said “At the moment, his Excellency has approved the design and the integration of all the transport projects going on in Kano.

“You may recall that there was a plan of a light rail which would cost about N1.8 billion, and the loan generated controversy in Kano which led to the suspension of the project.

Now we have redesigned that rail and re-scope it to become smaller, fit for purpose, so that it can work side by side with the bus transit scheme,

that’s the BRT,” he said.

The commissioner added that apart from the integration of the light rail and the BRT, the plan also included development of seven terminals across the suburb of the city.

“Basically, every 10 kilimetres outside Kano along Zaria Road, Hadejia Road, Maiduguri Road, Katsina Road, Gwarzo Road and the rest, there will a terminal outside the city which is located at a very critical point where the major entry point into the city is,” he said.

He added that between the 10 kilo metres and the rail terminal would be the BRT operations and there would be modern bus stops along the way, explaining that within the city centre there would be an interchange where people and vehicles would interact.

“There will be modern ticketing, it will be cheaper, it will clean the city, introduce modernity and the routes will be demarcated to ensure that there is order on the road. And in the next two years, Kano will have a modern transport system like you see in the modern cities across the world,” the commissioner has said.

Group Hails Supreme Court’s Decision Deceive Those Who Elected Me to Review Imo Gov Judgement

Lawan: I Vowed Never to President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday disclosed that his foray into partisan politics came with a vow never to deceive those who elected him.

According to the Senate President, his decision to be transparent in his dealings as a lawmaker stems from his determination to deliver effective representation to his people, and by extension in service to the nation.

Lawan stated this during the conferment of a traditional title of Mukaddam of Nguru in Yobe by the Nguru Emirate Council.

“The people of Zone C gave me the opportunity to serve them, and I’ll remain eternally grateful for that opportunity.

“I made a promise when I

entered into politics, or partisan politics in 1998, when I served as Vice Chairman of the All People’s Party (APP) in Yobe.

“But in 1999 when I was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, I promised that I will not deceive the people who elected me.

“I will always tell them the truth, even if it is bitter, and I will do my best at all times to represent them very well.

“I’m still on that, and thank God from my federal constituency, to the larger Yobe North zone C, I have understood my people and my people understand me,” the Senate President said.

After his conferment of the

traditional title of Mukaddam of Nguru by the Emir of Nguru, Lawan disclosed that plans were underway to establish a skills acquisition Centre in Yobe North senatorial district.

He said the move to so do was in line with providing employment to the youths so as to address the surrounding problems of unemployment and insecurity in the state.

“Your Royal Highness, this title will make me work harder during my tenure and after my tenure, because I have to leave at some point.

“But while I serve as Senator representing this senatorial district, I will do everything possible to ensure that the people of Zone C, Yobe

North, get their fair share of federal presence and also opportunities in terms of employment.

“Only two or three days ago, I had discussion with a government parastatal that we are going to establish a skills acquisition centre in Nguru.

“What we want to do with that acquisition centre is to look for our youths, especially those who have nothing to do, train them in tiling, interlocking and so many other things that we have to borrow people from somewhere else.

“When they are trained, we will give them something to work with, that way, the employment and even our security situation will be addressed,” Lawan said.

PDP Chieftain Calls for Abrogation of Archbishop Idahosa Predicts Proposed Repentant Boko Haram Bill Glorious Future for Nigeria Sylvester Idowu in Warri A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke has appealed to members of the Senate to abrogate the proposed Bill for the establishment of an Agency for repentant Boko Haram members.

Reacting to the bill which was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, Yobe East senatorial district on the floor of the Senate last Thursday, Onuesoke said in a statement yesterday that was a waste of fund, time and indirect encouragement of the fight against insurgents if the bill is allowed to exist.

The former Delta State Governorship aspirant argued that whereas victims of the Boko Haram attacks had remained substantially neglected in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps to the evils of rape, hunger, malnutrition and other socio-economic vices, the Senate has turned its attention to providing safe havens for those who maimed and killed.

He described the propose bill before the senate as satanic and unconstitutional, adding that those who declared war against innocent

citizens and participate in genocide are supposed to be rounded up, prosecuted and made to face the full weight of the law.

Onuesoke maintained that whosoever had proposed such a bill to grant amnesty for criminals who killed, maimed, raped and destroyed innocent peoples lives and property, and threw the country into jeopardy must be thoroughly investigated and probably marked as enemies of the state.

He warned that the move to legislate outright pardon of armed terrorists under the guise of de-radicalisation programme could result in creation of more insurgent groups worst than Boko Haram in the short, medium or long term.

“If government cannot cater for the direct victims of the Boko Haram suspects or address a situation where the soldiers that are risking their lives to contain the insurgents are crying over poor welfare package and the Senate is debating how to grant amnesty to the suspects, it speaks a lot about the characters ruling us. Nigerians must be ready to interrogate the intention of the person that sponsored such a bill.

Undaunted by the spate of violence and state of insecurity in Nigeria, Archbishop Margret Benson Idahosa , presiding Bishop of Church of God Mission International declared that Nigeria will be filled with joy in 2025, the Archbishop who made this declaration recently during her first apostolic visit to Church of God Mission NNPC Bishoprics, in Lagos on the occasion of the dedication of Word of Faith Group of Schools said that God’s agenda for Nigeria will stand despite all odds.

Speaking further on the need for Nigeria to brace-up to the nagging challenges facing the polity, she said Nigeria has a glorious future and God will use those he has placed in authority to proffer a lasting solution “ I believe in the team that is winning, and I believe that we are winning in the name of Jesus. What is right today maybe wrong tomorrow. I believe for a government to be there, God knows about it. That doesn’t mean I belong to APC or PDP. I do not belong to any party. I believe in progress.

2025, this country will be full of joy.”

On the dedication of Word of Faith Group of schools; the school founded and established by the C.G.M NNPC bishopric., she

said the dedication of the school is a priority, adding that “Education is the mind of development. Education is civilisation. Any country that looks down on education is ready to be extinct. It is not possible to really expand God’s kingdom without education.

On the proliferation of churches, and the increase in corruption, she warned Christians to beware of false prophets who lead the people astray. “First of all, I want to let you know where there is original, there are always fakes. Those that know the truth will definitely speak the truth. Those that want immediate gratifications must find another way.

Religion is free. Play your own and I am allowed to play mine. But I am telling you, as for Church of God Mission, we believe in God and our motto says: To build men and women into leadership with global passion deeply rooted in Christ. And Christ is the truth. We believe in the truth.”

She noted that it is important that the congregation remains mindful of the year’s theme : ‘Focus on Christ for Productivity’ Explaing that the year’s theme also prompted her visit “This is my first apostolic visit to this particular bishopric.”

Mbaise People’s Congress (MPC), a group of Mbaise Professionals in Imo State, has commended the Supreme Court of Nigeria for their decision to review the judgment delivered on January 14, 2020 on the Imo State 2019 Governorship election which upturned the election of Emeka Ihedioha.

In a statement yesterday, signed by their Director of Publicity and Mobilisstion, Chimaroke Ben Nnaji, the group said, “we appreciate Your Lordships for listening to the cries of the people of Imo State.

“We pray that God the Almighty will endue you with the strength, wisdom, and courage to discharge this responsibility equitably and ensure that justice is done.”

The group further said that people of Imo State and the entire Nigerian electorate are expectant and praying that the desires of justice will be met, while it called on all lovers of democracy and justice all over the world to pray along with them to God Almighty to steer the hearts of the eminent Justices of the Supreme

Court to the path of justice in this matter as they seek to discharge this all important responsibility.

According to the National Predident of Mbaise People’s Congress, Mr. Carl Azudibia Nigerian judiciary has had a distinguished and honourable history and have earned international acclaim, producing some of the most brilliant Justices world over.

He recalled the roles of jurists like Charles Daddy Onyeama, Teslim Elias, Chukwudifu Oputa, Udo Udoma, Kayode Eso, Mohammed Uwais and a host of others who distinguished themselves overtime in the Temple of Justice cannot be over emphasised.

MPC therefore called on the present bench to seize the opportunity of the moment to live up to the legacy bequeathed to and write their names in gold.

“It is our hope that the mandate freely given by the good people of Imo State be restored in the interest of democracy, rule of law and good governance,” the group concluded.

Anambra Wears New Look as 2020 Police Games Begins David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Anambra State is wearing a new look as the 12th Bienial Police Games begins on Saturday, with Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

There are over seven centres around the state where the events will hold, and all is set as lots of beautification across the state.

Our correspondent who moved round the state reports that from Ekwueme Square, the proposed venue of the opening ceremony of the game was all prepped up with colours of the Anambra State and that of the Nigeria Police used to decorate the centre.

According to Force spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, over 5,000 sportsmen and women from across the country, including from various police zones.

Mba said, “This event is a big deal for us. The VP has communicated his intention to be in Anambra for the Force games, and we hope that he will be in the state to flag it off.”

“The games would be held in several centres in the state to give the people a feel of it. The games will hold at Ekwueme Square, Awka, NYSC Orientation Camp, Umuawulu, Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu and Rojenny Sports Centre, Oba, and other places.”

The Force spokesperson said Anambra State was chosen for the games because of the security and safety that exist in the state.

He commended the state governor, Willie Obiano for his good works on security.

Already, it is expected that the state will make lots of economic gains from the event which would last for 10 days.

Plus

FASHION FILE

pg. 20

GLOBAL SOCCER

pg. 29

FAIRGROUND

pg. 36

SHOWBIZFLAIR

pg. 43

Adesunmbo Adeoye I Saw My Parents Live a Life of Contentment and Gracefulness… This Influenced Me Greatly

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

PLUS The Inspiring Change Conference’s journey The “Inspiring Change with Sunmbo Adeoye” initiative was born in 2013, out of my ceaseless desires to support entrepreneurial ideas, through mentorship, advisory services, free training, and capacity building. This initiative, which establishes its vision in two folds, was given the mandate to reach out to the women folks in my community. This, we achieve through the “Esob Heroes Annual Inspiring Change Conference”, a platform where women can interact with leading female entrepreneurs, learn from, and network with those taking the lead in their respective industries. It also helps position for growth, and those striving to take the lead in their respective businesses and careers can be well-informed and empowered.

While the second part is through the “Inspiring Change Deliberately” movement, that seeks to educate the less privileged women in business, and girl child deliberately, with a focus on nation building, through entrepreneurial advancement training, free skill acquisition programmes, mentor meets mentee programmes and Undergraduate Blue Print Boot Camp.

I Saw My Parents Live a Life of Contentment and Gracefulness …This Influenced Me Greatly Whenever the name of Adesunmbo Adeoye crops up,

what readily comes to mind is the “Inspiring Change” conference. Sunmbo is the convener and host of this annual conference, which she uses as a platform to impact knowledge, inspire change and transform the lives of hundreds of men and women. The 7th edition, with the theme, “There is More” is around the corner. This motivational speaker is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and the author of self-help guide titled, “Parenting A Creative Child”, and the soon to be released “Refurbished Book”, a memoir that inspires hope for a fresh start.

Sunmbo is also the Chief Creative Director at Esob Events and founder of Esob Heroes. She shares her dreams, fears and aspirations with Azuka Ogujiuba, as she sets out for her 2020 conference

My motivations over the years Initially, the need to spread the knowledge and privilege of being a “Goldman Sachs Scholar” was my driving force. The many amazing feedback and success stories of our attendees over the years motivate my team and I to keep the event going.

Many times, we have empowered women with cash grants and work tools that gave them hope to scale up and succeed. We also do followups to ensure these women thrive regardless of the threats surrounding their unique businesses and gender inequality. Furthermore, the many success stories and being so strongly affirmed by the ones we selflessly serve, is indeed the highest honour that brings me great joy and hopes for a better future for the Nigerian women and girl child. Annually, we try as much as possible to bring on board women who have been able to bridge the gender gaps in their respective professions dominated by male counterparts. This year, we have put together a diverse panel of leading businesswomen, entrepreneurs from different industries such as entertainment, politics, media, manufacturing, social entrepreneurship, IT and so much more. We aim to inspire and reach out to a more global audience of men and women via our active online engagements during the tweet conference scheduled to hold on Friday, March 6th, 2020 in commemoration of the “International Women’s Day”.

Every year has its very unique vision and this year’s theme being “There Is More”, is specifically focusing on the development of innate skills and talent. That’s why we have a “Girl Talk” session with notable talented female panelists such as Toyin Abraham, who will be sharing from their life’s’ journey, on how they evolved in their gift of being a talent to building a thriving empire that is of global recognition.

Challenges while Inspiring Change One of our major challenges is expanding the reach of the initiative. Over the years, we have had attendees from neighbouring states coming in, to be empowered. Women come from Ilorin, Ibadan, Abeokuta, to name a few, and sometimes from outside the shores of Nigeria. We have only been able to achieve this much due to funds from personal savings and the financial commitments of our families, friends, volun-

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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PLUS Life Comes with Its Curve Balls and Detours… I Appreciate Them All As Lessons

Adesunmbo Adeoye with her family

teers, and dedicated media partners.

However, we understand that there are so many women who need to have access to some of the information and tools shared, and technically, we can only achieve this by taking it to them.

Sometimes, this requires some grassroots effort to pass on the information, many times, there are stumbling blocks in form of human regulatory bodies that try to restrain these empowerment tools from getting to the right hands.

They are grouped as association heads or committees and they pose a huge peril to our goal if we don’t settle their outrageous demands or go by their rules. We are looking to attract the support of corporate bodies and brands with like passion and vision, to enable us to reach out to far more less privileged women in and outside of our current community and beyond.

About ESOB Events and ESOB Heroes Esob Events is an event management and planning company that I founded in 2011, after over a decade of active service in the banking Industry. We plan, style and coordinate all kinds of corporate and social events. Be it an intimate gathering of hundreds or an elaborate celebration with thousands of guests, my team and I deliver a “wow+1” event experience to both our clients and their guests. Esob Heroes, on the other hand, is the training arm of the company that coordinates all our corporate training and social responsibility programmes.

Juggling all of these with being a wife and a mother Firstly, I need to acknowledge the place of God in my life, who empowers and gives me the strength and capacity to sit comfortably in these roles. I also enjoy the total support of my family, headed by my understanding and ever-supportive husband,

I am most privileged to be born into a family that upholds, God, takes pride in education, respect, and love for oneself and others. We weren’t super-rich but we were very comfortable. My upbringing shaped my life in so many ways as I saw my parents live a life of contentment and gracefulness. We were a family driven by the passion for God and people whom I fondly call my own divine compensation. However, I ensure I prioritise and delegate as much as possible to competent hands so I don’t break down. I also exercise and take enough time to rest for mental stability.

My formative years I am the last of seven children

and born to a Christian family where the love and fear of God is the bedrock of our family values.

Love, education, and salvation were the best gifts I remember receiving as a child. Being the baby of the house, I was loved in excess, not only by my parents, but also by my siblings. I attended the Command Day Secondary School Ikeja, where I am privileged to be the current Alumna Vice President of the class of 1996/1997 set. I also studied Accounting and Finance at the great Yaba College of Technology, after which I further applied for a scholarship at the Lagos Business School, under the EDC/Pan Atlantic University Programme, and was awarded a scholarship by the “Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative in Africa”. I also worked at the then Intercontinental Bank and resigned from active service in banking from FCMB in 2011.

My upbringing shaped my life I am most privileged to be born into a family that upholds, God, takes pride in education, respect, and love for oneself and others.

We weren’t super-rich but we were very comfortable. My upbringing shaped my life in so many ways as I saw my parents live a life of contentment and gracefulness. We were a family driven by the passion for God and people. Today, as the wife of the Senior Pastor of Royalty Christian Centre, Lagos, where I’m privileged to serve as the First lady, alongside my Husband, David Adeoye, I find it easy to function in the place of my office.

Life comes with its curveballs and detours Life comes with its curveballs and detours and I appreciate them all as

lessons and not mistakes because they have shaped the resilient woman I have grown to become today. Personally, all that the Lord has promised to me, He has surpassed. I can only pray that I finish the race and obtain the price in Glory. My uttermost desire is that the future for every girl child is equally safe and rewarding.

In life’s journey, the race is not for the swift In my life’s journey, I have come to accept that the race is not for the swift, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives, but time and chance happen to them all.

Future projections for Inspiring Change I have a future projection for when the Inspiring Change Initiative will have an entrepreneurial training hub in all the four geopolitical areas of Nigeria, where female undergraduates can always walk in and register for tenured mentorship, and acquire new skills while awaiting results or job placement. I also look forward to a future with gender parity, where the female gender will no longer be a limiting factor to the heights that can be attained both physically and financially. It is a moral duty and an operational necessity.

My biggest fear in life Before now, it would have been the fear of failing but now I know better and see it as a powerful tool for learning and one of the major keys to success. Because without the consciousness to the pain of failing, you may become too complacent in old Glory, especially records from past successes.

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Fashion File

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020 with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

Self-Love Campaign

by M.O.T

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

FASHION FILE

Self-Love Campaign by M.O.T M.O.T celebrated the month of February, typically seen as the month of love, and the month to embrace Self-love. The women’s wear brand shot a campaign focusing on self-love featuring its Co-Founder, Mo Agusto alongside two loving personalities, Ozinna Anumudu and Dimma Umeh. These are three women who embody the popular slang “living your best life” - and so, M.O.T could think of no better women to celebrate and champion this campaign.

It is important to start the year balanced, confident and motivated. The messages M.O.T is promoting this year: love the skin you’re in, enjoy every moment of your unique journey and celebrate your wins- big or small!

Dimma Umeh is a content creator, lifestyle blogger and YouTuber with over 300,000 sub-

scribers. She’s been featured in both local and international publications and her YouTube videos have garnered over 20 million views.

Ozinna Anumudu is the founder of TSC Agency, a brand strategy and communications agency that works across industries in Nigeria.

She is very passionate about fashion and branding, and has been a huge advocate for the #BuyNigerian movement for years!

Mo Agusto is a fashion designer, image consultant and lifestyle enthusiast. She is passionate about fashion, food and social issues, especially those concerning women. She is the Chief Creative Officer and Co- Founder of M.O.T.

Images by : @faridah.kekereekun Brand : @motthelabel.

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˜ ˞ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

EVENTS

I

t was a fusion of love, culture and diversity when Raymond Acquah from Ghana asked to marry Tolulope, daughter to Tola and Mosunmola Oludemi from Kogi State Nigeria, in a colourful traditional wedding. Family, friends and associates of the Oludemis were last weekend at Providence by Mantis Hotel, GRA Ikeja Lagos to celebrate with the new couple who will soon solemnize their marriage in Canada.

Photographs By Kolawole Alli

The couple, Raymond Acquah and his wife, Tolu

Parents of the Bride, Mrs Gloria Mosunmola Oludemi and her husband, Tola

R-L: Mr. O.S. Aminu-Candy and Mr. Olusola Onundi

L-R: Mr. Dan D. Kunle and Mr. Eniola Bello

L-R: Mr. Ola Oyelola and his wife, Yemisi.

L-R: Major General David Jemibewon and Mr. Tunde Ayeni

L-R: Pastor Leke Eniayekan; Pastor (Mrs) Eniayekan and Barr Sam Biodun Eniayekan

L-R: Mrs. Kehinde Jaiyeola; Dr. Mike Bello and his wife Elizabeth

L-R: Mrs. Helen Aremu and her husband Reuben

L-R: Engr. Edu Ikegwuani and Dr. Edbie Egesin

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱͷ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

EVENTS

L-R: The couple with bride’s kinsmen

L-R: Alhaji Lateef Salami; Chief Obaniwu Sunday and Olu of Iyah Gbede, HRH Oba Ibitayo Falake

L-R: Mrs. Lola Brimo and Mrs Dupe Jemibewon.

L-R: Family members of the Groom

L-R:Mr. Austin Onayo; The Olujumu of Ijumuland, HRH Williams Ayeni and Mr. John Fagbemi

L-R: Mr. Bayo Ade Akingbade and Barr. Paul Ajetunmobi

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

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MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

NITDA Unfolds Nigeria Digital Transformation Plan The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has announced the digital transformation plan of the government for the nation’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

The newly appointed Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed the status of the plan in an interview in the inaugural issue of eGovernance Nigeria Magazine, from the stable of Technology Times Media Limited.

According to the DG, the plan is built on seven pillars and structured to shape ICT activities in the country.

He highlighted the seven plans thus: regulation to level the playing field and remove obstacles to business; capacity building to function in a knowledge-based economy; government digital services to foster an

interactive government, encouraging contributions by citizens and delivery of service; local content to encourage delivery of tailor-made tech solutions for local needs; digital inclusion to promote infrastructure for citizens to be able to access e-services; digital job creation and cybersecurity to protect Nigeria’s technology assets.

He said: “These are the seven key pillars we have been working on since 2017 and we are going to review it at the end of this year to benchmark what we have achieved and come up with a new strategy for the agency.

“The strategic plan was developed for the agency between 2017 and 2020 to turn around the Nigerian IT sector. It also identified ICT as a key enabler for economic diversification.”

He noted that the plan had significant input of his immediate predecessor, Dr. Isa Pantami,

who is now the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Meanwhile, Founder/Chairman of Technology Times, Mr Shina Badaru, has stated that the birth of eGovernance Nigeria Magazine is a demonstration of the organisation’s commitment to showcasing Nigeria’s growing contributions to the global ICT industry. “eGovernance Nigeria Magazine will be the voice of digital transformation of informa-

tion exchange and delivery of government services by the Nigerian public sector. It is here to fill a gap as a provider of news, information and analysis of key developments shaping e-government and the broader public technology ecosystem,” he said.

He added that the magazine would leverage online, video, digital and newsletter delivery platforms to advance the Technology Times founding vision.

Lafarge Fetes, Rewards Customers As part of celebrations for its 60th anniversary, Lafarge Africa Plc has rewarded customers who have remained loyal and committed to the company since inception.

The reward ceremony took place in Lagos Continental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos and afforded both members of staff of the company and customers to relate, unwind and fraternise in an informal setting.

The event had in attendance customers of the company from across Nigeria, who were rewarded based on their volume of contribution to the business.

Rewards were presented in form of cash and gift items such as: exotic cars, utility trucks and household electronics, amongst others.

The highlight of the occasion was when the star prize of 2020 limited edition Toyota Prado jeep was presented to the National Highest Volume Contributor.

The Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khaled El Dokani said that the company has recorded significant achievements as a result of the outstanding partnership it shared with its esteemed customers.

He thanked the customers for their support and encouraged them to continue to trust the integrity of the brand.

He said, “I am very excited to mention that over the years, Lafarge Africa has been able to maintain its vision to be the most trusted and preferred partner for end-users including construction professionals and homebuilders.

“Today, we also celebrate 60 years of wonderful determination and dedication to best practices. This is an accomplishment

worth celebrating. I am very excited and proud to mention that over the years, we have remained committed to being the most trusted and preferred partner in the cement industry. We are deeply committed to delivering cement, concrete, mortar and other building solutions that ensure our customers get the highest quality.”

The company’s Commercial Director, Gbenga Onimowo, sought for an enduring partnership, adding that both the company and stakeholders must constantly maintain a positive outlook in order to progress and succeed together.

“As much as this challenge is for us as a company, it is also for you our esteemed partners.

Our commitment is to ensure that we always meet the demands of our greatest ambassadors.

In this business, we are both winners and this can be sustained as we continue to grow and maintain this rewarding partnership.

“We shall continue to value you our esteemed customers, and this recognition is a demonstration of that. We implore you to remain good ambassadors, as we move towards this path of success. Thank you for being part of our success story,” Onimowo said.

In his appreciation note, the National and Regional (East) volume winner, Prince Sunny Nwodo, commended the company for being responsible to its customers.

He added, “I am very excited and this is a great achievement for me. I am going back home with a brand new 2020 limited edition Prado jeep. I promise to continue to put in my best to ensure I keep winning. Thank you Lafarge Africa.”

L-R: Country Chief Executive Officer, Khaled Abdel Aziz El Dokani; National and Regional Volume Award Winner, Prince Sunny Nwodo; Director, Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Folashade AmbroseMedebem; and Commercial Director, Gbenga Onimowo, all of Lafarge Africa Plc at the company’s 2019 Customer Appreciation Awards held in Lagos... recently

L-R: Learning and Development Manager, Inlaks, Konyenasom Ikuni; Manager,Technical Resource Operations,Inlaks, Alabi Ramon; Class Governor, Inlaks ATM Academy,Oguntoye Ridwan; Team Lead, ATM Software, Inlaks, Aderounmu Ademola; and Project Manager,Inlaks, Adeoye Kazeem, during the firm’s 2020 ATM Academy induction programme in Lagos...recently

Firm Targets New Market in Latest Move In a move to consolidate its leadership position in the market, investment firm, Zedcrest Capital Limited, has unveiled a wholly owned subsidiary and new Investment/Asset Management firm, Zedcrest Investment Managers, (Zimvest).

Zimvest is positioned to see to digital democratising of investments in Africa.

In line with this mandate, the firm’s scope will be centred around launching a digital private wealth and investment management, as well as helping clients grow wealth by beating inflation and currency risks through multicurrency investments.

Speaking on this development, Founder and Group CEO of the Zedcrest Group, Adedayo Amzat, stated that Zimvest will leverage renowned expertise of the Zedcrest group in the global financial markets to deliver world class service.

“This is evidenced by the leadership position of its global markets business, Zedcap Partners which bagged the 2019 best brokerage service award of FMDQ OTC. The Group also has a wide distribution experience garnered from setting up another subsidiary, Zedvance, a top-three consumer lender in Nigeria.”

Also speaking, Chairman of Zedcrest Group, Adebisi Sanda disclosed that the new initiative aligned with the group’s plan to dominate the financial sphere.

“This is demonstrated in our four pillars of global markets, investment management, lending and payments. Despite some growth in the last decade, capital formation in Nigeria is still relatively low, compared to our frontier/emerging market peers. The total AUM of the contributory pension scheme at N10 trillion is just under 10% of GDP compared to

South Africa at 63% of GDP. The non-pension AUM at about N1.2 trillion is very low and represents a clear growth opportunity, one which we are going after.”

A director in the firm, Stella Duru, also commended CBN’s guideline to elongate future yield curve from 12 months to five years.

“We believe that this will encourage foreign direct investment in critical sectors of the real economy and significantly give Nigeria a growth lifeline.

“The Nigerian rising narrative is about to be rekindled and we believe this is the best time for us to be setting up. We have a clear opportunity to bring alternative investments products to the market, and reduce the focus on government securities.

We would be creating products for underlying investments in infrastructure and agricultural value chain,” she said.

PepsiCo Moves to Dominate China’s Consumers Market Multinational food and beverage maker, PepsiCo Inc, has announced plans to acquire Chinese snack brand, Be & Cheery, from Haoxiangni Health Food Co Ltd. This development, according to the firm, is to strengthen PepsiCo’s global brand penetration as it eyes a giant market share in China’s consumers market.

Commenting on the acquisition, Chief Executive Officer PepsiCo Greater China, Ram Krishnan, stated that the deal was an important step in the company’s goal to become China’s leading consumerfocused food and beverage company.

“Be & Cheery adds direct-to-consumer capability, positioning us to capitalise on continued growth in e-commerce, and a local brand that is able to stretch across a broad portfolio of products, through both online and offline channels.

“We also expect to leverage Be & Cheery’s innovation and consumers insight capabilities to drive innovation in other key PepsiCo growth markets,” Krishnan explained.

Haoxiangni, in a statement, also revealaed that it had decided to sell its Be & Cheery business in order to focus on its jujube business.

The acquisition deal

25

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

POLITY Gabun Dogo

Nigeria Under Siege, Those in Authority Must Sit Up Col. Gabun Dogo (rtd), was commanding officer in the Economic Community ofWest African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), during the Liberian Civil War. He was also a commander in the Operation Restore Hope in the Niger Delta. In this interview with John Shiklam, he spoke on security challenges facing the country, service chiefs and the establishment of regional security outfit by the southwest states

Y

ou were a commanding officer in ECOMOG during the Liberian war, you were also a commanded troops in Operation Restore Hope in the Niger Delta region. How do you see this unending war against

Boko Haram?

It is very unfortunate that the Boko Haram insurgency has not been exterminated. It is surprising that the insurgents have been operating in the country for over ten years and we have not been able to contain them. They say the insurgents are in Sambisa forest, how large is this Sambisa forest that the Nigerian army cannot uproot them? We have seen forests, where we operated in South East Liberia during ECOMOG, we were able to stop the war in Liberia. Today Liberia is peaceful. We had the arms and ammunition to that. But in Nigeria, insurgents are trying to hold a section of the country into hostage. Why have they not been completely uprooted?

I acknowledge the fact that the military and other security agencies have done very well to address, but they need to do more.

The entire country has been invaded by criminals. Besides the deadly activities of Boko Haram in the northeast, almost now and then, you hear stories of bandits invading communities and abducting people in their homes and on the highways. The country is under siege and those in authority must really sit up before things get out of hand.

There is need to adopt new security strategies since the current approach does not seem to be yielding the desired results.

The war against Boko Haram is not a conventional war; it is asymmetry warfare where Dogo you live with the enemy. He knows your activities.

He knows your movements in an out. Our military personnel are well trained and they have the capacity to flush out the terrorists. Our deployment of troops should be strategic or do we just drop troops in places and ask them to be there without backup?

Insurgents and other criminal elements smuggle sophisticated arms into the country, how do you think this could be addressed?

Our borders had been very porous. I don’t know whether the border closure has helped in checkmating smuggling of arms into the country. However, there is need for cooperation and synergy among our security agencies. The Nigerian Immigration, the Nigerian Custom Service and other relevant agencies should be properly funded and empowered to effectively check the activities of those smuggling arms into the country. We cannot rule out corrupt and unpatriotic elements in the security system, who connives with these criminals to bring weapons into the country.

Such elements must be flushed out of the system.

We must also invest in technology to fight crime.

But essentially there must be a synergy between all security agencies to secure the country.

Intelligence gathering is very important in security issues. We must be up and doing in intelligence gathering. We have intelligence gathering sections and units in almost all the security sections. They should be properly equipped with modern gadgets and funded.

Recently, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF),

led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians, especially, in tackling the security challenges. What is your take?

I belong to the group of Nigerians who feel Buhari has failed the country. He promised to tackle insecurity, and corruption among others, but nothing much has changed since he assumed power about five years ago. I read the statement by NEF and somebody came to abuse them because they spoke the truth. Prof. Ango Abdullahi spoke the truth.

The President has refused to retire the service chiefs despite the fact that they have reached retirement age and despite the fact that they seemed to have exhausted their ideas in fighting the Boko Haram insurgents. There are terms and condition of service in the military. Why are the service chiefs still there after reaching their point of retirement? The killings have continued under their watch, so why still keep them?

The refusal of the President to retire the service chiefs is wasting talents in the military. The implication is that hundreds of officers will retire when at the end of the day their juniors would be appointed service chiefs and commanders.

Other regions are considering setting up their own security outfit like ”Amotekun” the security outfit jointly established by governors of South West states. Do you think that is the best way to tackle the security problems facing the country?

Agreed that the rising insecurity is very disturbing, but in my opinion, there is no need for that.

This will not help the country. It will polarise the country along ethnic and regional lines. If each region is coming up with its security outfit, it means the state has failed. And if the state has failed, I think there are better ways of addressing the situation rather than setting up regional security outfits. I understand the challenges we are going through, I agree that the federal government and the security agencies have not done much to demonstrate that they are on top of the security situation, but for me regional security is not the solution. How will they operate such outfits? How will Amotekun confront bandits who carry sophisticated arms? Will Amotekun carry guns?

Far back when I was in service, there was this notion of a second army for Nigeria, not one army as we have now. We should have two chiefs of army staff. Why shouldn’t there be a second army instead of allowing states to form vigilante groups? There is also this move for community policing, why shouldn’t the government recruit people so that there is enough security personnel to protect Nigerians.

Let there be two armies in Nigeria, let there be more recruitment in the police. If we are not doing the right thing, let us do the right thing.

All we need is to put the right people in the right places.

The police have the capacity to handle security issues given funding and proper training and discipline. To me, those setting up regional security outfit are not doing it in good faith. I suspect ulterior motive. I hope that at the end of the day it will not transmute to regional army.

Security agencies have their own challenges of funding. There are also stories of outdated equipment.

There were stories that a billion U.S dollars was given for procurement of equipment. If that is true, we are supposed to have the state of the art security equipment.

Politicians are also being accused of contributing to insecurity. They allegedly arm jobless youths during elections after which these youths turned to crime.

I agree with you. During elections, politicians recruit jobless youths and provide them with drugs and arms to harass and attack their political opponents. After the elections, they become criminals, drug addicts and cultists. They become a threat to the community as they indulge in all forms of criminality. Out politicians play primitive politics.

It is very unfortunate and unpatriotic. Politicians must stop this in the best interest of the people and the nation.

You spoke about the creation of two armies.

How will it operate?

It will operate side by side with the first army.

It will have different army chiefs. It will have its structures like the first army. Simply put, it is a back-up army.

26

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

POLITY

Bishop Kukah’s ‘A ttack’ On Islam Francis Damina

F

or sometimes now, there has been an influx of reactions deeply steeped in bile as feedbacks to the homily delivered by His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, on 11th February, 2020, at the Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna.

The event was the funeral of Michael Nnadi - a seminarian of Sokoto Diocese kidnapped and later killed by his abductors. The feedback has been marked by harsh insulting language: Offensive, intemperate, filthy, obscene, and vitriolic, to say the least. They are so harsh that the conclusion one could easily draw is that, a fatwa had been placed on his Lordship’s head. His crime: that, owing to his antecedents, and in this latest outing, the Bishop has openly demonstrated “his antipathy against Islam and northern Muslims.”

He said in the homily: “Today in Nigeria, the noble religion of Islam has convulsed. It has become associated with some of the worst fears among our people.” And that: “This president has displayed the greatest degree of insensitivity in managing our country’s rich diversity. He has subordinated the larger interests of the country to the hagemonic interests of his co-religionists and clansmen and women. The impression created now is that, to hold a key and strategic position in Nigeria today, it is more important to be a northern Muslim than a Nigerian”.

But were this the first time the Bishop is found culpable of making ‘snide remarks’ about the religion of Islam ( I think, northern Islam), he would have been forgiven. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Mohammed Haruna, it is a hobbyhorse he has been riding on. Recall that in 1993, he published his Doctoral thesis entitled ‘Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria’ detailing how northern oligarchists have been manipulating the noble religion of Islam to inflict hardship on minorities and to as well, gain political and economic control. By this, at least, for some of us, he appeared to be consolidating Bala Usman’s theory on ‘The Manipulation of Religion’. Though, aside his thesis, he has extensively spoken about Islam in Northern Nigeria, the two most memorable examples in recent time are his homily on 20th December, 2012 at the funeral of Governor Patrick Yakowa and a keynote address he delivered at Fountain University, Osogbo, to a Muslim organization on the theme: ‘Challenges for Development and Good Governance’ on 22nd November, 2015.

In the keynote address, he said to his audience: “In your part of the country, as in other parts of the world, I hear about families with Christians and Muslims living together, marrying and intermarrying and so on. In the North, this is anathema. Every time I bring this up, I hear people say that this is what Islam teaches, that the religion allows Muslim men to marry Christian girls (and hopefully make them Muslims) while Christian men cannot marry Muslim women. If this is not apartheid in broad daylight, I do not know what it is.”

On the homily, the bitter reactions are well documented in a book I co-authored with Adamu Adamu, Mohammed Haruna, Steven Nkom, et al, titled ‘Governor Yakowa’s Funeral Homily: Matters Arising’. And the reactions have, especially Abubakar Gimba’s, now as then, remained fresh on my mind. In his review

Bishop Kukah at the Book presentation, Mike Ozekhome said: “Abubakar Gimba, former Pro-Chancellor of IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, fired the first salvo. He accused Kukah of singling out and denigrating Muslims, with such phrases as ‘religious bigots’, ‘dubious religious manipulations’; ‘members of the nefarious mafia whose selfishness hindered the development of Kaduna State in particular and the North in general; ‘those who have projected Islam as a basis for power… and created the condition that now threatens the foundation of our society’; and ‘ one of the worst shows of selfishness by an unproductive and selfish cabal who have deployed religion to hide their goal.’

The Bishop’s offence in the homily was that, he, as Ozekhome noted:”...unapologetically posited that the ‘northern ruling class’, by policy, appeared to have erected an invisible sign that read: ‘No Christians Need Apply’, to what would later be called Kashim Ibrahim House; or represent this state at the highest levels’. He berated the political system that never allowed Kaduna State, like Sokoto State, to be governed by non-Muslims, arguing that this ‘policy of exclusion against non-Muslims turned Kaduna State into a political Mecca and laid the foundation for the unnecessary and sad religious tensions that have continued to dog the State.”

Those who accuse the Bishop of being against Islam and its adherents could probably, in sincerity, testify that, at several times, when we were faced with the narrative of Islamization amidst Boko Haram and Herdsmen killings, Bishop Kukah’s interven-

tions served as calming influence in the vortex of the tensions.

Without apologies, it is pertinent to make the point that the views of His Lordship as contained in his homily last Tuesday, infallibly represent the views of most northern Christians. This is because, as the Bishop said: “The persecution (preferably marginalization) of Christians in Northern Nigeria is as old as the modern Nigerian state. Their experiences and fears of northern, Islamic domination are documented in the Willinks Commission Report way back in 1956. It was also the reason why they formed a political party called, the non-Muslim league. All of us must confess in all honesty that in the years that have passed, the northern Muslim elite have not developed a moral basis for adequate power sharing with their Christian co-religionists.”

Only recently in a reflection on EWTN, the Bishop observed: “The difficulties that Christians encounter in northern Nigeria arise from the fact that there are many Muslims who almost behave as if the Sokoto caliphate is still in existence, and who literally see themselves as living in a theocracy. So, the lingering feeling that we are Muslims in a Muslim environment suddenly throws up the distortions and the feeling that being anything other than a Muslim, makes you an outsider.”

The most fascinating part of the reflection was where he said: “So, the question of the situation of Christians in northern Nigeria is the larger question of minorities whether they are women, children, men, Muslims, etc. Because, as I often say to people, there are parts of Nigeria that Muslims are almost non-existent and there are other parts, where they are a minority.” He concluded by saying: “The solution is really a question of what kind of architecture does a modern state designs to be able to enhance pluralism but also to create a sense of identity that is over and above ethnic, regional or religious considerations.” I think, the Bishop’s angst with the handlers of the Buhari-led government lies on whether they have been able to create this super identity or not.

Again, on the so-called attack on Islam and Muslims, a distinction must be made between Islam and what the parochialists, in their existential drive for privileges, present to us as the religion; and also, between the culpable minority and the innocent majority.

It is this culpable minority, whose stock in trade is the manipulation of religion to quench their inordinate desire, that are responsible for why the North is today defined in superlative terms: the most violent; most impoverished; most insecure; most backward in education, etc. Sincerely, Northern political and religious leaders must take off time to ask why we have, contrary to what obtains in other climes, a brand of Islam, assuming it is Islam, that breeds millions of children on the streets known as almajiris; a brand of Islam that has no space for intermarriages with non-Muslims; a brand of Islam that Boko Haram and kidnappers lay claim to as it’s missionaries, etc. This for me is the Crux of the matter.

Finally, as we are told by psychologists : “If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn; If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight; If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence; If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. Unfortunately, Bishop Kukah, right from childhood as a minor minority, has been living with injustice deeply steeped in religion and ethnicity. How do you expect him to behave?

––Damina writes from Kaduna and can be reached: francisdamina@gmail.com

A Thousand Miles Start with a Step: The Bala Muhammed Example Mukhtar Gidado

T

he difference between the developed climes and developing ones like Nigeria is leadership and vision.

When there is purposeful leadership, development will not be far from such a society. The Bala Muhammed administration in Bauchi State, obviously realised this, and that perhaps, explains the various steps he has been taking since he emerged governor

of the state.

Power is critical in the vision for development.

Bauchi, like other states, is not immune to the epileptic nature of the independent power providers. Bala understands that once power is sorted, virtually every other thing is sorted. It is the foundation for development. It is in recognition of this that he led a tripartite arrangement with the Jigawa State Government and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Bauchi State Government’s part shall be among others: to satisfy all Right of Way acquisition requirements, payment of compensation for land in respect of the Transmission Line between Azare to Misau as well as to Dutse and Ningi and acquisition/provision of land and title documents to TCN. In the agreement, a mutually beneficial one that involves design, development, commissioning and testing of 132KV DC transmission line from Azare to Misau, as well as the expansion of Azare sub -station from 132 kva to 300 KVA. The agreement will also include the turn-in and turn-out from Gwaram in Jigawa State to Ningi in Bauchi State and sub- stations at Birnin Kudu, Misau, Gwaram and Ningi (transmission project) and thereafter transfer ownership to TCN. Provision of portable, adequate and affordable water supply to the citizens is another major policy trust of the Bala Mohammed administration. It is against this background that the governor visited the Minister of Water Resources, Suleman Adamu.

The Governor who unveiled the state’s plan to construct small

Earth Dams in each of the three Senatorial Districts of the State also solicited support of the minister in the rehabilitation and expansion of Gubi Dam, the expansion of Waya Dam and their possible take-over by the Bauchi State Government. This is with a view to alleviating the problem of water supply that bedeviled many of the communities in the state. According to him, the existing water facilities have been overstretched with attendant shortages and scarcity due to migration as a result of the insurgency in the North East. The Minister pledged his ministry’s support to the state in all areas of need based on the available resources.

Bauchi is endowed with a lot of mineral resources, which unfortunately, are either untapped or done indiscriminately and unguided. One of the ways of generating funds for development, apart from the usual federal allocation, Bala explained, would be to ensure that the state’s mineral resources are properly harnessed.

It can only be done with the support of the federal government. So, it was no surprise that it was a topic of discussion when he visited the Minister of Mines and Steel, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite and his junior minister, Mr. uchechukwu Sampson, He appealed for their corporation and support. He said the synergy between the two entities would ultimately bring about employment, development and reduction of crime.

The ministers, obviously happy with the visit, promised to support the state in her endeavour to see that the people are not only lifted out of poverty, but to also bring development to the state.

In continuation of his investment/development drive, Bala met and interacted with United Kingdom investors. They indicated interest and willingness to renew an earlier agreement signed with the previous administration to provide solar-powered source of energy to Ganjuwa Local Government.

At the end of the discussion, the following terms of agreement were reached: The MOU be reviewed to meet with the challenging demands of the people; The Bauchi State Government is to provide the needed land requirements for the project; The investors should market the energy to the consumers and the State

Muhammed Government to get an appreciable percentage of the total collection; The investors to pay compensation while the Bauchi State Government is to provide the needed supervisory role.

In all aspects of the discussion, the Bauchi State Government has shown greater commitment and willingness to partner with the investors for a mutually beneficial term, whereby critical sectors of the economy like schools, hospitals, markets and water facilities will be provided with solar energy as part of the investors’ corporate social responsibility.

Similarly, Governor Bala promised to support the I.N International organisation that co-funded the Misau Computer and Skill Acquisition Center. The centre is completed and ready for use.

Bala pledged to provide computers and other needed equipment to achieve the purpose of its establishment.

––Mukhtar Gidado is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Bala Muhammed on Media.

27

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

POLITY

As NSE Promotes Financial Literacy through StockTown Comic Book

N

igeria’s financial ecosystem is rapidly evolving with the introduction of increasingly disruptive financial products and services. As the world moves to more sophisticated financial instruments, the need to pay closer attention to the 36.8% of Nigeria’s population that remain financially excluded becomes more poignant.

This is particularly important because the impact of financial exclusion traps individuals in a cycle of poverty and constitutes a drag to economic growth and development.

While the problem of financial exclusion has been identified across several discourse, the importance of financial literacy in liberating the financially excluded should be emphasised even more. This is further underscored by the pervasiveness of various myths that exist about investing.

First, investing has been perceived to be the preserve of the wealthy. Fortunately, a plethora of investment products and services have come into the Nigerian market over the years that allow investors of various income classes to invest in the capital market. With as little as N5,000, an investor can now gain access to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Savings Bond – a product introduced to the market by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in collaboration with the Debt Management Office in 2017.

Second and third in the series of common myths about investment are that it is unduly risky, and that the fundamentals are too complex to understand. This is however not the case. Concerted efforts have been made in recent times by regulators and other capital market stakeholders to promote transparency and easy access to information about investment products.

It has been widely accepted that inclusive growth can only occur when more people participate in the financial markets. For this

Onyema to happen, individuals must not only have the right information on available financial products and services, but also understand the concepts well enough to make informed decisions.

In light of the above, the NSE recently launched the maiden edition of StockTown, a comic book aimed at promoting financial literacy in Nigeria. Available in both print and digital formats, the comic book has been distributed across the six geopolitical zones with a provision for readers to download the book via http://www.nse-stocktown.com.

StockTown makes use of illustrated characters to educate readers of all ages about the importance of savings and investment. In its first issue, readers are introduced to Mora Johnson and her middle-class family who are experiencing financial hardship that pushes Mora to want to learn more about in-

vestment and financial independence. The story has been scripted to address personal finance issues that are common to a significant proportion of the population, while simplifying investment terms and process, and highlighting the various investment products that are appropriate for investors with different investment objectives, risk appetites and income levels.

Commenting on the comic book, Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Chief Executive Officer, NSE said, “StockTown is a product of a passionate idea long held by the Exchange to empower individuals across all levels to make good financial decisions and better their lives now and in the future. In a steadily evolving financial landscape, The Exchange continues to find new ways to communicate the ideas of saving and investment using products available on

its platform. We hope this comic, which demonstrates the idea of buy and selling securities in simple terms, can crowd-in the financially excluded, millennials and all lovers of comics.”

The launch of StockTown builds on the Exchange’s strong commitment to promoting financial literacy in Nigeria. Annually, the Exchange implements various initiatives targeted at children and youths, aimed at building a financially savvy generation. The Exchange commemorates Global Money Week by hosting a workshop for youths at its offices and conducting outreach programmes in cities where it operates. In 2019, it reached over 60,000 youths during the weeklong programme.

In line with this commitment, The Exchange hosted a series of workshops this year to educate the market and promote the adoption of investment instruments that are beginning to gain popularity. In its Smart Investing Workshop, the NSE hosted millennials to a training on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as a conduit for investing in the equities market in collaboration with Meristem Nigeria. Facilitators at the training delved deep into the workings of ETFs, the benefits it provides to investors, tracking mechanisms and available instruments on the market. Feedback from participants at the event confirmed that the training was both timely and enlightening and had piqued their interest in this asset class.

The Exchange hosts secondary schools, undergraduates and young upwardly mobile professionals to X-Tours, a financial literacy workshop that culminates in an interactive tour of the trading floor which involves meeting with Stockbrokers. Through these channels, NSE is making significant contributions to reducing the level of financial exclusion in Nigeria to 20% in line with its mandate as a member of the National Finance Inclusion Steering Committee led by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The NSE is also a member of the Financial Literacy Technical Committee of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Business Development Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Ogochukwu Agu; Sales Director, Fuad Atanda-Lawal; Chairman, Ikoyi/Obalende, Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Uche Unigwe; CorL-R: Guest Speaker, Dr. Ifueko Thomas; the convener, Concerned Parents and Educators, Mrs. Yinka porate Affairs Advisor (Lagos), Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chisom Onyeka; and Director, Treasury and RevOgunde; former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princes Sarah Adebisi Sosan; and the former Miss Nigeria, enue, Ikoyi/Obalende LCDA, Taiwo Danso, during the handover ceremony of toilet facility donated by Helen Prest, at the Save Education in Nigeria Dialogue by Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), held in Nigerian Breweries Plc to Ikoyi/Obalende LCDA in Lagos...recently LagoS...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R : Ekanem Isichei of NNRC, Michael Uzoigwe, Technical Lead, Accountability, Facility for Oil Sector Transparency (FOSTER), Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), Chairman Experts Advisory Panel, NNRC, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker House of Representatives, Tengi George-Ikoli ,Programme Coordinator, NNRC, Michael Faniran, Technical Lead Industry Restructuring, FOSTER, and Chinedu Onyebgula also of the NNRC delegation, when Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) paid a visit to the National Assembly to seek for commitments of the legislature on the need to reform the Nigerian petroleum sector...recently

L-R: Head, Marketing and Communications, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami; Head, Customer Digital Channels, Emmanuel Aihevba; Founder and Managing Director, Future Software Resources Limited, Nkemdilim Begho; Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Wole Adeniyi; Head of Innovation, Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), Dayo Ademola; and MD/ CEO, 3LINE Card Management Limited, Femi Omogbenigun, during the masterclass session sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc at the 2020 Social Media Week in Lagos...recently

28

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

POLITY

Diri: Time to Hit the Ground Running in Bayelsa Stanley Nkwazema

O

n Wednesday February, 26, the apex court in the country threw out the case of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC), seeking the reversal of its judgement that sacked him as governor of Bayelsa State. Not only did the court, in the judgement read by Justice Amina Augie, throw out the request for a review, it ordered their lawyers, Afe Babalola and Wole Olanipekun, to pay the three respondents - INEC, Governor Douye Diri and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhwrudjakpo - N10 million each.

It has indeed been a tortuous and difficult experience for the new Governor Diri, his deputy, the former governor Seriake Dickson and the people of Bayelsa after the November 16 governorship election in which INEC declared the APC candidates winners. Not only was the election faulted due to the irregularities, rigging and falsification of results, orchestrated with the obvious connivance of the security agencies, led by the Nigerian Army, INEC staff and adhoc staff recruited mostly from the University of Benin, it was fraught with several conspiracy theories of confusion that got observers dumbfounded. Many believed APC never had any business in that tension-soaked election after the High Court had delivered a judgement sacking the APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Erimienyo, three days to the election. But the APC chieftains yet went to the Appeal Court to get the party candidates back in the election.

The party was also embroiled in controversy in a separate case brought by Heineken Lokpobiri, a gubernatorial aspirant of the APC, faulting the parties’ primaries that gave the ticket to David Lyon.

Besides the widespread condemnation that greeted the outcome and subsequent judgments by the Appeal Court which threw out the earlier judgement of the High Courts, Diri and Dickson were still optimistic that the last hope would come from the Supreme Court and God’s intervention in the affairs of Bayelsa.

Dickson never wavered or showed signs of stress while the court cases were on, as he moved round to commission several projects in the state, including the International airport which has been turned into a political chess board. At every point where he cut tapes and spoke, Dickson, like a man being guided by a higher spirit, believed so much that justice would ultimately be in PDP’s favour. He maintained that the Restoration government will continue from where he stopped.

And as soon as news filtered in that the Certificate of Return had been issued to Douye, he knew that truth had prevailed and waited patiently till the man from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area touched down in Yenagoa. After the Swearing- in formalities performed by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abi, at the open space and car park of the Government House, where the ceremony was shifted to, due to the fact that the usual venue for the swearing in was already decorated by the APC and rehearsals completed before the shocking dismissal from the Supreme Court, Dickson could be seen watching the proceedings with so much joy.

The crowd of supporters, who had thinned out in the few days to the swearing-in and jumped ship to the APC before the February 14 date, suddenly became uncontrollable. Everybody wanted to identify with the man who has interestingly turned a hero. Though, he took him round the government house, it was more emotional when Dickson, the new governor and his deputy were ushered into the Governor’s office. As the official portraits were being removed to make room for Douye’s, the former Governor who has retired to his village, was overcome with emotion. He took over the portraits and was hanging it himself after which he gave Douye a bear hug before returning to the Government House, now as visitor to sit with Douye and crowd of friends and supporters who filled the open space at the Governors lodge.

To many, Dickson was stubborn to a fault. But despite the many oppositions and the general attitude of his people, he stood his ground and focused on bringing education and infrastructure development to the state. Even as Dickson was criticized for making what they called wrong choices, including the emergence of Douye and Ewhrudjakpo, despite the array of qualified candidates, Dickson hinged his decision on the fact that he wanted a man who will defend the cause of the Ijaw nation To Dickson, it was to the glory of God that he left Government house in a blaze of glory, in spite of the shocking array of political forces that turned against him and in spite of the service he rendered. While lamenting that the security of Bayelsa was outsourced to criminal elements who unleashed an orgy of violence on the state since 2015, Dickson pointed out that the thugs of the main opposition party in the state, who killed 21 people in the Nembe Local Government Area were still all over town without the expected concern and condemnation from the federal government.

He said: “Even when the election results were announced against the People’s Democratic Party, there was no violence in consonance with his politics without bitterness or violence.

The thugs of the APC destroyed a lot of property in Yenagoa, including the residences of the immediate past governor, the new governor and the well-stocked library of Professor Steve Azaiki, a member of the House of Representatives at Opolo, as well as the destruction of property worth millions of Naira, in response to the Supreme Court Judgment.

Dickson and Diri

“When we were ready for the transition, I called the whole state to pray and fast. While we prayed and fasted, I considered a lot things, I consulted and took decisions. You are all in this state. You saw the reactions, and when the elections came, there was nothing I didn’t do as a human being for things to go well.

People came here with result sheets. The Nigerian military shut down the whole state, and wrote results and used people to legitimise it, shouting to vilify me and to justify the wrong they did. And people believed those lies.

“As we lost, there was no violence. I didn’t come into politics to kill people, to destroy or maim. Ordinary rally three days to election, they killed 21 human beings. Even if you kill 21 goats or chickens, the owner will shout. Nigeria was not bothered.

The security agencies connived with them to kill our people.

Since 2015, they have been killing our people, even without election. They will drive people away, burn down their houses; this country since 2015 outsourced Bayelsa to criminals with security agencies supporting and protecting them. It is in these circumstances that I held the state just from your support and with the help of the Almighty God.” Just as Dickson was escorted to his village, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area, by the few friends, including the new Deputy Governor, who stood by him till the Supreme Court ruling, and those that made a sudden U-turn to the subsequent hand-over of baton to Diri, the former governor was upbeat. He insisted: “I didn’t forget or abandon my agenda for my people while they were distracting and blackmailing me everywhere, spreading falsehood. The people that should have been supporting and encouraging me were the same people distracting me, destabilising the state. Yet I left Government House very fulfilled to the glory of God.” In a statement the new governor delivered after being inaugurated, which falls on the 14th day of February, Douye told the people of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation that it was fitting that providentially, the inauguration of the governor of Bayelsa State falls on February 14, the day recognised for agape love and universally celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day, named for a Christian martyr.

“On this historically auspicious day, we cannot fail to remember the scores of innocent Bayelsans whose lives were cruelly terminated in what became a futile effort at truncating the will of God for the people of Bayelsa. Valentine’s Day should remind us about sacrifice. It should be about nurturing our families and promoting the spirit of giving, sharing and sacrificing. Sadly, this lesson was lost on some politicians, who resorted to brigandage and violence without recognising the fact that God is the giver of all good things.

“Suffice to say the meandering path that has brought us to this destination has been a chastening experience. It has taught us patience, love and reconciliation along the way. It has also rekindled our determination to serve the people even more passionately. The Supreme Court, the highest judicial body in the land, in an extraordinary ruling, affirmed the mandate that you, the good people of Bayelsa, freely gave me and my running mate, Distinguished Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to run the affairs of the state on November 16, 2019. We are extremely mindful of the supreme sacrifice of our dearly departed and I request your indulgence to have a minute silence for our fallen heroes. “We are also honoured and humbled by the trust you placed in us. Our profound appreciation goes to the brave justices of the Supreme Court for their courage. In all these, the glory and praise are due to God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth. We acknowledge that this victory was made possible only because power ultimately comes from above and by reason of your steadfast resolve. On behalf of our families, therefore, we thank you all for your kind endorsement of our Consolidated Prosperity Agenda.”

On the agenda of renewing hope, which he has promised the people of Bayelsa State, he added: “To the young men and women who are looking at the future with trepidation, we say hope is here. To the small business owners looking for ways to advance their businesses, we say hope is here. To the entrepreneurs that feel they cannot get a fair opportunity to grow their dreams, we say hope is here.

“My dear brothers and sisters across Bayelsa, who face the challenge of paying their children’s school fees, we say hope is here. To the young Bayelsans that are wondering if they have to leave our lovely state to find work, we say hope is here.”

On the reconciliatory process, he confirmed that a committee will be set up and will soon start work. Douye explained: “To those Bayelsans that did not vote for our party, the People’s Democratic Party, we respect and honour your choice. We will strive to be a government for all Bayelsans and not just those who voted for us.

“Victory in a political contest should not be an end in itself.

Rather it is a means to an end. Therefore, this victory alone is not indicative of progress. It is only the platform for progress, which will make life more meaningful for the majority of our people; create more and better paying jobs, secure our communities, create the conducive environment that will enable outstanding young men and women to survive, thrive and secure their future.

“We recognize that there will be obstacles. But, with your support, nothing can stop us. Some will not agree with every decision or policy we make as a government, but you have our solemn promise that every constructive criticism will be embraced and given the required consideration.”

The new Governor is therefore extending a hand of fellowship to all stakeholders and progressive-minded individuals to join hands with him “to build the Bayelsa of our dreams; a place we can all be proud to call home. We will ensure that the dividends of democracy are equally guaranteed to all, without regards to political persuasion.”

On Bayelsans in Diaspora, Douye said: “We also send a strong message of solidarity to Bayelsans in the Diaspora; the future is brighter. Come home with your expertise and resources to help develop our state. Bayelsa is blessed with the world’s largest mangrove vegetation, an abundance of tourist attractions as well as the largest gas reserves in our country. Let us renew our love for our natural environment and seek to preserve it. Let us find ingenious ways of diversifying our economy.”

Diri explained that it was affirmation of God’s judgement, which paved the way for him to emerge victorious, while insisting that there is no victor no vanquished as the victory is for all Bayelsans regardless of party affiliation. The triumphant Bayelsa governor commended the courage and sagacity of the apex court Justices in affirming their earlier judgement of February 13, 2020.

“Once again, I describe myself as a miracle governor. So the Supreme Court just affirmed the judgement of the Almighty God, who made it possible for me to become the governor of Bayelsa State. For me, there is no victor no vanquished as the victory is for all Bayelsans. It is not a winner takes all.

“My message is that of reconciliation as I will run an allinclusive government. Let everyone that is aggrieved sheathe their swords. Let us think about Bayelsa first and ourselves last.

By this judgement, it is clear the final hurdle has been cleared.”

He said his government would bring in people that have what it takes to contribute to development of the state and not those who will run it down. Like a man on a familiar terrain, Diri wants to focus on the economy, agriculture and business development, so as to diversify the economy of Bayelsa State, insisting that a situation where federating units run to the Centre for monthly allocations would not augur well for the development of state economies.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

29.2.2020

NEWS

CARABAO CUP EYE ON TREBLE

Moses Simon Levante Reject to Nantes Golden Boy

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Moses Simon Levante Reject to Nantes Golden Boy Life for him in Spain was far from rosy as he failed to establish himself in Levante’s starting eleven last season. Moses Simon then decided to take his trade to French Ligue 1 side, Nantes, and the move has proved to be a success story. He banged his first career hat-trick and he’s poised to being voted the Player of the Month for the second time since joining the Yellow Canaries

M

oses Simon has been in impressive form for the Yellow Canaries this month,

scoring a goal in their 2-1 defeat to PSG on February 4 and in their 3-3 draw against Dijon four days later, and it was no surprise that Nigerian international among the nominees for Nantes’ Player of the

Month award for February.

Simon has scored five goals in 24 league games for 12th-placed Nantes and his electrifying pace distinguishes him as danger man to opposition defences in Ligue.

The 24-year-old, who was named the club’s best player in October last year would be aiming to see off competition from Imran Louza, Nicolas Pallois and Kader Bamba to secure his

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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second award.

After firing blanks in their 3-1 win against Marseille last Saturday, Simon will be hoping to find the back of the net when Nantes welcome Victor Osimhen’s Lille to Stade de la Beaujoire for Sunday’s Ligue 1 game.

Lille News & Transfers | Goal. com Latest Lille news from Goal. com, including transfer updates, rumours, results, scores and player interviews.

Simon has been impressive since joining FC Nante on loan

from Spanish side, Levante.

In October last year, he scored four goals including a hat-trick against FC Paris in the French League Cup and it, therefore, came as no surprise when he was voted the Player of the Month.

Simon revealed he is thoroughly enjoying a new lease of life in France.

“I am more relaxed and settled at Nantes, no pressure. I am also playing to my full potentials because here I am a very offensive winger,” he explained.

“At Levante, I had to fall

back to help out in the defence.

Now, I am a winger in a 4-3-3 formation as against the 3-5-2 we played in Spain. And so the goals and assists are coming now.”

Simon is however optimistic his current scoring form for FC Nantes will continue with the Super Eagles.

The on-loan Levante forward, who made his Eagles return in the Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers against Benin after missing the last friendly with Brazil through injury, told AOIFootball.com from his base in France that he now aims to take his current form to the National team.

“It’s been an amazing season for me so far here in France; the team is doing well and I hope to also take the same form to the National team, especially with the AFCON qualifiers fast approaching,” Simon said.

The 24-year-old stated that he hopes to mark the landmark appearance with yet another international goal but posited that the team’s overall success remains the goal for him and not personal glory.

The pacy winger has been a revelation since completing a loan move to France in August with Nantes sitting second on the French Ligue 1 table.

Simon moved to Levante UD for about five million Euros, which is a figure far from the 20 million Euros a top official had predicted KAA Gent will eventually sell him.

Gent sports director Michel Louwagie proudly predicted that his club with a break transfer records when they eventually sell the Nigeria winger after they bought him from Slovak club AS Trencin for 650,000 Euros in January 2015.

“The transfer record in Belgium will have to be shattered when we sell Moses. We will be talking of about 20 million Euros,” Louwagie predicted.

The prediction was prompted by the fact that Moses was an instant sensation in Belgium.

But the player will go on to suffer injuries and lack of consistency for such huge hope not to be fulfilled in the three and a half seasons he was there.

Altogether, he scored 21 goals and provided 18 assists in 136 appearances for ‘The Buffaloes’.

He was handed a five-year deal by Levante to finally live up to his potentials in Spain.

He won the Belgian league with Gent in his first season after his transfer from Slovak club AS Trencin.

KAA Gent paid glowing tributes to Simon after the player secured a move to Spanish club, Levante.

“He leaves the club with his head up and will forever belong to the select group of players who won the first league title in the history for our club and

then became part of an historic Champions League campaign stamped in the collective Belgian football memory. The following season, he was also a member of the group of players that beat Tottenham at Wembley in the Europa League,” the club said in its official website then.

“Immediately after his transfer, he was the only player who spoke openly about obtaining the title “with the help of God”.

It turned out to be prophetic words.

“Moses started as a whirlwind in the Belgian league and played regularly for KAA Gent from January 2015 until the start of the playoffs in the same season in the race for the championship.

“During his time at the Buffalo’s, he was feared for his vicious dribbles, his incredible speed and his hard shot and loved because of his cheerful personality and his generous smile. He was often the creator of important goals, like last season when he scored the only goal in the penultimate match of the playoffs in the 1-0 victory against Anderlecht.

When Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr rolled out his 30-man provisional list for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with Simon included, the player believed he was just inches away from achieving his long-time dream of playing in the World Cup. But it was not to be as injury has ruined his dream.

Simon sustained a thigh injury in his second training session with the Super Eagles in Uyo and his World Cup dream was shattered.

“It is unfortunate Moses Simon will not be travelling with the team to London because he is down with an injury. The nature of his injury is such that he won’t be recovering quickly enough to make the World Cup. We are looking at three to four weeks and thereafter, rehabilitation training will start before getting to match fitness level.

You can see that the situation is not good for him and for the team as well,” Rohr had said.

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKWU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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El Clasico

Madrid, Barca in Top of the Table Clash This weekend will feature some intriguing fixtures in the Premier League and the Italian Serie A, where Juventus and Inter Milan will collide in top of the table clash. However, there is no encounter in the top five European leagues that comes close to the Sunday La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Barcelona head into the game two points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table. After a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou in the first Clásico of the season, both sides will be eager to pick up a win and take hold of La Liga as the season enters its final months.

With 13 games remaining and Barcelona leading Real Madrid by two points, El Clasico at the Bernabeu on Sunday could be pivotal in deciding the most compelling La Liga title race for years.

Neither team has looked particularly convincing this season, both have been hit by significant injury blows, and Real

now have a Champions League home defeat to bounce back from, so there are plenty of uncertainties heading into a game that is likely to be tense and closely contested.

A notable aspect of Real’s season has been their struggle in front of goal, which came to light once again during last weekend’s shock 1-0 loss at mid-table Levante - the eighth time this season they have failed to score.

During the early phases of the campaign, Karim Benzema carried the load almost single-handedly. The Frenchman netted 13 goals in the first 16 league

games, masking the team’s overall deficiencies inside the penalty area.

But Benzema has mustered only one league goal since Christmas - an important one, winning last month’s local derby against Atletico Madrid - and none of the team’s other forwards have stepped up to play their part.

A remarkable stat this late into the season is that excluding penalties no other Real player has scored more than three league goals. Sergio Ramos is the team’s second-highest scorer with five, but three of those came from the spot.

The team’s forwards are, to be blunt,

having very bad seasons in front of goal: Gareth Bale (two league goals), Eden Hazard (1), Luka Jovic (2), Rodrygo (2) and Vinicius Junior (1) have all massively underperformed, making the ability of midfielders like Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde (and, of course, Ramos) to chip in with their fair share of strikes extremely important.

To an extent, injuries can be blamed for the forwards’ lack of goals, and last weekend’s loss at Levante provided another major setback as Hazard - in just his second game since returning from a three-month absence - limped off with a

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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City Target Third Successive Carabao Cup Trophy After coming from a goal down to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu midweek, Manchester city turn attention to the local scene as they hope to win a third successive Carabao Cup trophy with Aston Villa standing in their way Aston Villa edged out Leicester City by one goal over the two-leg semifinal to reach the EFL Cup final for the first time in a decade to set a meeting with current holders Manchester City on Sunday which on paper looks like a mismatch.

City have endured a tough season sitting 22 points behind Liverpool in the league. Pep Guardiola has admitted defeat and his sole focus is now on making sure there is at least one trophy in the cabinet this season.

Aston Villa are no stranger to this tournament and have won it a jointthird best five times. They have reached the final a further three times and shouldn’t be written off just yet.

The Cityzens have won back-to-back trophies in this tournament and will edge to within one of Liverpool’s record of eight wins. The league is all but over and a trophy on Sunday would lift the team’s spirit ahead of a difficult second leg Champions League tie against Real Madrid.

Similarly, to their opponents, City made it to the final by a slim one-goal margin. In fact, Guardiola’s side were defeated 1-0 at home against Manchester United. They went through after securing a 3-1 win in the first-leg but show they are vulnerable in these games.

Pep will likely rotate a few squad players in for the final with the Champions League likely higher in priorities. Phil Foden is rumoured to get the nod with Kevin De Bruyne dropping to the bench, while Claudio Bravo has been playing in goal for this competition and will likely start.

fractured ankle that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season.

In stark contrast to the Real team of Zidane’s previous managerial stint, which often struggled to play cohesive football but never lacked for goalscoring prowess - largely thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo - the current side are more than capable of knitting together pretty passing patterns but regularly fail to be effective where it matters the most.

Barcelona will be missing their first choice full-backs, with Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba injured. They will be replaced by the uninspiring duo of Nelson Semedo and Junior Firpo, and there is also a doubt over Gerard Pique after he hurt his ankle during Tuesday’s draw at Napoli.

Further forward, recently installed manager Quique Setien has plenty of options to support key man Lionel Messi, who has again carried the team this season by recording league-high totals of 18 goals and 12 assists.

Against Napoli in midweek, Setien opted for Messi and Antoine Griezmann in attack, stacking the midfield with a

narrow quartet of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Frenkie de Jong and Arturo Vidal.

He may opt for a similar selection this weekend, but a pair of intriguing options are available. Firstly, teen star Ansu Fati offers width, goalscoring and a welcome dose of the unpredictable, and his inclusion would add another dimension to the team’s otherwise undermanned attack.

The real wild card, however, could be former Middlesbrough misfit Martin Braithwaite, who became a surprise emergency signing last week after Ousmane Dembele was sidelined for six months.

Braithwaite made a promising debut off the bench against Alaves last weekend, assisting the last two goals. The Danish striker still has to prove that he can make a meaningful contribution at moments that matter, but he does offer the pace and directness which are otherwise lacking.

December’s meeting was the first goalless draw between the teams since 2002, and this weekend’s showdown could well be a similarly cagey affair.

With just two points between them at the top of the table, the stakes are high especially as head-to-head records, not goal difference, separate teams level on points in La Liga. That means Sunday’s game is effectively worth an extra point to the winner, so avoiding defeat will perhaps be more tempting than chasing victory.

A key tactical question will be whether managers Zidane and Setien pursue cautious control or take risks to find penalty box penetration.

In the same way that the Barca boss must choose how to complement Messi and Griezmann, Zidane’s dilemma is how he can build his team’s attacking play around Benzema.

Bale should be the obvious option, especially with Hazard out, but the Welshman has done little in recent weeks to justify starting. Wingers Vinicius and Lucas Vazquez could also be used, but Rodrygo is unavailable through suspension after getting sent off

with the club’s B team last weekend.

Zidane, who loves varying his team selections and springing surprises, could also follow Setien’s method and overload his midfield, with Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde and Isco all doing more in recent weeks to earn a starting spot than any of the forwards.

Setien, meanwhile, is an avid adherent of possession football: his team attempted more than 1,000 passes in a home win over Granada, while his insistence on building from the back led to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen making 69 passes earlier this month against Getafe.

So Barca could well dominate possession, but can they use it to provide Messi and Griezmann with ammunition?

This Clasico comes with many unknowns. The answers could go a long way towards deciding this season’s champions.

Head to Head 9/22/12 Tottenham 0 - 2 Chelsea 19/2 20-03-01 Real Madrid ??? Barcelona 19-12-18 Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid 19-03-02 Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona 18-10-28 Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid 18-05-06 Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid 17-12-23 Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona 17-04-23 Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona 16-12-03 Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid 16-04-02 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid 15-11-21 Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona 15-03-22 Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid 14-10-25 Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona 14-03-23 Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona 13-10-26 Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid 13-03-02 Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 12-10-07 Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid 12-04-21 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid 11-12-10 Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona 11-04-16 Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona 10-11-29 Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid 10-04-10 Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona

Premiership Table Liverpool Liverpool Man City Leicester Chelsea Man Utd Tottenham Sheff Utd Wolves Arsenal Burnley Everton Southampton Crystal Palace Newcastle Brighton Bournemouth

25 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27

45 47 39 27 8 1 8 4 6 3 -6 -5 -14 -8 -17 -7 -17

73 79 57 50 44 2 41 40 40 39 37 37 36 34 33 31 28 26

PREMIER LEAGUE TODAY

Brighton v Crystal Palace 12:30 Bournemouth v Chelsea 15:00 Newcastle v Burnley 15:00 West Ham v Southampton 15:00 Watford v Liverpool 17:30 SUNDAY

Everton Tottenham

La Liga

v v

Man Utd Wolves

14:00 14:00

v v v v

Levante 12:00 Real Betis 15:00 Alavés 17:30 Celta Vigo 20:00

v v v v v

Osasuna Villarreal Atlético Getafe Barcelona

v v v

Bologna Fiorentina Torino

v v v v v v

Genoa Atalanta SPAL Brescia Roma Inter

v

Verona

TODAY

Eibar Valencia Leganés Granada SUNDAY

Sevilla Bilbao Espanyol Mallorca Madrid

11:00 13:00 15:00 17:30 20:00

Serie A TODAY

Lazio Udinese Napoli

14:00 17:00 19:45

SUNDAY

AC Milan Lecce Parma Sassuolo Cagliari Juventus

11:30 14:00 14:00 14:00 17:00 19:45

MONDAY

Sampdoria

19:45

Hot Shot PLAYERS

CLUB

GOALS

Jamie Vardy Leicester 17 Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal 17 Sergio Agüero Man City 16 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 15 Danny Ings Southampton 15 Marcus Rashford Man Utd 14 Sadio Mané Liverpool 13 Tammy Abraham Chelsea 13 Raul Jimenez Wolves 12 Dominic Calvert-Lewin Everton 12 Teemu Pukki Norwich 11 Harry Kane Tottenham 11 Raheem Sterling Man City 11 Gabriel Jesus Man City 10 Anthony Martial Man Utd 10 Richarlison Everton 10 Chris Wood Burnley 10 Son Heung-Min Tottenham 9 Kevin De Brune Man City 8 Firmino Liverpool 8 Neal Maupay Brighton 8 Riyad Mahrez Man City 7 Jack Grealish Aston Villa 7 Ayoze Perez Leicester 7 Dele Alli Tottenham 7 Harry Wilson Bournemouth 7 James Maddison Leicester 6 Todd Cantwell Norwich 6 Sebastien Haller West Ham 6 Ashley Barnes Burnley 6

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Cynthia Omomoh of Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji (Left) and Ezima Favour of Government Day Secondary School, Karu with their respective prizes in the final of senior girls 100 meters race at the Abuja finals of Maltina School Games. The duo ahead qualified to participate in the National finals in Lagos next month.

The FC Bulmaro Technical Crew members with Jorge Couto, Technical Director, Barca Academy Group Nigeria, during the crew arrival at Blaugrana Sports Group Corporate Office in Lagos

Eto’O Hails Castle Africa 5s Initiative Former Indomitable of Cameroon star, Samuel Eto’O has hailed the Castle Africa 5s initiative and has expressed his delight to be the programme’s ambassador.

“I’m delighted to be in Nigeria as an ambassador to Castle Africa 5s and I hope to inspire lots of young Nigeria footballers youth to becoming the next superstars like former Super Eagles stars lie Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu,” Eto’o said.

“It is a good initiative and I hope more players will follow this path to

success. It has always been my dream to help young players reach their goal but I always charge them not to ever give up no matter the challenges that come their way.”

Other African countries like Ghana, Uganda, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are expected to grace the event, and later in the year, compete together with Nigeria for the 2020 Castle Africa 5s trophy.

Eto’o, alongside former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo yesterday

launched the Castle Africa 5s football tournament at the Orienta Hotel, Vitoria Island, Lagos.

The Castle Africa 5s is the biggest amateur five-a-side football competition involving grassroots teams from several African countries in which the world’s largest brewer, ABINBEV operates.

The tournament started in 2016 in South Africa with six countries and has grown bigger with Nigeria participating for the first time last year in Tanzania.

4th Ladies Open Golf Championship Tees-off at UBTH All roads lead to UBTH Golf Club, Ugbowo, Benin City for the 4th Ladies Open Golf Championship which officially tee-off today, through Sunday March 1.

Lady golfers numbering over a hundred and close to fifty men golfers from various golf clubs from SouthSouth region and beyond are taking part at the championship.

According to the Lady Captain of UBTH, Sandra Monye-Emina, she explained that the golf action commenced with the arrival of golfers, cocktail party on Friday while the championship proper tees-off today, with the final round is slated for Sunday.

Emina said: “Adequate arrangements for a successful championship have in place, the exco and committee have worked tirelessly to ensure smooth running of the game. It will feature various categories, but men will play as guests.

“UBTH golf club is where we promote good healthy living through the game of golf. The club which is viewed as the friendliest golf club on the planet has such a significant number of things going for her.

“This includes an extraordinary golf course, a golf house with a serene atmosphere and all, with high profile individuals making up the

membership of the club. And that is why the uniqueness of the club cannot be compared to others. We are exceptional and accommodative.

“The championship commenced on Friday, with the arrival of guests, special category handicap 29-36 starting their game, and cocktail party later in the evening.

Ladies handicap 0-28 will be on the course today and Sunday, but they will be split into gross and net. Also playing today are the men.

Sunday’s event will be the final round of games, and presentation of prizes by 6pm.

El Clasico, Juve vs Inter Live this Weekend on GOtv

Football fans will be treated to a bumper package this weekend as big derby games from the Serie Aand La Liga, as well as games from the Premier League will be aired on GOtv this weekend.

The games, scheduled to hold from February 28 – March 1, will be broadcast live on SuperSport Select 2 to GOtv Jolli and GOtv Max subscribers, and on SuperSport Select 4 and SuperSport Select 5 exclusive to GOtv Max subscribers.

Bournemouthwillcontinuetheirfight to escape relegation from the Premier League when they host Chelsea at Dean Court today. The game kicks off at 4pm

and will be aired live on SuperSport Select 2.

A fascinating game lies in prospect in the Serie A when the defending champions, Juventus host Inter Milan in the Derby d’Italia at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday. The game will be aired live on SuperSport Select 2 and 5 at 8:45pm.

After eight seasons of total dominance, Juventus are finally facing stiff competition in the league and their Milan rivals are one of their challengers.

Also on Sunday, a fierce football rivalry will be rekindled in La Liga

when Real Madrid host defending champions, Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the El Clasico.

The game kicks off at 9pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Select 4.

Real Madrid lost the top position in the league to Barcelona after a surprise defeat to Levante last week, and their week was compounded after they lost to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Los Blancos, however, will want to use the game overcome the two-point deficit established by their rivals.

Halogen, FG Sign MoU to Support Adekuoroye Halogen Group has formerly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in fulfillment of its decision to adopt Odunayo Adekuoroye, World No 1 ranked female wrestler in her quest for an Olympic gold medal.

The signing of the agreement which took place in Abuja between Halogen Group management and the sports ministry signals the success of the “Adopt an Athlete” initiative launched by the ministry and is another vista in Nigeria’s sports development.

According to the Chief Executive Officer/Group Managing Director, Halogen Group, Mr. Wale Olaoye,

“Halogen Group is extremely happy to adopt Odunayo Adekuoroye in her quest to win the first Olympic gold medal in wrestling for Nigeria at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic. This is not about how much we are supporting Odunayo with; rather it is more about our commitment to contribute towards the overall development of Nigeria and it further reflects our corporate purpose of helping to empower achievement in all areas of human endeavor” Olaoye added that “Halogen is particularly delighted to be part of Odunayo Adekuoroye’s rise to global reckoning. Our decision to adopt her among many other great talents is

divine. Her humble beginning and unstoppable search for excellence in her career find a strong correlation with Halogen Group’s DNA and brand philosophy of Professionalism, Integrity, Passion, and Excellence.

We are delighted to be one of the first corporate organizations to embrace the federal government’s “Adopt an Athlete” initiative. This is true to who we are, we are pioneers in our industry and we are always committed to initiatives that drive innovation.”

The Halogen Group boss further commended the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare for igniting another great era in Nigeria’s Sport development.

FC Bulmaro Holds Football Clinic for Students Today

As a way to driving its vision of serving as a veritable platform of opportunities, the technical crew of the FC Bulmaro led by Argentine Gonzalo Dibiasi, has concluded arrangement to host a free weekend football clinic for students and coaches of Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos, and students from other schools in the environ, who are duly registered inline with the host school’s rules and regulations.

According to the head coach, FC Bulmaro, the young club has not only come to stay, but has the zeal to add quality value to the sporting world, while developing young people, building the Nigerian society in agreement with the corporate social responsibility objective and strategy of Blaugrana Sports Group International, with the intention of helping in growing and raising the young people who are talented and has the will to improve themselves.

“It is the intention of FC Bulmaro to ensure that it helps young people grow their innate talents, making them not only able to live their dreams, but be of immense worth to their immediate society, which we are a vital integral part. Thus, little contributions here and there, especially in well organized and structured environment where we have our children educated we strongly believe our world would be better for it,” Gonzalo said.

Speaking on behalf of Blaugrana Sports Group, Ayeesha Ibrahim, the Group Communication and Market Specialist, revealed that the club is aligning with the corporate vision of the promoters whose major motivation is to see the youth positively engaging their energy in ventures that would better their lives and help build a zero crime society.

“The clinic is billed for today in the school sports ground starting from 9 am. Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, is the launching pad,” she revealed.

She added that this effort will also help to prepare the club scheduled to take part in this year’s Donostic Club competition, in Barcelona, Spain, in early April.

Puma, Ify Babes Set for Ajide U20 Championship Final Cracker Puma Football Academy and Ify Babes have qualified for the final of the ongoing Ajide U20 football championship in Lagos Puma FA defeated FC Phoenix 2-1 in the first semi-final played at the Hockey Pitch of the Surulere National Stadium while high-scoring Ify Babes beat another tournament revelation Banjoh FA 4-2 to get the second final ticket.

The second match was particularly interesting with flurry of goals coming in the second half after the first half finished 1-0 in favour Ify Babes.

Proprietor and coach of Banjoh FA, Kamilu Banjo said they have put behind them the semi-final loss and look forward to winning the third place match against FC Phoenix.

The third place and final matches take place on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at the Legacy pitch of the National Stadium.

Ex-international and former captain of defunct Abiola Babes of Abeokuta, Tajudeen Disu, has thumbed up the tournament for throwing up genuine U20 players.

“What I have seen are assemblage of genuine U20 players and I want to applaud the organizers and sponsor for doing the right think. The matches have gone without hitches and protest because everyone recognizes that these players are not overage.”

Tajudeen Ajide who watched the semi-final matches in company of other ex-internationals said he is happy to with the organisation and the quality of play. “I have seen quality players here and the good thing is that they are young too. We have penciled down their names and this is what we want so as to add my own quota to development of youth and grassroots football in the country.

In-fact most of these players are in secondary schools.”

Dr Francis Akinremi, national president of Association of Proprietors of Football Academies of Nigeria (APFAN), organizers of the championship added that winner and first and second runners up, top scorer and most valuable player will be handsomely rewarded.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Josh Maja

Leading the Pack of Nigerian Strikers Super Eagles duo of Lille’s of France forward, Victor Osimhen and Villarreal front-man of Samuel Chuwueze may be enjoying rave moments in Europe but it is Bordeaux starlet Josh Maja that holds the record of the most efficient Nigerian striker playing in the top five European Leagues Maja

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mong the Nigerian players to be involved in 10 games or more in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1, the Bordeaux number, nine Josh Maja has the best goals-per-minute ratio, scoring a goal every 123 minutes. He has logged 615 minutes in 19 Ligue 1 matches.

In second place is Leicester City frontman Kelechi Iheanacho who has scored a goal every 145 minutes despite his limited playing opportunities. The former Manchester City kid has netted three goals in 10 Premier League games, logging 434 minutes.

The third most efficient Nigerian striker is none other than Lille’s Victor Osimhen who has reached double figures for goals in his debut season in Ligue 1. The 2015 U-17 World Cup Golden Boot winner has registered 13 goals, one goal every 162 minutes, spanning 25 appearances.

Completing the top five are Union Berlin’s Anthony Ujah with a goal every 299 minutes and Levante loanee Moses Simon who has scored a goal every 400 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Eagles star has rejected the criticism of French Ligue 1, saying it is a league that puts youngsters on the road to stardom. The French topflight has come in for criticism from fans who believed the league lacks the quality of the Premier League.

With PSG winning the six of the last of seven Ligue 1 titles, fans believe the league also lacks the competitive edge associated with the Premier League.

However, Maja rejected such criticism, saying both leagues are unique in their ways. The 21-year-old who joined Bordeaux from Sunderland last January said the Ligue 1 provides youngsters with the opportunity to grow. ”It may not have the same physicality and intensity like the Premier League, but overall, the Ligue 1 is a fantastic league, and I am happy to be playing here with exciting and talented players,” Maja told ojbsports.

Although he admits the French topflight may not have the intensity of the Premier League, Maja insists he’s happy to play in Ligue 1. ”It may not have the same physicality and intensity like the Premier League, but overall, the Ligue 1 is a fantastic league, and I am happy to be playing here with exciting

and talented players,” he added.

Maja has scored seven times and provided three assists in 19 appearances for Bordeaux this campaign.

Last Saturday, FC Girondins de Bordeaux were held to a 2-2 result at home by relegation battling Dijon, a game that captures how uncertain their campaign in Ligue 1 has been this term.

Paulo Sousa’s men were rattled by Mounir Chouiar, whose brace (16, 72 brought the French man’s tally in the league to four this the season.

There were some actions for Maja, but more of a cameo as has been in recent games since his injury in December.

Maja had missed four league games prior, either as an unused substitute or been left out of the matchday squad.

The 21- year-old Nigerian international was introduced in the last 10 minutes of the game, but looked far from the quality of the striker who poached four goals in two games.

Maja cut the figure of a man who doesn’t want to be there, seeing now that the opportunities for game time isn’t forthcoming.

When on December 3, Maja smashed in a fine hattrick and an assist in Bordeaux 6-0 drubbing of Nimes to take his goals haul to five in eight matches, making him one of the most decisive Nigerian players in Europe’s top five leagues, little did he know he has caught the attention of Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, after he last appeared for the team in September against Ukraine and his direction have not been looked at since then. ”He was on our list of players to watch, he was already attracting our attention, although he was only playing in League One because our scouts were studying him closely from England,” Rohr told So Foot.

“He seized his chance with the various injuries of his teammates, and his hat-trick is part of the progression he displays.”

“I feel good, I’m very happy to get my first hattrick for Boardeaz and in my career,” the Nigerian international said in a video shared on Twitter by Bordeaux.

“Of course it’s a good night for the team as we picked up three points. We performed very well, so we are going to keep working and prepare for the next game,” Maja said after the game.

Maja, 20, left Sunderland for France in January after rejecting a new deal and has impressed the Chelsea boss

who is looking to bolster his attacking options.

Currently, one of the most outstanding strikers in the French League going by his impressive performance so far this season but Bordeaux defender, Laurent Koscielny believes Maja has the potential to achieve greatness if he continues to read the game carefully.

“It’s great for him and his confidence. You can feel that he’s starting to settle in and it’s bearing fruit. He works hard in front of goal, and he was rewarded.

“He still needs to improve in his reading of the game, but he has the right attitude to learn and try to do things well.”

League One strugglers Sunderland sold Maja to Bordeaux for £3.5 million in January; now he could reportedly be heading to the Premier League with Chelsea.

One year after Maja swapped Wearside for Wine Country, the former Sunderland striker could soon be packing his Louis Vuitton and suitcase and preparing to head back across the channel.

But, unfortunately for the Black Cats faithful, one of the most lethal strikers to lead the line at the Stadium of Light in many a year is not heading back to the North East to save Sunderland’s season and Phil Parkinson’s reputation.

While the fallen giants have slipped to 12th in the League One table, Maja is making a name for himself at one of France’s biggest clubs. He’s scored six times for Bordeaux in 2019/20, with a clinical hat-trick in November’s 6-0 thrashing of Nimes an early career highlight.

The former Sunderland forward says he left Sunderland because they could not agree terms on a new deal despite scoring 16 goals for the Black Cats during the first half of the season but was sold to Bordeaux during the January transfer window.

Sunderland offered Maja a contact worth seven times his current salary but he opted to reject the deal. With the 20-yearold’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Black Cats opted to cash in to eliminate the risk of losing their star striker on a free transfer.

Eyebrows were raised when Maja joined the Ligue 1 side - particularly given there was a lot of British interest in his services.

“My agent told me that they had shown interest since last year, so it went back further. I made a lot of progress at the beginning of the season, and I think that’s when they decided to take action,” Maja told France Football.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

FAIRGROUND Kaluuya, Matsoukas, Other A-List Celebrities Grace Queen and Slim Premiere

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he highly anticipated drama-thriller, Queen and Slim, premiered in Filmhouse Cinemas, Lekki, Lagos over the weekend. The event, hosted by UMG Nigeria in conjunction with Fimhouse Cinemas, welcomed A-listers including English actor, Oscar nominee and lead actor of the movie, Daniel Kaluuya, as well as GRAMMY®-winning director and director of the movie, Melina Matsoukas.

The premiere, which occurred on February 15, included a red-carpet event and a private screening with Nigerian and Global entertainment powerhouses in attendance including Bankole Wellington, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Dr. Sid, Uti Nwachukwu, Eku Edeawor, Mo Cheddah, Osas Ighodaro, amongst others.

The star guests Daniel Kaluuya and Melina Matsoukas, were also joined by, Sipho Dlamini, Managing Director of Universal Music South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa and Marc Byers, General Manager of Motown Records. For the promotion of the movie fondly described as “a love story to Africa '', the powerful duo, Daniel and Melina, have embarked on an African world-tour, visiting other African countries including South Africa amongst others and now, Nigeria.

Addressing the guests at the event, Managing Director of Universal Music South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Sipho Dlamini, expressed gratitude for the support received saying: “Handling a project this delicate is not an easy one and would not have been possible without everyone who has shown support, either by telling people about it, honoring our invitation to this exclusive screening or generally spreading

awareness about the movie. We are so glad to finally be sharing the result of this journey with you and hope it leaves a remarkable impact on how you currently perceive life. Thank you all for showing up and showing out.”

Group Chief Executive Officer of Filmhouse Cinemas, Kene Okwuosa said: “It is an honor to partner with Universal Music Africa, Daniel And Melina and the entire team on bringing Queen and Slim to Nigeria. It is a powerful story that handles its themes of resistance and joy with as much care and entanglement. “ Queen & Slim, a Universal Pictures production, is a powerful, consciousness-raising love story that confronts the staggering human toll of racism and the life-shattering price of violence. The film which was directed by Grammy®-winning director Melina Matsoukas and written by Emmy®-winning writer Lena Waithe, tells an emotional story of a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman (Jodie Turner-Smith), whose first date takes a dramatic turn of events that affects their lives in unthinkable ways.

Embedded in the movie were the overarching message of love, grief, survival, pain and fear.

The movie also was one of discovery, desperation and humanity, also strongly represented in its soundtrack. Showcasing the range of talent across Black artists with a compelling blend of genres, the soundtrack features a 16-song EP with tracks

by Burna Boy, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Lil Baby, Vince Staples featuring 6lack X Mereba, Tiana Major 9 & EARTHGANG, Coast Contra featuring BJ The Chicago Kid and Syd, plus classic songs by Roy Ayers, Bilal, Mike Jones and others.

Now available nationwide, you can watch Queen & Slim at any Cinema near you.

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

L-R: MD, Universal Music Group SA, Sipho Dlamini; Daniel Kaluuya, Melina Matsoukas and sub -Saharan Africa Motown Records, Marc Byers

L-R: Osas Ighodaro, Nonso Bassey and Latasha Ngwube

Amechi Okobi

Mo Cheddah

Denola Grey and Yagazie

Olisa Adiba

Jemima Osunde

Abayomi Alvin

Uti Nwachukwu

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

FAIRGROUND

Patoranking Launches Africa Reggae and Dancing Festival Africa Reggae and Dance Festival (ARDF) set to take place on March 28, 2020 is a celebration of African and Reggae music with the aim of promoting togetherness and to amplify the voice of the African Spirit while strengthening the continent’s position and image through music.

Visionary African singer-songwriter and philanthropist, Patoranking is expanding his footprints as an artist who supports social change and progress. He has announced his first music festival called the Africa Reggae and Dancing Festival, a single day cultural experience festival in his hometown Lagos, Nigeria.

The Africa Reggae and Dancing Festival will be taking place at the Eko Energy City and will feature a highly curated selection of artists both local and international. This premier event will have the attendees immersed in music, dance and a cultural experience like no other.

With events usually held towards the end of the year, during the festive period, ARDF is more than a festival and hopes in raising the festival bar in Africa, it will be known for its distinctive cultural experience

and its world class performances set to unite music fans.

As one of the most celebrated brands in music and having achieved extraordinary success, Patoranking values excellence, unity and is committed to bringing out the best in arts and culture.

The festival’s mission is to unite the community and highlight the African Spirit.

It's an opportunity to bring the best of what Patoranking has encountered around the world back to his hometown.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Patoranking said: “I have always wanted to bring this experience to the continent, now is the right time and what best way than to start in Lagos where I am from.”

Patoranking is working hand in hand with the city of Lagos to curate an experience to celebrate culture and highlighting opportunities for achieving a united, loving, peaceful and stronger Africa. An experience encapsulating music, education, arts and culture, wellness and more, Africa Reggae and Dancing Festival will have something for everyone, and all ages.

Patoranking

Lord’s Dry Gin Names Tobi Bakare Brand Ambassador

Tobi Bakare

Lord’s Dry Gin has enjoyed unanimous leadership in the Spirit market, surpassing its counterparts and is breaking grounds by announcing its first-ever brand ambassador. As part of its mission to celebrate distinct leadership, Lord’s Dry Gin is proud to announce rising sensation Tobi Bakare, as its brand ambassador.

Bakare has distinguished himself as a maverick with his commitment to personal and professional goals, which are in line with the brand’s mission to recognise and celebrate individuals who made a positive impact locally and globally.

The Marketing Manager, Mridul Sharma explained that Bakare was made a Lord’s Dry Gin ambassador for being an inspiration to millions of people, who were motivated by his drive to be different.

According to Mridul: “ We are happy to have Tobi Bakare onboard. His dedication and commit-

ment, as well as his positive attitude have contributed to the growth and success he has achieved so far. His work ethic, confidence and dedication are attributes which are greatly encouraged by Lord’s Dry Gin.” Tobi expressed his excitement saying: “I am thrilled to be given the chance to be a source of inspiration while representing one of Nigeria’s prestigious brands. This is such a great opportunity to inspire the rise of individual achievement and I am proud to champion this movement.

As an enterprise of Grand Oak Limited renowned for its prominent marketing and distribution of Spirits and Wines in Nigeria, Lord’s Dry Gin is made of exceptional, international quality and has been in the market for 34 years. Lord’s Dry Gin endowed with leadership in the spirit market, is enjoyed among sophisticated ladies and gentlemen.

Learning Floral Decoration Makes You Highly Sought-after, Says Adesigbin In a bid to meet the growing demand for skilled floral design decorators in the Nigeria event space, Florals By Jedidiah, an event firm, is set to empower women and those interested in the craft starting from March 2.

Floral design or flower arrangement is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create a pleasing and balanced composition incorporating the elements of texture, space, colour and lines. In addition to flower arrangements, floral design includes making wreaths, bouquets, and garlands, among others.

The firm’s chief executive officer, Agatha Adesigbin, said in a statement that learning floral decorations was one skill in huge demand.

She said the idea was to give back by empowering as many people as possible, having recorded considerable achievement as an event floral designer in over a decade.

“During my training in event decoration, I was exposed to floral arrangements and I realised I had a flair for it,” she said. “I decided to go for further training in floral arrangement at a reputable floral outfit. Then, my trainer had to travel abroad for a while and left some of her floral accounts for me. It was then I realised that floral business could fetch good money", she said.

Adesigbin, who was excited and served those clients

excellently well, further added: “Fast forward to 2018, I had a leading to take the floral arm of our event decor business a notch higher. This resulted in our floral design classes which have impacted a lot of lives in Nigeria and other African countries. For example, floral design is the new décor and is fast becoming a desired trend at events today. Our outfit has been privileged to provide floral service for few top clients such as the Rotary Club International, Day Start, and Nigeria Stock Exchange, among others.”

The event decor expert noted that floral design is a lucrative business and people who are skilled in it are highly sought-after.

“Florals has brought laurels for our outfit. Of recent is our nomination for The Event Industry Conference (TEIC) staircase challenge as well as winning of the Event Florist of the Year Award by the Association of Event Vendors of Nigeria- ASSEV,” she further stated.

Adesigbin, who has trained about 105 florists, who are doing well, admitted that this number is not enough for the gap that is to be filled in the event industry.

On what participants are to expect, she explained: "They will be exposed to the technics of floral design and equipped with the right knowledge that will enable them start their own business."

Agatha Adesigbin

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

38

AUTO A Porsche as Personal as Your Own Fingerprint

JAC S3

Elizade-JAC Motors, First Bank Partner to Roll-out Special 30 Campaign Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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n a bid to further enable mobility in Nigeria, Elizade JAC Autoland in partnership with First Bank have unveiled the Special 30 vehicle finance campaign to enable Nigerians access very affordable and low interest rate finance.

The campaign, tagged ‘Special 30’ is the first edition which kicked off from February 4th to August 4, 2020. The campaign will enable up to 30 lucky individual to access the most incredible brand new vehicle ownership scheme monthly. Vehicles under this scheme are JAC Motors passenger vehicles JAC J4 sedan, S2 Fabric Seat and Leather Seat, and S3.

Speaking at the launch of the cam-

paign, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Elizade JAC Autoland, Demola Adeojo said, “For us at Elizade JAC Autoland, we seek ways to enable Nigerians to own vehicles. Now with this scheme, you do not have to cough out the entire cost of a vehicle when you can access a very affordable customer focus campaign like the Special30 scheme.”

Also speaking on the partnership, Mr. Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said “at FirstBank we remain committed to promoting initiatives tailored at meeting our customers’ immediate financial and personal needs.

We are excited about this partnership with Elizade Auto Land, in conjunction with JAC motors, as it is a means

to owning a brand new vehicle with premium vehicular maintenance services and various benefits at cost effective rates. Customers are implored to visit the FirstBank branch nearest to them for this amazing opportunity to own a brand new car.”

To access the Special 30 campaign; walk into any first bank outlet nearest to you or the nearest Elizade Autoland /Showroom closest to you.

JAC Motors is the only Chinese brand with full range of vehicles across all segments in Nigeria. Some of the models include the J4 sedan, S2, S3, S5, S7 (SUVs) as well as T6 pickup, Sunray bus X5 pickup, L40 Truck and the N-Series3tons, 4tons, 5tons, 7tons and 10tons which can be adopted to various applications.

Suzuki Holds Open Day for Bank Staff, Customers

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n a bid to flaunt the salient features and Japanese technology of Suzuki vehicles, CFAO Motors, has commenced Open Day events in collaboration with partner

banks.

The purpose of this event is to entertain bank customers and staff in the Suzuki Akin Adesola Showroom with the opportunity for prospective customers to get a feel of the products and be enlightened on the ongoing Suzuki financing offers.

The Open Day which kicked off 2 weeks ago will subsequently hold every Thursdays for the next couple of weeks.

Most of the top Nigerian banks have already scheduled their Open days with Suzuki.

The Suzuki brand is currently making waves with the introduction of its Finance scheme which enables customers to purchase Suzuki vehicles with as little as N3.7m or N87,000 monthly. CFAO Motors also accepts any brand of vehicle for Trade-in as equity, and offers free fueling and free service for first year of purchase.

The models available in Nigeria cut across compact cars, sedans and Sport Utility Vehicles with the Alto, Dzire, Swift, Baleno, Ciaz, Ertiga, Vitara and Jimny.

Suzuki Drize

Even nowadays, hardly any Porsche is the same as another. But from now on, the 911 can even be as unique as the papillary lines on a human fingertip. Using an innovative direct printing method developed by Porsche, graphic elements of the highest visual quality can now be printed onto the painted body parts of a vehicle. Initially, customers who purchase a new 911 can have the bonnet personalised with a design based on their own fingerprint. In the medium term, other customer-specific designs will become available. This service is available through the Porsche Centres, which establish contact with the customer consultants at the Exclusive Manufaktur in Zuffenhausen. These consultants discuss the entire process with the customer, from submission of the fingerprint to completion of the vehicle.

“Individuality is very important for Porsche customers.And no design can be more personal than your own fingerprint,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualization and Classic. “Porsche is a pioneer in personalisation and has developed the direct printing method together with partners. We’re especially proud of having developed a completely new product offering based on new technologies.Akey factor in this was the different disciplines working together in the project team.”

For the project, a so-called “technology cell” was set up in the paint shop of the Zuffenhausen training centre. It was here that the new software and hardware as well as the associated painting and manufacturing process were developed and tested. The decision to locate the technology cell in the training centre was intentional: among other things, it will also be used to introduce the trainees to pioneering technologies.

Direct printing makes it possible to produce designs that are not possible with conventional painting. In terms of look and feel, the new technology is clearly superior to film application.

The operating principle is similar to that of an inkjet printer: using a print head, the paint is applied to three-dimensional components automatically and without overspray. “The ability to control the nozzles individually permits targeted application of every paint droplet,” explains Christian Will, Vice President Production Development at Porsche AG. “The complexity is due to the necessity of harmonising three technologies: robot technology (control, sensors, programming), application technology (print head, graphic handling) and paint technology (application process, paint).”

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur If a customer decides to enhance their 911 with the direct printing method, the specialists in the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur disassemble the bonnet following series production. The customer’s biometric data is processed to make sure it cannot be used for an unauthorised purpose.

The entire process takes place in direct communication with the customer, who has a complete overview of how their personal data is used and is also integrated in the creation process of their print graphic. After the robot paints the unique design, a clear coat is applied and the bonnet is polished to a high-gloss finish, in order to meet the highest quality standards.

Then the enhanced component is reinstalled.

The service costs 7,500 euros (including VAT) in Germany and will be provided by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur on request from March 2020.

The Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur creates very personal customer vehicles through a combination of perfect craftsmanship and high technology. Thirty highly qualified employees devote their full attention to every detail and take the time needed to achieve a perfect result through painstaking manual work.

The experts can make use of an extremely wide range of visual and technical personalisation options to realise exterior and interior enhancements. In addition to special customer vehicles, the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur also produces limited small series, as well as editions that combine high-quality materials with modern production technologies to create a harmonious overall concept.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

39

AUTO

New Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC+ Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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brisk lap of the race circuit or a weekend trip to the mountains with your sports gear stowed in the back: the new GLA45 4MATIC+ (combined fuel consumption 9.2-9.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 211-209 g/km)1 and GLA 45 S 4MATIC+ (combined fuel consumption 9.3-9.2 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 212-210 g/km) are the assured masters of a multitude of disciplines. When required, these compact all-rounders can unleash a level of dynamic handling to impress even sports car owners. The 2.0-litre engine is the most powerful series-produced four-cylinder turbo engine and is available in two output and torque versions. Even the base model delivering 285 kW (387 hp) is more powerful than the previous model. The S-variant rated at 310 kW (421 hp) jostles with considerably higher vehicle classes. The active, fully-variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive distributes the power to the rear axle wheel-selectively by AMG TORQUE CONTROL, so providing the basis for top traction in any driving conditions.

This is made possible by a new rear axle differential featuring two multi-disc clutches – one for each rear wheel. TheAMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G dual clutch transmission apportions the power within a split second to suit the specific driving situation.

“The second generation of our very successful compact sports model is now complete. The GLA portfolio, in the form of the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 and GLA 45 S, now also includes our innovative four-cylinder turbo engine, so setting the benchmark in this segment. In addition, the new

GLA 45 is not only significantly more dynamic, but also more practical in everyday use than its predecessor, thereby ensuring its appeal to a dynamic, lifestyle-oriented target group”, says Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. One new feature which makes a substantial contribution to the incomparable driving experience is the active, fully variableAMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive: this system offers selective power distribution to the wheels on the rear axle viaAMG TORQUE CONTROL. This means that the power is distributed to the left and right rear wheels flexibly and at different ratios, according to the given driving situation – resulting in optimum traction, whatever the road surface conditions and whatever course the route takes. This made possible by a redesigned rear axle differential featuring two multi-disc clutches, which selectively provide the flow of power to each individual rear wheel.

1Thestatedfiguresweredeterminedinaccordance with the prescribed measuring method. These are the “NEDC CO2 figures” according to Article 2 No. 1 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1153.

The fuel consumption figures were calculated on the basis of these figures.

New four-cylinder turbo engine delivering superlative power With an output of up to 310 kW (421 hp), the completely new Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre engine is currently the world’s most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder manufactured for series production.

Mercedes-AMG has improved on the output of the preceding engine by 30 kW (40 hp). Maximum torque has also increased, from 475 to as much as 500 newton metres.

The new Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC+

Toyota’s C-HR Cross-over Gets a Nip ‘N Tuck

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oyota’s expressive compact cross-over has been freshened up with design, safety and specification updates. The updated Toyota C-HR remains true to its iconic visual identity and the coupe-like lines create a bold style that continues to stand out, according to a statement by the automaker.

THE FACE Both front and rear areas have received detailed attention, bringing refinement to this expressive vehicle, while a painted lower lip reinforces the dynamic figure with a strong, wide and elevated stance.

The front bumper has gone ‘under the knife’ with a wider and larger lower air dam and more vertically positioned side air intakes. The ‘facelift’ also includes repositioning of the fog lamps, to a higher and more outward position.

The headlights on standard and Plus models have been upgraded to premium LED technology (bringing it in-line with the Luxury model), with the daytime running lights (DRLs) and indicators combined into one frontal projector emitting a single smooth line above the main beam. At the rear, the new bright red tail lamps are connected by a gloss black spoiler creating a single clean shape.

THE STRUCTURE

The acclaimed 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine continues as the anchor of the range – delivering effortlessmid-rangepunchandcruisingabilitypaired to either a CVT or 6-speed manual transmission.

It continues to produce 85kW and 185Nm across a broad rpm range, whilst using just 6.3 litres per 100 km of fuel (6.4 for the CVT). CO2 emissions are pegged low at 141 – 144 g/km.

Dynamic upgrades include modified EPS tuning for improved steering feel.All variants also feature an upgraded NVH pack to further reduce cabin noise.

The wheel-and-tyre package comprises 17” wheels for the standard model, while the Plus and Luxury grades receive turbine-shaped 18” alloy wheels.

THE TECH The new C-HR debuts a new OEM-sourced multimedia system that upgrades Toyota’s connectivity offer. This system now allows full smartphone integration and supports even the latest versions of Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™. This feature allows occupants to mirror their cellphone on the vehicle screen - opening up a world of connectivity options, including music streaming and navigation solutions.

As part of the multimedia upgrade the screen size has been ‘enlarged’ from 6.1 to 8” (20cm). The Multi-informationDisplay(MID)screentoohasbeen upgraded from 3.7 to 4.2” (10cm) on the Plus grade.

Toyota-C-HR

Cell Phones Make Drivers as Bad as Drunks The National Road Traffic Regulations,2012 and the Revised Highway Code lists the use of phone while driving and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs as traffic offences. The Revised Highway Code, warns drivers against driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or harmful substances because they impair vision, judgement, coordination and slows down reaction. The 2016 National Road Traffic Regulations in section 175(1) notes that,’’ any person, who while driving or attempting to drive or when in charge of a motor vehicle is under the influence of intoxicating drugs or alcohol above the legal limit or to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of such motor vehicle shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction…’’

It further lists the alcohol legal limit for each category of drivers to be;0.002 for young or novice drivers who are drivers who have not held a driver’s license for more than one year notwithstanding the age,0.000 for commercial/commercial drivers and 0.05 for the general population, noting that the permissible blood alcohol level for a driver is 0.5gm per litre or 0.05per cent of Blood Alcohol Concentration(BAC).The regulations allot penalty points of 5points to driving under the influence of alcohol and a penalty point of 4 to use of phone while driving.

The fines for driving under the influence of alcohol and use of phone while driving traffic offences are N5,000 and N4,000 respectively.

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491 Penalty points I once wrote, are points allotted to traffic offences and accumulated in a driver’s record. The Revised Highway Code further notes that a driver who accumulates points exceeding (9) shall be warned or have his license suspended or withdrawn. Specifically, it notes that a driver who accumulates 10-14penalty points will be warned, drivers with 15-20penalty points will be suspended while a driver’s license will be withdrawn if the penalty point is 21points and above.

This implies that driving under the influence is seen as a more dangerous traffic offence. I know both traffic infractions are risky and dangerous.

Since penalty points are allotted to each traffic offences, a lay man would therefore interpret this provisions to imply that driving under the influence of alcohol is more dangerous than phoning behind the wheels. However recent findings conducted at the University of Utah reveals that the reverse is the case. I am sure most readers will be shocked

at this revelation which says that drivers who talk on cell phones while driving are as impaired as drunken drivers with blood-alcohol levels at the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The study contained in a write up by Robert Britt shows that motorists who talk on cell phones while driving are as impaired as drunk drivers. The study he notes involved 40volunteers and the researchers who by participating, gained insight to what makes people think they can drive safely while using a cell phone or when drunk. Their new insight has formed the advocates for laws to curb the growing malaise.

Surprisingly, the findings had some unexpected revelations; while some of the participants crashed in a virtual vehicle while sober and chatting, none of them crashed while drunk. The study at the Utah University supports previous researches which equally revealed the risks of using the phone behind the wheels and also hands free. “We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit,” said Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah.

According to previous studies, as many as 2,600 people are killed each year in road traffic crashes involving drivers on cell phones.About 10 percent of drivers own up to using their phones while driving.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted in the United States found out that 28percent of cell phone users say

they do not drive as safely as they should while talking on the phone.

According to the study, volunteers drove a virtual vehicle four times: once undistracted; once using a handheld cell phone in real conversations; then with a hands-free phone; and finally again after getting tipsy. The volunteers, all self-labeled social drinkers who were used to three to five drinks a week, were paid $10 an hour. The drinks—multiple rounds of vodka and orange juice—were on the house. Blood tests and breathalyzers were used to measure alcohol levels of 0.08 percent—the minimum that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states. Most European countries, recognizing this as quite a level of stupor, have reduced their legal threshold to 0.05.

Some of the participants the study revealed, were visibly out of control, Drew said. “When I saw them walking, I thought, ‘Man, I don’t want to come close to them when they’re driving a car.’” The results were no doubt astonishing; those talking on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly slower, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes when necessary, showed 24 percent more variation in following distance, and were 19 percent slower to resume normal speed after braking.

Three study participants rear-ended the virtual pace car while talking. Those who were drunk drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and drivers using cell phones, yet they drove more aggressively. They followed the pace car more closely, were twice as likely to brake only foursecondsbeforeacollisionwouldhaveoccurred, and hit their brakes with 23 percent more force.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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˜ ˞ FEBRUARY 29, 2020

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION/RELATIONSHIP

BY

Kudos, Supreme Court

A

N aside: Please go savour the choice of words of the Supreme Court in its final declaration on the Bayelsa governorship election and the consequent appeal. The verdict was given on February 26, 2020. I have never read or heard such epochal and memorable statements on the abuse of court processes by leading counsel. The reprimand was quite instructive and should function as a free tutorial for all lawyers and their prospective clients.

If I had the privilege, I would have published the quintessential and unprecedented rebuke here—verbatim. I rest my case! “A top Presidency source last night assured (who did the source assure?) that the federal government remains (remained) committed to spending the‌.â€? (THISDAY Front Page, February 22) “In the eyes and reckoning of every Imo citizens, there has only been two administrations in the state.â€? Every Imo citizen or all Imo citizens‌and this: there have (not has) only been two administrations in the state. “NPA commends FG over (for) port reformsâ€?

(THISDAY Headline, January 27) “Nigeria’s aviation industry has witnessed some changes since the administration of late Musa Umar Yar’dua‌.â€? (THISDAY Aviation, January 27) The administration of the late‌. “After four years of solid performance on the saddle‌â€?’ Let God’s will be done: in the saddle. “Some states have seized the opportunity to make waves‌.â€? 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 to‌â€?

No news: last respects.

Yet another headline goof from the above edition: “Tantalizers fete (fetes) kids on Valen-

tine’s Dayâ€? Tantalizers is just a company. “Post election panel is illegal and diversionaryâ€? Get it right: Post-election panel illegal, diversionary “It is perhaps in this light that the series of consultative meeting....â€? Folk (popular) etymology: the series of consultative meetings. “In this regard, one must doff one’s hat for Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. ....â€? This way: doff (also take off) one’s hat to (not for). “In the last elections, voters had to choose between three parties essentially‌.â€? ‘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.â€? 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’? This is simply embarrassing! “Of course film-makers should also watch them so that the public can be told the videos are not some Hollywood make-belief.â€? My comment: make-believe. “Pondering over the nation is the spectra of economic corruption and a descent into (to) chaos and anarchy.â€? 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.â€? 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.â€? Diplomacy: on the continent. â€œâ€Śam convinced that what held the audience spell-bounded (spell-bound) and excited was the fact of an Anglophone being able to tell him in their own language.â€? “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.â€? ‘Fallout’ is uncountable. â€œâ€Śwe swept them under the carpet pretending that all was well when in actual (what for?) fact we were heading towards apocalypse.â€? â€œâ€Śothers point out the moral ground for such action (an action), given Labour’s antecedents in the past.â€? ‘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) 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

Before We Cuddle ‘Repentant’ Terrorists

W

ell, like movie watchers addicted to horror films or tragi-comedies, we are watching with growing trepidation at the ongoing dance of confusion inside our National Assembly. The best way to appreciate the level of your problems and the probability of escape or survival, is to take a look at the character, preoccupation and utterances of your lawmakers. Your heart will either sink or soar when you take interest in what comes out of these chambers.

Few days ago, a senator representing Yobe East Senatorial District and former governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam, reportedly sponsored a bill entitled “National Agency for Education, Rehabilitation, De-Radicalisation and Integration of Repentant Insurgents in Nigeria�. Please, note that Yobe is part of the “insurgent enclave� of the North East, and has suffered numerous attacks and devastation in the past decade.

Mercifully, they all don’t sleep facing the same wall. A senator more traumatized by the encircling onslaught, for many years now, raises an anguished finger of opposition to the poorly grounded bill. Ali Ndume (Borno South) who is also the Chairman Senate Committee on Army lamented that the bill will act more as a recruiting tool for the jihadists as it would now be possible to join the madcap group, get fed up, thereafter, of killing some Nigerians, and then volunteer to opt out, and be ‘re-inserted’ into the same communities that they have earlier tormented.

Perhaps our lawmakers are lulled into this hair-brained option because of available literatures of De-Radicalisation programmes of Saudi Arabia, Australia, Ireland, Tajikistan, Kuwait, etc, which many scholars and researchers have cautioned were fraught with unverified and scanty data to aggregate any sort of positive or enduring outcome. The factors necessary to make this work are so enormous, and must be so thoroughly evaluated and managed, a doomed prospect if we take into consideration our recent experiences with IDP camp planning and management. It clearly exposed our inadequacies, mediocrity, high-handedness and, in some cases, mindless criminality.

Here is a salient warning from an authority in exploring the dark crevices of criminally disabled minds: Andrew Silke is a professor of Criminology at the University of East London where he is also the Program Director for Terrorism Studies. This is a man whose works our legislators should digest fervently as he still sits on the ‘British Psychological Society’s working group on the Psychological Risk Assessment of those Convicted or Detained under Terrorist Related Offences’. In a 2011 paper entitled “Disengagement or Deradicalisation: A Look at Prison Programs for Jailed Terrorists�, he writes: “At no time in the past 50 years

has there been as much interest in the idea of deradicalizing terrorists as today. Programs to deradicalize those linked to alQa`ida have been established in multiple countries, with the hope that reforming these extremists is possible. Nevertheless, doubts remain over the effectiveness of these programs. This uncertainty is only heightened by the chronic lack of proper evaluations on almost any of the programs involved. Adding to the difficulty is confusion over how to define the goals of the programs. Should they seek to merely disengage subjects from violence and other illegal activity? Or should they actually “deradicalize� a subject, which would mean a complete shift in the prisoner’s mindset, sympathies and attitudes? “...A fundamental question facing these programs is what is it that they are trying to change? Most programs do not simply want to change the prisoner’s behavior, but a prisoner’s beliefs and mind-set. They want the prisoner to believe that a cause that was previously seen as good, worthy and justified is in fact bad, misguided and unwarranted. In the end, prioritizing deradicalization over disengagement is a dangerous gamble. It provides a distorted view of the real nature of both the problem and its solutions.� Whatever may be the premise our legislators are scrawling this dangerous line of thought, they should reflect on the recent failed attempt by the UK government which got some sickening mud splashed on its face late last year. Please, read these excerpts from a December 9, 2019 article, “London Terror Attack Exposes Deradicalization Programs’ Failures� by Patrick Dunleavy: “Usman Khan, the unrepentant British jihadist who was on supervised early release from prison when he killed two people and wounded several others Nov. 29 near London Bridge, is just the tip of an iceberg that threatens western democracies. Khan, armed with two knives taped to his wrists and a faux suicide vest, was shot and killed by Metropolitan Police after being restrained and disarmed by heroic civilians...� “And Khan’s example shows that many of those who did participate in a rehabilitation program may not be truly de-radicalized. He professed a desire to be deradicalized, but now that looks like it was just a ruse to attain an early prison release. Convicts have often been known to game the system by telling authorities what they want to hear, winning parole in return.... “The failure of the deradicalization program has been acknowledged by two leading counter terrorism experts.

Richard Walton, former head of Scotland Yard’s counterterror command, felt that the number of convicted terrorists who were de-radicalized while incarcerated was minimal. Former jihadist Hanif Qadir, meanwhile, simply stated in 2016 that the UK’s de-radicalization prison program is “failing miserably�...�

So, let’s tread with sense and sobriety: we should not further complicate a complex man-made problem.

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

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.â€? “Just as the banning of books and newspapers give (gives) rise to an illicit trade in them‌.â€? “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.â€? “Nigeria at war, PDP raises alarmâ€? This way: PDP raises/sounds the alarm “Okogie seeks prayers, counsels (counsel) for Nigeriaâ€? “Why FG awarded crude lifting (crudelifting) contracts to indigenous firms, by ministerâ€? The incorrect extract implies that ‘crude is lifting contracts’! “Lagos PDP wants Tinubu arrested over (for) utterances on 2023 pollsâ€? “Police threaten to charge offenders over (with) inciting statementsâ€? “Minister commissions (inaugurates) Abia eye centreâ€? “Calling off the Kano rally, therefore, would have been a wonderful symbolic gesture, (irrelevant comma) that would have spoken volume (volumes) to Nigerians‌.â€? â€œâ€Śwhat the president is doing by his socalled unity rallies amounts to electioneering campaigns‌.â€? With ‘electioneering’, you do not need ‘campaigns’ as the word is embedded in ‘electioneering’. “But one of the detectives demanded for a stool‌.â€? Delete ‘for’. â€œâ€Śthe battle over who should represent the oil rich (oil-rich) community‌.â€? “The initiative, which has been scripted to tow (toe) the mode of the pilot run of cash-less (cashless) policy, would begin in Lagos, with no fewer than 1000 of the 1401 branch (1401-branch) network of the nation’s deposit money banks.â€?

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

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

Why Is US Harassing Our Corruption?

It truly must be unsettling, and very demoralizing, for supporters of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to read the accusation of the United States Department of Justice that the Nigerian government was planning to hand over about $100m (over 36 billion naira) out of the endless loot associated with former military Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha, to a man named Atiku Bagudu.

That was not all. The allegation that takes the cake was that our government which prides itself as severely committed to fighting corruption at all levels was blocking US efforts to recover part of the looted funds supposedly traced to Bagudu.

In case you are wondering which planet this Bagudu is from, he is not a ghost or alien. He was a bag-man, cash-mule to Abacha, the disgraced gluttonous looter. He later became a senator, after spending few months in a US jail and refunding over 30 billion naira to Nigeria. Yet, in spite of the indictment, refund and conviction, he was cleared thrice, in the wonderland called Nigeria, to run for elections, and won three times! In fact, he is the current Kebbi State governor (on second term), and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress governor’s forum. Allahu Akbar!

Breathless and stunned, the Presidency fired back: different tranches of the Abacha loot are in different stages of return, including over $300m...and the Bagudu $100m deal was reportedly brokered

by Olusegun Obasanjo’s government some 16 years ago, which has somehow hamstrung this government effort to clean up the Abacha mess. However, Buhari is looking for ways of tearing up that deal, and giving Bagudu zilch.

No one is investigating how a prodigiously corrupt person became a governor in 2015 with power of immunity up to 2023, and leading a forum of other Nigerian governors.

On the other hand, it is not difficult to approximate why the US Justice Department views our protestations with a knowing wink, clearly unimpressed with our dismay at the Bagudu deal, or our pledge to lodge all the retrieved loot in a National Sovereign Investment Agency purse, with the mandate to pour the billions into infrastructural development, digital optimization and such lofty concepts geared towards stimulating youth employment.

Sometimes, our politics leaves the most cynical in a state of head-shaking consternation.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Teni Sets Out to Marry Burna Boy’s ‘Twice As Tall’ World Tour pg. 45

2baba Unveils Historic 7th Studio Album pg. 50

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Teni Sets Out to Marry Dr. Dolor Entertainment star, Teni, kicks off 2020 with a new single titled, Marry. The “Billionaire” crooner looks good to also buzz with this, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Teni

A

fter a successful run last year as predicted, especially with multiple awards to show for it, singer and songwriter Teni (Teniola Apata) has registered a new single titled Marry.

The Dr. Dolor Entertainment star artiste kick starts the year with this impressive song, laced with good lyrics and melody.

The song was released after her post on social media about a fan asking her when she will be getting married, and “Marry” by Teni was all about the marriage stuff which she claimed her mama asked her about and she chorused, “This year, Next Year or Never.” The song is a question to a lover who hasn’t proposed after a long period of courtship.

A socially conscious music, the Jaysynths produced song talks to every single lady out there that wants marriage. Teni on this record calls out her supposed boy lover who she has been dating for seven years without getting a marriage ring. Marry comes after the release of her highly acclaimed project, the “Billionaire” EP which was released back in October 2019. To a critic,

the song is cut from the same sonic pattern as, ‘Wait’ and it’s a better version of ‘Power Rangers.’

In another commentator’s note, the idea behind this song is quite creative; many artistes don’t talk about stuff like this. Teni got a groovy mid-tempo instrumental and turned it around to a question. ‘Marry’ is that kind of song, you listen to and you begin to have a self-evaluation. The mid-tempo instrumental begins with African shakers and a guitar tune alongside Teni vocals.

The vocal delivery, lyrics, and organisation are above average. The story behind this song might be a bad vibe to some, as many don’t like to be asked the question of marriage. Teni gave a mid-tempo groovy instrumental a melancholic vibe. Many single listeners would definitely not put this song on repeat. Maybe…

Teni Makanaki has songs like “Power Rangers, Uyo Meyo, Case, Askamaya, Billionaire” among others to her credit.

Teniola Apata released her debut single “Amen” while signed to Shizzi’s Magic Fingers Records. The 27-year-old left the record label and signed with Dr.

Dolor Entertainment in 2017 and started gaining prominence after releasing the single Fargin in September of the same year. She made her breakthrough after releasing the hit singles Askamaya, Case and Uyo Meyo. Askamaya was ranked 15th on MTV Base’s yearend list of the Top 20 Hottest Naija Tracks of 2018.

Teni won Rookie of the Year at the 2018 Headies Awards, and Most Promising Act to Watch at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. She also won Best New Artiste at the 2018 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.

NotJustOk ranked her eighth on its list of the 10 Hottest Artistes In Nigeria. On 20 February 2019, Teni was featured on YouTube Music’s Trending Artiste on the Rise. On May 3, 2019, she released the video for “Sugar Mummy”.

On June 14, 2019, she released a new single titled “Power Rangers”. The Case crooner, in a list of multiple nominations at the 2019 Headies Awards, carted home Best Pop Single of the year, Best Recording of the Year, Best Vocal Performance (Female) and was also nominated Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2019.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Burna Boy

Burna Boy’s ‘Twice As Tall’ World Tour Ferdinand Ekechukwu

A

fro-fusion singer/ songwriter, Burna Boy, is good to go for his Twice As Tall World tour . Following a well-deserved success in 2019, the self-acclaimed African Giant announced his 2020 tour on Instagram: “Back On Road with the Twice As Tall Tour. Grab your tickets now! Don’t snooze,” he announced early this week. The tour will take the superstar artiste to theaters and venues across the U.S. in the spring followed by a European run throughout the summer and North American stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Miami, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Houston and more.

Burna will embark on the European leg of his tour on June 28, stopping in the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Sweden. The tour also includes multiple performances at major festivals. The three-month engagement will see the artiste appear at a string of festivals like Broccoli City Festival in Washington, D.C., Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, Lollapalooza in Paris and Osheaga Festival in Montreal,

Canada and more. His solo shows kick off May 7 in Atlanta, and he’ll make his way over to cities like Los Angeles, New York and Miami before ending the US leg in Dallas.

Burna Boy hasn’t stopped moving since releasing his 2019 album, “African Giant,” which came with nominations at both the Grammys and BRIT Awards and a trophy for the Best International Act at the BET Awards. He won Best Male MVP, African Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. At about same time last year, the Nigerian star toured North America and Europe. Last year, the “African Giant Returns Tour” which kicked off in Toronto saw the afro-fusion artiste playing live concerts across Canada, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Burna Boy released his Grammynominated album African Giant last year. He followed the record with his single “Money Play” in December 2019.

Money Play is off his fifth studio album which is ready and would drop soon.

A new single titled “Odogwu” was released yesterday, off the forthcoming album. The Grammy 2020 nominee lost out on the much-coveted Best International Act at the 40th edition of the BRIT awards 2020 to American rapper, Tyler

The Creator. Burna Boy also got his second nomination in the ‘Song of the Year’ category after featuring on Dave’s hit single Location, but the pair lost the award to Lewis Calpaldi’s Someone You Loved.

This may be hard on him after just losing another major international award.

The singer, last month, was beaten to the award for Best World Music Album by Angelique Kidjo at the 2020 Grammy Awards. The 2020 Brit Awards was held on 18 February 2020 at the O2 Arena in London. Following his recent controversial tweets, which he later deleted on his social media handles, on becoming a success without anyone paving a way for him, some of his fans expressed mixed feelings, saying that it was clear the singer had not recovered from the loss of the just concluded Grammy Awards were he lost to Beninese music legend, Angelique Kidjo.

Burna Boy had incurred the wrath of Nigerian Twittersphere after declaring himself the best artiste after late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

He wrote: “Fact! I always knew I was and I am the best. Everyone you think is the best knows I’m best since Fela Kuti.

But @timayatimaya told me something a long time ago that made me not care about being the best. The World can do

without the Best. The world will still spin regardless.

“Remember I told you I was the African Giant and most of you laughed and said I should be grateful for small fonts.

I pray that you learn from me. I mean this in no bragging way and the wise knows that the future of Africa depends on the kind of strength and resilience I show. You say ‘thank God he didn’t win’ because I say the truth? And because of your twisted fake views on humility.

I’ve been out here with my family since 2012 going through unspeakable things just to get here against all odds.”

But his followers were quick to remind him that some artistes paved the way for him so he shouldn’t consider himself the best to come out of Nigeria. “Nobody paved shit for me. Everybody dey find them own. I bin out here if you knew the way they made us look weak by begging and paying the western world to like us, you will see that no table was set and I’m the one that brought you the respect you currently enjoy”, Burna Boy replied.

In another development, the singer has unfollowed everyone on Instagram, except his London-based girlfriend, Stefflon Don. Burna Boy has 5.1million followers Instagram. On Twitter, he has 2.6 million followers and follows 1043 others.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ΁˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR Dr. Whyte

It Takes a Lot of Trust and Finance to Make a New Artiste a Success Ugbaja Emeka Augustine, also known as Dr. Whyte, is a music executive and the CEO of Californiabased music enterprise, Southnice Records. His passion for good music knows no bounds and he is determined to do all he can for the industry at large. Augustine tells Tosin Clegg about his kind of music, plans to discover and promote raw talents in Nigeria and much more How western culture influenced my perspective as a music business expert ost things are done professionally in America; people here strive for excellence.

There is a unique structure in the entertainment business.

There is no specialisation in the entertainment industry in Nigeria and that is why we are still struggling. In America’s music industry, everything is done through division of labour. There are people who are specialised in sound engineering, audio engineering, voice training and music promotion.

Everyone knows their area of specialisation and they don’t try to do everything. This is what I have been exposed to and I have come to realise that this is why our system is failing. In Nigeria, everyone is trying to do everything that they are not trained to do.

M

Factors affecting the Nigerian entertainment industry Lack of structure, inadequate training, poor funding and poor support from the government are the bane of Nigeria’s music industry. The government should design and establish ministries that would help harness the pool of talents we have in the country. I intend to invest in talent development for young people and many more who are gifted in music and entertainment to have a reason to live their dreams. I have already started this by setting up a record label, Southnice Records, and we currently have one artiste, Beevlingz, who happens to be from Ubulu Uku in Delta State.

This year, we are planning a big talent audition in Delta State to find talented people we intend to sponsor. Delta State has a pool of talents, not given an opportunity out there; that’s why my team and I are already making big plans to develop a talent and skills development center in the heart beat of the state.

This will help put Delta on the entertainment map. The more talents we have like Erigga, Igodye, Ali Baba, Realwarripikin, Victor Ad and the likes, the more the world would begin to pay attention to people from Delta State. At this point, a lot of talents from Delta State are being overlooked, so our goal is to change the narrative. We have plans to sign two more artistes in the second half of 2020. We are still looking out for not just talented people but hard working talents who are ready to put in the work with committed discipline for success.

Artistes and contract crisis Whenever there is a breach in music contract, the artiste is always the first to be blamed and that’s because they never

take their time to understand what was stated in the contract before signing their life away.

So, whatever terms the label throws at them, irrespective of the outcomes, they jump at it without thinking about what will happen five years ahead.

This is the major reason why there is always a breach of contract. Anyone who creates a contract will always try to put terms and conditions that favour them more, and if you as an artiste doesn’t know the terms and conditions, including the consequences, then you are doomed to have issues in future if your brand becomes bigger than the terms offered you.

Role of record labels Record labels are going into extinction but this, to a large extent, owes to the fact that they are no more breaking new artistes, which is the sole reason record companies were created in the first place. A label during the times of Hip Hop was formed to build superstars from the scratch. Labels are supposed to keep finding fresh talents and developing them into global superstars. These days, what labels do is to put money into promoting artistes who are already gaining massive audiences. This is solely because most artistes these days don’t have the patience to transform into global artiste, since it involves hard work, consistency and patience.

What it takes to break an artiste today Undoubtedly, it takes a lot of trust and finance to break a new artiste in this 21st century. This is the era of social media and online streaming. To break a new artiste lately, it all depends on a game of numbers and influencing power. When you find the right type of artiste the audience is looking for and with the right type of song the results will be commercial success.

Fear of investing in the music industry So, just like every businessman, there are always fears while investing in an artiste or in the entertainment business.

Most of the fears always come from whether these investments would be worth it, will the artiste put in the necessary amount of work to make this money back. It takes a very hardworking artiste to compensate for every penny spent.

My advice for new labels and upcoming artistes today Majorly, it’s for emerging artistes to stay consistent, be smart and keep working on improving your craft every day.

Your next song should be better than your last song. Stay hungry for more.

Whyte

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Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

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Gists Ikechukwu Nnakenyi Miracle, aka Big Dol, is an artiste in his own class with musical creatives that are designed as audible art.

He draws inspirations from the likes of Fela, Wizkid, Davido, Olamide and a lot more.

He talks with Tosin Clegg about his music, The movie, Hidden Land: Back to No Man’s Land, has been the icy lands in China on a mission that takes several men and his forthcoming projects and more premiered at Viva Cinemas with Chinese culture and movie women facing different odds of nature, wild life and more. The

‘Hidden Land: Back to No Man’s Land’ Hits Cinemas in Nigeria enthusiasts in attendance. The movie exploits the journey into

movie was written and directed by Yu Cai and Co-Directed

by Zijun Rao. The documentary feature was shot in Purog Kangri glacier, Shuanghu, Nagqu, Tibet, all in China, with casts speaking in Mandarin and Tibetan. The Purog Kamgri glacier, which the film is centered on, is the third largest glacier in the world. And the search to climb the glacier was the sole purpose of the film which follows days into weeks of their journey through the icy lands where they were faced by extreme cold beyond the regular heights, wild beasts attempted attacks, wolfs lingering about.

Pneumonia hits a few of the explorers on their course which gave them a few setbacks and withdrawals. In all, the film took the job of sharing how the journey along these heights was faced, the purpose which remained their Doro Music Team primary focus and how resilience pushed them beyond limits.

Credit Card Fraud: Popular: I’m into Music to Reassure Youths Naira Marley to Know Fate May 13

Afro Beat artiste, Christopher Ugochukwu Godstime, better known as Popular, has revealed that he delved into the Nigeria entertainment industry to make an impact on the youth via music medium, noting that music has always been a getaway for him while growing up. Popular noted that he is in the industry to contribute his own little quota in terms of the quality of songs coupled with motivation messages that will be worthy of listening. He said, “I don’t want to be known as just an ordinary artiste, I want to be known for the number of impactful songs that will stand the test of time; people want to party but in doing so, a message will be passed across.”

The Warri-born singer and Computer Science graduate of Oghara Polytechnic, is currently signed to Nsogbu Records where he released his first single titled ‘New Skool’. Popular stated that his love for the art evolved having grown up listening to classic songs from the oldies and from international star, Drake. He was equally driven into the music for the love to advocate to young ones especially youths of the need to never give up on their dreams irrespective of the challenges that might come before them, as the road to success is never smooth.

Popular recently released a new single titled ‘Energy’ and is currently working on Popular few projects and collaborations that would be announced soon.

Watch Ultimate Love Highlights Show On Saturdays On DStv, GOtv Fans of Ultimate Love, proudly Naija reality television show, can now get to watch a specially packaged highlights show of the programme on Saturdays on DStv and GOtv. The highlights show will air on Africa Magic Showcase (channel 151) at 7 pm and Africa Magic Urban (channel 151) at 10 pm exclusive to DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact subscribers on Saturdays throughout the duration of the programme. It will also be broadcast on Africa Magic Family (channel 2) at 10:30 pm available to DStv Confam, Yanga, Family and Access subscribers, as well as to GOtv Max, Jolli and Plus subscribers.

The one-hour highlights show will recap events that occurred in the Love Pad during the week for viewers, including general tasks such as the puzzles, Saturday cultural presentation, the nomination process, Friday night party, bonding activities by the couples, arguments and quarrels among the Love Guests- particularly that of the couples.

Also, brief clips of Aunty’s one-on-one sessions with the couples as she discovers how they are bonding and the real-world missions carried out by the nominated couples among others, will be a part of the highlights to be enjoyed by viewers.

Fans of the show will find out which of the love guests will emerge as the ultimate couple and claim the grand prize totalling N5 million, a lavish traditional wedding and a dream house, only by staying tuned to DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29.

Ultimate Love is live 24/7 on DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Confam and DStv Yanga packages on channel 198; and on GOtv Max and GOtv Jolli packages on channel 29.

For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/ultimatelove and follow the social media updates on @ultimateloveng on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #UltimateLoveNg.

Kingsley Nweze in Abuja Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday adjourned till May 13, 2020 for ruling on the admissibility of documents brought before the court in evidence against Azeez Fashola, a.k.a Naira Marley and for continuation of the entertainer’s trial for his alleged involvement in credit card fraud.

Naira Marley is standing trial on an 11-count charge of conspiracy and credit card fraud, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the resumed sitting today, February 28, 2020, the prosecution through its second prosecution witness (PW2), Augustine Anosike, an investigator and forensic expert with the EFCC, sought to tender in evidence a compact disc (CD) containing information, analysis and extractions from the defendant’s phone.

During his evidence at the previous sitting, Anosike had told the court that the forensic analysis that was carried out on Naira Marley’s iPhone revealed some shocking evidence against him which were extracted and burnt into a CD, alongside some documents that were printed out.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo presented the documents before the court and urged the court to admit them in evidence.

The defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), however opposed the admissibility of the documents on the grounds that the CD does not have the proper authentication required by law, and therefore improperly obtained, as contained in the Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.

Ojo also argued that there may have been interferences while the documents were being produced at the forensic lab of the EFCC. He finally submitted that the CD does not bear any name, title, department, but a signature which can’t be authenticated.

He urged the court to dismiss the admissibility of the documents.

In his response, Oyedepo said that there was no contravention of Section 39 of Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015 as claimed by the defence counsel, as what was sought to be tendered is the forensic content of the defendant’s iPhone that was already admitted in evidence. He added that the extractions before the court are materially relevant to the charge.

He also submitted that the desirability to admit the document overrides its non-desirability because there was substantial compliance with the stationary requirement to admit them.

Oyedepo further told the court that there was no break in chain of management of the exhibit and therefore prayed the court to admit the documents.

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Ned Standing Tall with Regina

Nollywood star, Regina Daniels, launched her soft magazine simply called “Regina” last weekend in Abuja and lover boy Ned Nwoko, was around to give her all the support.

The acclaimed ‘sweet 16’ actress married to the 60 year old billionaire spent most of the week posting photos from the launch.

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Adesua Etomi’s Birthday Bash Nollywood star, Adesua EtomiWellington, had a big birthday bash in Lagos last weekend, with friends and family. Well, she did not reveal her age, but still, her fans joined her in the celebration on the social media. For the party, the actress opted for a glittering green gown that had her looking absolutely lovely.

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Warriors album art cover

2baba Unveils Historic 7th Studio Album Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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igerian music legend, 2baba, yesterday released his seventh studio album, “Warriors”.

The award winning musician had earlier announced the new album via his Instagram account. In the statement, the legend wrote: “Anticipate!!! This album is for warriors.” The news of the album, which is already available for pre-order, generated a lot of reactions from fans on social media as they anticipate what the ‘African Queen’ crooner has in store for them.

“Warriors” contains 13 tracks and include previously released singles like ‘Important’, ‘Oyi’ and the Peruzzi-assisted smash hit, ‘Amaka’. The LP also boasts big-name collaborations with Burna Boy, Wizkid, Olamide, Tiwa Savage and Peruzzi. It also features AJ, Symeca and his daughter HI Idibia.

The album is his fifth work released under his record label, Hypertek Digital, which he established after leaving Kennis Music in 2008 and also marks part of his 20 Years A King celebration, which commemorates 2baba’s two decades in the Nigerian music industry. This year seems like it is going be a great one when it comes to music and we can’t wait for what’s to come, with Tiwa Savage and also Wizkid set to drop theirs as well.

Formerly known as 2face Idibia, 2baba is one Africa’s most successful artistes, winning local, continental and international awards like BET and MTV Europe Music Awards.

Other awards for his hard work are the World Music Award, MOBO Award, KORA Award, Two SoundCity Music Video Awards, Four Channel O Music Video Awards, Four MTV Africa Music Awards, Five Headies Awards, and lots of nominations. 2baba, who has continuously churned out hit singles, released his last album, the ASCENSION, in 2014.

The artiste has the following albums to

his credit, Face 2 Face, Grass to Grace, Unstoppable, Unstoppable (Intl), Away and Beyond and the Ascension.

Among the singles the music legend has between 2014 to date include Gaga Shuffle, Unconditional Love, Hold My Hands, Amaka, Oyi, Frenemies, and important among others. The 44-year-old singer is one of Nigeria’s most celebrated musicians.

An excellent example of how talent and hard work can change anybody’s story, for this artiste, music is not a hobby – it is his life. The award-winning singer, record producer, and songwriter, is widely known, not only in Nigeria but also throughout the entire African continent and beyond.

However, most people know him as 2Baba. His roots are from the Idoma ethnic group that inhabited the southern area of Benue State in central Nigeria. 2baba began his music career in 1996 while he was studying at the Institute of Management Technology, writing jingles at Enugu Broadcasting Services. Eventually, he dropped out of school to pursue a career in music. He also performed at school

organised shows and parties, as well as other regional schools.

He left Enugu for Lagos, where he started collaborating with Blackface Naija.

They met when 2Baba was studying at IMT. They decided to start a band with another musician, Faze. The trio named their band Plantashun Boiz and released two successful albums: Body and Soul (2000) Sold Out (2003) under the Nelson Brown’s owned Label (Dove Records).

Relations were marred for many years during which the band broke up and each member started their solo careers in 2004.

It was a perfect opportunity for 2Face to show all his talents as a solo artiste. He released several albums such as: Face 2 Face (2004) Grass 2 Grace (2006) However, Long after the break-up known as the “Faze vs Tuface” beef, the band reunited in 2007 and released their third album “Plan B”. Later, in 2008, the singer produced his next album “The Unstoppable”. In 2010, the album’s international edition was released under the title “The Unstoppable International Edition.”

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Naomi Campbell’s All-Nigerian Special Playlist Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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upermodel Naomi Campbell’s drive for African stuff, nay Nigerian creative, appears to hold no limits. In celebration of Black History Month, the English model, actor and philanthropist teamed up with Apple Music to curate a special playlist inspired by her love for Afrobeats. The playlist features tracks from different artistes including Burna Boy, Wizkid, 2Baba, Tiwa Savage, Joeboy, Fireboy and more.

Speaking about the process behind curating this playlist, the legendary British model said: “Afrobeats makes me feel happy whenever I hear it. People just go to another level; it makes you want to dance and move. Burna Boy’s “Anybody” and Wizkid’s “Joro” are songs that give me feelings I can’t get elsewhere. I love the sound of ‘Anybody.’ I love the live sound of the band and Burna’s voice on top of it. It’s a new sound but it sounds like live music, which is rare these days.

I’m all about rhythm and bass, and I love the slow build of ‘Joro.’ It’s a sexy, deep, sensual song like it’s moving forward to reveal something from inside.”

Campbell’s 53-track selection spans emerging talents and established superstars, but what matters most to her as she points out using Burna Boy’s “Anybody” and Wizkid’s “Joro” as examples is that the songs give her a feeling she can’t get elsewhere. The place of afrobeats in world music discourse and categorisation has of late drawn wider attention from notable figures, same for its increasing likeness by international celebrities, namely Obama and his wife having Burna Boy and Rema on their playlist. Even American Beyonce Knowles made an entire album about afrobeats.

However, on Sunday, January 26, 2020, the 62nd Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Nigerian superstar, Burna Boy lost the Best World Music Award category to Beninese legend, Angelique Kidjo. Careful of what she puts on social media, because those platforms, to her are useful to get a point across, Campbell on January 28, 2020, took to her Instagram and Twitter pages to congratulate Angelique Kidjo. This came before she took on the Recording Academy for unfair categorisation of the genre that they should have more than three categories for afrobeats at the Grammys.

She criticised the Recording Academy for lumping Afrobeats into the World Music category instead of giving the genre its own separate category. In her views, “Afrobeats is a musical genre played on mainstream and primetime radio not only across the continent of Africa, but across the world,” she stated. “This misrepresentation diminishes an entire genre in which such a high standard of talent has emerged; a genre that has been a force of hope and positivity for many, and a vehicle for artistry on the continent of Africa.”

Naomi continued: “Please take the next 363 days to reassess and reflect on your perspective of ‘World Music….what will this neglectful categorization of music mean to individual cultures? Cultures that contribute their blood, sweat and tears, and every level of their creativity and work ethic into making music for you and for all of us. Please get up to speed on

Naomi Campbell

the state of all popular music today, and include Afrobeats Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and all the subcategories that this genre so deserves just as any other respected and recognized musical genre. This is bigger than you, so open your eyes, ears and minds and treat us right and with the respect we deserve.”

Kidjo would later dedicate her win to Burna Boy and the emerging, new generation of African artistes carrying the torch forward. But the moment only brought further criticism upon the Recording Academy. Discovered at the age of 15, Campbell established herself amongst the most recognizable and in-demand models

of the late 1980s and the 1990s and was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. In addition to her more than three decades modeling career, Campbell has embarked on other ventures, including an R&B-pop studio album.

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Obasanjo

Edgar

Joseph Edgar Back with ‘Aremu’ After his first five production credits, investment banker turned theatre practitioner, Joseph Edgar, is back with Aremu, a stage play on the life and times of former Head of State and President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

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ositively disrupting Nigeria’s theatre space with some very strategic productions, investment banker turned theatre practitioner, Joseph Edgar, whose passion and love for theatre and stage plays have led him to produce several remarkable productions in the last few years is set to begin screening of his new play titled, Aremu.

The much talked about stage play, which is coming on his Duke of Shomolu Productions, depicts the life and times of Obasanjo, one of the country’s most celebrated and influential former presidents.

The Play, written by erudite Professor Ahmed Yerima, will take the audience from the iconic Obasanjo’s birth, through the struggles of his peasant upbringing, to the epoch rendering of his later life, capturing the highs and lows of the life of this great statesman. Aremu tells the story of Nigeria but from the life of Chief Obasanjo who some say remains arguably one of the most influential Nigerians alive.

Aremu is expected to open with a command performance at the Obasanjo Presidential

Library, Abeokuta on March 4.

From producing Loud Whispers with Alibaba, which was his first outing and Isale Eko, which was part of the Lagos at 50 celebrations, to Oba Esugbayi, followed by the erotic Jude Idada scripted play, 3some and Emotan, which was the official play of the National Festival for Arts and Culture held in Benin, Edo State, Edgar’s work are always with the best characters, deeply told stories, props of creative designs and an interpretation of believable acting skills.

Director, William Benson will be returning after the success of Oba Esugbayi, to tell the story of Aremu, using some compelling songs and dances guaranteed to leave the audience in awe of the story. Obasanjo has given his blessing to the project, which is expected to premiere in Abeokuta during festivities to mark his birthday in March, and from there, begin its three-year run through three continents.

Edgar had earlier explained that Aremu will tell the story of one of the greatest living Nigerians very vividly. “It was easy to conceive because as a student of Political Science, I have always been enamoured by

his life. Very few people have the colour and characterisation that would make a good story of Chief Obasanjo. Watch out for this play as it would truly redefine cultural story telling “The story of Obasanjo must be heard and that’s because it resonates amongst all classes of Nigerians and indeed Africans.

From his peasant birth, through the sufferings of a prisoner of conscience, up to the apogee of power and influence, you will see the story of resilience, courage, principled leadership values that seem lost in today’s Nigeria.

“For me, Aremu will give us a string to reconnect to our core as Nigerians, as we struggle to regain our depth as a proud people. One million people are expected to see this production worldwide. We are playing in four Nigerian cities and we are building a production suite of some of the brightest and hugely talented Nigerians to tell this story. What excites me? It’s the gradual progression from vision through the various stages to the location. It just does it for me.”

According to Edgar, a lot of theatre buffs

and audiences will see Aremu globally and the story will not only celebrate this very colourful and influential statesman, it will also serve to strengthen some of the values that he has spent almost all of his life propagating. The project parades a brilliant technical team including the Deputy Chief Coordinator of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Ayo Aderinwale, who will double as the co-executive producer, while Bikiya Graham Douglas and Yemi Shodimu will be equally playing major roles in the production.

Edgar’s vision of stage plays in Nigeria is to sternly move from the periphery of entertainment into the very forefront of popular culture where it truly belongs: “My challenges are not different from that faced by any serious entrepreneur in Nigeria.

But we are surpassing them and we will continue to deliver on our promises to the markets. Let’s just say that the space will no longer be the same in the next five years.”

Aremu will continue showing through the month of April on 10, 11, 12, 13 and 31st May. Part of the screening also extends to the first three Sundays in June.

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Chimamanda, Lupita, Glow in Lagos Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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t was a spectacle of who is who in the creative industry on the evening of February 22, 2020 as award winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie brought Kenyan-born Hollywood star, Lupita Nyong’o to Lagos to dine with her celebrity friends in Nigeria’s commercial city and entertainment hub. From movie to music to media, they all gathered. The aim was to intimate the Nigerian creative community with her screen-adaptation of ‘Americanah,’ a novel by Adichie.

Nyong’o, famous for her roles in criticallyacclaimed movies such as 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther, is coming ahead of the screening of Americanah, a television series adaptation of Adichie’s acclaimed novel of the same title. American subscription video-on-demand streaming service, HBO Max, gave a straight-toseries order for the Americanah project in 2019.

Nyong’o’s Black Panther co-star, Danai Gurira, wrote the pilot and will serve as show runner on the 10-episode limited series.

The Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o

stars as the lead character (Ifemelu) while also serving as the executive producer in the tenepisode HBO series which was directed by ‘The Walking Dead’ star, Danai Gurira. ‘Americanah’ tells the story of Ifemelu (Nyong’o), a young, beautiful, self-assured woman raised in Nigeria, who as a teenager falls in love with her classmate Obinze. Living in a military-ruled country, they each depart for the west, with Ifemelu heading for America.

There, she learned that despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple for the first time with what it means to be black. On the other hand, quiet and thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous undocumented life in London. It has been a passion project for Nyong’o, optioned the rights in 2014 after falling in love with the novel.

According to her, she had read other books by the writer – Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus and “both of them were incredible”.

This fueled her anticipation for the next book Americanah, which she pre-ordered long before its release in April 2013. “I remember finish-

ing the book and falling madly in love with Obinze… at this point, he’s like the standard man that I’m still looking for, but I just felt like this is a character that I would love to embody on screen because what I do is act and her characters were just so actable”.

Speaking further, Nyong’o had noted that one of the things she feels privileged to do is to bring specificity to the African story. For her, the vague and generalised representations of Africa is a trend she hopes to see less of and that’s one of the reasons she’s excited to be among the cast of Americanah, as it is expected to be set in Nigeria. “So, I’m here (in Lagos) to immerse myself and learn as much as I can in order to do the story justice,” she added.

The Black Panther actress said she “appreciates the warm welcome” so far in the country, among other things. She was also excited to share some of the Igbo Language and Pidgin she had picked up in the course of her brief stay. “Daalu o” (meaning thank you), she said, expressing her gratitude as the audience cheered her on. An elated Nyong’o had taken to her social media page shortly after the show to celebrate the feat.

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NEWSXTRA

Supreme Court: Imolites Take Case to God for Ihedioha’s Return as Governor Amby Uneze in Owerri Imo people in their thousands yesterday trooped out to Kanu Nwankwo Sports Complex, Owerri to seek for God’s intervention over the Supreme Court judgment review on the state governorship election, slated for Monday, March 2, 2020.

The prayer session which attracted stakeholders, religious leaders and civil rights groups was led by Rev.

Echi Nworgu, Rev. Fr. Wence Isiguzo, and Pastor Rostand Amadi. They prayed God to intervene and ensure justice in the matter.

The worshippers maintained that only God, backed by the available facts on ground, would convince the apex court Justices to hearken to the prayers of the Imo citizens for the reversal of the judgement and return Ihedioha as Governor.

“There is hope in the review and

we are calling with confidence that God is going to hear our prayers and ensure justice in the matter,” Echi said.

In a similar occasion, a group, Coalition of Civil Society for Rights and Justice (CISORJ) has urged the Supreme Court to save Nigerian democracy and judiciary by reversing its 14th January judgment on Imo governorship election.

The group through it’s Coordinator

BUILDING FOR THE LORD… L-R: Lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi at the dedication of St. Peter’s Anglican Church built by Olanipekun in Ikere-Ekiti….. yesterday

General, Anulika Umezurike in a peaceful rally cum prayer summit held at Kanu Nwankwo Sports Complex, Owerri, yesterday said the judgement since its delivery has thrown the people of the state into mourning.

She insisted that the judgement which she said, “unarguably eroded the confidence of the people in the judiciary and raised questions,” should be reversed in the interest of equity, fairness and justice.

She said, “today, the nation mourns not only because of thousands of people killed by Boko Haram attacks or banditry insurgency. We mourn for the injustice meted on millions of Imo people by the January 14, 2020 Supreme Court judgment.

“This moment in time, recognising the fact that the Supreme Court of Nigeria is manned by human beings, prone to human errors, we in this moment of grief and bitterness hereby enjoin the Supreme Court to take a courageous and bold step to correct the error of the January 14.

“This is not just about Imo State. It is about justice. It is about posterity.

And it is about honour and supremacy of the Nigerian’s constitution, judiciary and democracy”, the group stated.

The judgement had ousted Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party as governor of the state after seven months in office and declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.

Coronavirus: Italian Improving, as 28 Contacts are Isolated in Ogun Cont’d from Pg. 5 He explained that “Delta has been listed as one of the six highrisk states in the country” because it not only shares common boundaries with several other states but because it has several gateways to other countries including seaports and airport’s.

Asaba International Airport was already carrying out screening of all passengers or visitors coming into the state through the facility, Ononye said, adding that Warri, Sapele, Koko, Burutu and Oghara seaports would be continuously monitored under the medical emergency arrangements.

First Professional Footballer Infected An Italian-Nigerian footballer has reportedly become the first professional player to be infected with the coronavirus.

King Paul Akpan Udoh, 22, who plays for Pianese in Serie C, was diagnosed on Thursday and has been quarantined, media outlets have reported.

He was once on the books of Italian giants Juventus before dropping to the country’s third tier.

Footballers, worried about the impact of coronavirus, have been contacting unions “out of fear” they could be forced to play in “high-risk environments”, according to global body Fifpro.

In the statement, Fifro said there was a danger of football “acting as a vehicle to spread” the disease.

“Our talks with various football stakeholders also address the rescheduling of international dates, including but not limited to qualifying matches for this year’s Tokyo Olympics and 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Fifpro said.

AFC Champions League matches due to take place next week have already been rescheduled as a

result of the growing outbreak, said the BBC. First Coronavirus Vaccination to Start in April The United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) has said a U.S. biotech firm, Moderna, has developed an experimental vaccine against the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which will be ready for first clinical trial in April.

In a statement by the Director, NIAID, Anthony Fauci yesterday, the agency said the vaccine had been shipped to researchers just six weeks after it started working on the immunisation.

Fauci said the first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine called mRNA-1273, would be used in a planned phase 1 study in the US, which typically involves testing a vaccine on a small number of healthy humans.

He said the clinical trial could start by the end of April, and that this represents the first step in potentially making a vaccine available for use.

The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the development, said that two doses of the vaccine would be tested on volunteers to see if it produces an immune response that protects against the virus.

Fauci told CNN that 45 people would participate in the trial.

“Even if the clinical trial is successful, further testing and regulatory approvals would be needed before the vaccine could be deployed widely,” he said.

Health officials and pharmaceutical companies around the world are working at a breakneck pace to identify treatments or a vaccine to help fight the coronavirus, which has infected more than 80,000 people around the world, and

killed over 2800 persons.

Fauci previously told CNN that researchers could expedite the approval process for a vaccine following a successful Phase 1 trial in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus.

But even when proceeding at an “emergency speed,” a vaccine would not be available for use for at least a year or 18 months, according to him.

Moderna is not the only drug company hoping to find an immunisation for the virus. Pharma giants, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline are working on vaccines, as are government scientists including some at NIAID. While the experimental vaccine developed by Moderna remains unproven, the speed at which it was created represents a breakthrough.

According to Moderna, the vaccine was developed within 42 days of the company obtaining genetic information on Coronavirus.

By comparison, it took researchers about 20 months to start human tests of the vaccine for SARS, an older Coronavirus, according to a journal paper written by Fauci.

Stop All Flights from Affected Countries, Atiku Tells Buhari Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has advised President Muhammadu Buhari o stop all flights from countries facing coronavirus outbreak.

Atiku, who was the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election said Nigeria should fight the disease the same way it was able to tackle the outbreak of Ebola in 2014.

He said in a statement yesterday that since Buhari had been able to shut land borders to protect the economy, it would not be too difficult to stop flights from

countries facing the coronavirus scourge.

Atiku said: “Nigeria needs firm and decisive actions to prevent an escalation of the scourge. Recently, we closed our borders as an act against economic sabotage. Perhaps now is the time to temporarily halt flights to and from any nation with a prevalence of this scourge. It is more important to secure human lives than to secure an economy.

We also need to invest in early detection facilities at our airports.

“But above all, Nigeria must not panic, whether at government or individual levels. We have defeated Ebola before, and we can defeat this present predicament.”

The PDP chieftain said this was not the time to cast aspersions on anyone or begin to trade blame.

He said the focus should be on finding solutions.

Atiku added: “We must call upon our experience with the Wild Ebola Virus, of which we were the first nation in the world to defeat that scourge in 2014. How did Nigeria do it? We achieved it by showing unprecedented unity.

“The Federal Government of the day worked closely with the Lagos and Rivers State governments. There was complete unity, solidarity, and oneness of purpose, which created the atmosphere that defeated that deadly infestation.

“I strongly counsel that any tendency to blame and point fighters must be temporary, if not permanently, suspended. If fingers must be pointed, it must be to solutions.”

He said the crisis was an opportunity to show that we are first and foremost Nigerians and that we have no other country but our dear fatherland, which we must work together to keep healthy and secure.

UNICEF Promotes Child Rights Studies in Nigerian Universities Amby Uneze in Owerri

Piqued by the urgent need to mitigate child rights studies in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the Communication Specialist of United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Geoffrey Njoku, has disclosed that the media constitutes a critical ally in the realisation of child rights in the country.

The Mass Communication Department of Nigerian universities that teach media studies, he said the media could help to influence the attitudes and behaviours of all towards an understanding of the scope, meaning of children’s rights and thus help to create and to maintain an enabling environment that would influence legislation, opinions and also mobilise resources for children.

He stated this while interacting with newsmen at the validation of draft reviewed curriculum of Child Rights Reporting course organised by the UNICEF in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The UNICEF communication Specialist insisted that the media could support the mobilisation of positive public opinion, political will materials and financial resources and raise public awareness,

argued that this could be achieved by setting agenda for citizen’s issues within the framework of children’s rights.

In his words, “partnership with the media ensures that all sectors of the Nigerian populace have the information facts, as well as the knowledge to stimulate positive behaviour/attitudinal change in support of child friendly initiatives. The media can also equip and encourage policy makers, rights holders, duty bearers, community leaders and families to advocate for child rights at national, state and grassroots levels.”

Emeritus Professor Pai Obanya of the University of Ibadan noted that the need to protect the child as the most vulnerable segment of society had become much more imperative in the face of increased violence, war, abject poverty, child trafficking and many vices that dehumanise the human race.

Prof. Obanya explained that it was in the light of the above that the concern of well-meaning organisations like the UNICEF and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) among others to protect the rights of child should be appreciated.

Catholic Students Honour Uzodimma Chika Amanze Nwachuku

The National Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS), Nnamdi Azikiwe University Akwa (UNIZIK) yesterday, conferred on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State with the award of the Grand Facilitator of Catholic Students in Nigeria.

Receiving the award, Uzodimma, who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary/ Media Adviser, Mr. Oguwike Nwachuku thanked the students for identifying with the governor, whom he described as a dedicated Christian and committed Catholic, who has contributed immensely to the growth of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

While noting that the award given to the governor “by the faith is not misplaced”, Nwachuku assured the Catholic students that the governor will continue to support them, urging them to be committed to their studies and to live worthy and exemplary lives as Catholics.

“I encourage you to tap from all those good qualities you have identified with Governor Uzodimma. You should make them part of your own Mantra so that the society can benefit from it,” the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser told them.

Earlier, the President of NFCS (UNIZIK), Mr. Korie Larry said they were at the Government House Owerri to honour Governor Uzodimma who has been a pillar of support to the Federation of Catholic Students across the country.

The NFCS Leader noted that the “conferment of the award on Governor Uzodimma as the Grand Facilitator of Catholic Students in Nigeria was based on merit because of his outreach and special benevolence to Catholics, especially the Catholic students who are major beneficiaries of his magnanimity.”

55

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 29 2020

SPORTS XTRA

Ighalo Dedicates First Man Utd Goal to Late Sister Odion Ighalo dedicated his first goal for Manchester United to his sister who died in December, as coach Ole

Gunnar Solskjaer described the Nigerian as a “natural striker” after a 5-0 win over Club Brugge in the Europa

League on Thursday.

The 30-year-old Nigerian, who took a pay cut to seal a loan move to Old Trafford

from China’s Shanghai Shenhua last month, tapped home midfielder Juan Mata’s pass in the first half of their last-32

Odion Ighalo celebrates first Manchester United goal

Bordeaux Coach Gives Reason Why Maja is not Getting Enough Playing Time Bordeaux coach Paulo Sousa has explained why Super Eagles striker Josh Maja is not getting enough minutes at the French Ligue 1 club.

The former Sunderland wonderkid has the title of being the most efficient Nigerian striker playing in the top five European Leagues, scoring a goal every 123 minutes. Of his 22 appearances for Bordeaux in all competitions this season,

Maja has managed only seven starts, including five in Ligue 1.

“Josh is still a player at the moment who needs a team that has good control of the ball to be as close as possible to the opponent’s area because he is a player in small spaces in our team who can do the difference,” Web Girondins quoted Sousa as saying.

“His main strong characteristic is the

ability to strike even in small spaces.

“All the rest he works to improve it to have a good volume of play with and without a ball, to help the team.

He has already done so. I hope and I am sure he will help us”.

With Jimmy Briand ruled out of Sunday’s match against OGC Nice, Maja stands a good chance of making the starting line-up.

Injury knocks Out Brugge Striker, Dennis, Out of AFCON Club Brugge star Emmanuel Dennis has emerged as a huge doubt for Nigeria’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone next month.

Dennis suffered an injury as Club Brugge defeated Sporting RSC Charleroi 1-0 in their latest Belgian First Division A match on Sunday, February 23 and was left out of the squad for tonight’s Europa League clash vs Manchester United.

The initial prognosis from Club Brugge’s medical teamwouldseethestrikersidelined for up to one month, which effectively rules him out of the back-to-back matches against the Leone Stars.

TheSuperEagleswilllockhornswith Sierra Leone at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on Friday, March 27, before traveling to Freetown for the second leg on March 31.

Apart from Dennis, manager Gernot

Remo Stars Footballer, Tiyamiyu, Whose Death Sparked Protests in Sagamu has Been Buried but Question remain About his Death The 21-year-old, who played in defence for second tier side Remo Stars, was knocked down and killed in an apparent hit and run, but his club alleged that he was a victim of police brutality.

Attended by his family, friends and teammates, Tiamiyu was tucked in the traditional white shroud (kafan) used to wrap bodies and buried in line with Islamic burial custom.

“We lit up Kazeem Tiyamiyu (Kaka)’s path to Al-Jannah yesterday night and he was buried today at his family house in Ajaka, Sagamu, Ogun State,” Remo Stars announced.

Midfielder Toyeeb Gidado paid tribute to his teammate and described him as a “great person”. “It’s sad to say goodbye to someone you play alongside, a great person because this could’ve been anyone of us,” Gidado told BBC Sport.

The club president Kunle Soname and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) boss Amaju Pinnick paid a condolence visit to the family this week.

The circumstances surrounding Tiamiyu’s death have been widely condemned across the country as it reportedly happened while he was in a vehicle being detained by the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) force.

It led to a protest march - demanding justice and for SARS to

Rohr is also sweating over the fitness of Racing Genk’s Paul Onuachu and SC Paderborn’s Jamilu Collins, who is suffering from exhaustion and was rested for his team’s last game at Bayern Munich.

On a positive note, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi has resumed full training and the holding midfielder is expected to be included in the Super Eagles squad for next month’s games, barring a relapse.

be disbanded - by thousands of residents in Sagamu, which is about 50km north-east of the commercial capital, Lagos.

At least three people were reported to have died during the protest march, with police saying that they are ‘still investigating’ these claims.

“No father wants to bury his son and this is heartbreaking for my family because Kazeem was on the verge of travelling to Europe for trial,” Fasasi, the father of the late footballer told BBC Sport.

“What happened, why was he killed and how does a family recover from this. These are the questions no one can answer.”

Nigeria’s police has long been accused of human rights abuses and corruption, but top officials say bad police officers will be held accountable for their actions.

The officer involved is being detained while the case has now been transferred from Ogun state to the national Police’s Force Criminal Investigation Division (FCID).

“The FCID took over the case few days ago and we’ve commenced investigation into the incident,” Nigerian Police spokesperson Frank Mba told BBC Sport.

“Investigation is still ongoing and our pledge to Nigerians is that we will keep the process transparent and accountable.

“But I also think we should wait for processes to be completed so that we don’t give information back and forth.”

Police in Nigeria have always come under the spotlight and the authority was forced into an immediate re-organisation of the anti-robbery unit in December 2017, after a social media outcry over alleged police brutality.

second leg.

“As a fellow striker myself, I know how important that first goal is and he’s been close a couple of times,” Solskjaer, whose side were 6-1 winners on aggregate, told reporters.

“You can see he sniffs goals, he wants to be there, where it sometimes hurts. That goal, he was sharp in his head and as that ball is played over to Juan, he spins and was on the six-yard line when Juan puts it there. That’s a natural striker.”

After celebrating his goal, boyhood United supporter Ighalo, lifted his shirt to reveal a vest with photograph of his late sister Mary Atole who died suddenly on Dec. 12 at her home in Canada.

“She was a good United fan

too. We hoped for this moment but now I’m at United, she’s not here to see what is going on,” Ighalo told the club’s website.

“It’s emotional. I have promised myself that every goal I score, I’ll dedicate it to her. She’s up there watching me.”

Ighalo, who is on loan to United until the end of the season, looks sure of more game time as fellow forward Anthony Martial was a last-minute absentee from Thursday’s match due to injury and is a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League game at Everton.

United are also missing striker Marcus Rashford with a back problem.

Djokovic Hails Sharapova in Retirement, Says She’s an Inspiration to Others World No 1 Novak Djokovic has described Maria Sharapova as an inspirational figure and has praised her fighting spirit following her retirement from tennis at the age of 32.

Djokovic heard about Sharapova’s retirement after he reached the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarter-finals by swatting aside German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Sharapova, whose Wimbledon victory over Serena Williams in 2004, aged 17, propelled her to stardom and riches, broke the news in an article for magazine Vanity Fair.

The former world No 1 has played only two matches this year, losing in the first round of the Australian Open, with her ranking sliding to 373.

Djokovic asked the crowd to applaud Sharapova for everything she accomplished before reflecting on her achievements.

“She’s great fighter. As dedicated as someone can really be in our sport,” said Djokovic.

“The willpower and the willingness to kind of overcome all the obstacles she had, especially ... with injuries and surgeries and trying to fight back, come back to the court and play on her desired level.

“It’s truly inspirational to see what mind of a champion she has. I’m sorry that it had to end with an injury obviously but at the same time she had a fantastic career and she can be proud of herself.”

Coronavirus: Son to Have Safety Checks Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son is due to return from South Korea - one of the worst affected countries - in the coming days and he will go through safety protocols when he lands in the UK. Son has been having an operation on his broken arm back in his native country.

Boss Jose Mourinho said: “He [Son] is coming back to England very soon. He will have to follow some safety protocols because he is flying from Seoul.

When his recovery process has started we will try all possibilities to have him back for some matches. We should be very cautious with our words, especially people like me who don’t have enough knowledge on this.”

Saturday, February 29, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Supreme Court to APC “It would amount to violating the finality of its judgment if the applications are granted. There must be an end to litigation. The decision of the Supreme Court is final for ages in a matter and only legislation could change it“ – The Supreme Court dismissing the application for a review of its judgment which overturned APC’s victory in the last governorship election in Bayelsa State.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

Now that Corona Virus Has Navigated Its Way to Nigeria

F

ellow Nigerians, let me say emphatically that nothing travels faster than bad news. We were all enjoying our supposedly tranquil country, with the equanimity of mind that comes from being a long-suffering people bedevilled by man-made problems, when suddenly all hell broke loose two days ago. It is usually in our character to treat serious issues very lightly and with criminal levity. That was the case with the corona virus brouhaha as the beginning of denouement of tackling this harbinger of death travelled across the world. While most countries prepared for the worst-case scenario, Nigerians and their leaders carried on as if they are invincible and have death locked up in their pouches, like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. I guess we’ve always been very lucky with our carefree, cavalier and oftentimes lastminute.dot. com attitude and approach to life. Well guess what, the chicken has finally come home to roost and the corona virus or COVID-19 as it is also referred to internationally has finally arrived on our shores surreptitiously and unwittingly, just like the Ebola Virus a few years ago. We were lucky then, that our meagre and inferior resources managed to contain what would have become a national tragedy of monumental proportions. We must constantly commend the bravery of the late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh who singularly ensured that Nigerians beat the Ebola Virus scourge by taking several heroic measures. These steps included resisting the pressure and overbearing influence of the Liberian Ambassador to release, the Liberian carrier, Patrick Sawyer, so that he could attend a conference. She also inventively created a makeshift isolation unit for Sawyer by using wooden barricades and continued to treat him, despite the absence of protective equipment or any manual about how to respond to the virus beyond what she had personally learnt from educating herself. I salute once again an amazing woman, an Amazon of the medical profession and a stellar Nigerian who will forever be listed in the pantheon of Nigerian greats.

Back to the corona virus and our significant lack of preparation and defences to fight this medical calamity once more. I remember landing in Ghana some weeks ago. I was stunned by the level of preparedness at the airport. My God, there was nothing like bigmanism, the queues were painfully long and incredibly frustrating. But we were all politely patient and nobody complained as it was obvious this could be a matter of life and death, if care is not taken and the great attention to detail that we were witnessing was not enforced. Sorry, if I’m always giving kudos to the people and government of Ghana on occasions such as these.

Truth is Ghana deserves the encomiums and adulations I pour on its people and government.

I readily admit that Ghana is far from being perfect and it is a much smaller country to govern than our beloved Nigeria. But Ghana has very limited resources which it has managed more prudently, than we have managed our humongous resources and potential. What has largely helped Ghana is discipline. That same discipline is what was on display when I arrived at the Kotoka International Airport and was subjected to a rigorous scanning process to ensure that incoming passengers do not have symptoms of the corona virus.

There is nothing wrong in acknowledging an African country that is doing its best against all odds. Africa has a lot to learn from Ghana.

I first encountered Ghana about 25 years ago and I can safely say I’m still very impressed

Dele Momodu taking preventive measures as he flew out of Nigeria yesterday

with the quality of life in education, Medicare, infrastructure, security, tourism, electricity, and so on in the country. I have seen Ghanaian governments come and go, but the country has been largely blessed with cerebral and visionary leaders who have maintained the course and even improved the fortunes of their people and counntry. You can say Ghana’s economy is poor compared to other countries, but Ghana has managed its poverty well. The worst of Ghanaian leaders would easily be the best of leaders in most African countries.

I have gone through this preamble to demonstrate why Ghana is always ahead of many other African countries. When the Ebola virus broke out in a few West and Central African countries, Ghana immediately set up a very sophisticated testing system at its international airport. Till this day, it is a must to go through electronic screenings at Kotoka International Airport, Accra. In most other African countries including Nigeria, we were told the sophisticated equipment were ordered, but it seems that they were never delivered and certainly, as in the case of Nigeria, they were never deployed.

Those that were delivered, and I won’t bother commenting on the standards, have long since been disbanded, dismantled and discarded. In any event, I consider that from disuse and lack of proper and constant maintenance, they have become relics of a distant past, even though not so distant. Ghana never indulged in such misadventure.

The efficiency at Ghana airports is of International standards. Not just that. Their data collection is superb. At the Immigration desk, finger-printing machines, as well cameras, are well positioned. You don’t have to take your passports to two different counters, thus saving some time. I have never been able to rationalise the basis for such procedure in Nigeria. Security, scrutiny and scanning of passengers is normally an unobtrusive and confidential process by the security agencies of other countries. As it is, you immediately know the identity of these supposed spooks of the DSS. How bizarre and crude! On the health and safety front, germicides and hand sanitisers are provided for you to cleanse your hands and fingers. Even the Customs’ desks provide gloves and so on.

My epistle today is therefore of a social

service nature. How can my dear beloved people of Nigeria support our government at this dangerous hour? If we choose to play politics with the corona virus, it may prove fatal and calamitous for thousands of our impoverished and ill-cared for people. I have been contacted by friends from Israel and South Africa who seem to know what to do in the present circumstance.

Let me begin with the information I received about OPERATION CHRISTOPHER. “Christopher is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that offers deep marketing, consumer/ citizen engagement and research services. It is a sophisticated real-time data-profiling platform with the ability to profile target audiences and analyse the information. Christopher enables private and public organisations to respond with accurate, hyper-personalised messages to relevant consumers when it is relevant to them by engaging in relevant conversations in real-time on social media platforms.

In South Africa, Christopher is currently using Social Listening to detect huge discourse on social media about the Corona virus. Christopher then replies to these questions and concerns by engaging in these conversations to provide citizens with safety tips, food health tips, travel tips etc.

In a period of 1 week, Christopher served replies to over 2.8 million South Africans addressing their concerns, queries and providing guidance on Corona virus. We are yet to see anything of this magnitude in Nigeria even when, as I write, the founder of Christopher is in Lagos. If needed and necessary, our authorities should reach out to the 25 years old genius who conceived of this wonder solution.

There’s no doubt about the wizardry of these superlatively gifted guys. Christopher was provided with all the information relating to Corona virus as available on the health insurance website which was loaded onto the software.

Using Artificial Intelligence, the software responds to queries on social media by extracting relevant information in a personalised manner. This has helped provide more accurate and timely responses to citizens’ concerns and queries beyond the traditional media approach. This is the power of Christopher technology using AI to tap into consumers micro moments and conversations to deliver mass personalisation.”

Now to my friends in Israel. From Israel comes this unique technology which evolved from the current state of the worldwide pandemic crisis that the corona virus potentially represents.

Clearly, it is only a matter of time before COVID-19 is declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. There is no doubt that it is causing major global concern. With globalisation taking people across trans-national borders as has happened globally, leading to the first confirmed case of the Italian who flew through Turkey, before landing in Lagos and travelling to Ewekoro in Ogun State, COVID-19 is spreading at an unprecedented alarming rate. The main risk factor for the corona virus spread is difficulty in tracking down potential points of disease transmission and dispersion.

Investigators for the World Health Organisation are struggling to chase down the path of infected travellers before they come in contact with healthy individuals around the world.

The Israeli model for preventing corona virus is well developed and is one that can be purchased as soon as popossible. As the literature on the system which is known as Columbo goes: “In order to aid countries to minimise the risk

of corona virus entering through its country’s borders, we recommend the customer to use Columbo system which provides location history (accurate up to devices GPS capabilities).

As an investigation and intelligence system, Columbo allows for crossovers of relevant locations and timestamps to quickly locate potential infectious individuals. Use cases on this system’s functionality within the current situational threat are presented below:

Use Cases 1. Identifying individuals that were present within a country that appears on a defined “Risk List” and are present in the country as well as present in the country within the 14-day range since leaving the risk country.

2. The routes taken by risk individuals while they were within the country (locations as well as the frequency of visitations to each location), which can then be automatically displayed on a map within the system’s GUI (i.e. Heatmap) 3. The system can cross-reference between individuals that visited countries of risk and whether they adhered to quarantine after returning to the country (quarantine identification: defined as one location with XX meters of movement) 4. Identifying 1st and 2nd degree circles to outline associates of risk populations within the country. 1st degree circle includes individuals that have come within 2 meters risk population and 2nd degree being those that have come within 2 meters of the 1st degree circle.

The system is not fool-proof and comes with drawbacks which the literature highlights.

“Disclaimers. r #FDBVTF DPMMFDUJPO JT XJUIJO UIF DPVOUSZ XF can get only the country roaming subscribers who came from pre-defined countries. r -JNJUFE DPMMFDUJPO EVF UP UJNFGSBNF BOE budget – best effort. r 1SFSFRVJTJUF PG PQFO (14 r 1SFSFRVJTJUF PG JOEJWJEVBMT IBWJOH VTFE applications while they were staying in the country. r 5IF TZTUFN JT OPU HVBSBOUFFE UP JEFOUJGZ BMM individuals that are present within a designated location at a specific timeframe.”

Even Canada has an Emergency Alert system which I am aware is being offered to Nigeria by some entrepreneurs willing to collaborate between the Canadians and Nigeria. This system would effectively gather pertinent and relevant information and news for dissemination locally or nationally as required. It would practically eliminate the menace of fake news and its attendant scare mongering.

I always try to give praise where and when it is due. Our leaders should learn to engage with their people in a positive manner. It is heart-warming that Governor Dapo Abiodun represents the kind of progressive, forwardthinking and proactive leaders that we need in Nigeria today. The candour with which he has dealt with the presence of the corona virus in Ogun State, the limitations, inadequacies and lack of preparedness that he recognises are faced by his State and his willingness to co-operate with States and agencies to immediately contain the spread of the virus and the urgent and viable steps taken in this regard are significant and admirable and laudable.

My take is that we do not have to reinvent the wheel when we have systems like Christopher and Columbo available to assist our efforts. We can see and purchase what is readily available...

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