SATURDAY 3RD APRIL 2021

NNPC Eyes $8.7bn Investments from Rehabilitation of Refineries, Pipelines Mele Kyari: Corporation remains destination of choice for global investors Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) expects an investment of about $8.7 billion to flow in during the rehabilitation

of the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), as well as the revamping of some of its 5,000-kilometre pipelines

throughout the country.

In a virtual presentation titled: “Accessing Energy Infrastructure Opportunities at the NNPC”, at an event hosted by the United States Department of Commerce,

the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, insisted that the corporation remained a destination of choice for investors globally.

The NNPC GMD said the

national oil company would require between $ 4.5 billion and $4.7 billion investment for the rehabilitation of the refineries in Warri and Kaduna and urged investors to take advantage of the window

offered by the corporation.

He added that the downstream also holds enormous investment opportunities, especially Continued on page 5

Jang: To End Crisis, Nigerians Must be Allowed to Debate Coexistence … Page 5 Saturday 3 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9491

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Aisha Buhari Assembles 12 Billionaires for Her Book Launch Tinubu to chair ‘Aisha Buhari, Being Different’

Deji Elumoye in Abuja Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has mobilised 12 Nigerian billionaire businessmen for the launch

of her book, titled, "Aisha Buhari, Being Different", authored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Dr. Hajo Sani.

The event, which will hold on Thursday, April 8, 2021, is being jointly organised by the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria and the Women and National Development

(WAND), at the Conference Centre, State House, Abuja at 9am.

The billionaires listed as presenters of the book at the occasion to be chaired

by the former Governor of Lagos State/National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, include Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Tony

Elumelu, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Prince Arthur Eze, Bola Shagaya, Folorunso Alakija, Muhammadu Indimi, Jim Continued on page 5

Anxiety as Boko Haram Troops Claim Responsibility for Crashed Fighter Jet Terrorists show video of burning plane NAF denies claim, admits crash, says it is still searching for spot Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja There was palpable anxiety among Nigerians yesterday following unsubstantiated video evidence by Boko Haram showing how it shot down the Nigerian Air Force fighter jet that crashed in Borno State on Wednesday.

The anxiety was heightened by the failure of the military authorities to locate the socalled true crash site, 48 hours after the incident.

The Alpha light attack jet was on a mission to support troops fighting the terrorists in North-eastern Borno State when it lost radar contact.

But the Nigerian Air Force said the Boko Haram’s claim was absurd, insisting the details of the crash were yet

to be fully verified.

“If this video is true, that Boko Haram now has the capacity to bring down a fighter jet, then, this war has taken a dangerous turn.

It says a lot about the range of equipment now in their possession. We are in serious trouble, so this government needs to sit up,” remarked a retired army officer who pleaded for anonymity.

The video released yesterday by the terrorists showed how the Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) was allegedly fired at mid-air and went down in flames.

The audiovisual, which could not be verified, was released on a Boko Haram Continued on page 5

Diya at 77, Says Nigeria will Overcome Challenges... Page 46

CAMARADERIE WITH NIGER REPUBLIC’S NEW LEADER...

L-R: Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State; Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State and Babagana Zulum of Borno State at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on arrival from Niamey, Niger Republic where they attended the swearing in of the country’s new President, Mohamane Bazoum… yesterday

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Jang: To End Crisis, Nigerians Must be Allowed to Debate Coexistence Constitution bequeathed by Military needs to be changed Ahamefula Ogbu ÓØ ËÑÙÝ ËØÎ Seriki Adinoyi ÓØ ÙÝ Former governor of Plateau State and retired Air Commodore, Senator Jonah David Jang has weighed in on the future of Nigeria and advised that for peace and progress, constituent nationalities in the country must be given an opportunity to dialogue on the structure and ways to coexist as a nation.

He also insisted that the military lacked the capacity and fairness to gift the country a constitution, as what they did was too lopsided for fairness and equity, particularly in the creation of states and local governments, which placed decisions in the hands of the north that has more federal constituencies and representation in the National Assembly.

Jang, who was the military governor of Benue and that of the defunct Gongola State and currently a member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s

Board of Trustees, insisted that there was no way the military could draw up a constitution that would serve a democratic set up, pointing out that some things were deliberately influenced to favour the north which other sections have found uncomfortable as they were lacking in equity and fairness.

He said: “After I retired, I attended a constitutional conference set up by the late Gen. Sani Abacha in 1994. If you bring out that document as presented to Gen. Abacha, it was very beautiful. It suggested the idea of geopolitical zones that we now have but we didn’t recommend North Central, it was Middle Belt but it came out as North Central. These are some of the things that the military tinkered with and came up with what they now call Nigeria constitution.

“Now, if you look at the creation of states and local governments by the military,

it was the most lopsided thing they have done. The number of local governments in Kano and Jigawa, and the federal constituencies in Kano and Jigawa are more than the ones in the entire South-east. How do you balance debate in the House of Representatives?

“It is very clear that Nigeria needs to be restructured. For me, I love Nigeria as a country and as a nation and that is why we fought the civil war; to make Nigeria as one, but Nigeria is not one as it is today. People are only preoccupied with their states, their region and their ethnic nationalities. Besides, there is complete imbalance in the National Assembly. Take Plateau State that I governed for eight years, for instance; how can you have a federal constituency of Jos South and Jos East compared to Wase?

Look at the population of Jos South, which is three to four times more than the population of Wase. Yet, you bring Jos South

and Jos East together to form one federal constituency, and make Wase alone a Federal constituency.

“Look at Jos North, with the highest voting population; it is joined with Bassa, another heavily-populated local government, to form one federal constituency. How can you have a balanced debate in the House of Representatives? It is the states that have the highest number of constituencies that dictate whatever happens in the House of Representatives.

“Also, when it comes to joint meetings between the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass a bill or take a decision, it is what the House says that overrides because the number of the senators is far lower. So, you can see that we are running a unitary constitution in a federal system.

“What we are saying is that Nigerians should be given the opportunity and then, the government of the federation

today can bring us together, based on our ethnic nationalities, interest groups and so on, to look at the restructuring of this country. It was my main agenda when I ran for the Presidency in 2019. There is no way we can develop this country under this kind of structural imbalance where so much power is concentrated in the hands of the President. Yet, they say we are running a federation, but in reality, the states are running cap in hand to the President for so many things.

“You can imagine that a governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of his state, cannot command the Commissioner of Police until he takes directive from the federal government. In fact, a governor is a captive in his own state.

A decision can be taken about even his life somewhere and he will not know; thank God that it has never happened, but it is as bad as that. If we are going to run a federal system,

then, we must share power among the federating units and the federal government should handle what is purely federal; that is the control of the armed forces, foreign affairs and other things that the state cannot directly handle.

“We are trying to reawaken Nigerians to see the reason why we are not progressing; we are not progressing because power has not been given to the right areas where it should be exercised for the good of the people at the grassroots. I believe that Nigerians should be given an opportunity to debate our coexistence so that we can become a nation. We cannot just remain a country with a collection of ethnic groups that cannot really decide properly.

What Plateau people want might not be what Kano people want, but when you ask Plateau people to go and push their case, they are over-ruled.”

Read full interview on pages 22 and 23

reasons.”

Gabkwet advised that the video be ignored until all investigations as to how the aircraft crashed are completed.

Earlier yesterday morning, NAF confirmed that the missing fighter jets crashed in the North-east.

A statement issued by Gabkwet, cited intelligence report that indicated that the Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) that went off the radar with two crew members on board on March 31, 2021, might have crashed.

It said the cause of the crash and whereabouts of the pilots remained unknown.

The NAF said extensive search and rescue efforts

involving NAF surveillance aircraft, Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops were in progress.

The statement affirmed that the Air Force was not ruling out any eventuality but expressed hope that the crew would be found.

NAF further revealed the names of the pilots in the crashed jet as Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele."

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao arrived Maiduguri Thursday, as soon as the announcement was made about the disappearance of the aircraft. After he was briefed, he took charge of the search and rescue effort.

based industries like methanol, fertiliser etc.

“Furthermore, in a bid to becoming an energy company of the future, NNPC is diversifying into other high value sectors like power generation through IPPs, renewable energy initiatives, real estate and healthcare businesses.

“Our present business model ensures reduction in our carbon footprint by engaging in more environmentally friendly practices and socially beneficial initiatives to host communities and all stakeholders.

“This is the time for reputable investors to join the NNPC in the journey into an exciting future that promises high returns on investment with manageable risks and

government support through investor-friendly environment and favourable fiscal terms,” Kyari stated.

He stated that the oil industry had remained Nigeria’s biggest and most important investment driver, noting that the Nigerian government was also driving economic diversification to strengthen agriculture, information technology, and manufacturing.

In addition, the NNPC helmsman said the corporation would continue to grow domestic refining capacity and ensure oil and gas assets security by working with partners and government security agencies to prevent vandalism and theft, as well as drive transparency and accountability.

daily basis and she is ready to return to the country as soon as she is done with the medical treatment abroad.”

Before her return on March 17, Mrs Buhari made her last known public appearance on September, 2020 during the wedding of her daughter, Hanan.

However, on the International Women’s Day 2021, held recently, she broke

her silence, posting a goodwill message on her Twitter handle, @Aishambuhari.

In the message titled, “Message of the First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2021,” signed by her, she lamented the continued abduction of women and girls in Nigeria by bandits and terrorists.

ANXIETY AS BOKO HARAM TROOPS CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR CRASHED FIGHTER JET social media channel, showing a militant standing on what the group claims are the wreckage of the jet. It shows the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its fuselage.

“Nigeria air force jet fighter… was sent to Sambisa to fight the Mujahideen,” a terrorist said in the video.

The trending video depicted members of the group carrying the corpse of what they claim to be one of the crew members.

The video footage also showed the fighters wielding Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and other artillery equipment.

But the Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the claim by the terror

group was absurd.

Gabkwet said: "We never claimed that the aircraft did not crash. We were very clear.

We suspected it crashed. For a terrorist organisation to claim that it shot the aircraft down is what we find very absurd.

“We have seen some videos but there is nothing that has proven that the aircraft in those clips belongs to us, or have you seen a Nigerian Air Force aircraft number? Or the body of Air Force pilot? Or have you seen any Air Force uniform? Until we get all these details strengthen out, we are not going to go into speculation.

“That video could have been shot somewhere. I have seen four videos so far, one of

them has lush vegetation in the background, and I wonder where they have such vegetation in the North-east. Unless they did something and they are releasing the clips bit by bit, we are waiting.

“Except we have evidence, because like I said, these persons have families and you cannot just go to their wives, parents or wards. You must bring concrete evidence. There must be something to show.

“Although the video is still being thoroughly analysed, it is evident that most parts of the video were deliberately doctored to give the false impression that the aircraft was shot down. For instance, the video clip failed to show the correlation between

the sporadic shooting, which even from casual observation was obviously aimed at ground targets, and the sudden mid-air aircraft explosion.

“In addition, it is almost impossible for an aircraft to have exploded mid-air, in the manner depicted in the video, and still have a good part of its fuselage, including its tail, intact. Indeed, an explosive impact of that nature would have scattered the debris of the aircraft across several miles.

“It is obvious that the Boko Haram sect, in its characteristic manner of employing false propaganda, is seeking to claim credit for what was obviously an air accident that could have been caused by several other

NNPC EYES $8.7BN INVESTMENTS FROM REHABILITATION OF REFINERIES, PIPELINES in pipeline and depot rehabilitation, revamping of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and building of new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants across the country.

He stated that pipelines and depot rehabilitation would be done through Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT), stating that they are estimated to cost about $4 billion.

He said competent and duly qualified project companies would be engaged through open competitive bidding process. “The selected BOT contractor shall be responsible to raise all financing to Build, Operate and after investment recovery and targeted profit, Transfer the asset back to the NNPC/NPSC.

“Source of revenue from which the BOT contractor is expected to recover its investment and target return shall be from tariffs through operating the assets,” Kyari noted.

He said Nigeria’s over 202 TCF of natural gas reserve represented a huge investment opportunity in power and gasbased industries and invited all serious foreign investors to come to Nigeria.

Kyari noted that the NNPC has over 1,700km of backbone gas transmission infrastructure, owns 49 per cent in NLNG, has 5,000 kilometres pipeline network, four jetties, 21 depots, 575 retail stations and 25 pump stations with an annual industry spend in excess of $20 billion.

He said the NNPC intends

to grow crude oil and gas reserve by intensifying inland basin exploration, sustain availability of petroleum products to support economic activities, expand domestic gas infrastructure, strengthen research, technology and innovation, increase oil production and ensure cost efficiency.

He assured that the oil industry in Nigeria has even more opportunities in bidding rounds to provide licences and incentives like longer tax breaks to licence owners.

According to him, the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and, where possible, “ringfencing investments” to protect them from losses due to policy changes, would assure the

potential investors of fiscal stability, saying that Nigeria could compete in value and returns with the other countries in IOCs portfolio and independents.

Still on potential gains of investing in the country, Kyari stated that businessmen would have unique and at-scale access to a substantial and growing energy resource base across the full value chain within Africa’s largest economy and participate in a rapidly reforming country with marked shift towards improved governance and transparency.

“Deepening our play, the NNPC shall continue engaging in oil and gas pipelines expansion and rehabilitation, refinery and petrochemical and tank farm and also other gas-

AISHA BUHARI ASSEMBLES 12 BILLIONAIRES FOR HER BOOK LAUNCH Ovia, Kessington Adebutu, Daisy Danjuma and Idahosa Okunbo.

The royal fathers of the day are the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; and the Egbere Emere Okori Eleme, King Appolus Chu. The special guest of honour at the book presentation will be Alakija, while the Minister of Federal Capital Territory

(FCT), Muhammad Bello and his Women Affairs counterpart, Pauline Tallen are the hosts of the book presentation.

The presentation is coming less than a month after Aisha Buhari returned to the Presidential Villa, on March 17, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates where she spent six months.

While in Dubai, the first lady also did not make any

public statement or appearance on her 50th birthday on February 18.

There were conflicting reports on why she travelled, but an initial report was that the first lady relocated to Dubai over security concerns.

However, one of her aides, Mr. Kabiru Dodo, dismissed the speculation that she had relocated to Dubai, saying she travelled for medical checkup.

Dodo, at a function in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, last December, said: “The first lady travelled for her medical trip. She did not flee the country because of insecurity; she left her children, her husband and family in Nigeria. What people are saying is baseless and worth nothing to be considered. I want to tell the whole world that I do speak to her on

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

NEWS

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

Omokri Leads Protest against Buhari in London Festus Akanbi

Former presidential aide, and a sharp critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Reno Omokri yesterday led a group of Nigerians, resident in the United Kingdom, to protest the visit of the President to London for medical checkup.

The President is currently in

London where he would be spending two weeks to enable him undergo medical checkup.

However, yesterday, Omokri and a group of protesters stormed the gate of the Nigeria House in London with placards with different inscriptions to register their protest.

The former presidential aide questioned the decision of the

Rise Up, Protect Your People, Catholic Bishop Tells S’East Govs David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ áÕË

Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has charged governors of the South-east to rise up and protect the people of their states.

The Bishop who delivered his Easter message to journalists in his office at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, spoke against the growing insecurity in the country and the recent killing in Ebonyi State, reminding the governors that they owe their people the duty of protecting them against invading herdsmen.

“Many of the South-east governors are already serving their second term in office, so I wonder why they cannot stamp their feet on the ground and speak against the insecurity in the zone.

“We need to remind them that they are responsible for the protection of the people of their states. They were elected to serve their people. How can you continue to romance the

federal government, even when you find out that the federal government is not favourable to your people?

“Shouldn’t you for once tell them the truth about how bad things are in your zone? Look at the killing in Ebonyi, see how people were massacred, yet we have not heard a categorical statement from the federal government.”

Ezeokafor said he was particularly worried that the federal government had failed to condemn the activities of murderous Fulani herdsmen, despite their obvious threat to security in the country.

“The body language of the president is worrisome. He has never directly condemned the activities of the herdsmen. I’m the head of this diocese and if something goes wrong, people will be waiting to hear what I have to say. That is how people are waiting to hear what Buhari has to say about the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the country.

Itsekiri’s Kingship Tussle: Security Tightened Around Olu Of Warri Palace Sylvester Idowu in Warri Heavily armed personnel were yesterday deployed to beef up security around Agbofen, the palace of the Olu of Warri at Ajamogha area in Warri South Local Government area of Delta State over kingship crisis amongst the Itsekiris.

A combined team of soldiers and policemen arrived the palace at about 8.30 a.m. to reinforce the already stationed contingents put in place since Monday following kingship tussle in Itsekiri nation.

It was learnt that there were alleged attempt by some palace chiefs to install a preferred Prince as against the edict and tradition which favoured “Omoba, Prince Tsola Emiko, son of the 19th Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwaste 11”.

The crisis heightened on Tuesday with the suspension of Ologbotsere of the kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emami, the second in command to the indisposed Olu of Warri.

The traditional ruler of the

kingdom has been indisposed since December last year and according to their tradition, a new regent is supposed to be appointed within three months.

However, four months after, the process is yet to be complied with by the Ologbotsere making the people to revolt against him.

The new regent, approved by the traditional rulers council of the kingdom, Prince Emmanuel Okotie Eboh, while addressing a gathering of Itsekiri elders and youths as well as journalists at the palace on Tuesday night said the Ologbotsere, Chief Ayiri Emami had been suspended having “exhibited actions and tendencies unbecoming of the position he occupies”.

He declared “ Chief Ayiri Emami, having exhibited actions and tendencies unbecoming of the position he occupies, and having proven himself unworthy of the Ologbotsere stool, is hereby suspended from the Warri Council of Chiefs. He is to immediately step aside as the Ologbotsere and stop parading himself as such.

COVID-19: 66 New Cases Recorded Nigeria recorded 66 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 163,063 with 151,835discharged and 2058 deaths.

President to undergo treatment in London after reportedly failing to build a single hospital in Nigeria.

“He’s not building hospitals for people, yet he comes here to enjoy the best in a country that has law and order. Why can’t he do that in his country?”

Omokri asked.

He, therefore, asked the President to go back to Nigeria.

Omokri had in a video released on Thursday vowed to fly into the UK yesterday morning to stage a #HarassBuhariOutofLondon protest, arguing that the President cannot travel to the UK for medical checkup when he is yet to account for the October 20 shooting of EndSARS protesters.

In a series of tweets yesterday, the former presidential aide explained that the protesters were at the Abuja House to harass Buhari out of London.

In his narration, Omokri said, “The Police came but the #HarassBuhariOutOfLondon went on. A frightened @MBuhari refused to come out.”

In another Tweet, the former presidential aide said, “When Buhari’s men called the Police on me this afternoon, I asked the officer, “Has Queen Elizabeth II ever come to Nigeria to access healthcare? So why should you be called when I’m asking my President to return to Nigeria to use our hospital?”

He lamented the inadequacies

of Nigeria’s health sector and also criticised the president over the Lekki shooting during the #EndSARS protest in Lagos.

He also criticised Buhari over the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also tackled the president over the recent trip, describing it as a ripple effect of his administration’s failure to fix Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Similarly, Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, posted a video of a man holding a placard that reads “Buhari must go! #OccupyNigeria”.

The man, who wore a #RevolutionNow beret,

said: “Buhari go home! We are outside here in Abuja House.

Nigerians are calling on Buhari to go home.

Buhari has embarked on several trips to the UK to seek medical care since he assumed office.

In 2019, the president had lamented that Nigeria was losing about N400 billion to medical tourism annually.

He later said frequent medical trips abroad must stop because they are not beneficial to the country.

But despite this, on Tuesday, the president departed Nigeria for London for medical checkup.

The trip is expected to last for two weeks.

READY TO HOST. . .

L-R: Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe presenting a souvenir to Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee for NAFEST 2021, held at the Government House, Ado Ekiti...recently

Disconnection of MTN Customers by Banks Unacceptable, Telcos Insist We’ve on verge of resolving the issue, says Pantami Emma Okonji

Telecoms operators under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), have faulted the recent disconnection of MTN customers from the use of the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code for airtime vending by the banks.

Commercial banks, on Thursday night, disconnected only MTN customers from accessing the USSD code on airtime vending from all bank channels that are linked to USSD code. According to the banks, they took the decision

to disconnect MTN, because it reduced the discount offered to banks on airtime sales from four per cent to 2.5 per cent, which did not go down well with banks considering the cost of managing the infrastructure and other operational costs they incurred.

However, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has waded into the trade dispute between commercial banks and mobile network operator, MTN Nigeria.

Pantami, in a tweet late yesterday, wrote, “On the fallout between @MTNNG and some

banks on USSD services today, I engaged with both regulators, the Governor of @cenbank and EVC @NgComCommission.

“We have reached an advance stage of resolving the issues, for the services to be restored to our citizens. Many thanks!”

The banks’ Chief Executive Officers had at a recent meeting agreed to shut down purchase of MTN services across all their channels beginning from 11 pm Thursday night until further notice.

The telcos are however worried that the action of the banks without recourse to the Nigerian Communications

Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, would not only disenfranchise MTN subscribers who are the largest but was also an affront on NCC. Chairman of ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that banks were owing telecoms operators an accumulated N42 billion USSD debt, which the banks were supposed to remit to telcos over a period of time, and that telcos did not disconnect the banks, but rather tabled the matter before the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is their regulator.

EFCC Should Resist Political Manipulation , Says Atiku Chuks Okocha ÓØ ÌßÔË

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has warned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be focused and resist political manipulation by the ruling party as the anti-graft war appeared to be targeted on the opposition.

Atiku who spoke through a statement from his media office in Abuja yesterday, expressed joy and solidarity over the acquittal of High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the founder of Ray Power and

AIT by the Federal Court of Appeal in connection with the alleged N2.1 billion money laundering charges brought against him by EFCC related to the arms contracts under former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Atiku said he was elated with the outcome of the trial because it revealed the truth about the lopsided nature of the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration.

According to the Atiku, “the entire anti-corruption

trials appear to be focused on opposition politicians, thereby casting doubts on the credibility of the anti-graft agency.”

The former Vice President recalled that during the 2019 presidential election, the EFCC focused its time and resources on harassing and arraigning aides of opposition politicians, while it was indifferent to how members of the ruling party were financing their campaigns.

The former presidential candidate of the PDP noted that even members of the international

community were now coming to terms with the reality that the anti-corruption crusade was not impartial, and that the government was now using the anti-corruption policy to contrive charges against those they want to use to advance certain political objectives.

Atiku said he was impressed with the appointment of Abdul Rasheed Bawa as EFCC chairman, but advised him to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors.

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NEWS APGA Expresses Concern Over Attack on Soludo Anambra Alliance worried too Bennett Oghifo ÓØ ËÑÙݘ Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË

SYNERGISING DIPLOMATICALLY …

L-R: Assistant, Australian High Commissioner, Greg Klemm; Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, Australia High commissioner to Nigeria John Donnelly; Senior Special Assistant to the Minister Olu Adedayo; During the visit to the Australian High commissioner by the Minister in Abuja... Yesterday

Presidency’s Nepotism Fuelling Insecurity, Says Taraba PDP Chairman Wole Ayodele ÓØ ËÖÓØÑÙ The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State, Col. Agbu Kefas (Rtd), has decried the federal government’s handling of security challenges facing the country saying the nepotistic tendencies being exhibited by the Presidency was fuelling insecurity across the country.

Besides, the PDP boss also noted that current security situation in the country had vindicated former Chief of

Army Staff, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma (Rtd), saying other leaders of good conscience must emulate Danjuma by speaking up adding that silence at this time is not golden.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Jalingo yesterday, Kefas accused the federal government of always speaking with tongue in cheek when handling security issues rather than acting decisively to address such problems irrespective of whoever is involved.

According to him, “such ap-

proach to security issues leave much to be desired and what that portends is that we don’t have a serious government at the center and that is what is aggravating insecurity in the country.”

To tackle the menace, the PDP Chairman called on the National Assembly to immediately commence the process of amending the constitution to empower state governors to establish state police which would give them powers to deal with security issues in their respective states.

“Governors should be made real Chief Security Officers of their respective states to solve security issues in their domain.

The current situation whereby State Commissioners of Police are not answerable to state governors is not tenable.”

Kefas further noted that moral reorientation and retooling of the security apparatus to make state governors the real chief security officers of their states would go a long way to decisively deal with the situation.

Again, FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage by One Month Emma Okonji The federal government has announced the extension of the date for the ongoing Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration and linkage with the National Identification Number (NIN) by another one month, from April 6, 2021 to May 6, 2021.

In a statement released yesterday and jointly signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, and the Head, Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Kayode Adegoke, it was explained that the request for the extension was presented

to President Muhammadu Buhari and he endorsed it.

The recent extension to May 6, 2021, which is the fifth since December 2020, when the directive for NIN-SIM exercise was issued, will enable telecoms subscribers who are yet to register and submit their NIN for linkage with their SIM card, to do so.

On December 9, 2020, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, had suspended the sale and activation of new SIMs, and on December 15, 2020, it directed all operators to update SIM registration records with valid NINs with an initial deadline of December 30, 2020. While

suspension of new subscriber acquisition continues, the deadline for NIN update has been extended five times, with the recent being May 6, 2021 to accommodate logistical challenges.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, chaired the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM data linkage, where it was decided to extend the NIN-SIM linkage exercise.

The meeting, which took place on Thursday, April 1, 2021, was attended by key stakeholders, including the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Director

General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Representative of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON). Others included the NCC Executive Commissioners, Technical Services and Stakeholder Management, MD/CEOs of MTN, Airtel, EMTS (9Mobile), ntel, Spectranet and Smile Communications, as well as the COO of Globacom.

FG to Pay Backlog of Doctor’s Salaries, Allowances threatens to withhold pay if strike persists Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË Federal government said it had given instructions to the 23 tertiary health institutions in the country to begin payment of arrears of salaries and allowances of resident doctors in their establishment.

The move is part of the Memorandum of Agreement reached with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the meeting held last Wednesday in Abuja.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said that government had decided to wave the issue of bloated quota of resident doctors posted to the health institutions and had accepted to pay all the doctors currently doing Housemanship their arrears

of salaries and allowances.

Ngige who spoke at a programme anchored by Channels Television yesterday night said that government’s decision was a mark of goodwill and reassured the striking doctors that it was determined to act on their grievances as contained in the agreement timeline.

Resident doctors had commenced nationwide strike Thursday morning in defiance of a Memoradum of Understanding it entered with the federal government negotiating team on Wednesday aimed at averting the strike.

NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi who spoke to THISDAY shortly after the association’s zoom meeting to consider government’s proposals said that members NARD

rejected the MoA and resolved to continue with the indefinite strike.

According to him, the doctors said they were tired of signing agreement with federal government without implementation.

NARD President said: “We signed an agreement that has been signed since 10 years but with no implementation. It is not about signing an agreement, agreement has been singed multiple times under pressure,” he said.

But Ngige said yesterday that federal government had kept to its proposal to review the doctors’ hazard allowance currently pegged at N5,000.

He also said that while the process of the review was ongoing, government had directed that all arrears of salaries and

allowances of the doctors be paid.

He said that both the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the respective Chief Medical Officers of the affected 23 health institutions had been asked to start the payment immediately.

Ngige said: “ It was the immediate past NMA president, Faduyile that called my attention to the N5,000 hazard allowance and I raised the issue with the Minister of Finance and the Vice President in a meeting of the National Economic Sustainability Committee. I convened a meeting in my house in the early days of COVID-19 pandemic with all the state Commissioners of Health and told them what the economic team said that the hazard allowance was no longer acceptable.”

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has asked the police to immediately fish out the criminals that attacked Prof.

Charles Chukwuma Soludo, a leading governorship aspirant of the party in the forthcoming election in Anambra State.

This is as Anambra Alliance (AA), a non-partisan social group comprising professionals from various backgrounds, has condemned the attack on Soludo and the killing of three of his security aides by unknown gunmen.

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was reportedly attacked by gunmen at the Civic Centre in his home town, Isuofia, Anambra State, where he was interacting with youths.

Three police men were said to have lost their lives after being shot by the gunmen.

Soludo however escaped unhurt during the incident.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary, Tex Okechukwu, the party condemned the attack on Prof. Soludo describing it, “as cowardly, dastardly, callous, unwarranted and premeditated”.

It wondered why any rightthinking person or persons should ever contemplate such a fruitless and unnecessary action against an innocent man who has contributed immensely to national development.

The party expressed pain and disappointment that the security and peace the people of Anambra State had enjoyed under Governor Willie Obiano was gradually being compromised by some disgruntled and nonsensical elements whose ultimate goal is to return Anambra State to the years of violence and brigandage.

“APGA calls on the security agencies to act swiftly and unmask all those involved in this callous and ignominious act by bringing them to book with promptness,” it said.

Southern Nigeria Youth Group Seeks End to Insecurity, Disunity Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in ×ßËÒÓË Youth leaders and activists from across the Southern half of Nigeria have decried the rising insecurity in the region and disunity among political leaders, saying that time had come to put an end to these inhibitors of development in the region.

The youths under the aegis of Southern Nigeria Youth Assembly(SNYA) expressed the view in a communiqué issued at the end of their first management meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State with representatives from all the 17 states of the South.

In the communique signed by the trio of Alhassan Abidemi, Chairman, Ukor Brown Ukor, Secretary, and Stanley Okpako, member, the youths asserted that insecurity in the region was spiraling out of control, hence the need to take decisive action.

To this end, the Southern youths insisted that “all criminal herders must vacate our lands and return to wherever they

come from,” adding that their destructive activities “are completely alien not only to the South-east, South-west but to the entire region.”

The AK-47 wielding criminal herders have intensified their murderous campaigns in the Southern half of Nigeria, the latest of which was the butchering of 16 persons in Egedegede community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Tuesday.

“Our peace is sacrosanct and we are not ready to short-change it for anything,” the group said, adding that “we cannot allow the region to degenerate to killing fields.”

They called on the federal government to take decisive action on the issue of insecurity and galvanise its security agencies with everything needed to protect lives and properties of citizens.

The Southern youths threatened that they would reconsider their faith in a united Nigeria should the federal government continue to treat the nation’s security problems with seemingly kid gloves.

FG Complicit in NMA’s Conflict with Other Health Professionals, Says JOHESU National Chairman of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah has accused the States and Federal government of complicity in the unending conflict of interest between Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other health professionals in the country.

In a document he signed on behalf of JOHESU and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA), Comrade Josiah blamed the myriad of challenges affecting the nation’s healthcare sector on inequitable distribution of privileges, resources and clamour for liberty among the constituents in the sector, and alleged government of complicity

in the tyrannical oppression of other medical professional by the physicians. ‘’ One of the professions and its practitioners - Medicine and Physicians - aided by the tyrannical instrument of State continues to oppress and suppress all other health professionals in a supposedly multidisciplinary sector. ‘’Physicians and their umbrella body have blackmailed and intimidated successive administrations in Nigeria at both State and Federal levels to continue to insist that appointments as Minister of Health at Federal and Commissioners for Health at State level remain the birthright of Physicians, albeit unconstitutionally.

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

NEWSXTRA Easter Celebrations… Easter Celebrations… Easter Celebrations…

Ekiti CP Orders Security Beef Up Victor Ogunjein AdoEkiti

To ensure the security of lives and property during Easter celebration, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Tunde Mobayo, has ordered massive deployment of policemen across the 16 local government areas of the state.

Mobayo also felicitated with the residents and the people of Ekiti State, especially the Christian faithful, on the occasion of the 2021 Easter celebration as they commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Mobayo said: “In view of this celebration, the CP has directed all the Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, operational heads and Intelligence officers to ensure the deployment

SPREADING LOVE… L-R: Ms Semilore Areola and Mr. Mesahidu Elamah (M), Managing Partner, both Hutchlam Services Limited, presenting donations to Ms. Victoria Solomon(L), Matron, Living Fountain Orphanage, during the courtesy visit by Hutchlam Services Limited to commemorate the Easter Celebration at the orphanage, yesterday in Lagos

Be Vigilant, Prayerful, PFN President Charges Christians Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has decried the deplorable security situation in the country, calling on Christians across the nation to be more vigilant and prayerful before, during and after the Easter celebrations.

This is just as he tasked the federal government to evolve a

security mechanism that would further ensure the protection of lives and property of Nigerians, particularly Christians in the Northern part of the country.

Bishop Oke who made the call in a statement by his Media O΀ce, said it had become imperative for the government to direct its arsenal towards stemming the increasing cases of killings, raping, kidnappings and insurgency among others, in the country.

The PFN President who is also the presiding Bishop of The Sword of the Spirit Ministries and the proprietor of the Precious Cornerstone University (PCU) Ibadan, lamented that it was disheartening the level the nation’s security situation had degenerated to.

He admonished that in addition to whatever security arrangements government might put in place during the celebration, Christians

and other Nigerians should arm themselves with prayers and vigilance.

According to him, “Security concerns should be everybody’s business and that’s why we must all learn to be taking precautions.

So in addition to whatever security arrangements on ground, we must all be vigilant and prayerful; enough of this bloodshed in our country. Nigeria shall be delivered from the grip of the evil ones.

Don’t be Disillusioned over Hardship, Emulate Christ’s Virtues of Love, Sacrifice, Perseverance, Humility, Says Oyetola Insecurity, CAN Urges Nigerians Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged Nigerians not to lose hope over challenges in the nation today ranging from diͿerent types of insecurity to social and economic di΀culties.

In an Easter message by the President of CAN, Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, he said this was the time for everyone to exercise patience in tribulations and continue to intercede in prayers.

“I rejoice with all Christians all over Nigeria and the world at large for the grace God has given to us to celebrate the Easter of this year. We thank the Lord

that we are not under complete lockdown this year as it was last year. Blessed be the name of the Lord who has shown us His mercy in Nigeria.

“Though we have many challenges in the nation today ranging from diͿerent types of insecurity to social and economic challenges, I urge all the children of God to rejoice in hope.

“We must not be disillusioned as the disciples were when Jesus was arrested, cruciÀed and buried. They were overwhelmed by grief and doubted His resurrection. They locked the door against themselves for fear of those who killed Jesus because they felt they would descend on them too,” he said.

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State has congratulated Christians on the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, urging them to emulate His virtues of love, sacriÀce, perseverance and humility.

Oyetola in a message released by his spokesman, Ismail Omipidan, yesterday in Osogbo the state capital, described Easter as a special season that marked the salvation of mankind through the suͿering of Jesus Christ and His cruciÀxion to redeem humanity.

The governor, who urged

Christian faithful in the state to continue to live in harmony with believers of other faiths, said that good neighbourliness was among the several lessons Christ taught and exempliÀed.

While wishing the people of Osun State and indeed all Nigerians a happy Easter celebration, Oyetola charged residents and especially Christians to use the opportunity of the season to engage in more prayers and also in acts of love, especially by reaching out to the lessprivileged.

He reiterated his administration’s resolve to continue to work towards the progress of the state and the well-being of the people, especially the less-privileged.

HUTCHLAM Spreads Kwara Gov Charges Residents on Unity Love to Motherless The Management of Hutchlam, a service-led support provider specialising in end-to-end IT services has paid a courtesy visit to Living Fountain Orphanage, Lekki, Lagos. The visit came on the heels of the company’s mandate to spread love and good cheer to the children in orphanage homes in the spirit of Easter.

Managing Partner Hutchlam Services Limited, Mr. Mesahidu

Elamah, pointed that one of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the company was to support orphaned children.

“Our children are the future of our great nation and we recognise at Hutchlam Services, the need to nurture and support the next generation and what better time than now in the spirit of the Easter festivities to reach out and share our love for these precious little children.

Hammed Shittuin Ilorin

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has urged residents of the state to use the period of Easter celebration to renew the state’s hope, embrace one another and purposefully forge ahead with unity in diversity.

In a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday to mark Easter festivities signed by the governor’s

Chief Press Secretary, RaÀu Ajakaye, he said, “I rejoice with Christians, especially in Kwara State, on the commemoration of the historic travails and ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ.

“The moment reminds us of everything that Jesus Christ stood for: his unshakable faith in God, his undiluted love and sacriÀce for humanity, his avuncularity and tolerance, and his forgiving spirit.”

of adequate operatives to all the strategic points across the state to forestall any form of breach of security.

“The Command assures everyone of adequate security before, during and after the Easter celebration as enough Operatives have been deployed across the State.

“We enjoin everyone to be security conscious, vigilant and report any untoward incident or happening observed in their locality to the nearest Police Station.”

Meanwhile, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman, Southern Senators Forum, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has called on Christians to rededicate themselves to the unity, peace and progress of the country.

Celebrate with Caution, Says Niger Govt Laleye Dipo in Minna As Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Niger State Government has told the faithful that the dreaded COVID-19 disease had not been totally tamed hence they should celebrate with great caution and moderation.

The government’s admonition is contained in the Easter message to Christians by the Special Adviser Political and Strategy to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Alhaji Nma Kolo which was made available to newsmen in Minna yesterday.

“I charge you all to continue in the spirit of the Holy month and also remember to rejoice with moderation and observe all the COVID-19 protocols including wearing of face masks, hand washing and sanitising as well as keeping social and physical distances because the pandemic has not been totally tamed.”

Kolo said though the state governments’ concerted efforts had been able to considerably contain the disease, the public should always remember that the disease had not been totally wiped out.

“While rejoicing with our Christian brothers and sisters for

successfully completing this year’s 40 days Lenten season and the celebration of Easter, I charge you all to continue in the spirit of the Holy month by making more sacrifices for the growth and development of our dear state.”

Kolo also told Christian faithful “to remember to put our state in prayers for divine intervention in the series of challenges facing it especially insecurity coupled with banditry and kidnapping and for God to touch the hearts of those behind these illegalities that have taken the lives of hundreds of our people, rendered many others homeless and jobless and also deprived a number of us freedom because they have continued to be in the captivity of these undesirable elements in the society.

“We should also not forget the down trodden ones among us by sharing part of our God-given resources with them during this festive period and after.”

He appreciated the leadership and members of all the registered political parties in the state for their roles in maintaining peace, law and order without which the state will not be enjoying the dividends of Democracy being provided for the people by our government.

Reflect on Priceless Sacrifice of Christ, Olawepo-Hashim Tells Nigerians Businessman and former presidential candidate, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has told Nigerians that the Easter period presents them with an opportunity to reflect on the priceless sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross.

The global energy executive said in his Easter message issued in Abuja, that every Nigerian should emulate Christ by fostering peace and unity in the nation.

According to him, “on this day, we choose to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of the man Jesus Christ; who laid down His life for humanity on the cross of Calvary and changed the course of history.

He conquered death and rose from the grave. Through His priceless sacrifice and precious blood, we can enjoy eternal freedom.“ Mr. Olawepo-Hashim said, “The commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus

Christ presents us with peace, hope, forgiveness and reconciliation. It also presents us with an opportunity to reflect on the priceless sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross.

“As we celebrate Easter, I enjoin every Nigerian to emulate Christ by fostering peace and unity in our nation.

“Let us also remember the sacrifices of our armed forces who constantly put their lives on the line to protect and preserve our nation; and those who have lost their lives in the fight for the nation’s peace and unity.”

He added that Nigerians had the opportunity to rewrite the history of the nation, advising them to continue to find the strength to continue to pursue peace and togetherness in solidarity for a better Nigeria and better world.

“I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Easter Holiday,” he said.

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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APRIL 3, 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

WE NEED NEW ALLIANCES Fredrick Nwabufo canvasses a national dialogue to define our relationships

W

e need new alliances – political, social, and humanitarian concordat. But we must start from a foreground of truth to achieve this holy grail. Our history as dispensed in public discourses and by government hagiographers is largely revised and contorted to suit pacifist narratives. We cannot paper over our past of fissures, but we can learn from it. Nigeria’s past is not glorious; in fact, the ‘’heroes past’’ as often refrained in our national anthem were not national heroes but ethnic and sectional champions.

As a matter of fact, our ‘’heroes past’’ never made pretensions of being national heroes. Obafemi Awolowo, the late sage, acknowledged this fact when he said in 1960 -- after the general election: “Our struggles for independence have produced no single national hero who is held in reverence and affection by the vast majority of the people of Nigeria.”

The political establishment at the time -- 1960-1966 – was steeply ethnic-governed. The major political parties – NCNC, NPC and AG – won elections by the strength of their ethnic complexions. For instance, the NPC, Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello’s party, won 134 seats in the Federal House of Representatives election of 1959, polling 2,027,194 votes.

About 90 percent of the votes came from the north. In the east, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC won about 90 percent of the votes just as Awolowo’s AG won 80 percent of votes in the west.

Even political alliances at the time were not forged out of ideology, patriotism or national cohesion; they were forged out of the atavistic pursuit of vendetta – to crush other groups and the opposition. In fact, it was as a result of this deep-seated bitterness, that Zik’s NCNC went into a congress with Bello’s NPC against Awolowo’s AG. According to Zik, Awolowo’s party must be stopped from taking power at the centre because ‘’it would destroy political opposition’’.

We must deconstruct revisionist fabrications and pretensions to make good of the future. Knowing that we started off on a faulty foundation should thrust us into consciously working out our destiny. We cannot hold on to an acrimonious past as a precedent for the present and the future. We take the lessons from the past and forge a new path.

We need to hammer out new alliances across spectrum – not only political pacts, but social and humanitarian accords.

Political ententes in the past, as I explained earlier, were not brokered for national cohesion or unity. They were negotiated for certain provincial designs. So, we have to build from

THE GOVERNMENT MUST DECIDE; TO LISTEN TO NIGERIANS OR TO CONTINUE ON THE PRIMROSE PATH TO DOOM. IT IS EITHER THE LEADERSHIP REVISITS THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 2014 NATIONAL CONFAB OR CONVOKE A NATIONAL JAWING

the basics new alliances incorporating all sections of Nigeria, not devious concords pitting one section of the country against another.

We need new alliances wedding the north with the south, and the east with the west in national matrimony. But to achieve this, we need to have a National Dialogue.

A fundamental flaw with Nigeria is a lack of consonance.

We inherited a military tradition where policies and directives are knocked down the throats of citizens – without their consultation. So naturally, citizens rebel against the order. We have fervid conversations and arguments on national issues in silos; taking sides whether rational or irrational. But will it not do great good if citizens converge on a national colloquy to speak on their interest, challenges, and to decide their own path within Nigeria?

We all have something to say. Everyone is talking but no one is listening. No argument is silly. Nigerians need to be heard. The #EndSARS protests that jolted the country to its bottoms were largely as a result of years of insouciance and insensitivity on the part of the government while law enforcement agents menace Nigerians.

The same pachydermatous disposition of the leadership(s) is the reason for the secessionist agitations across the country.

Nigerians want to be heard. Though the agitations are mere thoughtless gyrations, the overarching propulsion for these performances must not be dismissed. Concerns of nepotism, marginalisation, favouritism and state bigotry should be addressed.

We must manage our diversity with ‘’care, fear and trembling’’. Any perceived bias or prejudice from the leadership will set off an alarm in a section of the country that feels short-changed. The reason for the bedlam everywhere in the country today is because our diversity was mismanaged.

The government must decide; to listen to Nigerians or to continue on the primrose path to doom. It is either the leadership revisits the recommendations of the 2014 national confab or convoke a national jawing. Considering the huge expense that will be involved in having another grand confabulation, the government can decide to implement the recommendations wholly or partially. It could also fashion its own way of achieving this. At least, let it be seen that the government is attuned to the zeitgeist.

Nigerians want to be heard.

Nwabufo is a writer and journalist

BLACK LIVES MATTER, SO WHAT ABOUT BLACK NATIONS?

They do not as long as rich nations continue to exploit black Africa and turn a blind eye to their basic needs, argues David Mba

S

ince the death of George Floyd, the screams of ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) have never been as loud, heard across the globe and from all races.

Nations and organisations are rushing to show allegiance to the movement, producing enthusiastic headlines about change. The focus so far has been on the glaring socio-economic inequalities experienced by the black American and European populations, exacerbated by the disproportionate effect of the coronavarius.

The BLM movement has even led to the questioning of the institutional structures that promulgate social inequality; structures which underpin a capitalism system which will always produce winners and losers.

But as the developed Western population and governments attempt to address the socioeconomic inequalities that have plagued their black populations, we only need to take a step back to reflect on a greater inequality.

The problems in the West are just a microcosm of what has happened to the black populations of sub-Saharan Africa. The world’s 12 poorest countries are all in this part of Africa. According to the latest GDP (gross domestic product) figures, as published in Global Finance magazine, the 12 are Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Niger, Malawi. Mozambique, Liberia, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Togo.

So, if you’re looking for major inequality, consider the poverty that is a fact of life across the entire sub-Saharan region, which has a total population of 1,038 million, three times that of the United States, and more than 27 times that of the US’s black population.

The GDP of the poorest nation – Burundi – is a staggering 98.9 per cent lower than that of the United States. If black lives truly matter, then Black Nations Matter too. Change must come to the global black population.

Exploitation of Africa has persisted for over

400 years, starting with the slave trade, then colonisation, and then the imposition of artificial geographical boundaries, which today still cause ethnic conflict and political instability.

Furthermore, post-colonisation, Africa has suffered economic subservience to a westerndriven economic machine that has hampered economic growth. The West exploits Africa’s natural resources and charges high interest rates on any loans. Worse still, vast amounts of money – in excess of $68 billion a year – flow illegally out of Africa to tax havens in the west. Since 1980, an estimated $1.3 trillion has left Africa to tax havens, according to American research institute Brookings.

Incidentally, British territories and dependencies are the world’s greatest enablers of corporate tax avoidance, says the independent international group Tax Justice Network.

Pervasive institutional structures in the West limit the ability of African nations to invest in infrastructure, health, agriculture and education.

In francophone African states, governments actually deposit their foreign earnings in French banks, as a ‘colonial tax’.

Today France holds over $500 billion in its treasury, allowing African nations access to only 15% of the money in any given year.

These two examples – and there are many more – show that sub-Saharan Africans are benefiting least from their continent’s wealth and resources.

But can the West act to rectify grating inequality? Covid-19 proves that it can if the will is there – and if the lives and livelihoods of their own populations are threatened.

The human loss of life due to Covid-19 and the devastation to Western economies has resulted in governments taking unprecedented steps to shore up their medical and economic support and provide living wages to its populations.

The US government’s response, for example, has been to provide trillions of dollars in aid to

maintain a minimum level of socio-economic stability.

It has essentially printed money out of thin air, explained the New York Times in an article in April; an action without consequence due to the dominance of the dollar in global markets.

Some 500,000 American people have died from the Coronavirus.

While in no way underplaying this American tragedy, it is worth remembering that in Africa, according to the United Nations, 115 people routinely die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water. That’s more than a million people a year.

Worse still, a child dies every three seconds globally due to food deprivation – that’s 10,000 children every day.

A study by the Africa Child Policy Forum has revealed that one in three African children are stunted and hunger accounts for almost half of all child deaths across the continent. More deaths result from their vulnerability to disease as a result of this under-nourishment.

If black lives matter, why does this ongoing humanitarian catastrophe not demand dramatic measures like the West’s Covid-19 response?

Should any sub-Sahara African nation attempt to simply print money to mitigate disaster, that nation would collapse under the burden of debt and currency devaluation.

The usual narrative of corrupt African governments and poor governance masks the root cause; capitalism and neocolonialism.

A suggestion mooted for years is a universal basic wage, a regular payment from the government to every adult to keep their populations above the poverty line.

Pie in the sky? Not in the West. Again, the current coronavirus pandemic has seen Western governments do exactly this, with widespread ‘furlough’-style payments for their non-working populations. Why not in sub-Saharan Africa?

The truth is that the key to improving the

socio-economic conditions of black people in Africa also lies in the West.

The rise of the Western world depended on cheap labour and raw materials extracted from the Southern Hemisphere, including Africa, during the colonial period.

And even today, high income nations are reliant on the resources created by cheap labour in Africa and elsewhere, from food and oil to clothing and laptops.

We must end resource and wage exploitation

by Western corporations and eradicate tax havens – because black Africa is starving.

A 2019 United Nations report on nutrition in Africa found that 240 million black Africans were exposed to severe food insecurity, with no reliable daily access to a sufficient quantity of food.

There are innovative ideas to eradicate hunger in Africa. In Rwanda, a food project that guarantees set prices for crops from smallholder farmers has helped two million people to avert malnutrition in a year. The project cost $70 million to set up. That’s an annual cost of just $35 per person to avoid starvation.

Compare this to the trillions of dollars Western countries have spent to fight the social unrest the coronavirus may cause, or the billions of dollars lost to illicit financial flows each year.

The Black Lives Matter movement is a timely reminder of racial inequality in the West.

But do black lives matter around the world?

It seems not, as long as rich nations continue to exploit black Africa and turn a blind eye to the basic human needs of the black African population. Only by changing the current capitalist driven institutional structures shall we begin to see that black lives truly matter.

A policeman’s knee on the neck killed George Floyd. It could be argued that the West’s knee has been on the neck of black Africa for centuries – and has not yet been removed. (@profdavidmba)

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APRIL 3 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

The face of strike...

Print Media: Beyond FG’s Promised Intervention

T

here have been increasing concerns about the future of print media in Nigeria. The mounting worries also rubbish claims that business losses in the sector are largely due to the global pandemic. Victor Ifijeh, seasoned journalist, reportedly laments,“To say that the print is seriously challenged is an understatement. To say that it is in decline is putting it mildly. In the words of a commentator, the print media is dying slowly.” For Bayo Onanuga, another industry veteran, the emergence of digital media disrupted and drastically decreased the value of print editions.“Globally, newspapers in print are becoming anachronistic and with the way technology is driving the industry, many journalists will soon be jobless, if they do not adapt quickly to the phenomenally changing environment,” Onanuga recently opines.

Reuben Abati, veteran columnist, attributed print media survival challenges to declining advertisement and readership. “Given the poor state of the economy, many businesses have had to cut down the amount that they spend on newspaper advertising and rationalise the options available to them in terms of reach and impact. Government departments and civil servants of old who used to buy newspapers have had to cut their budgets for such purpose.

Circulation figures have therefore dropped,” Abati, stresses, in a recent post in THISDAY. As experts predicted, many practitioners, in print edition space, in Nigeria, have lost or are at the verge of losing their jobs, mostly through no fault of their own. According to Adekunle Samuel Ayeni, CEO, BHM Group, “…tabloid journalist earns less than $100 per month, where most newspapers owe up to six months’ salaries, and TV stations pay tokens for wages…” Femi Soneye, Publisher, Persecondnews, also reportedly notes, “the parlous state of the economy had caused thousands of journalists to lose their jobs due to permanent shut down of their organisations, while others are being owed one or two years salaries.” Regrettably, some print media owners and practitioners in Nigeria, perhaps to stay afloat are accused of engaging in unethical practices, including cutting corners on due diligence as well as setting unrealistic revenue targets for their marketing teams. “But to keep ad money coming, some outlets have had to develop political affiliations and connections with companies and other interest groups.

This guarantees a steady stream of revenue but at the cost of editorial independence,” notes a report, recently published in techcabal. Ayeni, cited above, agrees, “The media scene is a mess and the public relations industry in Nigeria is a beneficiary. Driven by a news conference and press release culture, PR pros in these parts have mastered how to speak the language of envelopes… .”

The increasing job losses are clearly a global phenomenon but the challenges, in advanced economies, are largely attributed to recent outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK, Press Gazette recently reports, “News publishers have been furloughing staff, cutting wages and suspending print titles to cope with collapsing advertising and print sale revenues brought on by the pandemic.” A report, cited in Pew Research Centre, also partly reads, “Layoffs continue to pummel U.S. newspapers. Roughly a quarter (27%) of papers with an average Sunday circulation of 50,000 or more experienced layoffs…”

But, the good news coming from in advanced economies is that print media are now seeing appreciable success in their subscription model.

There is equally clear-cut commitment by government, individuals and corporate organistions to sustain some of the platforms. In the US, Rick Edmonds, media business analyst, notes in Poynter, “After years of hesitation about whether journalism merited support, community foundations are beginning to team up with big national outfits like the Knight Foundation and Lanfest with grant to bolster coverage. For-profit papers are among the recipients.” Edmonds also recalls that The Stranger, a weekly in Seattle, received donations, ranging from $3 to $10,000, after an urgent plea to the public to keep its print edition alive.

Sunday Odiaka, a media practitioner, wrote from Lagos

Gov. Buni: Doing More with Less

W

ithin the time he has been in office, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has so far, achieved so much, with meagre resources. Yobe State is now going through a multi-sectoral transformation; he is changing the face of agriculture, education, youth empowerment and infrastructure.

Governor Mala Buni began his term in office with a declaration of ‘emergency’ in the education sector. This was aimed at improving the standard of education in the state, boosting schools’ enrollment, as well as providing the educational infrastructure that will move Yobe State forward. Rightly, emphasis was placed on giving the people of the state better educational foundation by revamping primary and secondary school education across the state. Strategically, the state embarked on the construction of model schools in the major towns of the state - Buni Yadi, Damaturu, Gashua, Potiskum and Nguru. Each school has 30 classrooms and computer centres. These schools were aimed at decongesting classrooms and encouraging school enrollment. At the end, these schools will also address the number of out-of-school children and ensure that no child is left out of school. Governor Buni’s emphasis on education is already making impact with improvement in the overall performance of Yobe State in WAEC/NECO. In the area of tertiary education Gov. Buni has been supporting the state owned tertiary institutions to be centres

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

of academic excellence, and to produce adequate, trained and qualified manpower to serve the state and beyond. As part of the drive to develop human resources, hundreds of national and international scholarships have been awarded in key areas of technology, healthcare, engineering and agriculture.

To boost business and encourage entrepreneurship Mai Buni is undertaking construction of modern markets in Buni Yadi, Damaturu, Potiskum, Gashu’a and Nguru. In the near future, more towns will benefit from such project. Apart from shops, the markets will have abattoir, parking lots, roads and security outposts. These facilities, apart from easing business will also create an environment that can attract businesses and investment to these towns.

As Governor Buni recently said while laying the foundation of Potiskum modern market, “Government of Yobe State is building markets to create the environment for people to thrive in business.”

The state-owned industries are now back to life.

The resuscitated Yobe Polythene and woven sack industry in Damaturu is now producing over 7500 sacks daily. Yobe flour mills Potiskum is now the largest producer of mills in the state. State-owned Sahel Aluminum company in Potiskum is now empowered and it is operating at full capacity. Yobe State Fertilizer Blending Company is currently being resuscitated, with expansion that will enable it operate in full capacity. The reasons why Governor Buni is reviving state-owned companies is to create jobs and give incentives for investment in Yobe State.

Township roads and concrete drainage have been completed; in Damagum, Fune LGA, in Buni Yadi, Gujba LGA, in Malammatari of Damaturu, in Jajimaji, Karasuwa LGA in Babban gida, Tarmuwa LGA. Similar projects are currently going on in other towns, including Potiskum and Geidam; which were recently flagged off.

Isa Sanusi is a journalist based in Damaturu, Yobe State

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow 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

O

n the news there was a report that Mt Rushmore is closed because of storm worries but is that the truth?

Was it in fact closed so that engineers and hairdressers could examine the mountain and work out how to create a realistic copy of ex-President Trump’s hair style out of solid rock?

Maybe they could just use whatever technology that created the original hair.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

14

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

SUPER SATURDAY Yewande ewa wande Zaccheaus ac aus

Why I Dumped Banking for Event Management Mrs Yewande Zaccheaus is the founder and Chairman, Eventful Limited, a company that pioneered event management g in Nigeria g 19 yyears ago. g Last week, she handed over the manageg ment of the company p y to a new managing g g director as she transited to the p position of the chairman of the company. p y In this interview with Festus Akanbi, she explains p how she had to dump promising careers in legal practice and banking to pursue her dream of organising events I have a natural gift and passion for organising g events was born in Ibadan April p 1961.

I attended secondary y school in Ibadan and then p proceeded to the University y of Lagos g for my y degree g in law and Cambridge g University y UK for my y masters in law. I was in law p practice and banking g for 18 y years. However, in 1999, after returning g from maternity y leave I decided I had spent p enough g time as an employee p y and it was time to set up p my y own business. I have a natural g gift and p passion for organising g events and after some researches on the subject, j I handed in my y resignag tion and established Eventful in 2002.

I

th day you do get what you pay the fo or.

No compromise The q quality y of our service, our prrofessionalism, integrity p g y and atttention to detail can never be co ompromised. p We ensure our cllients g get the value of what they y pa p ay y for. We will never cut corners fo or g gain, rather if the budget g is no ot suffficient, we advise our client on n lesser options p and agree g those op ptions with them before we g p go ah head. Clients trust us with huge g am mounts of money y to ensure their ev vents are seamless and well ex xecuted, so we do everything y g in ou ur p power to ensure we do not let th hem down.

We need to carefully balance our priorities The sacrifices every y female entrepreneur needs to make is the sacrifice p of time. We are multifaceted women with responsibilities p in various areas of our lives all of which are impor p tant. We need to carefully y balance our priorities according p g to the seasons of our lives. I juggled j gg all the balls as required, q sometimes more time would be needed for the business (possibly p at the early y stages) g sometimes the needs of my y husband and children would be a p priority. y The trick is to understand y your seasons and ensure you focus on what is critical at that y time and eventually y it all works out for good, as one applies wisdom and prayers.

Women and challenges in business Probably y the g greatest challenge g women in business face is access to finance. Two reasons for this, women are naturally y less amenable to the risks that comes with taking g loans, secondly y even when they y are ready, many y small businesses (whether owned by y men or women) are not structured enough g to have all the requirements q financial institutions necessarily y demand before they y can receive loan facilities. However, I am aware that many y financial institutions Yewande having g recognised g this, have women desks/initiatives to assist female entrepreneurs in surmounting this hurdle.

Sharing an office with my husband After leaving g the bank I joined j my y husband in his offi f ce to set up p my y business and he kindly y gave g me two rooms, one for myself y and another for my y PA. As the business g grew and I was able to afford more staff, I moved to my y own offfice after about two years. y There is wisdom in starting g small and allowing gy your business g grow organically g y so y you do not take on unnecessary y expenses p that the business may not be able to afford at the early stages.

Our work speaks for us In 19 y years as you y can imagine, g we have organised g thousands of events ranging g g from small p personal events to huge g corporate p events such as conferences (which is our area of expertise), p high g pro p file weddings, g funerals, landmark birthdays, y corporate p dinners, annual g general meetings, g book launches and of course, since 2020 several virtual and hybrid y events. It has been a fantastic learning experience.

Greatest asset we have as a company I believe that possibly, the greatest asset we have

Effects ff of Covid-19 protocols on ev vent management The new normal of covid protop co ols has affected the events manag gement industry g y tremendously. y Covid-19 hits at the very y essence off events – the gathering g g of people p p to ogether. g Cleary y all the p protocols were to p w prevent this in order to sa ave lives. The p past y year has been ex xtremely y challenging g g for many y of uss. However, we understand that th hese challenges g are worldwide and arre but for a season and so we do ou ur best to continue to carry y out ou ur duties, albeit on a very y much reeduced scale in terms of p physical y nu umbers, but now relying y g heavily y on n technology gy (through g virtual and hy ybrid events) to ensure that life y an nd social interactions do g go on whilst being w g mindful of observing alll state and medical protocols.

as a company p y and which I believe is borne out from the fact that I came into entrepreneurship p p after a rewarding g career in law and banking, g is our profes p sionalism.Our p pay y off line is that we are creative, experienced p and p professional. We take our work with our clients very y seriously y and they y know they y can trust us to deliver on our p promises of expertise, p superior p q quality y and attention to details, within budget. g We are reliable, dependable, p committed to the successful outcome of their events and because we have consistently y shown that we are p people p of integrity, g y our clients have come to trust us, trust our judgment and this has resulted in repeat clients.

Stepping down from Eventful As y you know, I came into en ntrepreneurship p p after 18years y off corporate p background g in law an nd banking, g so I went into the bu usiness with a mindset to build an in nstitution. It was never a hobby y or mere past m p time for me. I was very deliberate and intentional about de succession p planning g and once I felt I had the right g team and could identify yap potential leader who could take over from me, I set about the training g and other processes p required q for a seamless transition. Fisayo y Beecroft who has been with Eventful for over ten years y was appointed pp the DMD of the company p y last y year and has spent p the last y year really yp preparing p g for his new role as the future MD of the company. p y He is a wellrespected p and highly g y professional p events planner p and leads a skilled and p passionate team with the commitment and tenacity to take the company to the next level.

Managing clients’ expectations Well, the beauty y of the events industry y is that there are vendors in different categories g in terms of price p and quality q y of offerings. g We ensure all our vendors have the capacity p y to deliver at the very y high g standard we are known for, whether the event is large g or small, low budget g or high g budget. g We are therefore able to recommend affordable but effficient vendors, recommend cheaper p options p where posp sible and generally g y assist in creating g a memorable event within the client’s budget. g As event planners, p we find many y times we have to manage g expecta p tions of our clients in this regard, as at the end of

Life at retirement I plan p to spend p my y time now resting g and relaxing after almost 40 y years of working g full time as both an employee p y and an entrepreneur. p I will also p pursue other interests I have p particularly y in regards g to empowering p gy young g entrepreneurs p and p possibly y in other areas of entertainment including g movie pro p duction as I have jjust concluded a film called “The Wait” inspired p by y the inspirational p book “God’s Waiting g Room” which I wrote several years y ago g as a result of my y experience p whilst waiting g for my second child. So I g guess you can say I am retired but certainly not tired.

15

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

08054699539

Buhari’s Corruption War and US’s Damming Report

have spent quality time reading the United States’ 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released last Tuesday in which it alleged massive corruption and stifling of free speech in 2020, under the Buhari government. On sleaze, the US Department of State’s report stated that it was widespread and pervasive at all levels of government, including the judiciary and security services. It asserted that there were numerous allegations of government corruption last year, citing the arrest and investigation of the former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, for graft.

The report stated that many corruption cases, particularly the high-profile ones, remained pending before courts due to administrative or procedural delays: “Although the law provides criminal penalties for conviction of official corruption, the government did not consistently implement the law, and government employees frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.” It was a damming report. This is against the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari regime’s anti-graft stance.

I thought there would be an energetic reaction from the Buhari government on this report, with facts and figures to contradict it.

None came along these lines. I guess there is really nothing to promote in this government’s fantasy war against corruption. The United States only emphasised what many of us have always known about Buhari’s failed war against corruption. I persistently point out the flaws, with a long list of untamed sleaze cases - NNPCgate, Maihajagate, Mainagate, Barugate, Yusufgate, Babachirgate and the rest of them. The story is the same in virtually all the MDAs. Yes, corruption in MDAs predates the Buhari government, but he told us that it won’t be business as usual under him. This avowal was a sham. Under Buhari, corruption in almost all the MDAs is a bigger monster, depriving Nigeria huge revenues. The sleaze in Nigeria’s defence and security budgets for almost six years is most disgusting. Security agents are losing grounds to terrorists, yet, money for equipment to help reverse the trend is obstinately mismanaged. The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno pointed this out, but recanted under pressure.

In this country, a serving army chief under Buhari bought a $2 million property in Dubai and shamelessly defended it with impunity. A recent report by global auditing firm, PwC, revealed persistent corruption and several anti-business dispositions in some of Nigeria’s regulatory agencies. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was worried by the report and demanded sanction. Nothing happened thereafter.

Can you imagine a government that is fighting corruption approving a frightening N1.4 billion for the design of a 12-floor head office building in Abuja for the Department of Petroleum Resources? Yes, N1.4 billion. The Federal Executive Council gladly approved the contract. The total projected cost of the building is N36.4 billion. I guess it would be made all of gold.

What about the re-looting of recovered Abacha loot under Buhari’s watch? Despite outcry, dubious fees amounting to $17 million were allegedly paid to two lawyers for the recovery of $321 million stolen by former military ruler, Sani Abacha. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, allegedly engaged the two Nigerian lawyers after the job had been completed by Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer hired by previous Nigerian government to work on the recovery. Monfrini openly declared that fresh lawyers were absolutely unnecessary because he had concluded all legal work.

But for persistent protest by Nigerians, Babachir Lawal, the legendary grass cutter, would have remained as the SGF after allegedly mismanaging about N2.5 billion in the account of the Presidential Initiative on the North East, PINE. What about the sleaze allegations against the then Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf?

This public servant, under investigation by

Buhari

anti-graft agencies, was reinstated with fiat.

What about the then Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Maihaja, struggling to explain how he spent billions of Naira allocated to his agency?

Money gobbling has been the name of NNPC’s game under Buhari. The memo written by the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu on sleaze at the corporation remains fresh in my memory. The cabal in charge of this government tightened the noose on Kachikwu, forcing him to recant. In 2017, this corporation told a bewildered nation that petrol consumption had jumped to 60 million litres daily, with N1.7 trillion paid as subsidy.

NNPC’s petrol import and expenditure claims are cloaked. Rent seekers in the oil industry are obviously still collecting the proceeds of crude oil sales. The four refineries owned and operated by the NNPC are in shambles; yet, they gulp billions of Naira annually for turn-around maintenance. There is now a prickly $1.5 billion approved to repair one of them. It can only happen in Nigeria.

Many of the sleaze allegations under the Buhari government are waved aside with impunity. I will never forget that of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu. In 2019, the sacked Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TeTFund), Abdullahi Baffa, had alleged that he was forced out of office owing to his refusal to provide monetary kickbacks to Adamu. Baffa told BBC Hausa Service that the Minister had sent a contractor to him demanding his share of N200 billion disbursed by the agency to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Bafa alleged: “If they bring any evidence indicting me, I’m ready to accept death punishment. I do not regret my refusal to

obey the minister’s directives because I cannot sabotage my country. Go and ask the minister.

Eight months ago, Mallam Adamu Adamu sent one of his biggest contractors to tell me that the minister was angry with me for three reasons. The issue was that TeTFund disbursed over N200 billion to universities without remitting the per cent kickback, amounting to at least N20 billion at 10 per cent rate.” Bafa was never questioned.

Expenses on the provocative School Feeding Programme of the Buhari government are dizzying. Our children, as at last year, had been fed with N196.6 billion since the inception of the programme in 2016.

So says the federal government. Even with COVID-19 lockdown and schools shut, our blessed children were still being fed at home.

Only God knows how this magic was done.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts was not impressed with a recent presentation on the feeding programme and resolved to summon the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics, to appear and tender records of payments/ details of the nine million children and 84,000 schools across the country benefiting from the school feeding programme.

The Chairman of the Committee, Oluwole Oke, frowned at the breach of the Public Procurement Act during the implementation of the feeding programme and demanded for relevant authorisations from the Bureau of Public Procurement. He also demanded for budgetary approvals for the scheme from inception, as well as the lists of schools, locations, cooks and full details of expenditure.

On this mess, our compromised lawmakers did not go beyond threats.

Spending on the N-Power Scheme, another arm of FG’s Social Investment Programme, has also been puzzling. This scheme has gulped N421 billion from 2016 to 2020, so says the federal government; but complaints of unpaid stipends pour daily. The statistics of participants is also contentious. The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts queried the expenses on N-Power when its managers appeared before it. There were discrepancies in the figures declared, when asked to give account of the amount expended so far, against what they have on paper.

Worried by the inconsistency in the documents presented to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts, Oke argued that N-Power was out to “ambush the Parliament”. He directed all the lawmakers to go to their various constituencies and verify the details of all the beneficiaries of N-Power listed, with a view to ensuring accountability.

The situation at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), as reflected in a 2019 presentation to the Senate’s Joint Committee on Finance and Planning, represents the corruption, mismanagement and ineptitude in virtually all federal revenue-generating agencies. The DPR, one of the agencies that have failed to remit good money to the Federation Account as expected, was queried by the Senate for sending a meagre

Payments for comical services often leave me wondering whether the interest of the public is paramount. There was this $4 million paid to a lawyer in 2019 from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for God knows what. The Senate asked the Accountant General of the Federation to supply details of the lawyer who was paid the $4 million from the already depleted excess crude account, and the nature of the job done. The office of the AGF is still struggling to come up with this information.

N44.5 billion into the Consolidated Revenue Fund out of the N2.4 trillion it generated in 2019. The agency’s Head of Planning, Johnson Ajewole, who stood in for his DG, Sarki Auwalu, during the enquiry at the Senate, confirmed the frightening gap between amount realised and money remitted. The DPR management deducted N88 billion from the N2.4 trillion generated in 2019 as “four per cent approved collection fee.” That’s a monstrous N88 billion as cost of collection in one year. I wonder who approved this.

The DPR could not even convincingly account for the remaining unremitted 2019 collections, as it simply said overhead and operational costs swallowed the remaining money, without specific figures tied to them.

We are talking about over N2 trillion balance here; that’s about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s 2020 budget.

Also recently, a N7 billion under-remittance by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was confirmed. The agency collected the revenue and claimed it was spent on inspection of factories. Over N7 billion spent on inspection!

At the Securities and Exchange Commission, N10.3 billion is spent annually on the salaries of 600 staff. That’s an average of N15.7 million per person. SEC is one of the most lucrative places to work in Nigeria. Revenue of N8.36 billion generated in 2019 could not even cover its salaries. So, SEC hardly remits anything to the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account.

That was why it projected revenue of N8.3 billion in 2021 while its expenditure was put at N14.4 billion.

The other day, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila raised the alarm over the continuous diversion of revenue by federal government agencies. “We have credible reports that these desperately needed funds have in many cases, been diverted to finance unnecessary trivialities,” remarked the Speaker.

Good that Gbajabiamila recognises that corruption in almost all the MDAs is depriving Nigeria huge revenue. It is not enough to just query these MDAs. The Speaker and his colleagues in the National Assembly should take pragmatic action to end this mess. They should back their tough talks with action, by putting pressure on the Executive to do the needful. A serious Executive, genuinely fighting corruption, would have ended poor remittance of revenue.

A huge N1.7 trillion! Yes, that is the amount of tax payers’ money injected into the power sector in five years as intervention fund by the Buhari government; yet, there is no corresponding improvement in electricity supply.

I recall President of the Senate Ahmed Lawan, during an inquiry on the power sector saying “government cannot afford to just spend money that it can hardly understand why it is given.”

It’s so depressing that Nigeria still wallows in darkness despite this enormous expenditure.

There is nothing for this government to defend on this N1.7 trillion expenditure on power, even if it makes public who got what, when, why and how.

Payments for comical services often leave me wondering whether the interest of the public is paramount. There was this $4 million paid to a lawyer in 2019 from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for God knows what. The Senate asked the Accountant General of the Federation to supply details of the lawyer who was paid the $4 million from the already depleted excess crude account, and the nature of the job done. The office of the AGF is still struggling to come up with this information.

The Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, noted: “The report from the US is not far from the truth. Corruption is not only alarming, it has now been fully institutionalised by the Buhari administration.

Impunity has become the order of the day such that we are now in a government where graft is thicker than justice.”

For Nigeria to move forward, our dear President must stop all the showboating and genuinely fight corruption by focusing more on the people around him.

16

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

17

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Davido Dumps Chioma’s Assurance Niyi Akinmolayan’s Mighty Prophetess pg. 19

Sinach Set for Historic Concert pg. 21

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

18 Ferdinand Ekechukwu 08035011394 Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

Mya

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Davido

Davido Dumps Chioma’s Assurance Ferdinand Ekechukwu

“@

Mima_ Gif: Na Davido wey cheat, na Chioma Dey trend,” “@TarzanZEEZ: Assurance was on fire that year.

Chioma really enjoyed it. She will definitely enjoy the endurance too.” @ajehswag simply wrote: “It was Peruzzi that wrote assurance.

So technically, Davido wasn’t the one that promised Chioma assurance.” The hit song, “Assurance”

by Davido was dedicated to his fiancée Chioma in 2018 and vowed to always love her. Visuals of the song also featured the young lady.

Hilarious tweets so to say as they appear. And in thousands they poured in as several intimate pictures of Nigerian pop star Davido and his new-found love Mya Yafai set Twitter on fire last Tuesday.

In the viral photos, Davido and Mya, who is rapper Young M.A’s ex-girlfriend, were pictured getting cozy, including one where they are seen sharing a French kiss. The music star, who is currently in the US, was also seen plastering a soft kiss on Mya’s cheek in another picture. As indicated by the pictures, the two were no doubt completely happy to be in the company of each

other.

Although the pictures have sparked thousands of reactions on social media, some fans and followers have argued that the pictures could be from a video shoot, others disagree and insinuate he is cheating, asking the Risky crooner the state of the “assurance” he gave Chioma, his fiancée.

There are also some who believe the two (Davido and Mya) were just goofing as that’s how stars do, like the saying goes. Davido like other fellow music stars in the industry is known to get extra cuddly with female models on video shoots, especially if it is what the video director has requested.

As expected, with the hot takes and thousands of comments and reactions that sparked up on social media, his third baby mama and fiancée’s name, Chioma will popup. There have been speculations about the strained relationship between Davido, and the mother of his first son, Chioma Rowland.

Recall the award-winning artiste was first linked with the 22-yearold American Instagram model and actress as they stepped out for an event in Sint Maarten, a small Island in the Carribean, which is part of the Kingdom of Netherlands.

Shortly after the video went viral, it was revealed that the new girl, who previously dated American rapper, Katorah Hortense Marrero, professionally known as Young

MA, (Mya is apparently a bisexual) visited Davido in Nigeria last December and also spent some time with him in Ghana in January.

During that time, Ghanaian music star Stonebwoy shot the video of his song, “Activate” with Davido.

Mya testified that she enjoyed herself as she wrote on Instagram: “I Love you Africa”.

A video on her Instagram page froze some of her experiences, including a boat cruise on the Lagoon and a drive round the upscale locale on Lagos Island. In the video shared on Instagram by Mya, she was spotted having fun with Davido and his crew, flew in his private jet and also had his song “Holy Ground”, in which he featured Nicki Minaj, playing in the background. It is believed that ‘Holy Ground’ was written for Mya because it defined all about her physique and her tattoos. Mya Yafai is of a mixed-race background – Trinidad & Tobago and Yemen.

She is a radio presenter and model based in Atlanta Georgia, where she was born in 1998. Davido was born in Atlanta and owns a house there. She currently has over 200,000 Instagram followers and more than 4,000 subscribers on her YouTube Channel. Mya’s Instagram is filled with photos of her vacationing in different parts of the world, from Puerto Rico to Dubai, to Jamaica and many other places.

Davido is having countless relationships with other women aside his current fiancé, Chioma Rowland. To many, it appears ‘OBO’ as he’s fondly called has turned Chioma into another baby mama, after being spotted in December with Mya. Davido and Chioma, after a family introduction in September 2019, were expected to get married last year, but the plan was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The singer in an interview said the wedding would happen this year. But various reports said the ceremony may not happen again.

Since the Davido/Mya video made it to the internet, social media was agog, especially Twitter, as many wondered if Davido is still engaged to his partner. Davido and Chioma have long been a ‘goals’ relationship for many on Twitter, but fans aren’t so sure anymore.

Rumours of a split between the pair have been around for months now, after Chioma reportedly stopped wearing her engagement ring. Neither parties spoke on the rumours, leaving fans unsure of their relationship status. Apparently confirming the split, Chioma deleted her photos with Davido on her IG page days after reports of his romance with Mya made headlines, leaving a post to a link on her page that has Davido’s ‘A Better Time’ album cover which features him and their son.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

19

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Niyi Akinmolayan’s Mighty Prophetess Niyi Akinmolayan’s feature film, Prophetess packs all the spectacle expected of a Nollywood comedy and more. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

T

he Prophetess, a new Àlm which opened in cinemas across the nation yesterday is best described as a comedy of epic proportions that movie enthusiasts will not want to miss this Easter season. Produced by Victoria Akujobi and Mimi Bartels, the feature Àlm follows the story of Ajoke, a local prophetess whose bogus prediction about a football match sets oͿ a series of events that spiral beyond her control. With her life in danger, she elicits the help of her sister.

Shot in Ibadan, Prophetess stars Kehinde Bankole, Kunle Remi, Ronke Ojo, Tina Mba, Stan Nze, Uzor Arukwe, Deyemi Okanlawon, Adedimeji Lateef, Blessing Jessica Obasi, Seyi Awolowo, and Toyin Abraham, among others. The outrageously hilarious antics the characters embody in the movie surely made a visual delight just as right from the moment the teaser to the comedy-drama was put out.

Almost every scene of the movie consists of funny tease, especially the scene where spectators (it is assumed that they are watching a football game) are fully vested in what is happening on the pitch. Prior to the premiere was as much dramatic as the spectacle in the movie. Most of the cast who made it to the event dressed up in attire that reÁects the theme of the movie premiere. While some kept it simple others went to the extreme.

Toyin Abraham who played the lead role of a prophetess attended the star-studded event dressed as her character.

In a post on his Instagram page earlier before the premiere, Akinmolayan teased viewers saying, “It’s going to be a prophetic Easter this March. Get ready to touch the hem of the Prophetess garment and we promise your life will never remain the same. Mark your calendars and get ready,” In another post, the director explained how he came about the new movie and the character for the lead role.

Adedimeji Lateef; Toyin Abraham and others on the scene of the movie Prophetess

“During the Elevator baby screening at Abeokuta last year, I saw hundreds of people literally pushing on each other just to see Toyin Abraham. Some people travelled from Oshogbo and Akure with their families.

All they wanted was to touch her and take photos and tell her how much they loved her.

“I had never seen anything like that in all my time hanging around celebs but it gave me an epiphany This is a woman of the people

So I whispered to Toyin’s ears« ‘I have found a new Àlm for you«and it’s going to be big and you will be a prophetess.’ She smiled and said bring it on.

“The best part of the process for me was that I had to overcome ten years of laziness and fear to start writing back again Luckily I Ànished the script just before the lockdown.

It’s the most tedious thing I have ever done as a Àlmmaker and I will show you all a teaser

tomorrow.”

Akinmolayan, who is the founder and creative director of Anthill Productions, a media production facility, produced his debut movie ‘Kajola’ in 2010. He has since produced or directed several movies including ‘The Arbitration’ ‘The Wedding Party 2’, ‘Chief Daddy’, ‘The Set up’, and ‘Elevator Baby’ which won two astounding awards at the 2020 AMVCA.

‘Hero’s Walk’ Spotlights Entrepreneurial Spirit of South-east Ferdinand Ekechukwu writes on “The Hero’s Walk”, a documentary that showcases and propagates the essence of ‘Imu-Afia’, the Igbo apprenticeship system As Ace rapper, IllBliss (Oga Boss) welcomes guests to the recent premiere of The Hero’s Walk, a documentary on the “The Igbo Apprenticeship System”, at the Imax Cinemas, Lagos, the atmosphere beseeched with conviviality, as tradition reminiscent of the Igbo people literally emerged, setting forth a group of masquerades, dancers and traditionally dressed ushers. Thrills and frills of this spectacle permeated and connect top players from the media and entertainment sectors like Obi Asika, Chioma Ude, Chris Obosi, Nkem Owoh and a host of other industry personalities andA-list celebrities who had come to support the brand.

But then IllBliss was not alone. He co-anchored with ace comedian and radio presenter, Steve Onu, popularly known as ‘Yaw’. Together, they enlivened themomentprecedingthethoughtful,thoughtprovoking well put together documentary which spotlights the entrepreneurial spirit of the South-East. “This is our story, how so many empires and legacies were built. The business ” the award-winning rapper had earlier tweeted. Naturally set in the eastern part of the country, the minutes documentary which opened, showing the rapper, IllBliss and veteran Nollywood actor, Nkem ‘OsuoÀa’ Owoh as nephew and uncle respectively; both Hero Lager’s brand ambassadors.

IllBliss in the documentary sought from OsuoÀa the importance of the Igbo apprenticeship practice commonly known among the people of the region as ‘Imu-AÀa’. Partly conversing in Ibo dialect and English, IllBliss, whose real name is Tobechukwu MelvinEjioforbegan:“Uncle,greetings,”hesaid,seated expectantly. “Why is the ‘Imu-AÀa’ so important to

L-R: IllBliss, Obi Asika, Chioma Ude and Clarence Peters

our people"” With this one single deÀnitive enquiry follows an amazing exchange between the nephew andtheunclecharactersexposedontheapprenticeship model which gained prominence at the end of the Nigerian civil war in 19 0.

The Hero’s Walk documentary literally chronicles the journey of the average Ibo man into apprenticeship or into entrepreneurial ship. Drawn from the documentary, the Igbo apprenticeship system holds the secret of Igbo’s success in trade. Many young

men from South-Eastern Nigeria enter the informal Igbo apprenticeship system, also called Imu-Ahia, annually. This training system has oͿered many a path out of poverty and created a large number of millionaires and billionaires. The narrative pattern taken by the documentary tells that to the Igbos, the world is a market place. Hence, the widely held notion that Igbo people are very entrepreneurial and being very business minded.

And so important is this apprenticeship system

entrenched in the Igbo culture and uniqueness that makes it symbolic. That the Ibo culture is so rooted in the spirit of trade that the days of the week are even named after market spaces in Igbo holds in this documentary. So the brand Hero decided it was time to start telling their stories, to start documenting the things, the elements and aspects that make the Ibos very diͿerent and very unique, hence the birth of the documentary.

There’s something about the documentary that evokes nostalgia among all; you will remember that cousin, nephew, neighbor, someone you recall who has left the village as a starry eye teenager or young adult to take a stand in an intimidating city – a city such as Lagos – and has returned many years down the line as a thriving entrepreneur. You will even come face to face with your own story; how you have navigated the twist and turns of your peculiar entrepreneurial journey and how the lessons you learnt have contributed to the person you are today.

Further in the documentary directed by Tolu Tana features top successful Igbo entrepreneurs like Chief Innoson Chukwuma of Innoson Group, among others as academics and traditional leader Igwe NnaemekaAchebe (Obi of Onitsha) as they discuss how the apprenticeship practice has contributed to the building of business empires. So dear is the core of the apprenticeship system that the incredible work of art titled The Hero’s Walk prior to the Lagos premiere toured major eastern parts of the country, showcasing and celebrating the essence of the apprenticeship system which is now a source of pride to the Igbo people.

20

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Peruzzi Uncovers ‘Rum and Boogie’ Afrobeats star and DMW affiliate, Peruzzi is set to “Rum & Boogie” with his forthcoming full length album. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

F

or singer and songwriter Peruzzi, it’s time to celebrate going by the title of his forthcoming project ‘Rum & Boogie’.

The album which has been over 18 months in the making was earlier scheduled for release last December 5. With that date, the afrobeats star had planned to join the plethora of artistes that dropped albums and EPs in 2020.

Appreciative of the work and eͿorts put in, the controversial DMW a΀liate then took to his social media to post: “…Forever grateful to everyone that played a part in making this possible: “Every artiste featured, God bless you and I can’t thank you enough for coming through heavy for me!!!

God bless you and yours. To my label mates and gang, I hope I make you proud with this one cos y’all deserve nothing but the best from me. This is the point where we focus on the sweet side of life, positive vibrations, and great energy!!! I’m done talking, I’m done Àghting, done crying, it’s time to boogie!!! My next album guys and it’s titled “Rum & Boogie”. But it did not happen last year.

Now going by recent posts, the afrobeats star appears ready to release his much awaited album. Peruzzi via his social media page, last Friday unveiled a new tracklist of his ‘Rum & Boogie’ which consists of 20 songs and features including Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Phyno, Don Jazzy, Patoranking, Set Up and Boylexxie. He also announced date of the album release. “Rum and Boogie Tracklist!!! Album Out On The

9th Of April!!!!! Lets Go!!!!!” he wrote.

While Speroachbeatz, Show Beat, Zaki Amujei, M EͿ, Freshvdm, V Stix, Clemzy, Lussh, P Prime, and Rexxie take production credits for the album.

The album contains previously released songs like, ‘Lagbaja’ ‘Southy Love’ featuring Fireboy DML and his most recent release ‘Somebody Baby’.

Same day also the front member of the 30BG, a group consisting mostly of Davido’s close associates dropped the music video for ‘Somebody Baby’ featuring Davido.

Peruzzi and Davido bring the heat in this latest music video. Somebody Baby is basically about trying to get out of the friend-zone while pursuing one’s crush.

The visuals are stunning and the styling as always, amazing, showing oͿ Davido’s magic touch. The music video has already received positive reviews from fans on social media indicating that Peruzzi and Davido’s chemistry is still seamless after collaborating on ten diͿerent tracks.

These include Mafa Mafa, Disturbance, and Sunshine, Scatter, Twisted, For Your Pocket and more. The ‘Majesty’ singer so far has released three EPs which include; ‘Heartwork’, (2018) ‘Huncho Vibez’ (2019), and then the “3” EP in the Àrst quarter of 2020.

His way to prominence was cleared after being featured by Nigerian music legend 2Baba on the hit song ‘Amaka’.

Prior to the release of ‘Majesty’, the singer had been maligned by many social media users in Nigeria and music critics who claimed the artiste only shines on featured songs.

Peruzzi

Moses Inwang’s ‘Lockdown’ is Ready

Acclaimed filmmaker Moses Inwang is set to release ‘Lockdown’, his new feature film starring Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

F

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

ilmmaker Moses Inwang has worked again with Nollywood star, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde.

The last time both were on set was on the movie project that marked Omotola’s comeback – Alter Ego. Recently the ace director released the trailer to his new psychological thriller titled Lockdown giving a Àrst look at this Àlm just weeks after its teaser was leaked online.

The two-minute trailer which packs fast pace scenes of action shows a Àne list of Nollywood veteran actors including Tony Umez, Charles Awurum, Sola Sobowale, Nobert Young, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha and Ada Ameh as they give a stellar performance in this thought-provoking movie. The feature Àlm also stars ‘Living In Bondage’ sequel star actor JidekeneAchufusi, Peter Psquare, Deyemi Okanlawon, Ini Dima-Okojie, Bamike ‘Bambam’ Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, among others.

‘Lockdown’ follows the coincidental and chaotic meeting of six individuals from different works of life, who desperately need to be at other places on this day of their lives coincidentally Ànd themselves trapped at a Hospital, on the day a sudden government imposed an immediate lockdown of the building for 21 days with police and snipers stationed outside the building to deter anyone from leaving or entering. Forced to share the same four walls, professional and character Áaws are exposed and an unexpected romance story erupts from the chaos. . . ’

“A lockdown is coming and it’s nothing like you’ve ever experienced before!” Inwang posted on his Instagram. Shot in Lagos, the upcoming movie contrary to speculations is not Covid-19 inspired or related.

The script has been in his folder over Àve years. Inwang shares brieÁy the making of the movie and its theme: “It’s about a Àctional virus. Had the script since 2015, Covid-19 came in 2020. I’ve actually been trying to shoot it from 2016 till date. It’s been a bit di΀cult to come up with budget because it’s a high budget Àlm but the funds eventually came early 2020 but then the real lockdown came and we had to move it forward. We eventually shot in December/January/February.”

Speaking on the backstory to the movie, Inwang said. “After Ebola broke out in Nigeria in 2015 at that hospital my creative mind began to conceive a story. But like its being my style it would never be from an obvious angle. Which is why this isn’t about the carrier of the virus or the hospital medical staͿ but about few people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time when government ordered the lockdown of the hospital?” Inwang is expected to have worked magic on ‘Lockdown’, just as his recent past productions like Alter Ego and Cold Feet.

“This thrilling Àlm was produced by David Eruotor and KC Obiajulu, and executive produced by Sneeze Films, Micheal Djaba, FilmOne Entertainment, iFactory LIVE, CEM Media Group,” he added. ‘Lockdown’ will be available in cinemas from the 28th of May.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

21

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Sinach Set for Historic Concert Gospel music star, Sinach, partners Google to stream ‘A Celebration of Joy’ Concert Worldwide on YouTube. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

I

t’stheriseandriseofSinach.

This is perhaps how best to describe tomorrow’s 60-minute live concert on YouTube by highly revered gospel singer/songwriter Osinachi Joseph popularly known as Sinach. Google, owners of YouTube are directly involved in this landmark Easter Sunday concert, in which Sinach will treat viewers across the globe to a celebration of joy and freedom. The announcement was barely made when it went viral online in the gospel community. The virtual concert - Sinach Live: A Celebration of Joy – which will stream exclusively on the world’s most popular online video sharing platform, is scheduled for 6PM WAT to commemorate this year’s Easter celebration.

It promises a unique performance by this gospel star as it will bring an uplifting message of love, healing, and hope during this Easter season.

Commenting on the initiative, Sinach who is well-known globally for her 2016 award-winning song, Way Maker, said such an opportunity would help her connect with friends and uplift souls through music as the world marks another Easter: “I am particularly delighted to be able to connect with my friends from around the world on the YouTube platform, where they can expect me to minister some of my popular songs, and others from my new album, Greatest Lord.

“Easter Sunday is a time to reÁect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the celebration of life. I am extremely excited that, while this past year has been challenging for so many, we are able to connect on this platform to share uplifting songs during this long weekend.”

Google’s Spokesperson, Addy AwoÀsayo, who is alsoYouTube’s content Partnership Lead in Sub-Saharan Africa, said the live concert would help promote “courage, optimism and joy at a time when it is needed most.”

AwoÀsayo adds: “Music is a universal language that has the ability to uplift and connect people across the world. YouTube is proud to be able to host this very special concert from Sinach, and delighted to promote courage, optimism and joy at this time when it’s much needed.

We are very excited to be able to bring Sinach’s ‘A Celebration of Joy’ concert to people in their homes this Easter Sunday.”

Sinach, best known for her hit single Way Maker with +171 million views on YouTube, is the Àrst singer-songwriter to top the Billboard Christian Songwriter chart for 12 consecutive weeks.

With over two billion watch time and more than 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, Sinach is the most streamed gospel artiste fromAfrica. Way Maker is the most translated and most globally sung gospel song in recent times, with a cumulative +300 million views on the o΀cial and licensed handle on YouTube.

With Way Maker, Sinach hit a milestone for which she was awarded a golden plaque - The Gold Play Button - by YouTube when she gained one million subscribers on its platform on March 7, 2019. This made her the Àrst gospel artiste from Nigeria and also the Àrst African gospel artiste to gain one million subscribers.

The trend of these recently recorded successes by Sinach and fellow gospel musicians validates the global reach and acceptance of diverse styles of music from the shores of Nigeria/ Africa, away from the notion of the ambiguous classiÀcation of the genre Afrobeats and the suggestive sound of contemporary African music. For instance, it was established at YouTube Music Launch on 11th of March 2020, on the global reach of Nigerian music on YouTube, that 90% of views of the top 100 most viewed Nigerian-based artistes came from outside Nigeria in 2019, while 70% came from outside Africa.

With songs such as Way Maker, I Know Who IAm, From Glory to Glory, the singer has constantly won souls with her gospel ministration. The Ebonyi State worship leader started her music journey in Love World (Christ Embassy) church, as one of the church’s worship leaders. With hits like Great Are You Lord, This Is My Season, and Rejoice among others, she has gained popularity and was inducted into Bethlehem Hall of Fame in 2017. By September 2019, Sinach became the Àrst gospel artiste from Africa to tour India with thousands of worshippers in attendance.

Sinachi

Tayo Sobola Exhibits ‘Clean Stitches’ Brand Tosin Clegg

Actress and entrepreneur, Tayo Sobola recently held a media exhibition of her Clean Stitches wears in Lagos. It was an evening of expository with the media who engaged her in a session coordinated by the Publisher of City People Magazine, Mr Seye Kehinde. After a long toll of questions and answers, there was a runway display of her wears which was relayed by a few models before she finally came to do a final showdown herself alongside the models on the walk way.

The pieces were of different designs, styles and class which reflect a cross section of her intended clientele.

Speaking about juggling acting

and running her business she said, “There is time for everything and I want to believe that whatever you want to do, you create the time for it.

Some people send me messages sometimes and ask why they haven’t been seeing me in movies and all but the truth is I map out my plans and so sometimes, I choose to film this month and do like two to three jobs. But trust me, this clothing thing takes time except you don’t have vision for it and you just don’t want to do it. Staff can be funny too but so it’s best to create time for everything you do in life.”

Sotayo also opened a new branch of her business in Abuja to take care of her growing customers and also help expand her business across her growing network.

Samples of Clean Stitches wears

22

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

INTERVIEW Jonah Jang

To Become a Nation, Nigerians Must be Allowed to Debate Our Coexistence Retired Air Commodore Jonah David Jang was governor of Plateau State from 2007 to 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also represented Plateau North in the Senate from 2015 to 2019. He had previously served as Military Governor of Benue State and later defunct Gongola State. Jang is currently a member of the Board of Trustee (BoT) of the PDP. This frontline politician from the North-west shares his thoughts on the clamour for the restructuring of the country and unending insecurity among other issues with Seriki Adinoyi

A

re you expecting any improvement in the security situation of the country, given the appointment of new service chiefs?

The appointment was a good development considering that Nigerians had repeatedly called for the change. There can be improvement if they change their strategies, but if they continue the way their predecessors did, there may not be much improvement. Like I said earlier, I believe the military needs to study its warfare and then train its personnel on the best way to tackle it.

There have been agitations for the restructuring of Nigeria by a section of the country. What is your own definition of restructuring? Should Nigeria restructure to remain one country and to promote unity?

To start with, I must say that there is no way the military can draw a constitution that will serve the need for a democratic set-up. Unfortunately, that is the situation that we find ourselves in Nigeria today. No matter how much we keep amending this constitution, it will not conform to the wishes and aspirations of the people.

After I retired, I attended a constitutional conference set up by the late Gen. Sani Abacha in 1994. If you bring out that document as presented to Gen. Abacha, it was very beautiful. It suggested the idea of geopolitical zones that we now have but we didn’t recommend North Central, it was Middle Belt but it came out as North Central. These are some of the things that the military tinkered with and came up with what they now call Nigeria constitution.

Now, if you look at the creation of states and local governments by the military, it was the most lopsided thing they have done. The number of local governments in Kano and Jigawa, and the federal constituencies in Kano and Jigawa are more than the ones in the entire Southeast.

How do you balance debate in the House of Representatives?

It is very clear that Nigeria needs to be restructured.

For me, I love Nigeria as a country and as a nation and that is why we fought the civil war; to make Nigeria as one, but Nigeria is not one as it is today. People are only preoccupied with their states, their region and their ethnic nationalities. Besides, there is complete imbalance in the National Assembly. Take Plateau State that I governed for eight years, for instance; how can you have a federal constituency of Jos South and Jos East compared to Wase?

Look at the population of Jos South, which is three to four times more than the population of Wase. Yet, you bring Jos South and Jos East together to form one federal constituency, and make Wase alone a Federal constituency.

Look at Jos North, with the highest voting population; it is joined together with Bassa, another heavily-populated local government, to form one federal constituency. How can you have a balanced debate in the House of Representatives? It is the states that have the highest number of constituencies that dictate whatever happens in the House of Representatives.

Also, when it comes to joint meetings between the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass a bill or make a decision, it is what the House says that overrides because the number of the senators is far lower. So, you can see that we are running a unitary constitution in a federal system.

What we are saying is that Nigerians should be given the opportunity and then, the government of the federation today can bring us together, based on our ethnic nationalities, interest groups and so on, to look at the restructuring of this country. It was my main agenda when I ran for the Presidency in 2019. There is no way we can develop this country under this kind of structural imbalance where so much power is concentrated in the hands of the President. Yet, they say we are running a federation, but in reality, the states are running cap in hand to the President for so many things.

You can imagine that a governor who is the Chief Security Officer of his state cannot command the Commissioner of Police until he takes directive from the Federal Government. In fact, a governor is a captive in his own state. A decision can be taken about even his life somewhere and he will not know; thank God that it has never happened, but it is as bad as that. If we are going to

Jang

run a federal system, then, we must share power between the federating units and the Federal Government should handle what is purely federal; that is the control of the armed forces, foreign affairs and other things that the state cannot directly handle.

We are trying to reawaken Nigerians to see the reason why we are not progressing; we are not progressing because power has not been given to the right areas where it should be exercised for the good of the people at the grassroots. I believe that Nigerians should be given an opportunity to debate our coexistence so that we can become a nation. We cannot just remain a country with a collection of ethnic groups that cannot really decide properly. What Plateau people want might not be what Kano people want, but when you ask Plateau people to go and push their case, they are over-ruled.

I will tell you about one area that I am still very angry about. Crisis started here on the Plateau and before you know it, there were crises in some parts of the country.

They brought a bill to bring the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and we said the Middle Belt should also be given the same thing, but they voted us out. We requested to be included in the NEDC, they equally overruled us. Our people are here today, not in their homes; they are refugees in their states. Nobody is talking about them. What is our future as a people? This is because they

have more numbers; they take what they want and over-rule what they want to over-rule. What kind of a constitution do we have that allow such injustice? We have set the tone for the debate for the nation and I hope the government of today will allow Nigerians to debate restructuring, the imbalance in the constitution so that we can explore whatever legal way we can use to amend the constitution.

Would you say the North is not interested in the restructuring of Nigeria?

From all that I have explained, you should know the answer Do you also believe that the President should resign over his inability to contain insecurity across the country?

Earlier in this interview, I had said that what the President needs now is prayers. I cannot ask Nigerians to be praying for him, and at the same time ask him to resign. Nigeria’s security situation is really a complex one. Definitely, I am worried. Having been a military governor, having been an elected civilian governor for eight years, and having been a Senator for four years, I have seen and I know how life had looked like compared to what it is today.

I also know how university graduates in those days used to enjoy life, and to see that graduates today, some even with

23

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ PRIL 3, 2021

INTERVIEW t $0/45*565*0/ #&26&"5)&% #: .*-*5"3: .645 #& $)"/(&% '03 5)*4 $06/53: 50 5)3*7& t Masters and PhD roaming the street without jobs. It is really unfortunate and heart-rending. It has become even difficult for medical doctors to get work in Nigeria. I know of a daughter of a friend that returned from UK to Nigeria after a postgraduate studies in medicine, and how it took time for her to get a job in our hospitals here in Nigeria.

With all these, it is clear why there is so much despondency in Nigeria.

More so, our security personnel; the Armed forces and paramilitary are now half-baked. They are also overwhelmed because they are poorly equipped and are inadequate in number to guard densely populated country as Nigeria.

That was why as Governor of Plateau State, I seriously advocated for the establishment of state police to complement the Federal Police; a synergy between the state and federal police would have reduced a lot of security problems we are currently facing today.

The constitution makes the state governors Chief Security Officers of their states, and also gives the state their legislatures and judiciary, yet it does not give the state its security powers to enforce the laws.

I recall that I inherited a lot of crisis as Governor of Plateau State. During this time, we made arrests and the Commissioner of Police will come back and tell you that he got an order from above not to investigate the crime but to send the criminals to Abuja, and once they were sent to Abuja that was the end of the case. There are so many reasons internally that have created the situations we now found ourselves today.

Some believe that the current crisis has political undertone, what is your view on that?

I disagree with that because some of the people that are behind the crisis are themselves in the government.

When we were in power, we believed it was the opposition that was creating the crisis. The then opposition is now in power, yet the crisis has not stopped. They are also thinking it’s the opposition. It’s like passing the buck. But most often, the people causing the crisis are usually in the same government.

But come to think of it, if Sheikh Gumi will always go to negotiate with the bandits for the release of their captors, on whose behalf does he (Gumi) do that, is it not on behalf of government?

Do you believe in negotiating with the bandits?

Who has ever negotiated with criminals? Where on earth has any government ever negotiated with criminals?

What do we have laws in the country for? Negotiating with criminals will only make them richer and make them commit more crimes. You arrest criminals, try them and punish them. If Sheikh Gumi could negotiate with bandits, it means government is aware of who the bandits are.

Let me say this, I want to believe that our major problem is that government, past and present, has not seriously committed itself to tackling security problem in Nigeria.

How many people do we have manning the borders?

Security has become more electronic today, but we are putting human beings to protect our border; what length of the border can they guard with the kind of guns they are carrying?

Government should think of how to monitor the border with some electronic surveillance gadgets and aircrafts, and I believe we have the resources to do that. This is because I believe that our security challenge is caused by connivance between internal criminals and the ones outside our borders.

I grew up with our Fulani brothers on the Plateau, but until now, I have never seen this huge numbers of Fulani and cows on the Plateau and indeed in Nigeria. The number of Fulani and cows that have entered our borders is definitely overwhelming. They were carrying sticks then, but now they carry AK-47. Where do they get these weapons from?

Are we saying that government is not aware of these people coming in across our borders? You cannot leave your borders open to everyone and expect to have security in your country; it does not happen anywhere. There must be restriction on how people enter into your country.

As a retired military officer, where do you think

I know the President. We were officers together in the Armed Forces; I know he said this out of anger, because when you have a people that are not doing the right thing, and it seems as if there is nothing you can do about it, you can just get angry. But I think we should be praying for him; he needs prayers. My prayer is that God should give him wisdom to guide him to know what to do about the current situation in the country

Jang

the Nigeria military is missing it in its war against terrorism and banditry?

I will attribute that to these reasons. First, the military are trained for conventional warfare, and not for guerrilla warfare. Boko Haram and bandits use guerrilla tactics; they are not conventional. It’s not a nation attacking another nation. So, the military now have to change their tactics and get their personnel properly trained for guerrilla warfare.

We keep hearing that our soldiers are ambushed, of course if they had been trained on guerrilla warfare they won’t carry themselves to give to people that are hiding on trees and bushes around. So, there is need for the military to train its personnel on this warfare tactics to be able to tackle the insurgents.

Secondly, the military is inadequately equipped, and the number is too low/small to meet the security situation confronting us as a nation. Again, that’s where I have to talk about having state police, because that will reduce the work of the Federal Police and the Armed Forces.

In my days, you don’t see military men on the road manning checkpoints, but today, soldiers now man checkpoints. What are they doing there? Even the Police should be patrolling the roads, and not mounting checkpoints.

When police patrol, robbers find it difficult to know the exact place they will be, so they are afraid to start robbing.

But when they mount checkpoints, their locations are clear to the robbers and they could conveniently rob and escape before the police arrive.

You just begin to wonder if security operatives are bereft of some basic ideas. Yet they will not consult those of us that have retired to see if we could lend them ideas from the training we’ve had in the past. Many of us retired while we were still very young.

Even when I went to the Senate as a retired one-star General, and put in Air Force committee, the committee was headed by a civilian that does not know anything about the Air Force and security in general.

What’s your advice to the government and Nigerians?

Security is the business of everyone; every Nigerian should take responsibility. The citizens should be able to pick up their phones and notify the police when they see crimes being committed. But where government does not care for its citizens, such will not happen because the citizens feel neglected. Sometimes citizens call to alert the

police, and at the end of the day they get arrested instead.

Such a citizen will not call the police next time. The truth is that our Police are not properly and regularly trained.

That’s where I can’t but blame government, because monies are voted for these trainings that are not done.

My advice to government is to restructure Nigeria; we need restructuring. There is too much power in some hands at the federal level. We are supposed to be running a federation, but we are running a federation by unitary (if there is anything like that).

The constitution should be amended immediately to allow the states to have their own Police, and to buy arms for their own security forces to be able to secure their own borders. They should be allowed to implement laws that their Houses of Assembly have passed. This will reduce pressure on the federal government.

The armed forces should be engaged in what they are trained to do. It is disgraceful to find the military manning checkpoints. They should also be trained on guerrilla tactics warfare. The Police should do regular patrol.

Governor Ortom of Benue State recently suggested that every Nigerian should be allowed to carry guns for self protection. Do you agree with the suggestion?

We all see what’s happening in the United States. I don’t think we want to turn our country into that. In fact, the US is a country I don’t want to live in. You’ll be going on your own and someone will just come and point gun at you. I don’t think we want to turn our country to that. If we are ready to sanitise our society our society people don’t need guns. But if we don’t sanitise our society, people will carry guns. In fact, you don’t have to give them the license before they’ll do so. But you can stop the people from carrying arms by stopping others.

The president recently ordered that anyone found with AK-47or any other dangerous weapons should be shot. Do you think that’s a good development?

I know the President. We were officers together in the Armed Forces; I know he said this out of anger, because when you have a people that are not doing the right thing, and it seems as if there is nothing you can do about it, you can just get angry. But I think we should be praying for him; he needs prayers. My prayer is that God should give him wisdom to guide him to know what to do about the current situation in the country.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

POLITY

L-R: Former Deputy Director, Nursing Services, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Mrs. Folashade Akindele; President, Ansar- Ud- Deen High School Old Students Association (AHOSA), Mr. Rafiu Williams; Former Assistant Director, Nursing Services, LUTH, Mrs. Kafayat Idowu; and Assistant Director, Nursing Services, LSMOH, Mrs. Mary Lateef- Yusuf at the Ansar-Ud-Deen High School 60th anniversary medical outreach organised by AHOSA PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Ansar-Ud-Deen Old Students Harp on Healthy Living As Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Surulere, Lagos celebrates its 60th founder’s day, a committee led by Mr. Rafiu Williams stresses that it is time Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Old Students Association (AHOSA), retells members of the importance of healthy living. The old students recently followed up with a 3.5km health walk and medical outreach held at the school premises located on Falolu Road, Surulere-Lagos. Sunday Ehighiator reports

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he pregnant clouds and threats of heavy downpour would not stop the old students from participating in AHOSA’s 3.5km health walk, as they trooped out as early as 7am of Saturday, March 27, 2021. They marched through major streets around Surulere, in high morale, accompanied by melodious sounds from a live band, and amazing mimes to the beats, raising the school’s banner high for all to see that it was in commemoration of the anniversary of the school established in 1961. Everyone was in high spirit.

Prior to the medical mission and health walk, in commemoration of its anniversary, the members led by the 60th anniversary Chairman, Organising Committee and CEO, Ibeji Foundation, Alhaji Rafiu Adisa Ebiti on Friday February 12, 2021 converged on Central Mosque Surulere, Lagos to thank the Almight Allah and on Thursday March 18th, Alhaji Ebiti, AHOSA President, Mr. Rafiu Williams and others embarked on humanitarian gestures by visiting Old People’s home around Lagos where food items and monetary worth thousands of Naira were distributed to the needy.

AHOSA members completed the walk in no time, and headed back to the school premises to receive some health talks on how to care for their eyes, prevent glaucoma, and diabetics. While educating members of the association, a retired Ophthalmic Nurse, Mrs. V.I. Agosu defined glaucoma as a condition where the pressure of fluid within the eye gradually increases to a level not tolerated by the sensitive tissues of the eye,” explains Agosu.

Agosu explains further: “The optic nerve, which is similar to a cable wire carrying visual images to the brain, is the portion of the eye susceptible to damage from glaucoma. Such damage is irreparable and visual loss due to glaucoma is irreversible.

“There is a fluid filled chamber in the front of the eye called the anterior chamber it is filled with aqueous humor, which bathes and nourishes the tissues of the eye. If the drainage of this fluid is restricted for reasons yet unknown, pressure builds up within the eye causing glaucoma. Glaucoma contributes three per cent of some of the leading causes of blindness in Nigeria, and it is more predominant in persons over the age of 40.

The disease may also occur in people of all ages including new born.”

She also noted that persons with myopia, diabetics, sickle cell diseases systemic hypertension and family history of glaucoma have increased risk of suffering

glaucoma.

Speaking on some symptoms of glaucoma, another retired Ophthalmic Nurse, Mrs. O.A Akinbote highlighted “pains around the eyes when coming out of darkness, coloured halo rings seen around light, hazy or blurred vision, severe eye and head pain, nausea or vomiting, sudden sight loss and sight recovery” as some of the early symptoms.

“In most cases of glaucoma, the patient is not aware of the gradual loss of sight until vision is significantly impaired. However, a simple test with a device called ‘tonometer’ can help measure the pressure within the eye.

“This test alone cannot detect all glaucoma; the back of the eye must as well be examined after dilating the pupils. Side visions may also be examined by a computer assisted simple test called perimetry or visual field examination,” she said.

On treatment, Akinbote noted that the loss of vision due to glaucoma was irreversible, “however, appropriate treatment and regular follow up can preserve remaining vision, the earlier the diagnosis, the better the chances of arresting visual impairment.”

Advising members on some do’s and don’ts of glaucoma, both Agosu and Akinbote stressed on the importance of eating appropriate potions of balance diets, limit intakes of caffeine, avoiding sedentary lifestyles, quit smoking and ensure to always sleep for at least six to eight hours at night.

Speaking to THISDAY about the health mission, AHOSA President, Mr. Williams said: “Moments ago, we just returned from the 3.5km health walk, we also just had health talks from medical experts, and medical screening is currently being done on members. We also have table tennis competition among members, which is a physical exercise, and it all fits into the bigger agenda of fitness and healthy living in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the school.

“Hence, today is about health, healthy living, and fitness. We had one on Wednesday and Thursday, which was mainly for the current students of the school. Next, we would be having a jolly train ride for the picnic that should be happening in a couple of weeks or so.

Beyond the activities that we set aside for each day, it is also to provide an opportunity for all to gather, share experience, reminisce and network.”

The president charged the current students of the school to uphold the Ansar-Ud-Deen spirit, known for excellence, good values, distinction, philanthropy, and always giving back to their soon to be alma-mater.

Corroborating Williams, a member of the association who attended the school from 1973 to 1977, Mrs. Kafayat Idowu, also a retired Asst. Director of Nursing Services, described the health experience as interesting and reenergizing.

Idowu said: “As you know, it was initiated to improve the member’s health. Some of us would wake up, eat, go to work, return, eat and sleep routinely, without any attention to exercising our body. This event has forced such people to do little exercise this morning by walking. And the medical screening is for members to establish their health status, because some of them are here, without even knowing that they are hypertensive or diabetic.

“Some are even in the pre-diabetic state, but with this screening, once it can be detected that their sugar level is a bit higher or lower, and then we can advise appropriately.”

Lending her voice, one of the Nurses on duty, also a Member of AHOSA, and the Asst. Director of Nursing Services with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Mary Lateef-Yusuf, revealed that the medical rounds were focused on checking the blood pressure of members, screen members for diabetics, and glaucoma, which are some of the health issues prevalent in Nigeria today.

Lateef-Yusuf adds: “I have seen some cases of hypertension this morning, and some of them were unaware that they were hypertensive, because it is a silent killer.

And if you remember correctly, you will know that even the state government is passionate about hypertension and diabetes which are silent killers.

“Majority of the sufferers are not even aware that they are suffering from the disease. We have seen some today and we have advised them to go to the nearest health facility to them, and continue the care that we have started here, and those that the conditions are higher, we have referred them to the nearest secondary facility, so that they can get help there.

“We have a lot of government health centers within the locality where people are living. But it’s like some people are unaware of those facilities or some have this wrong perception that treatment there is expensive.

The facilities have drugs revolving funds, and if you go to the nearest government health facility, you will be properly managed there. We have doctors in all the facilities paid by the government to see to people’s health. And that is our major message to members, and Nigerians because the health mission is a way of caring for ourselves.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ PRIL 3, 2021

POLITY

Inspiring Christian Life of Late Pastor Sam Lumor Chris Ogunlowo

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or my family, this loss is intensely agonising. For me, it’s also intensely mysterious. Fate had made the paths of my family and the Lumors cross when my family moved homes. We were new occupants in a neighbourhood that seemed secretly tucked in the corner of a town that existed – and still does – in the minds of outsiders as the outskirt of Lagos. The town’s mentions, especially by cynical outsiders, seemed to evoke a type of backwardness as though its very existence was an embarrassment to the cosmopolitan character of Nigeria’s commercial nerve.

An untarred road separated our homes, but it was also our link, when, as teenagers, we crossed to the other side to perform the next evil from our bags of gambits. The home of the Lumors, by the standard of the time, was the most spectacular on the street, which made it attract more than enough curiosities. The house preened like a diva under Lagos sun, with its fortresses of bougainvillea, palm fronds and carpet turfs which we occasionally assaulted with our football. Whatever we might have been up to during the day while our parents were busy eking out everyone’s survival, we were soon jolted to reality as soon as a car honk from the gate announced Daddy and Mummy Lumor’s arrival from work. There was usually a scramble, unrehearsed, among the boys to return the house to factory settings. I was usually the nuisance fixing the library, which I always sneaked into to discover new books. Having read almost everything on my father’s shelf, the Lumors’ library, diverse in subjects, neatly arranged, was heavensent. There was a lone computer stationed in the centre. It stood like sìgìdì, something best revered than disturbed.

In retrospect, I wonder if we really succeeded in covering hints of our mischiefs since every crime leaves a trace. I suspect that Daddy and Mummy Lumor, in their capacity for Christsanctioned forgiveness, ignored us, or perhaps, their children, especially the last two boys, fellow partners-in-crime, faced the music afterward. But what I know is that the Lumors’ house was always open to us.

And Daddy Lumor’s heart was open to everyone.

A caveat is necessary here. This is an attempt to portray a man who lived exemplarily by any measure, and I must admit what will become my eventual failure to do a thorough job in this regard. This failure will be my own inability to find the balance between depicting his life from my entirely personal lens and the readers’ capacity to suspend scepticism about what might seem overly exaggerated or unnecessarily effusive.

Pastor Lumor

There’s a ritual of the Catholic Church that I’ve always found fascinating for both its ecclesiastical and universal essence. I speak of the church’s elevation of humans to sainthood. The criteria for candidature, I believe, include a rigorous test of character or some acts of heroism, held to the standard Christ expected from his followers. This human veneration is not part of the liturgy of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Pentecostal denomination Daddy Lumor belonged to. If it were, the roll call would have been updated to include him.

Dear reader, the caveat stands. If, at this juncture, my suggestion of canonisation doesn’t smack of exaggeration, then we’re not there yet. As in how saints – and apostles – are sometimes named in relation to deeds and virtues that defined their lives, I imagine the many possible ways Daddy Lumor’s legacy could be christened for qualities he demonstrated to superhuman extremes. St. Lumor of the Fervent Praise Dance? Of Impeccable Modesty? Of Immaculate Role Modelling?

Of the Fervent Praise Dance. I recall Daddy Lumor at Dominion Parish, Ketu, of the Redeemed Christian Church. It was time for praise and worship. The music started rather slowly until the choir-

master threw in a new number that turned on the heat. Daddy Lumor seemed to have expected the cue. Next, he punched the air, stomped the floor, charged all over the place in the way of a wildebeest stampede. It wasn’t a trance. There was something wholly joyous about the sight. His face beamed with a smile.

Where the rest of the congregation was satisfied with maintaining the music’s tempo, moving predicably as church people do, Daddy Lumor stretched the room’s energy and the circumference of his dance estate. His necktie flailed like horsewhips. The dance moves didn’t seem familiar in any contemporary sense. It didn’t need to. The ways of the Lord and his genuine faithfuls are not always familiar. If God assigned blessings that afternoon based on dance performance, we knew who would rank the highest in the heavenly Forbes List. Also, I remember another occasion when Daddy Lumor launched into one of these performances. I caught his two daughters exchange looks in that familiar daddyis-overdoing-this that every teenager must endure with a parent susceptible to occasional effusive public displays. And God knows how much his children have endured in their lifetime with a father who loved God unapologetically and unrestrainedly.

Of Impeccable Modesty. Intricately woven into the Yoruba culture is the overt demonstration of respect for the elderly. This is expressed by genuflecting to acknowledge an elder’s presence, matching courteous words with appropriate tones etc. One might say that the Yorubas, perhaps more than other Nigerian cultural groups, place a premium on these physical and tonal demonstrations of reverence towards the elderly. While there’s an equitable respect for younger ones, it’s uncommon to see an elder display it in the same manner received from younger ones. Enter Daddy Lumor. This man, either lacking the gene that sustains this uniquely Yoruba ritual or electing to test the limits of what’s culturally acceptable, had no regard for the top-down nature of this ritual. For anyone with a glimpse into his world, he accorded everyone equal respect. On one occasion, while I walked alongside him on the long street we shared, he relentlessly dished out greetings, either to those who had noticed him or to those he had noticed first, genuflecting regardless of its receivers’ age or status.

All accompanied by his characteristic smile. For perspective, it is worth mentioning that Daddy Lumor was an accomplished engineer with experience across Europe during his career at NETCO, the engineering design arm of the NNPC, Nigeria’s oil corporation. This bore no such value as to affect his conduct along the path of modesty and civility.

–––Ogunlowo is a writer, advertising creative director and culture enthusiast Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

POLITY

Al-Makura: A Prophet with Honour among His People Former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, was recently turbaned the Sarduana of Gwandara ethnic nationality. Olaoluwakitan Babatunde dissects the honour amidst the push for the ex-governor to succeed Adams Oshiomole as the elected Chairman of the APC

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he Holy Scriptures is apt when it says that a prophet is never without honour, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. It is an age-long truth. However, there are still some exceptions. As far as the Gwandara ethnic nationality of Nasarawa State is concerned, former Governor of the state and Senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, is a prophet well recognised by them, and indeed a king among his people.

To drive this point home, they turned out en masse penultimate weekend to turban him the Sarduana of Gwandara. Many have noted the import of the honour coming almost two years after he left office as governor, as it underlines the fact that it has nothing to do with an office, but the good use to which he put political power. Little wonder, while many leaders rapidly diminish after leaving office, Al-Makura has steadily increased in estimation and influence, not only among his people, but equally across the nation.

In a pre-event press briefing, the Secretary of the Publicity Committee, Shuiabu Madaki, described Al-Makura, who also holds the title of the Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta of Lafia, as an “endlessly affectionate and consummate leader, whose preoccupation, is to see how he takes Nasarawa State and her people, as well the country at large, to the next level of development”.

He said the former governor was being recognised for not just being a father and a leader to the Gwandara Nation, but also for leaving a record that stands him out as the architect of modern Nasarawa State. Madaki stressed that the title of Sarduana was not meant for just anybody as it places the holder in the class of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello whose pedigree he must continue to aspire to.

Continuing, he described Al-Makura as champion of the cause of the poor who made his home a Mecca of sort for the less privileged.

“For the Gwandara Nation, this honour being done to our illustrious son only serves as a token of appreciation for what our political and business leader has done for his immediate community”, he said. Also speaking at the event, Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr.

Abdullahi Sule, described the honour done Senator Al-Makura as “well deserved”, given his track record, which had set a standard for other leaders and governors in Nasarawa and the nation to emulate.

Sule said the title exemplified the selflessness and patriotism of Senator Al-Makura, whose commitment to justice, fairness and unity of purpose, led the former governor to pick and support him as his successor.

“I wasn’t a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), I wasn’t his commissioner or Adviser. I was even appointed by the late Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, as Chairman of the state investment company and when he came, he removed me.”

He however said that when it was time for Al-Makura to go, he put the development of the state ahead of personal and partisan interest to pick him as his successor.

“I’m committed to building upon and exceeding the foundations laid by Senator Al-makura, not because I’m better than him, but to justify his trust in my capacity,” Governor Sule said.

In his acceptance speech, Al-Makura, who said he was humbled by the fact of bearing the same title with Sir Ahmadu Bello, however said he appreciated the title as it was a challenge to aspire to the pedigree and achievements of the late premier. He promised to build on the legacies of unity, peace and religious harmony that Sardauna bequeathed the country because the title of Sarduana, had assumed a very special meaning since the late Premier of Northern Region held it.

“I am happy to receive this recognition because I will want to be like the Sardauna of Sokoto, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. This country needs many Sardauna of Sokoto to ensure peace, unity, stability and security. ”I promise not to disappoint my people and Nigerians at large as they have chosen to honour me despite the fact that there are people more qualified for the title than me” Al-Makura said Empahsising on the need for Nigerians to live in peace and be their brother’s keeper, he noted that the turbaning had made him to reflect the more on how his ancestors migrated from Kano to various parts of the country including, Nasarawa State.

Al-Makura

A boost for APC chairmanship Meanwhile, not a few keen observers of the political development in the country see the recent recognition and celebration of Al-Makura as coming at the right time in view of the efforts by many leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to draft him into the contest for the national chairmanship of the party, which has been run by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Interim National Caretaker Committee and Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning sine June 2020.

The Governor of Nasarawa State has not hidden his push for Al-Makura’s emergence. Speaking during the flag-off of the APC membership registration in his Ward, Gudi, Governor Sule said: “Only Nasarawa State was the CPC state used for the alliance that formed the APC today. Tanko Al-Makura has made Nasarawa State proud. If Nigeria would be kind to CPC, Nasarawa State is the place to look at”.

He equally recalled that since other legacy political parties that formed the APC had enjoyed the exalted position of the party chairmanship, it was now the turn of those who came from the defunct CPC to lead the party.

Also speaking to state house correspondents in Lafia, Sule added: “I’m campaigning; I have done the consultation at different levels of the party; I have been in contact with all the major stakeholders of the APC and we strongly believe that what we are asking for is fair. What we are asking for is not too much for the party to do, what we are asking for will actually keep the party together and that is what we have been saying”.

Political observers note with interest Sule’s push for Al-Makura in a country where governors are ready to give an arm to ensure that their successor or anybody from their state, for that matter, does not mount such exalted office. Many see Sule’s continued loyalty as a mark of his good self, but importantly as a mark of leadership and Al-Makura’s ability to manage political relationships. Also, while exgovernors try to run their states by proxy, Al-Makura is said to have since taken the backstage, faccing his senatorial mandate, allowing his successor to execute his governorship mandate.

Apart from Sule, informed sources say many other key party stakeholders across the nation are routing for Al-Makura as a trusted hand and man with the temperament to run and further unite the

party after Adams Oshiomole’s turbulent tenure.

Apolitical analyst, Ndubuisi Ezenna recently wrote: “Al-Makura has become the proverbial elephant explored by nine blind men, each describing the elephant based on his experience. To some, it is Al-Makura’s mettle, maturity, humility, widespread, and goodwill.

To others, it is his consistency, loyalty, and pan Nigerian and metropolitan nature. But to many, he has paid his dues as a party financier.

Yet many more believe in his record as a party administrator, political strategist, and a silent hurricane”.

“As the lone Governor of Buhari’s defunct party, CPC; as one who showed absolute faith in President Buhari and believed in him so much as not to defect or abandon him, there is no doubt that Al-Makura should be a close ally and confidant of the President, who himself does not joke with loyalty. What surprises many, however, is that Al-Makura does not throw weight about or engage in influence peddling. He goes about his legislative businesses quietly and responsibly”.

The Man, Al-Makura Al-Makura is a graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a scion of a multi-billionaire businessman, who himself had become a business mogul himself since the 70s. He was listed several years ago as one of the governors, who entered the Government Houses as multi-billionaire with his net worth is put at nearly US$300 million. They said his success at running businesses mainly account for his success in political leadership as governor.

Al-Makura made his first political incursion in the Second Republic when he emerged the Youth Leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the old Plateau State in 1980. He was elected into the 1988/1989 Constituent Assembly. He is not new to party administration, having served as the State Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) between 1990 to 1992. He was a major political force behind the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) under Abacha’s transition and later became a founding member and one of the major financiers of the PDP in 1998.

Aloyal party man, he remained committed to the PDP even when the late Alhaji Aliyu Doma, who was APP and ANPP gubernatorial candidate in the 1999 and 2003 elections, respectively, picked PDP’s gubernatorial ticket in the 2007 elections.

NDLEA: Why We Want Drug Test for All Nigerians Tolulope Ibukunoluwa Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has said that the current push to conduct drug test on politicians, workers and students is to be able to urgently provide help for those who need treatment and rehabilitation, in addition to serving as deterrence.

He stated this in his remarks while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a firm, Primly Services Limited for the supply of free drug test kits to NDLEAin Abuja on Thursday.

Expressing happiness that the MoU is finally signed almost three years after the federal government had approved the deal, the NDLEAboss said, “at the centre of drug demand reduction is

drug testing. Practically, all Nigerians should be subjected to drug test; politicians, students, workers and all. We have set the ball rolling at the agency because charity begins at home. This will enable us know those afflicted, who need treatment and rehabilitation.

“Equally, it will deter drug abuse because if you know that the result of a drug test will hamper your progression in school, political career or at work, it will deter you. In the same vein, we do expect parents to make sure their children don’t get married to addicts by insisting on drug test before marriage.”

Marwa expressed delight in the readiness by the Managing Director of Primly Services Ltd, Dr. Vincent Udenze to always contribute to efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit substances. “In the course of PACEDAwork, Primly Services was part of our resource persons and through that we got to know about this

MoU, which had been approved by the Federal Government since 2019 and I’m surprised that up till 2021, it has not been executed until now.”

Thanking the firm for its professionalism and willingness to partner with NDLEAin fighting the drug scourge afflicting the country, Marwa said apart from the high quality of the test kits, they are coming at no cost to the agency, adding that the company will only recover its cost from testing.

The NDLEAboss sais: “We should continue to look for more ways of cooperation to make Nigeria a drug free nation, which is a task that must be done.”

Speaking earlier, Dr. Udenze said apart from the test kits coming to NDLEAat no cost, “we will ensure that the kits are one of the best in the country and we will not fail in our duty in this regard.”

3

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

NEWS

NO LOVE LOST

3.04.2021

PAGE. 29

Olanrewaju Kayode Eyeing Super Eagles’ Return

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Olanrewaju Kayode Eyeing Super Eagles’ Return He missed out narrowly from the Super Eagles 2018 World Cup team after failing to make the last 23-team list. With a number of match-winning goals for Shakhtar Donetsk, and after a loan to Turkey, scoring four goals in five matches in the Europa League for Turkish side, Slvasspor, Olarenwaju Kayode is dreaming of a return to Nigeria’s senior national team. Kunle Adewale reports Olanrewaju Kayode in action for the Super Eagles

O

lanrewaju Kayode is one of the few Nigerian players that played in all the age-grade competitions for the country before graduating to the senior national team.

After playing at the FIFA U-17 and U-20 competitions and also at the Olympics for Nigeria, his target was to play at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. His dream was however cut short when he was surprisingly not listed in the final 23.

“It is the dream of any player that is worth his salt to star for his country at the World Cup and that has always been my ultimate aim and I work very hard to ensure I achieve that aim. Unfortunately, I was not listed in the final list to the Mundial in Russia,” the former Asec Mimosa player told THISDAY. Asked how he felt when he failed to make the final cut to the Russia party, he said: “Naturally, I felt disappointed considering the hard work I put into the Super Eagles in the four matches I played for the team. I felt I deserved a place in the team but the coach knows best and I hold no grudge against anybody and I believe my time will come soon.”

On how he hopes to walk his way back into the team, the former Heartland of Owerri player said he would continue to work very hard to make his return to the senior national team.

“I know it would never be a walk in the pack considering the present crop of players the country boast of around the globe, but with hard work and doing very well for club, I will continue to attract the attention of the Super Eagles coaches,” he noted.

Kayode was on target four times in five matches in the group stages of Europa League for his Turkish club- Slvasspor and said those were the kinds of performances coaches don’t easily ignore.

“When you continue to put up your

grade A game on a weekly basis, you will definitely draw the attention of the national team coaches and that is something I’m working hard to achieve,” he said.

He indeed hailed the Super Eagles on their performance during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier matches especially in their last two matches and believes he still has a place in the AFCON slated for Cameroon in spite of not playing in any of the group games.

“The competition is still open to any good player. If I work hard enough for my club I could still get a call-up and all I needed do then was to endear myself to the coaches by proving my worth.

The 2022 World Cup qualifiers is also around the corner, so the Super Eagles still have many more matches to play and it’s also an avenue I could explore.

“I’m trying to keep myself fit and continue doing well for myself and for the team, I know when the time is right, they will call me. I deserve a place in the Super Eagles,” he said.

Kayode rates the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation high, saying the former Delta football boss has taken Nigeria football to a new height.

“The present football administration is one of the best in Africa. Under Pinnick’s-led NFF, the Super Eagles no longer struggle to qualify for major competitions again, most of the times we now qualify for competitions with a game to spare which is a great plus to his administration,” he stated.

Though he had a few number of caps for the Super Eagles under Manager Gernot Rohr, he admitted he still did not know the Franco-German very well.

It’s been long I spoke to him, but I always wish him and the Super Eagles good luck whenever they are playing games,” he said.

Every player has somebody he looks up to and Kayode’s no exception. For

L-R: Ahmed Musa, Olanrewaju Kayode and Henry Onyekuru poses for a photograph before a game

him, former Nigerian international striker Obefemi Martins will always have a special place in his heart, while he also has great admiration for Portuguese super star Cristiano Ronaldo.

On why he was loaned to Slvasspor in spite of his impressive performance with Shakhtar Donetsk, Kayode said he was the one that requested for the loan deal.

“I had a very good relationship with the coach but because of my huge transfer from Manchester City, the management of Shakhtar Donetsk felt they could cash-in on my price tag by selling me to China and I refused so I started having issues with the eggheads of the club, it was then I requested to be loaned to my present club,” he said.

He however hopes to one day return to the Premier League side.

“I always dream to the day I will return to Manchester City. I left the team because I needed to play regularly which was not forth coming at the Etihad Stadium

because of the presence of great stars like Kun Aguero and Pep Guardiola loaned me out to gain more experience.”

Kayode started his football career in the ancient city of Ibadan. At the age of seven he had already realised that it’s football or nothing and he received all the support from his father.

Painfully for Kayode, the whereabouts of the man who guided him through his football career while growing up is still unknown to him.

“It was one local coach we simply called ‘Alfa’ that shaped my football career and he will remain my mentor. But unfortunately, I don’t know his whereabouts.

I have asked several of my friends we played football together in Ibadan to help look for him so that I could appreciate him but to no avail.

“Whatever I achieve in my football career today still boils down to him and would forever appreciate and adore him,” Kayode said.

29

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

GLOBAL SOCCER

Man City Seek Revenge against Leicester Manchester City will be hoping to get their revenge against Leicester City when both sides lock horns at the King Power Stadium in one of the stand out fixtures of the Premier League.The Foxes inflicted the Citizens’first loss of the season after pummeling Pep Guardiola’s side 5-2. More than having revenge in mind, City would be aiming to solidify their position at the top of the log. While a victory for Leicester would put their top-four ambition in good stead, the fixture also presents in-form Nigeria striker, Kelechi Iheanacho a chance to hunt his former pay master

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

30 29 29 29 29 29 29 28 29 28 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 30 29 29

43 24 21 19 10 19 12 3 8 9 -2 -16 -10 -15 -15 -4 -20 -15 -37 -34

71 57 56 51 49 48 46 46 42 41 39 37 35 33 33 32 28 26 18 14

Head to Head

Manchester City duo of Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte try to put pressure on Kelechi Iheanacho before the Nigerian inflict further damage on the Citizens when both sides met at the Etihad

F

irst takes on third in the Premier League this evening as leaders, Manchester City make the trip to fellow in-form side Leicester City.

Man City have won four in a row in all competitions and remain on course for a quadruple, while Leicester have won three on the spin and are also battling on multiple fronts.

Just 16 games stand between Pep Guardiola’s side and a piece of English football history as they attempt to win a clean sweep of domestic and European honours.

The Citizens do not even necessarily have to win all of those games, either, especially given that they boast a 14-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.

At the end of the weekend, it may well be that Leicester will be the Citizens’ biggest title threat, with the Foxes just a point behind second-placed Man United.

Winning the title is not the aim for Leicester this term, of course, but rather finishing above some heavyweight clubs to secure a top-four spot and Champions League football.

The Foxes have defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 and Sheffield United 5-0 in their last two league games to recover from a recent wobble.

‘Brendan Rodger’s men are also in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where Southampton await, after beating Manchester United 3-1 in their last match before the international break. Leicester certainly have momentum on their side and plenty to play for over the remaining seven weeks of the season, and the same is very much true for their opponents.

Man City’s record winning run may have been ended in a 2-0 loss to Man United last month, but they responded to that with wins over Southampton and Fulham in the league.

With a fifth title in 10 years as good as wrapped up, next week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg with Borus-

sia Dortmund may well take priority for Guardiola.

There is also the small matter of the upcoming EFL Cup final with Tottenham Hotspur, plus an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea, in what will be a defining few weeks.

A huge run of fixtures begins with this trip to the King Power Stadium today and three more points in the East Midlands would be the perfect way to keep the momentum going.

Meanwhile, another blockbuster tie to kickstart proceedings after the latest international break takes place at the Emirates Stadium today as Arsenal play host to Liverpool in the Premier League.

Two places and four points eparate the two faltering sides in the table as things stand, with Liverpool currently occupying seventh spot while the Gunners languish in ninth ahead of their 30th league match of the campaign.

‘Mikel Arteta’s men head into this game on the back of a pulsating 3-3 draw with West Ham United, while Jurgen Klopp’s side overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 before the international break.

While the spirit and tenacity of Arteta’s men in the second 45 must be applauded in the game against West Ham, Liverpool’s famed attackers will enjoy a field day if their hosts endure an equally woeful start to the game today. Arsenal have now gone 12 games without a clean sheet in all competitions since holding Manchester United to a goalless stalemate back in January.

The Gunners also progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, but even that was not without its disappointment as Olympiacos claimed an inconsequential 1-0 win at the Emirates, and with only three wins to boast from their last nine top-flight matches, any hopes of a top-four finish will be all but extinguished if they fail to come up trumps here.

With a whopping 25 points separating Liverpool and Manchester City, it would take

a collapse of catastrophic proportions for Guardiola’s side to somehow lose their grip on the crown now, and even Klopp himself has admitted that a Champions League berth is almost impossible for his side at this stage.

As is the case with their hosts Arsenal, who will be striving for Europa League glory, Liverpool’s hopes of success in Europe are still very much alive as they eased to a 4-0 aggregate victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League last 16, although they must now overcome serial winners, Real Madrid in the quarter-finals to have a shot at lifting the trophy.

The fortress that was once Anfield has seen its walls crumble since Burnley ended Liverpool’s astonishing unbeaten home record in January, but Liverpool have enjoyed far greater success on their travels, as they are currently on a three-game winning streak away from home across all competitions keeping a clean sheet on each occasion - and four of their last five away outings in the league have ended in victory.

Furthermore, Klopp’s team have lost just three of their last 18 away matches continentally and domestically, and with all five of Liverpool’s most recent top-flight victories coming on the road, the Reds could match a 65-year-old club record if they prevail at the Emirates this weekend, as their six victories between February and August 1955 all came on rival turf.

On the other hand, Liverpool have only come up trumps in two of their last eight Premier League matches - losing the other six and interestingly, only one team has found the back of the net in Liverpool’s last seven fixtures since Leicester City beat them 3-1 on February 13.

As injuries continue to bedevil Klopp, the former Borussia Dortmund manager would see his side rise to fifth if their endeavours in the capital prove successful, although Chelsea are certainly expected to steer clear in the race for a top-four spot when they do battle with West Brom earlier in the day.

20/27/09 Man City 2 - 5 Leicester 20/22/02 Leicester 0 - 1 Man City 19/21/12 Man City 3 - 1 Leicester 19/06/05 Man City 1 - 0 Leicester 18/26/12 Leicester 2 - 1 Man City 18/10/02 Man City 5 - 1 Leicester 17/18/11 Leicester 0 - 2 Man City 17/13/05 Man City 2 - 1 Leicester 16/10/12 Leicester 4 - 2 Man City 16/06/02 Man City 1 - 3 Leicester 15/29/12 Leicester 0 - 0 Man City 15/04/03 Man City 2 - 0 Leicester 14/13/12 Leicester 0 - 1 Man City 04/23/04 Leicester 1 - 1 Man City 03/08/11 Man City 0 - 3 Leicester 01/13/04 Leicester 1 - 2 Man City 00/03/11 Man City 0 - 1 Leicester 95/04/01 Man City 0 - 1 Leicester 94/09/11 Leicester 0 - 1 Man City 87/27/03 Leicester 4 - 0 Man City PREMIER LEAGUE TODAY

Chelsea v West Brom 12:30 Leeds Utd v Sheffield Utd 15:00 Leicester v Man City 17:30 Arsenal v Liverpool 20:00 SUNDAY

Southampton v Burnley 12:00 Newcastle v Tottenham 14:05 Aston Villa v Fulham 16:30 Man Utd v Brighton 19:30 MONDAY

Everton v Crystal Palace 18:00 Wolvers v West Ham 20:15

Ë ÓÑË TODAY

Granada Madrid Osasuna SUNDAY

Alavés Elche Cádiz Sevilla

v Villarreal 13:00 v Eibar 15:15 v Getafe 17:30 v Celta Vigo 13:00 v Real Betis 15:15 v Valencia 17:30 v Atlético 20:00

MONDAY

Barcelona v Valladolid 20:00

ÙÞ ÒÙÞ PLAYERS

Harry Kane Mohamed Salah Bruno Fernandes Calvert-Lewin Patrick Bamford Son Heung-min Jamie Vardy Ilkay Gundogan Alexandre Lacazette Callum Wilson Ollie Watkins Wilfried Zaha Harvey Barnes Emerick Aubameyang

CLUB

GOALS

Tottenham 17 Liverpool 17 Man Utd 16 Everton 14 Leeds United 14 Tottenham 13 Leicester 12 Man City 12 Arsenal 11 Newcastle 10 Aston Villa 10 Crystal Palace 9 Leicester 9 Arsenal 9

30

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

GLOBAL SOCCER

Iheanacho Samson Kayode Olaleye gets three-match ban

Iheanacho Becomes Fourth Nigerian to Win Premier League Player of the Month Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been named Premier League Player of the Month for March 2021.

The 2013 U17 World Cup Golden Ball winner was in outstanding form for Leicester City last month, scoring five goals in three matches and helping his team secure seven points from a possible nine.

Iheanacho was on target against Burnley, then got on the scoresheet again when Leicester City beat Brighton & Hove 2-1 away from home, before scoring his first-ever Premier League hat-trick in a 5-0 rout of Sheffield United.

To win the accolade, the Nigeria national teamer saw off competition from Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jesse Lingard (West Ham United), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Illan Meslier (Leeds United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United) and Leandro Trossard (Brighton & Hove).

Reacting to winning the award for the first time in his career, Iheanacho was quoted as saying By Leicester City’s official website: “I’m so pleased and honoured to win this award. It’s great to be recognised, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team-mates and the manager.

“I’m really enjoying play-

ing at the minute and hopefully I can push on and help the team to finish as high as possible this season.”

Iheanacho is the fourth Nigerian player to win the Premier League Player of the Month, after Jay-Jay Okocha, Peter Odemwingie (three times) and Odion Ighalo.

Having scored his first Premier League hat-trick in the dismantling of bottom Sheffield United in March, the attacker played a pivotal role in leading the Foxes to their first FA Cup semi-final with a 3-1 success over Manchester United before the hiatus.

Involved in all three goals (scoring two goals and an assist) against the Red Devils, Iheanacho took his recent tally to seven goals in his last four games to send Leicester into their first FA Cup semi-final since 1981/82, ending a run of five quarter-final defeats on the spin.

Given Jamie Vardy’s inexplicable lull since January, Rodgers’ side have been uplifted by the Nigerian netting in four games in succession for the first time in his career, boosting their top four prospects and putting them within two wins of their firstever triumph in the sport’s oldest cup competition.

“Jamie hasn’t scored in a few games, but his movement and assists have been first class. He gives Kels space,” Rodgers said before facing City. “They link up very

well and since they’ve been playing together they’ve been outstanding.”

Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Liverpool boss spoke glowingly about his in-form frontman, explaining the tactical switch that’s bringing the best out of him.

“When he has played in a diamond structure or a 3-1-42, he has always played well and combined with another striker. That is probably what he is best suited to, but I have played a lot of the time this season with one central striker and two wide forwards,” Rodgers revealed.

“When we lost our attacking players, we lost our wingers, our really creative players, and it was just a case of trying to figure out how to get the balance in the team to give us a real creative aspect while retaining defensive stability as well.

“We decided to play 3-4-1-2 and then go to 3-1-4-2. We started looking at different aspects of how they could play together, and it has worked really well for us.”

With five goals in his last three league games, Iheanacho has now netted six league goals this term, putting him two behind hismost prolific Premier League return in 2015/16. For context, the Nigeria star’s goals per 90 rate of 0.75 is the best in the entire league, adding even more gloss on his recent run.

Copa del Rey Final, Bundesliga, La Liga Live on StarTimes this Easter Holiday Exciting time await football fans during the Easter Holiday as top European fixtures will be aired live on StarTimes.

Football returns to Spain this weekend after the international break with nine games in La Liga and the final of the 2020 Copa del Rey. The Copa del Rey final between local Basque rivals, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad will be played at 8:30pm today. It will air on StarTimes’World Football channel. The channel was recently moved to basic and smart bouquets to make

premium sports content available to all.

Real Sociedad have a slight doubt over the fitness of key midfielder Mikel Merino.Athletic are without any injuries for the game but defender Inigo Martinez and goalkeeper Unai Simon played 90 minutes for Spain on Wednesday night.

Sunday’s big match in La Liga will see league leaders Atletico Madrid face a difficult visit to fourth-placed Sevilla in one of the toughest tests they will face between now and the end of the season.

Atletico’s lead has been

cut to just four points over Barcelona, and if Real Madrid win at home to Eibar, they could be just three points off the top by the time their city rivals kick-off.

In Bundesliga, the title race could be decided today as RB Leipzig face a Bayern Munich side at 5:30pm without star man Robert Lewandowski in a blockbuster clash.

With eight games to go in the league, Bayern have a four-point lead over Leipzig, who this season are looking like a team that can actually, win their first Bundesliga title.

Vietnamese-Nigeria Striker Bemoans League Ban

V

ietnam Football Federation (VFF) has suspended Samson Kayode Olaleye, for three V. League matches and fined him VND15 million ($645) for kicking SHB Da Nang goalkeeper Nguyen Tuan Manh in the thigh during a game on March 29.

“I accept the three-game ban from VFF. But I didn’t commit the foul on purpose. At the moment, Thanh Hoa was losing, so I was eager to look for a goal. I thought I was able to touch the ball before the goalkeeper did so I went for it. To be honest, I didn’t even see the keeper since I was too focused on the ball. As a striker, my job is to score goals,” Olaleye said.

A few hours after VFF’s decision, Thanh Hoa decided to ban him from first-team football for the rest of the season. He is only allowed to play with the youth team.

“The punishment is unprofessional. I fought for the team and tried to score goals to save them from a loss, now they’ve turned their back on me when I need their support. They need to understand that a striker needs to take risks in such situations. Imagine if I just skipped every chance and don’t even bother to go for the ball, what would happen to the team?”

Olaleye said he was not informed by the club about the ban.

“If Thanh Hoa doesn’t let me play then fine, I won’t play for them anymore. I will find another club. But the funny thing is, the club didn’t even tell me about the punishment. I only became aware of it when my teammate told me during training yesterday. It’s ridiculous.”

Club officials, pending a police investigation, have also accused the player of match-fixing, saying he had missed too many opportunities to score.

“I’ve been playing football in Vietnam for many years and have never faced such an allegation.

I’m a professional player and I’m completely untarnished. If Thanh Hoa wants to investigate me, I’m fine with it. But I will also get domestic and international lawyers for this case. I’m willing to take the punishment if they can find anything impure about me. However, if they cannot, I will sue the club and ask for millions of dollars in compensation. They can’t just go and ruin my image like that,” Olaleye maintained.

In his 14 years in Vietnam, Olaleye became the most prolific scorer in V. League history with 201 goals.

Sevilla vs Madrid, Torino vs Juventus Live On GOtv Max Football continues this weekend and GOtv customers get to watch all La Liga and Serie Amatches scheduled forApril 2nd to 7th live on SuperSport.

Today, champions, Real Madrid will back themselves to beat Eibar at home and keep the battle for the title at 3:15pm, while Osasuna will clash with Getafe at 5:30pm.

Both will be airing live on SS LaLiga (channel 32).

The pick of matches for this round sees Sevilla host Atletico Madrid on Sunday at 8pm live on SS LaLiga (Channel 32). There will also be a faceoff between Elche v Real Betis at 3:15 pm and then

Cadiv will clash with Valencia at 5:30pm. All showing live on SS LaLiga(channel 32).

Barca will look to keep up their momentum and put the pressure on Atletico when they host Real Valladolid on Monday at 8pm, live on SS LaLiga (channel 32).

Another major clash in this round of La Liga action takes place on Wednesday 7 April and sees Real Sociedad host Athletic Bilbao for a Basque derby at 8pm, with the former fightinghardtokeepthemselves ontrack for European competition next season – and bounce back from a 6-1 mauling at the hands of Barcelona. This will air

live on SS LaLiga (channel 32).

The headline fixture from Serie A this weekend sees Torino host Juventus today live at 5pm on SS Select 1 (channel 33).

A busy Saturday will be closed out with leaders, Inter, heading to Stadio Renato Dall’Ara for a clash with Bolognaat 7:45pm. The Nerazzurri’s Christian Eriksen says he is adapting to a new role under managerAntonio Conte as they chase the title.

Other Serie A clashes for today includes Milan versus Sampdoria at 11:30am and Sassuolo versus Roma at 2pm.

All showing live on SS Select 1 (channel 33).

Nigeria Breweries Announces Return of Star Live Arena for Football Fans Nigerian Breweries, makers Star Lager Beer has announced the return of its special football viewing experience, Star Live Arena.

Star Live Arena which is an engagement platform for its football loving consumers, is set to reopen across five major cities in Nigeria, namely Jos, Enugu, Abeokuta, Makurdi and Onitsha today.

For years, Star Lager Beer has remained one of the biggest influences in Nigerian sports majorly providing support for the growth of football in Nigeria and at

some point, the brand became the official beer partner of the country’s national team, the Super Eagles. It also actively supported the growth of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) among Nigerian football fans, going further to sign deals with European football clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Juventus to help deepen engagement with its football loving consumers in Nigeria.

Speaking about the return of this unique partnership, Maria Shadeko, Senior Brand Manager, Star Lager

expressed delight at the opportunity to once again provide football fans with an exciting experience that can help them better connect with the brand while enjoying the game they love.

In her words; “it has been a tough number of months for a lot of people and the return of the Star Live Arena brings much needed excitement for so many football lovers who will get to enjoy these football games with their friends and even win prizes playing other games while enjoying their No.1 beer, Star Lager.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ, 2021

31

GLOBAL SOCCER

Wilfred Ndidi A Rising Profile Since his move to Leicester City, his profile has continued to rise both for club and country.

Today, Wilfred Ndidi is one of the most important players in the Foxes’quest for a topfour place in the Premier League. Little wonder highly respected CIES Football Observatory recently named him as the 13th best player of the 2021 and third best in England

T

hough he is one of the most respected voices in Leicester City’s dressing room, ditto the national team, yet Wilfred Ndidi is believed to be one of the most underated players in world football.

Former Manchester City star, Trevor Sinclair said he believes Ndidi is among the best in Europe, adding that the Leicester City dressing room appreciates the midfielder’s value despite not being a headline maker.

Ndidi produced another terrific display for The Foxes penultimate weekend as they secured a place in the FA Cup semi-final courtesy of a fine victory over Manchester United at the weekend.

Ndidi’s reputation continues to grow following a string of fine performances and Sinclair, who was talking to Talksport, feels that while the Nigeria star sneaks under the radar, his impact cannot be questioned.

“I actually looked at Ndidi and thought there are not many better than him in the Premier League and probably in Europe,” he remarked.

“Really good player very probably underrated, undervalued.

But I wouldn’t have thought he’s undervalued by Brendan and his team-mates because I’m sure they appreciate everything that he brings to that team. He makes them tick.”

Rodgers recently lavished praise on Ndidi and his contribution to ‘The Foxes’ since arriving at the club in 2017.

Amid concerns the player is now starting to drift onto the transfer radar of other clubs, ‘The Foxes’ boss said: “He’s one of the top players in world football. His quality in his football is improving all the time. He is irreplaceable for us. He’s fantastic for a young player.

“What is pleasing as a coach is that he wants to learn. He will improve and get better. I’m so happy he plays in my team.”

On Monday, the Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder was been ranked as the 13th best player in the world for the first quarter of 2021 by the highly respected CIES Football Observatory with an index of 85.5 having played 852 minutes in the first quarter of 2021.

The top star in the world according to CIES is Lionel Messi of Barcelona, whose index is 92.5 after he clocked 998 minutes of action.

The latest rating therefore rates the Nigerian as the third-best player in the Premier League ahead of the

likes of Harry Kane, Luke Shaw and Thiago Alcantara.

Some of the other top-ranked stars are Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, 89.5 index/1106 minutes), Jorginho (Chelsea, 89.5/799 minutes), Ruben Diaz (Manchester City, 89.4/1335 minutes and Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, 89.3/1191 minutes).

Ndidi has become one of the first names on the team sheet at the King Power Stadium, with Brendan Rodgers recently describing the Nigerian midfielder as irresplaceable.

“He’s one of the top players in world football. His quality in his football is improving all the time,” said the Northern Irish manager.

Ndidi led the league in tackles in 2018/19 with 143 and recorded another 128 last season, second to only Aaron Wan-Bissaka. These may not be headline-grabbing statistics compared to goals and assists, but the team have thrived with the defensive midfielder in the engine room.

Amid their lofty standing in the table, Leicester look bound for a return to the Champions League in 2021. Although Manchester City look unstoppable in the title race, having fallen into fifth at the very end of last season, the club will certainly feel they have a point to prove.

Ndidi joined Leicester from Genk in 2017 and has become an essential part of the club’s success. He now has over 130 Premier League appearances to his name and has regularly been linked with Europe’s top clubs including Manchester United and Juventus. For now, though, the defensive midfielder seems at home in the East Midlands and insists there is still plenty for his side to learn, even amid their relative successes.

While he wasn’t part of the team that won the Premier League at odds of 5000/1, the Foxes have continued to defy expectations while having to sell their top players. N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Ben Chilwell have all been sold for huge fees in recent seasons, but the good results have continued for the team.

Injury has impacted the 24-yearold’s playing time in the current campaign, but he has looked back to his best in recent appearances.

According to Football Critic, Ndidi averages 9.8 recoveries per 90 minutes played in the English top-flight this season, that’s the most of any outfield player in the division. With 2.5 interceptions per game too, his diligence has allowed the more

Ndidi

attack-minded players in the team to thrive.

Leicester have recorded wins over Manchester City (5-2), Chelsea 2-0, and Liverpool (3-1) in the league season so far and boast the joint-best away record in the competition, tied with the runaway leaders on 30 points from 12 games on the road.

The club certainly appear to be one of the main benefactors of a year without fans attending games in England. All this while defying an injury crisis which has seen players including Ndidi ruled out for large periods of the year.

The Foxes will need to maintain that quality of performance if they’re to ensure Champions League football is played at the King Power Stadium again next term.

The Europa League remains another route back to Europe’s top table, but for now, the league would seem to offer the most straightforward route. If key players such as Ndidi

can remain fit, the signs look good for Rodgers leading his team to another successful season.

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR

THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

32

˜ ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION

BY

EBERE WABARA

Literally, Not ‘Literarily’

H

APPY new month: “Suspend take off (take-off) of 774,000 jobs, Reps tell govt (govt.)”

Instead of ‘take-off of’, why not ‘beginning of’, ‘comm mencement of’ or ‘starting of’…. “…which sad event occurred in a ghastly (fatal) motor accident on November 19, 2020.” When an accident results in death, it is fatal. If there is no death but just bruises and injuries, it is ghastly. Both words are not interchangeable.

“Killings: APC not sensitive to Nigerians’ plight—PDP” A rewrite: APC insensitive to Nigerians’ plight—PDP “Griefing (Grieving) with our good friend” “Investment banker cum theatre (Investment banker-cum-theatre) producer and columnist… is literarily (literally) going mad with his new production titled (entitled, preferably)….”

Please note that ‘reopening’ abhors hyphenation.

It is not automatic that any word with a prefix must go with a hyphen, except where there is a vowel replication. For instance: re-entry, but readmit, readjust, etcetera.

“Legislators, oil chiefs parley on industry enhancing issues” Imagine the classical excellence a hyphen between ‘industry’ and ‘enhancing’ would have conferred on the headline.

“I said these are (were) beggars and I told my wife I better (I had better) get money ready for them.” “…the grassroots population of our people will remain the lifewire of the UBE scheme.” Adult literacy: livewire.

“The remains of the Ovie, sources in the town revealed, was (were) later tied….”

“And just last Friday, it was reported that the police has (had) arrested the APC governorship candidate….”

“The meetings were about some developments alright....” ‘Alright’ (non-standard) is unacceptable for ‘all right’ in formal settings.

“My suggestion, therefore, is that our National Assembly members should tow (toe) the line of reason.” ”…especially those public officers who remain

suspect with regards (regard) to their qualifications and credibility to hold public offices” Alternatively, as regards their qualifications….

“The nation has (had) in the past pardoned and forgiven it’s (sic) past leaders and citizens who committed one offence or the other (or another).”

“Such citizens had since been integrated back (reintegrated) into the system.”

“A recent summit in Kaduna on education in the northern states provided the appropriate forum to revisit, once again….” ‘Revisit’ cannot co-function with ‘again’.

“Gone are the days when government can (could) go it alone.”

“Infact (In fact) every loving parents....”

Parentage: either every loving parent or all loving parents “In the agricultural sector, the two countries can learn a lot from one another (each other).” “…who was arraigned on a 34-count charge bothering (bordering) on the diversion of….”

“We assure Your Excellency that this confidence reposed on (in) our former Senate Leader is well placed and will manifest without probation.”

“CSR: NLNG invests N200m on (in) 10 Nigerian postgraduate scholars” For the first time since 2013 when this column birthed, we continue this edition with an advertisee ment: “Salt Spring Resort has been redefined and renovated to provide excellent service.” A refreshing experience of paradise; provide an excellent service or provide excellent services “We are poise (poised) to deliver uncomproo mise (uncompromised) quality product that will ultimately satisfied (satisfy) our esteemed customm ers. Come lets (let’s) give you….” What do we do with the sub-literacy of advertisement copies?

“Anger, protests, as deceased’s friends point fingers at lawmaker” Get it right: point the finger at lawmaker THE NATION ON SUNDAY of March 28 endangered the English language on two occasions: “In most cases, the necessary environn ment does not exist for meaningful importation (impartation) of knowledge.”

“Matters are not helped by students who are now distracted by things that have no bearing to (on) their studies.”

Great Country, Poor People

F

rankly, we cannot remember the number of times we have read, written and complained about the quality of the Nigerian followership, in comparison to the usefulness or failure of the Nigerian leadership bloc. We have used the famous line of “a people get the leaders they deserve” to force down our shame and absurdities of a nation so blessed in human and natural resources; yet so prodigal and retrogressive in harnessing these resources for high growth and widespread prosperity.

Despite the best efforts of the inimitable Prof. Dora Akunyili, former information minister, who chanted cheerily the homily of “Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation” - it was clear to most people, apart from Akunyili and her ardent surrogates, that the mantra or its intention was dead on arrival. That was especially so, in the attitude of the vast majority of Nigerians, in high and low places.

Recently, we were reminded of how much we have abann doned any pretensions of civilised mindsets; clearly exposing most of us as joyful haters of the rule of law and proper public behaviours. A viral social media post by one Harry Daniyan highlighted our disdain for normalcy and order. Somewhere in Abuja, he was on the pedestrian walkway beside a busy road when a motorist, with his boss in the “owner’s corner”, honked for him to get out of the way! The driver, perhaps to avoid a traffi ffic logjam, elected to go on the side walk. When the elderly gentleman refused to give way, insisting that portion of the road was rightly designed for pedestrians, he was assaulted and harassed, verbally and physically, by…wait for this: the offensive driver, the madam-the-owner, and fellow pedestrians!

The same people he thought he was standing strong for, in the face of mindless impunity and abuse of traffi ffic laws, were the same people abusing and shaming him for being too stubborn and arrogant! But, are we surprised? Really?

We recognise this seed of split personality in the mainframe of most Nigerians: we love peace, but explode at our neighbour’s slightest provocation; we drive into a mall in our big SUVs, and scurry away in a gale of jeers after slapping rude park attendants; we exclaim a sense of responsibility, but swiftly defend the malfeasance of public looters who happen to from their villages… the distressing statistics are inexhaustible.

While we admit that it will take much more than whining and lamenting about our poverty of civic aptitude, occasioned

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

“Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, appears set to take the bull by the horn (horns) by declaring his interest in the 2023 presidency….”

“Students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, are to cough-out (no hyphen and, of course, two words) a total of N5 million for repairs of damages (damage) they perpetrated during a demonstration in July last year.” ‘Damage’ admits an inflection only in reparative matters.

“Now, It is the turn of the teachers, in the race for the coveted seat of vice-chancellorship, and boy, are the learned dons falling over themselves (one another) to out do (one word) each other (one another)?” When two fellows are concerned, we use ‘each other,’ but if it is more than two, it becomes ‘one another’, “Secret cult in the campuses” Always on campuses “Kano Pillars in trouble…yet to sign-on players” ‘Sign on’, a phrasal verb, does not require hyphenation.

“Thus, cargo that have been certified okay here….” I certify that ‘cargo’ is singular.

“Inconsistent government policies is globally disturbing….” Concord is one of the simplest things in grammar. Anybody who lacks this rudimentary knowledge has no business contributt ing to the most authoritative newspaper (name withheld!) in Nigeria. You must develop your communicative skills first.

“Banks impose a lot difficult conditions on exporters and even charged (sic) some ‘hidden’ fees before the disbursement of these loans are (is) done… “CPC to clampdown on illegal microfinance banks” Phrasal verb: clamp down (two words). “An acknowledged scholar, a distinguished statesman and a team leader per excellence” Get it right: leader par excellence.

“New trends in electioneering campaigns” Politics Today: just electioneering or political campaigns. ‘Electioneering campaign’ is sheer verbiage! ‘Electioneering’ encompasses campaign and other related electoral issues.

“Some countries have taken tobacco manufacturr ers to court for the damages their products cause.”

The will to die: damage, again, is uncountable, except in reparative applications for indemnity. “…what happened was that somebody filed a

by sundry inter-locking incidents and failings of our nationbuilding actors, we must fi find the means and occasions to alert our people to the slippery paths we currently travel and the urgent need to change our ways, apply a more liberal, more civil, more neighbourly and more proprietary relationship with public utilities and infrastructures. In every area of our infl nfluence and authority, we must lead by examples, both in thoughts and deeds; in private and in public.

In taking this position, we are conscious of the enormity of our assignment, if indeed we want to get to a level where politicians will be afraid to make hare-brained campaign promises that can never be fulfi lfilled; where governments, at all levels, know that their citizens will insist on holding them accountable for the successes or otherwise of their vaunted policies; where persons elected or invited to positions of authority and prominence understand that their stewardships will be thoroughly scrutinised and weighed based simply on performance and application, not on any base sentiments.

However, we need to own up to our failings, and understand that current perplexities are not merely the handiwork of irr responsible and incompetent leadership; that many leaders are currently enabled, endorsed and actively lionised by vast sections of the followership. Even standoffi ffish, siddon-look followership should not see themselves as immune or beyond reproach in this current dilemma.

On the face of it, it seems arguements that insist in apportioning blames on both the led and the leaders are merely opinionated and baseless. Yet, a deep, unbiased and brutal excavation of the long-hardened layers of our actions, sentiments and customs will reveal how far and how much the rain has been beating us.

We will attempt to explore some of what we believe are the root causes of our present anomie; such as: the family and the home, our educational system and policies, politics and governance, public service and infrastructure, sociological perspectives, erosion of ethos and values, broken communication practices, and crimes as cornerstones of our informal economy.

‘First thing fi first’, the Family and the Home: This minutest unit of the society has been gradually and steadily liberalised and fragmented since the ascendancy of the millennial parentt hood. The discipline and fi firmness that corralled the children of the 50s, 60s and perhaps up to the mid-70s - just before the reckless fl flush of petrodollars in nflamed our appetites and bloated our indulgent stomachs - vanished from our lifestyles.

writ of summon.” This way (singular): a writ of summons; plural: summonses.

“It is the Federal Board that is always guilty of that, because it is them who take riff-raffs as welfare officers.” ‘Riff-raff’, just like ‘stuff’, is uncountable.

“Modern technology has reduced the world into (to) a hamlet where the inhabitants are their brothers’ keepers.” This way: brother’s keeper (fixed idiom), irrespective of the number of people involved.

“The coincidence in the timing of all those sleazy gossips in soft-sell magazines and the beginning of his fashion parade….” ‘Gossip’, in this context, is uncountable.

“More overaged players for youth soccer” Get it right: overage players.

“Residents of some of the troubled spots in Libya in disarray” Witness to lexical mayhem: trouble spots. “…rummaging all the bags and ransacking every nook and corner.” Stock expression: nook and cranny.

“The police requires (require) a redeemer who can uplift the Force from the battering it (they) suffered during the long years of militarization.”

“I inquired from those that appear to know and they said that the president is (was) roaming the country in the name of campaigns.”

“There is (are) no electricity, no security, no water, no roads, no health facilities in Nigeria.”

“Foreign companies will be falling over themselves (one another) to come and invest here if we get the 2023 elections right.” “...given the lame-duck posture of the opposition parties, the PDP simply held sway from the onset (outset).” “Reactions on (to) the Pope’s visit, however successful, were mixed in Egypt, a country inhabited by a predominantly Muslim population.”“Prior to the Pope’s visit, Egyptian Catholics have (had) opted out of the….”

“The first part was published last week Friday.”

Monday politics: either last Friday or Friday, last week.

“Vigilante (Vigilance) groups, committed to….”

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

AKINTUN AK NDE E-JOHNSON fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only)

By the 1990s, single parenting was no longer an aberration; the 2000s embraced deviant behaviours - transgenders, same sex marriages and such ordinarily abhorrent lifestyles in years of yore became more acceptable... shattering the landscape for puritans and moralists.

Those vigorous lifestyle paradigm shifts also had infl nfluence in thawing the admittedly strong infl nfluence of disciplinarian parenting. Children of the latter days were mostly not exposed to corporal punishment, even when they indulged in quasi-criminal activities. Teachers and school owners concerned about return on investment held back the rod of correction. Some of the children took cues, and began a reign of terror and bragging conquests.

These later graduated into cultism, which in the past decade, has fi filtered into levels below tertiary education; into thuggery, gang-rape, and assorted acts that question the quality of recent parenting received by our children.

One of our children put this anomaly in a perspective indicating clarity of thought and understanding of the issues.

The following extract is culled from the winning essay announced at the 17th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture in September, 2016.

Fadilah Saliu-Ahmed from Zamani College, Kaduna State stirred reactions from the audience when she said: “The Nigerian child of my generation has grown up seeing corrupt leaders being celebrated. He has learnt that all you need to have to be respected is wealth; no one cares how it was gotten. Hard work and discipline no longer mean much to him.”

Fadilah is even more right today. The children of today have missed the bus of trust; the parents are hamstrung by sundry excuses preventing them from leading by examples - majorly telling the children how to do it, instead of showing them how and why we do it. Any chance of fruitful succession is destroyed with some of today’s children caught violating their own mothers, and killing their fathers for money-making rituals and such sick morbidities.

Still a long way to go… we continue next time.

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

AUTO WORLD

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

TIPS OF THE WEEK What Happens If You Use the Wrong Fluids in Your Car? It’s not uncommon for people to mix up or use the wrong Áuids in their cars, and if they do, the results can vary from irritating to deadly. Consumer Reports outlines the potential damage you can do to your car, or to yourself, in a story that appears in the November issue.

“Adding antifreeze to the windshield-washer reservoir might just create a slimy mess,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Conn. “But a British health study found that Àlling the reservoir with only water creates a good breeding ground for the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease.”

Consumers should check their owner’s manual before they top oͿ any Áuids under the hood of their car, Champion said. People should check with a mechanic, or even the folks behind the counter at the local auto parts store, if they have any doubts.

The story appears in the November issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale October 5. It’s also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org. Updated daily, ConsumerReports.org is the go-to site for the latest auto reviews, product news, blogs on breaking news and car buying information.

Renault Kwid

Coscharis Delights Renault Customers With Easter Giveaways

F

oremost automobile company and sole distributor of Renault brand in Nigeria, Coscharis Motors Plc., has announced mouth-watering oͿers for its Renault customers throughout the month of April, in the spirit of the Easter celebrations.

These giveaways include, free ABRO Generator, 5% price discount, free insurance, free vehicle registration and Àrst two services free of charge.

Announcing these oͿerings, Felix Mahan, the Brand Manager, Renault at Coscharis Motors said, “We are excited to oͿer this bumper Easter giveaways to our Renault customers; It is our special way of welcoming new customers to own a brand new Renault vehicle with lots of other juicy products, which include a brand new Abro generator. This equally extends to existing Renault customers who may wish to trade-in their current cars for the latest models of the French made vehicles”.

The Easter giveaway oͿering is available on the Renault Kwid and Koleos only.

In the same vein, Abiona Babarinde, the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group posited that the Easter festive period was chosen speciÀcally to encourage numerous stakeholders towards purchasing both the Renault

Kwid and Koleos. Babarinde said, “Since we took over the responsibility of representing the respected French brand in Nigeria, we felt it will not be a bad idea to use this festive period of Easter to delight our numerous stakeholders who will be discerning to own a brand new vehicle during this period.

The good thing about this special campaign is that it is open to both existing owners of the Renault brand and others that are yet to have a feel of this iconic French brand. Again, aside the mouth oͿering giveaways, Coscharis as the exclusive franchise owner of the brand in Nigeria promises to deliver the total brand experience beyond just the new purchase. We are equipped with the original parts, right tools to Àx the original parts and the certiÀed Renault technicians to deliver your total aftersales experience throughout our workshop outlets located in all the six geo – political zones in Nigeria”.

Renault Kwid The Renault Kwid is a compact car with the robustness and look of an SUV. It brings together the practicality of a compact car with the speciÀcations of a genuine SUV: a sturdy and striking design, as well as economy and technological advances.

Besides, its front grille, 14” wheel rims and door mirror shells give it a distinctive look when compared

to other cars in its class.

Renault KWID’s interior space is a masterful blend of modernity and ergonomics. The car is roomy and comfortable for driver and passengers alike. And, for added convenience, Renault KWID is equipped with numerous storage spaces and a spacious boot (290 litres), making day-to-day life easier.

Renault Koleos Renault Koleos is an SUV specially designed to broaden your outlook. An unprecedented combination of power and reÀnement, its assertive design pushes the boundaries of what is expected and expresses itself with bold style. Its conÀdent stature commands respect. An SUV with broad shoulders and muscular side panels, its robust front end, broad tyres and large wheelbase give it the look of a partner that can rise to any challenge.

The Renault Koleos takes you further, whichever path you take, whatever your quest.

The Renault Koleos can be described as the art of drawing attention. It embodies new aspirations.

Charismatic, with a sense of detail and personality enhanced by its sleek appearance and athletic curves. Everything in the Koleos is designed for your driving pleasure.

Autochek Launches First African Online Truck Loans Marketplace

A

utochek, an automotive technologydriven company, has announced the launch of its online truck loans marketplace in Nigeria and Ghana.

This is in a bid to migrate the trucking industry to online transactions and increase financing penetration, according to a statement by the company which said it aims to build solutions for the African market.

This piece of good news allows the company to provide the same services to trucks as it does with cars already listed on its platform. Autochek’s 360-degree solution provides truck financing through finance partners with core expertise in fleet financing such as Baobab group & Fund4uest Nigeria with spread across Africa and competitive rates.

Described as first-of-its-kind truck loans marketplace in Africa, the launch follows Autochek’s recent expansion to Ghana, one of Africa’s most advanced automotive markets.

With hundreds of truck dealers across Nigeria and Ghana on its platform, the fleet ranges from flatbeds, semi-trailers, tankers as well as heavy, garbage and panel trucks. As part of the roll-out, Autochek is partnering with key logistics stakeholders in Nigeria and Ghana including Kobo360, to finance trucks for African e-logistics transporters and truck owners.

This means that customers interested in owning a truck can do that with financing at the best rates.

The new platform is available via the Autochek

Isuzu trucks Android app or website and all trucks undergo a 150-point check inspection process before being listed to guide the customers on the exact state of the trucks.

To ensure trucks are kept on the road in good conditions, truck owners also enjoy affordable and expert maintenance services from standardised workshops and technicians in the Autochek partner network.

John Egwu, Autochek’s vice president in charge of operations said, “Autochek’s focus has always been on transforming automotive trade on the continent. Now it is time for us to extend our services to trucks, as we build out our network and support our partners by providing a structured market for them to purchase and maintain their fleet.”

Here’s what else could happen if you use WKH ZURQJ ÁXLGV 1. Motor oil slip-ups. The brand of motor oil matters little, but its viscosity grade (10W-30, for example) is important. Use only what the owner’s manual speciÀes. Using the wrong oil can lead to reduced lubrication and shorter engine life. If the manual says to use synthetic oil, do so. Contrary to what some believe, adding synthetic oil to regular oil won’t harm the engine, but there’s also no beneÀt in doing so.

2. Battery Áuid. Some car batteries have accessible individual cells that might need replenishing with a little water to cover the lead plates. Only use distilled water, which contains no salts or minerals. If tap water is added to a battery’s electrolyte liquid, it can allow minerals from the water to build up on the battery’s internal lead plates, which will reduce the battery’s power and shorten its life.

3. Be cool with the water. A car’s cooling system uses a blend of water and antifreeze; properly called coolant, at concentrations (typically 50/50) designed to keep it from freezing on a cold day and boiling on a hot one. Adding too much water to the mix can make it more susceptible to freezing and boiling. That can keep the car from starting when it’s freezing and cause overheating in warmer weather. Tap water could also lead to mineral buildup in the cooling system, reducing its eͿectiveness.

4. Adding diesel fuel to a gasoline-powered car’s tank. This will make the engine stumble and knock, if it runs at all. Fortunately, diesel pumps have oversized nozzles, so that mistake is hard to make. Depending on the quantity of gasoline that’s added to a diesel vehicle’s tank, it could do little harm or it could damage the fuel pump, injectors, and other parts. If the mix-up is caught soon enough, a technician can limit the damage by draining the contaminated fuel. Meanwhile, don’t run the engine.

5. Special sauce for your brakes. Brake systems use hydraulic Áuid that’s specially formulated for the purpose. Substituting transmission or power-steering Áuid, which are similar to each other, can aͿect the seals, damage the system, and possibly cause brake failure. Note that if the brake Áuid is low, your vehicle probably needs brake-system service anyway. Either the brakes are worn or there’s a leak.

6. Glued-up gears. Automatic transmissions must only use the Áuid speciÀed by the automaker, such as General Motors’ Dexron series or Toyota’s Type T. Using the wrong Áuid can cause poor lubrication, overheating, and possibly transmission failure. A mechanic might not be able to reverse the damage, even by Áushing the transmission. Mistakenly adding motor oil or brake Áuid can also destroy your transmission.

7. More washer-Áuid no-nos. In addition to creating the perfect environment for deadly bacteria, water doesn’t clean as well as washer Áuid does and is subject to freezing. Using household glass cleaners or ammonia can leave suds on the windshield, damage a car’s Ànish, and get into the air-intake system and create a potentially noxious environment in the cabin.

6RXUFH 1RULD QHZV ZLUHV

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

35

AUTO WORLD

Land Rover Introduces Exclusive new Special Range Rover Editions

L

and Rover Special Vehicle Operations has launched a pair of exclusive new Range Rover special editions created by its SV Bespoke personalisation team.

The new Range Rover SVAutobiography Ultimate editions represent the pinnacle of Land Rover’s luxury SUV family, elevating the range-topping SVAutobiography and SVAutobiography Dynamic models even higher with a suite of complementary hand-finished SV Bespoke features, according to a statement by the automaker.

Curated by the SV Bespoke commissioning experts at the Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre in the UK, the Ultimate editions showcase the full range of personalisation touches that can be applied to the timeless Range Rover design. Key to the exclusive Ultimate edition design theme is the combination of newly formulated satin-finished Orchard Green paintwork complemented by a Narvik Black roof and copper detailing.

The SV Bespoke team’s attention to detail extends to the Gloss Black knurled infill and copper-edged metal Range Rover badging on the bonnet and tailgate, a copper-plated and black enamel SV roundel on the B-pillar, SV roundels embroidered on all four headrests, plus illuminated Ultimate edition treadplates. The finishing touch is a ‘SV Bespoke Ultimate edition’ commissioning plaque on the centre console, complete with copperfinished SV roundel.

Mark Turner, Commercial Director, Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, said: “Range Rover has defined the luxury SUV segment for more than half a century, with our SVAutobiography models offering customers a world-class travel experience – whether driving, or being driven. These new Ultimate editions elevate that refinement and sophistication even further.”

Clare Hansen, Director, Land Rover Vehicle Personalisa-

Interior of Range Rover SVAutobiography Ultimate edition tion, said: “Our SV Bespoke commissioning experts have taken the classic combination of a green and black exterior and given it a thoroughly modern twist, using a contemporary satin paint finish and copper detailing.

This elegant combination is strengthened further with the recommended Vintage Tan interior themes available.”

The long-wheelbase SVAutobiography provides first

class travel with serene refinement, including power-closing rear doors. Reclining airline-style heated and cooled semianiline leather Executive Class Comfort-Plus rear seats provide over 1.2m of rear legroom, hot stone massage function, plus calf and footrests for rear occupants. A full-length centre console with integrated Zenith timepiece, refrigerated compartment and deployable tables creates

the perfect space to work and relax on the move.

The recommended Ultimate edition specification features Vintage Tan leather interior trim and Copper Weave Carbon Fibre finishers. Customers can also opt for leather upholstery from the Italian artisans at Poltrona Frau for a truly cosseting experience.

This flagship model is available with a choice of powertrains, including the 416kW Supercharged V8 petrol and highly efficient P400e plug-in hybrid , which is capable of up to 40km of all-electric driving and provides overall CO2 emissions as low as 75g/km .

The exclusively 416kW Supercharged V8 petrol SVAutobiography Dynamic is the most driver-focused of the pair. Available only as a standard-wheelbase vehicle, the suspension geometry and steering calibration are optimised to provide more agile responses. Land Rover’s advanced Dynamic Response active roll control system also enhances composure, while the ride height is lowered by 8mm – delivering more engaging on-road driving dynamics and a more purposeful stance.

Forged 22-inch alloy wheels feature a five split-spoke design finished in Gloss Dark Grey with contrast Diamond Turned finish, while side vent, bonnet finisher, grille and front bumper accents are all finished in Graphite Atlas.

Inside, a knurled finish for the rotary shift controller, starter button and pedals, plus anodised red paddle shifters, underline the performance focus of SVAutobiography Dynamic.

The recommended SVAutobiography Dynamic interior theme features Ebony / Vintage Tan trim with diamond-quilted semi-aniline leather seats, an Ebony headlining and Steel Weave Carbon Fibre finishers.

The New Range Rover SVAutobiography Ultimate and SVAutobiography Dynamic Ultimate are available to order now with pricing available from Land Rover Retailers in sub-Sahara Africa.

Hyundai, Shell Partner to Expand Collaborations on Clean Energy Hyundai Motor Company has signed a new five-year Global Business Cooperation Agreement with Royal Dutch Shell Plc., the international energy company known as Shell ³ but this time with a clean mobility twist.

A statement by Hyundai said the signing ceremony was held online at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang, Korea. “This time around we will join forces to drive positive change with clean mobility solutions that benefit all,” said Un Soo Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Operations Division of Hyundai Motor Company. “With Shell, we will be securing our competitiveness within the automotive industry, continuing our transition as a smart mobility solution provider.”

The agreement, which runs through 2026, marks the fourth extension of the partnership, but this time with a new focus on clean energy and carbon reduction in proactive response to market changes.

The new agreement finds Hyundai looking to increase eco-friendly production and continue its transformation as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider.

Shell will also expand its role in providing Hyundai with cleaner mobility solutions.

“Accelerating the mobility sector to net zero will require collaborative pioneers willing to act now and establish the alignments needed to deliver a cleaner energy future,” said Carlos Maurer, Executive Vice President of Shell’s Global Commercial Business. “We believe we can best enhance Hyundai’s customer service experiences by tapping our EV charging expertise and our deep insights gathered from daily interactions with motorists at our 46,000 retail sites globally.”

The partnership will undertake cooperative projects that reflect this new direction, including a plan to establish new type of service channels specialised for mobility service providers, primarily in Asia. Both companies will also discuss cooperation schemes for energy supply business, such as EV and FCEV charging services.

At the heart of Hyundai and Shell’s wide-ranging relationship is a mutual commitment to leverage technology to deliver the energy transition. The global cooperation agreement also maintains Hyundai’s recommendation for Shell lubricants across its global aftermarket network.

The two companies run joint R&D programs

Hyundai and Shell officials at the signing including for the first-fill lubricants to meet Hyundai’s specific engine requirements, which could extend for collaboration on e-Fluids development for EVs. Shell, the No. 1 lubricants supplier globally for fourteen consecutive years, also continues to work

How Safe is Your Child?

As a parent or guardian, do you know of the provisions of section 126 (1-5) of the National Road Tra΀c Regulations, 2012 which makes it mandatory for all occupant of a vehicle to use seat belt for their safety? Do you know that section 3 speciÀcally states that; the driver of a motor vehicle shall be responsible for the children who are passengers in such a vehicle and shall ensure the proper use of child locks in every vehicle where one is involved; the proper use of the child safety seats for every child that is seven years and below and that child seat are not installed in the front row. The section in sub section 4 however exempt only children with medical report by a license medical practitioner that is inadvisable for to wear seat belt.

I know that the use of seat belt especially among adult is commendable. Unfortunately, most of us do not see any sense in protecting our children while driving by strapping them. Some lap them. Others leave them unattended to in moving vehicles. Some claim strapping these kids in a car seat is alien.

This group maintains that strapping children in a car is meant for the white man not a black man.

I believe these group know what they are saying after all these vehicles were manufactured in Oshodi by our Engineers. Others says the cost a car seat is high although the cheapest among these cars cost as low as million naira while others go for as high as two or more million naira compared to seats which range from just about 25,000 naira or less for the protection of the life of God’s precious gift(s). These

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa Assistant Corps Marshal Zonal Commanding Officer Federal Road Safety Corps.

same parents will not mind hanging with friends and business partners to spend on drinks and pepper soup and other extra. The female ones will prefer spending thousands of naira on their designer shoes and bags but not on the safety of their children. This is what we call choices.

Seat belt driving culture is no doubt commendable yet motorist don’t seems to care about child safety.

Daily, those children, whether in school buses or family vehicles are transported without any iota of safety.

Despite of the children safety campaign themes such as ‘’don’t kill the child, kill the bad habit’’ and the children are our future, protect them aimed at rising safety awareness, Child safety is still not a priority among motorist.

Road safety crises is the leading cause of preventable deaths and the third largest cause of disabilities in Africa, it is the second largest cause of death after HIV/AIDS and entrant, Ebola. In the same Africa,

there is generally no costing generally data making cost di΀cult to estimate except for few countries.

A study has shown that 10 per cent of global road death occurs in Africa through only 4 per cent of worlds registered vehicle are in the continent. This study posits that if reporting of road crashes were to improve, the road crashes index in the continent will be diͿerent as it most likely to show more death.

South Africa and Nigeria, according the study accounts for most of the reported deaths.

These deaths, according to the study are caused mostly by human error and vehicle factors that include the following: over speeding, dangerous overtaking, alcohol and drug abuse, negligence of drivers, poor driving standards overloaded people or goods in vehicles, poor tyre maintenance, bad roads and hilly terrain, negligence of pedestrian, distractions of drivers by passengers, cell phone use, among others.

The truth is that the world is concerned about child safety. This is because, road tra΀c injuries alone are the leading causes of death among children 15-19 years among 10-14 years old. These injuries are not inevitable; they are preventable. Ironically most parents are concerned despite the right of children as contained in the 1989 United Nation Convention on right of the child, rectiÀed by almost all government which states that all children around the world have the right to safe environment and protection from injuries and violence. The Conventions distressed on the responsibility of society to protect children (from birth up to the age of 18years). Even 2000 United

with Hyundai Motorsport in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) competition ³ a proving ground for development of advanced lubricants ³ as the Hyundai Shell MOBIS World Rally team goes for a second consecutive victory.

Nations Development Goals Resolutions set as its Àrst goals the need to reduce by two third the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 years.

In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly held in a special session on children, from which a document A World Àt for Children, was produced.

This document sets out a number of health goals for children. One of the goals which is speciÀc to injuries calls on all members to, ‘reduce child injuries due to other causes through the development and implantation of appropriate measures.’’ In 2015, the same WHO and UNICEF issued calls for greatly expanded global eͿorts to prevent child injury. This was followed in 2006 by WHO’s 10 years plan of activities on child injury.

In addition, WHO/UNICEF in 2008 in a report, titled ‘’World Report on Child Injury Prevention’’, expressed concern that every day around the world, the lives of more than 2000 families are torn apart by the loss of a child to an unintentional injury or so-called ‘’accident’’ that could have been prevented…’’

It noted that children’s injuries have been neglected for many years. Children’s maturity and their interest and needs diͿer from adults, the report further stated.

Therefore; simply reproducing injury prevention strategies that are relevant to adult does not adequately protect children, it warned. The report a΀rmed that there are proven interventions such as child seats, which is the thrust of this campaign. Others include, cycling helmet, child resistant packaging for medication, fencing around swimming pools, hot water tap temperature regulations and window guards, to name a few. These clarion calls have consistently re-echoed the same messages on child safety

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˜ ˾ APRIL 3, 2021

TRIBUTE

Chris Ekwebelem’s Accomplished Life: 1951-2021 Uzoma Ekwebelem

W

e all die. The goal isn’t to live forever. The goal is to create something that will. Alas, it is not length of life, but depth of life that really matters. On Friday the 29th day of January, 2021, time froze for the people of Umuka, Okigwe, and indeed Nigeria at large as the news of the demise of a most revered and illustrious son broke. OmereOha 1 of Okigwe is no more!

Born on the 10th day of July 1951, in the hilly academic town, Umudike Umuahia, Engr. Emeka Ekwebelem was the first child of late Chief Gabriel EkwebelemOkwara of MaduagbiDikeogu family, Umulaba clan of Umuka, Okigwe and late Madam Angelina NwanyiwunwaEkwebelem (nee Anyanwu) of Abam, Dikenafai all in Imo State. As the first son/ child, his birth brought great joy to both his paternal and maternal families hence the name Chukwuemeka!

(God has done a great thing).

“Okpara toro n”uloanaghi ama ihe” (A first son that doesn’t travel out to gather experiences may not be learned and wise). These great words repeatedly said to young Emeka by Chief Ekwebelem, his father, shaped his academic life. Despite the love and attachment his father had for Emeka, he sent him off to Port Harcourt in the care of a trusted mentor, Engr. Albert Okonkwo to conclude his primary education at St. Michaels Primary School Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he passed with distinction, especially in Mathematics. In fact it is worth noting that his mentor taught him mathematics and this guided his career choice later in life as we all have witnessed.

Earlier, he had started his academic pursuit, first at St. Ann’s Primary school, Ahiaeke, Umuahia, then did one year at St. Theresa Primary School, Okigwe before continuing at St Paul’s Primary School, Owerri Emeka proceeded to National High School, Arondizuogu, Imo State for his secondary education. The brilliant Emeka gained admission to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu where he studied Electrical/Electronic Engineering and graduated in 1977 as one of the Pioneer graduates in Electrical/Electronic engineering in IMT Enugu Later in further pursuit of academic excellence, Engr Emeka Ekwebelem in 1996 sat for and passed the prescribed professional qualification Examination of Nigerian Society of Engineers and was admitted as a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE).

In 1999, Engr Emeka Ekwebelem became a COREN (Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria) registered engineer. In 2002 he was admitted as a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and to cap it all in 2006, Engr Emeka Ekwebelem was awarded a Doctorate Degree of Imo Sate University - Honorary Causa Between 1977-1978 during his NYSC year, Engr Ekwebelem kicked off his engineering career with NEPA. History has it that he took part in the construction of the first five mega watts Power Station in the old

No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away. Sir Emeka Ekwebelem the ripples of goodnesses, kindness and technological ingenuity you caused will never fade nor die as you live on in our hearts. You will be sorely missed by everyone.

May God grant your loving soul eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord

Ekwebelem

Niger Delta.

From NEPA, he moved to Nigeria Engineering Works Port Harcourt between 1978 and 1980 there he worked as a Production Engineer as well as Quality Control and later as a development Engineer. From 1980 to 1986 Ekwebelem was one of the pioneer engineers employed by the then Imo State Government who built the International Glass Industries Aba. In 1987, in a rented apartment at 16 Brass Street, Aba, Karisto Industrial Systems was born. A foremost indigenous electrical technology company with two proprietary patents and design rights awards of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the brainchild of Engr Emeka Ekwebelem, a culmination of his years of experience in engineering and technological ingenuity.

Karisto Industrial Systems Limited which presently has a large factory located at KM11/2 Aba -Umuahia expressway, produces electrical switch gears and control systems, which he designed, developed and commercialized. He has no foreign technical partner.

Engr. Ekwebelem received numerous awards and titles, both spiritual and Temporal for his numerous contributions to the society. These include the Nigerian Society of Engineers merit award in 2000 and the National Productivity Order of merit award Federal Republic of Nigeria 2001.

From 1999 to 2007, late Ekwebelem was, for two consecutive tenors, the Chairman Governing Council, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri. He was a former President-general of Okigwe League and also Patron, Okigwe Town Development Union.

Community Service The history of Umuka and Okigwe would not be complete without mention of the numerous contributions of Chief Emeka Ekwebelem to his people. In 1992, Omereoha constructed a borehole water scheme and reticulated it to the entire Umuka village free of charge.

He also setup a scholarship fund for the less privileged sons and daughters of Umuka. He attracted a former Governor of Imo State to construct Umuka road.

Late Ekwebelem was a philanthropist who touched so many lives within and beyond his community.

These and many more deeds earned him the title “OzoOmereoha” a member of NzenaOzoOkigwe.

“Akudinuzu” (meaning there is wealth in technology) was the Chieftaincy title bestowed on late Ekwebelem by the trio of HRH Eze D. O Chukwu, HRH Eze Dr. Allen Okoro

and HRH Eze Sir Stephen Alagba. He also held the chieftaincy title of “Eziaha Ka Ego” from HRH, Eze Prof. Green Nwankwo.

Indeed Emeka Ekwebelem was a much reverred illustrious son of Okigwe, little wonder HRH Eze B. S. Ezuma gave him the title Omereoha 1 of Okigwe.

Late Ekwebelem was a Papal Knight of St. Gregory, a lofty attainment for a truly dedicated Catholic. He was also a Chevalier of Knight of St John International. (KSJI). His numerous services and contributions to the Catholic Church include: The chairman of the building/project committee for Immaculate Conception Cathedral Complex under Bishop Anthony Ekezie lluno. During his chairmanship, this complex was cleared and construction work was commenced. He also engaged an architect and paid him to assist His Lordship Anthony Iluno to establish the different structures in the master plan.

In his community, he took over the building of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Umuka, with his wife after the foundation and completed the church building in 2007 including the furnishing and installation of pews, fans and the altar. The church was opened in 2007 with a pontifical high mass celebrated by three Bishops - His Lordship Most Rev. S. A. Amatu, His Lordship Most Rev. A. E. Iluno and His Lordship Most Rev. V. V. Eze Onyia of Aba Diocese Later he organized a fund raising with his friends and raised the 80% of the fund required to build the Rev. Fathers house to qualify the Parish-in-building to become a full-fledged Parish with Rev. Father Boniface Osuafor as the first Parish Priest.

He was very active in developmental activities of the church in Aba Diocese. He was also the 2nd Vice Chairman of the Diocesan Pastoral Council at one time.

Late Ekwebelem was very active in politics. He was a pioneer member of PDP and contributed immensely to the successes of the party in Imo State. He was a member of Aba Sports Club and also made his contributions to the progress of the Club. He loved golf very much and was indeed a good golfer. He was at one time, the Captain of Golf section of the Club.

Engr Emeka Ekwebelem was married to lovely Barrister Lady Ezinne Ekwebelem. They are blessed with four children, and one Grand Son. He was every woman’s dream husband. A loving and caring husband and father who gave his all to his family.

From the very many tributes all over the country in honour of Karisto, there is no doubt that he left indelible footprints on the sands of his time, distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State requested us to be consoled by the fact that he lived a fulfilled life and left worldly legacies of hard work and selfless service in the Family, Church, Community and the Nation in general. For Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha CON, KSC former Governor of Imo State late Ekwebelem was known for his forthrightness in all his engagements and one whose opinion was always more or less the objective consensus in most matters”.

Prof. Maurice Iwu, former INEC Chairman described him “as a blessing to Okigwe people in many ways and without any doubt whatsoever one of our best and brightest”.

For Chief Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, KSC, Ahaejiejemba Ndigbo, he was as a colleague, “I can say he was a very brilliant and successful engineer who was very dependable and outspoken, and was passionately committed to the welfare of the people of Okigwe”. Chief Charles Ugwu, a political leader in Imo state and PDP Chairman in the state describes late Ekwebelem “as a man of honour, trustworthy, disciplined, and selfless with no greed in him”. There are many more which space cannot accommodate here.

A vigil mass was held for him at C.K.C premises Aba on March 23, 2021, Service of Songs at Aba Sports Club on March 29, 2021 while Departure Mass will be held in his honour on April 6, 2021 at C.K.C Aba at 10am.

There will be social wake keep for him later in the evening of the same day at Technology House, Umuka Okigwe. His remains will be laid to rest on April 7 2021 after Requiem Mass at St. Anthony’s Catholic Parish, Umuka, Okigwe.

No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away. Sir Emeka Ekwebelem the ripples of goodnesses, kindness and technological ingenuity you caused will never fade nor die as you live on in our hearts. You will be sorely missed by everyone. May God grant your loving soul eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 3,2021

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MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

Firm Announces Children’s Day Essay Contest

L-R: Media Personality and Budweiser Brand Ambassador, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu; Marketing Director, International Breweries Plc (IBPLC), a subsidiary of AB-InBev, Tolulope Adedeji; Budweiser Smooth Kick-off Promo Mercedes Benz Winner from Akwa Ibom, Udochukwu Osuagwu and High-End Sales Director, IBPLC, Carlos Coutinho, at the Budweiser Smooth Kick-off Promo Prize Presentation in Lagos.... recently

Nigerians, 30 Million People Worldwide Acquire Digital Skills During COVID-19 Nigerians are among over 30 million people in 249 countries and territories Microsoft Corp said it helped gain access to digital skills during COVID-19.

A statement issued by the corporation said this new target tops its initial goal of 25 million last June, and is extending the company’s commitment to help 250,000 companies make skills-based hire in 2021.

Akin Banuso, Country Manager at Microsoft Nigeria mentioned that according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in the country is estimated at 33.3%, this can be attributed to the loss of jobs attributed to the pandemic and the skills gaps required to thrive in the post-covid era. He said that “it is essential for the youth populace to be up-skilled

with the right combination of technical and soft skills to immediately make a diͿerence in the workplace. With programs like the Global Skilling Initiative (GSI) which has reached 30 million people worldwide. In Nigeria, we have seen an uptake and impact numbers where over 196,000 learners have been engaged to date.”

Earlier this year, in ensuring everyone has the skills, knowledge, and opportunity to succeed in the digital economy in Africa, Microsoft partnered with Tech4Dev and the Women Techsters Initiative aimed at training 5 million women across Africa by 2030 in coding and deep tech skills towards bridging the digital and technology divide between men and women as well as ensuring equal access to opportunities for all, while helping

women achieve economic empowerment across Africa - this includes Nigeria. In-addition, the organization also partnered with the African Development Bank and the Nigerian Government to launch the Digital Nigeria eLearning Platform – a low bandwidth online tool which provide highly in-demand competitive digital and entrepreneurship skills to Nigerian youth, irrespective of their location.

The statement said, “From laid-oͿ factory workers to retail associates and truck drivers, millions of people turned to online learning courses from GitHub, LinkedIn, and Microsoft during the pandemic to help prepare for and secure the most in-demand roles, including customer service, project management and data analysis.

Budweiser Fulfils Promise to Winners of Smooth Kick-off Campaign Premium Lager and official sponsor of the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga, Budweiser, has fulfilled its promise to winners of the just concluded ‘Smooth Kick-off Campaign’.

True to the promise of the brand, it recently rewarded three winners of the contest with the prize of a brand-new, luxury Mercedes Benz each in the presence of Budweiser Brand Ambassador,Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, pressmen, and well-wishers.

The car presentation ceremony spanned two days to control crowd as organisers adhered to government’s COVID-19 regulations to avoid close gatherings.

The Marketing Team presented the car keys to Oluwadamilola Oyeleke on Day 1 while Marketing Director, International Breweries Pc, Tolulope Adedeji presented the keys to the automobiles to the duo of Udochukwu Osuagwu and Emmanuel Effiong on Day 2.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony that held at Xovar Lounge in Lekki, Lagos , Adedeji stated that the campaign was launched to reward customers.

“When we set out to launch the Smooth Kick-off Campaign, it was with the intent to celebrate and uniquely reward Budweiser consumers; this is evident in the exclusivity of the prizes that were up for grabs. Budweiser decided to live up to its reputation as a premium brand by giving consumers the rare opportunity to go home with gifts they would not get a chance to win in regular promos.”

One of the winners, Udochukwu Osuagwu remarked that the phone call he received from Ebuka to announce his win was the best he had ever received.

He said, “I am so happy to be one of the lucky winners and I am grateful to the organisers of the

Budweiser Smooth Kick-off campaign for gifting me this lovely car.”

Marketing Manager of Budweiser, Olajumoke Okikiolu added that the promo also saw many won the recently released ultra-sophisticated PlayStation 5 Console which boasts innovative features as well as Budweiser Football Jerseys autographed by the legendary, Lionel Messi.

She said, “Aside from the luxury cars, we gave out football-related gifts because we know how much our consumers love football. And as one of the winners affirmed, Budweiser is the King of Beers, and that’s why the brand does not do half measures.

We go all out to put a smile on the faces of our loyal consumers because they deserve it and we will not rest on our oars to keep being the premium and dependable brand they have come to know and love.”

Consumer Prefer Chivita Ice Tea Fueled for All-Natural Ingredients Traditionally, consumers buy beverages with a main focus on their taste, price, and convenience.

However, as consumption knowledge advances, consumers are paying more attention to the beneÀcial health value of their Readyto-Drink beverages, particularly as it concerns the use of all-natural ingredients, nutritional value and artiÀcial sweeteners.

In this vein, more consumers have started to turn to beverage options like Ice Tea to stay hydrated and provide valuable vitamins required by the body. Chivita Ice Tea contains antioxidants. Antioxidants have been known to Àght free radicals in the body, reduce stress and aid mental rejuvenation. However, in order to maximize the beneÀts of ice tea, it is advised to opt for trusted brands that are made from natural

tea extracts without any added preservatives.

As such, a cross section of consumers interviewed has expressed their preference for Chivita Ice Tea. The brand has continued to appeal to consumers with its unique intrinsic product beneÀts of all-natural ingredients, source of Vitamin C, and its superior taste with no artiÀcial sweeteners. Chivita Ice Tea is a refreshing tea extract beverage with real fruit juice, oͿering consumers the natural health beneÀts of tea extracts as well as real fruit juice, all in one.

Chikodi Okonkwo, a nurse, said that after a sweltering hot day, her beverage preference for hydration and rejuvenation is Chivita Ice Tea. “I have come to cherish Chivita Ice Tea not only for its refreshing taste, but also for its good quality which are key considerations for consumers like me with a keen eye for

health and wellness,” she noted.

Rasheed Olukoya, a civil servant, stated, “Ice tea consumers like myself are becoming more savvy and adventurous, putting a premium on quality and health consideration in addition to great taste. Chivita Ice Tea Àts the bill when I need a quick boost. It is a perfectly healthy choice with natural taste.”

For CHI Limited, according to Marketing Director, Mrs. Toyin Nnodi, the positive feedback provides added motivation for the company to continue to innovate to meet consumers’ needs at all points in time.

“We are excited with the feedback from consumers on Chivita Ice Tea and will continue to ensure that their favourite Ice Tea meets their expectations for a healthier, delightful and natural great-tasting beverage.”

Technology firm, SystemSpecs has announced the call for participation in the 2021 edition of its Children’s Day Essay Competition.

The firm stated that the initiative was in furtherance of its commitment to the development of indigenous IT capacity for national prosperity.

According to the organisation, entries are open to children in the junior and senior categories across the country.

It noted that the entries for the competition themed: “Building a more Secure Nigeria using Technology”, should be submitted through the company’s portal latest by May 26.

Speaking further, Executive Director of SystemSpecs, Deremi Atanda said, “It is our belief that a solid technology foundation is necessary for any nation to compete and thrive in contemporary times. The competition’s objective is therefore to stimulate and encourage young Nigerians to become more technologically aware, so they can intuitively consider technology as a natural response to addressing everyday challenges around them.

“The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition is another expression of the company’s corporate social responsibility which has over the past couple of years been focused on raising a new generation of tech-enabled Nigerians to lead the country to become one where the benefits of technology easily becomes an everyday reality.”

Atanda added that ideas generated from the competition would be put together and shared with relevant stakeholders to serve as a guide for tackling security challenges in the country.

The company informed further that the first-place winners of the competition will get a prize of laptop, headphone and 10 gigabyte monthly Internet data, amongst others.

It stated, “Second place winners in each category would also respectively receive a laptop, headphone and monthly 5 gigabyte Internet data for one year, amongst others.

“The third-place winners in each category would respectively receive a tablet, a headphone and a branded hoodie, amongst others while top 10 Honour Roll winners in each category would also be handsomely rewarded and certified.

“More so,the school that produces the top winning participants in junior and senior categories would be rewarded with 10 and 15 high-capacity personal computers respectively.”

Winners Emerge in Cussons Baby Moments competition PZ Cussons has presented the winner of its recently concluded Cussons Baby Moments competition.

Now in its 7th edition, the initiative was thought of to celebrate babies, including their families.

In the 7th edition of the contest, Baby Naomi Essienawan emerged overall winner and was crowned ‘Baby of the year’ She also won for herself a grand prize of N2 million cash, and a season supply of the Cussons Baby products.

Baby Ojelade Daphne emerged the Àrst runner-up, winning N1 million and six months’ supply of Cussons Baby products; while the Second Runner-up, Aliu Ayomide got N500,000 and six months’ supply of Cussons Baby products. The Top 7 Ànalists were also compensated as the 4th-7th positions walked away with N100,000 and three months’ supply of Cussons Baby products each; while others were each awarded a month supply of Cussons Baby products.

In the special categories, Chukwubuikem Anthony won Best Candid Shot, Williams Adebola was rewarded for Best Concept/Composition; and Victory Chimdindu went home with the award for Best Toothy Smile. These special category winners each received N50,000 and a 3-month supply of Cussons Baby products.

The digitally driven competition was seamlessly conducted online, as it has always been designed for more online engagement than physical; from entries and selection processes, to the top ten Ànalists.

The competition also provided a bonding opportunity for families, rewarding opportunities, as well as diverse engagements that create memorable experiences for the babies and their families.

This year’s edition pulled about 9000 entries while the exercise oͿered a platform to inspire hope, remind families of the joy of parenthood a create meaningful moments.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͻ˜ ͺͮͰͯ

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NEWSXTRA

Fayemi Promises Memorable NAFEST 2021 Charles Ajunwa The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. KayodeFayemi,hasassuredthat thestatewasdeterminedtomake this year's National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), a memorable experience. Governor Fayemi said that Ekiti was the most suitable state to host such a national programme of this magnitude, adding that

Ekiti State was one of the most peaceful and hospital places in the country.

The governor who stated this at the inauguration of the Local OrganisingCommittee(LOC)for NAFEST2021attheGovernment House,Ado Ekiti. said Ekiti State will host the festival between November 13 and 20.

Fayemiurgedmembersofthe LOCtoputintheirbestandwrite

their names in gold. "Justify the confidence repose in you. There is a nexus between culture and development," he added.

He promised members of the LOC support and urged them to discharge their duty with dedication, so that they can give a NAFEST everybody will be proud of.

Director General of the National Council for Arts and

Culture(NCAC),OtunbaSegun Runsewe,commendedGovernor Fayemi for the administrative structure being put in place, culminatingintheconstitutionof the state LOC to be inaugurated.

He assured that the Council wouldworkcloselywiththestate toensurethatthisyear'sNAFEST will be one with a difference.

"Looking at the theme of the festival 'Celebrating National

Lawan Donates N8m to Victims of Yobe Market Fire Disaster Deji Elumoye ÓØ ÌßÔË President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday donated N8 million to victims of the fire disaster at Yan Harawa Market in Gashua, Yobe State.

The Senate President made the donation when he paid a

visit yesterday to the market in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area of the state.

Lawan during the visit appealed to the leaders of the Yan Harawa Market Association to ensure that all victims of the fi re incident benefit equally from monetary donations irrespective

of party affiliation.

He also assured that the federal government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) would support victims of the fire incident.

Said he: “I hereby donate the sum of N8 million. Please, it should be shared equally

to all victims affected by the market fire disaster. Whatever donations you receive, make sure it is shared to all those who are affected irrespective of whatever political party they belong to. I pray that may we continue to experience peace in this zone, and also in Yobe State and Nigeria.”

Unity in Diversity', there is no better state and time to celebrate this diversity and strength of the Nigeriannationandherpeople," he said.

Ekiti State Commissioner for

Arts Culture and Tourism, Prof.

Rasaki Ojo Bakare, described the inauguration as historic because it is the first time the LOC of a national event of this magnitude is being inaugurated in the state

‘Nigerians Yet to Feel Impacts of Buhari’s Campaign Promises’ Sylvester Idowu ÓØ ËÜÜÓ

APeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP) chieftain,ChiefSunnyOnuesoke, has lamented that five years into the eight years administration of PresidentMuhammaduBuhari-led AllProgressivesCongress(APC) governmentinNigeria,thecitizens were yet to feel the impact of its promises.

The former governorship aspirant in Delta State, at a press conferenceinWarriyesterday,said it was quite unfortunate that the

APC-ledfederalgovernmenthad derailedinitspromisestoNigerians.

“During the campaign that brought President Buhari into governance, APC promised to reduce fuel pump prices to N45 per litre in the first year of his administration, provide free education at all level, place every graduate on allowance after their youthservices,crushBokoHaram andotherinsurgencieswithinthree months, and create three million jobs annually.

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NEWSXTRA

Diya at 77, Says Nigeria will Overcome Challenges Kayode Fasua ÓØ ÌÏÙÕßÞË

Former Chief of Army Staff, General Oladipo Diya (rtd), in a statement yesterday to mark his 77th birthday, expressed optimism that despite teething challenges,theNigeriannation would still overcome.

Diya who was sacked and detained by Abacha for allegedly plotting to overthrow his administration in what was widelyfamedasphantomcoup, saidmorework,however,needs to be done by the government to solve the perennial problem ofbanditry,farmer-herdercrisis and all forms of terrorism in the land.

"I agree that there has always been one misunderstanding or the other, for a long time, but whatwearewitnessinginrecent past is alarming.

"Itistakingadangerousturn.

CHANGE OF NAME

Thesignsareominous.Weseem to have forgotten that, fundamentally, we are brothers and sisters from one source, in one nation with a common destiny.

“Let us pursue peace and eschew violence at all costs, by all means," Diya admonished.

He said, "Many actors have made their positions known" and that "a lot more have pointed accusing fingers, but noted that "we have turned the table and changed the narratives, just to suit our positions."

He, however, appealed for ceasefire in the accusations and counter-accusationsconcerning Nigeria's security and other challenges.

"One thing is certain: we cannotcontinuelikethis.Enoughis enough.Letusceasethepractice ofname-calling.Thereisnopart of the nation that does not have its inherent security challenges.

"Hence, the first solution is to look inwards. Let us do a soul searching," he opined.

Waxing philosophical, General Diya said, "Sociologists have always warned us thattherumoursofwaralways justify armament. Armament itself heightens the possibility of war'.

He cautioned: "We must avoid a repeat of mistakes of the past. Peace is all we need.

The political class must play by the rules and observe the thin line that separates politics from governance."

Healsoappealedthatsecurity matters should not be toyed with on the altar of politicking.

"Hate speech, fake news, and inciting ethnic-religious actsshouldbecompletelyeradicated.Ihavefoughtmanywars in my life. I have been out there all my life. I know the feel, the smell, the agony and the long time implications of wars.

"After a war, there must still be a dialogue, so it is better to dialogue and talk our way out of the problems," he stressed.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari "for his brave, strategic and fearless leadership."

"Throughadintofhardwork, the government had recovered numerous territories hitherto occupied by the insurgents. I commend His Excellency, Vice President(Prof.)YemiOsinbajo (SAN)..., theArmed Forces, the Police and all well-meaning Nigerians for their gallant efforts," he further said.

He said more work needed to be done by the government to solve the perennial problem ofbanditry,farmer-herdercrisis and all forms of terrorism in the land. "The arrival of the Covid vaccine is a welcoming relief. I have taken my jab without any side effects. I took the vaccine, ate, then slept like a baby. I urge the organisers to keep improvingthedeliveryprocess,inorder to vaccinate more Nigerians," Diya appealed.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ PRIL 3, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

Malami: A Chief Legal Officer’s Fidelity to the Law and Due Process Uchenna Okoro

O

f all the ministers, the only y one captured p as it were in the Nigerian g Constitution by y name is the Attorney y General and Minister of Justice. Put differently, y no other minister is named by y our constitution. So whereas there are as many y as over thirty y ministers recognized g by y the Constitution, why is only one singled out for mention?

Straightaway, g y it is because the framers of the Constitution envisage g that the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice is indeed a special p and strategic g one. It is so strategic g that the Constitution went ahead - unlike other ministers - prescribed p the qualifications q for being g appointed pp to that office.

Yes, the 1999 Constitution (as amended) expressly p declares that the holder of that office shall be a lawyer; not any y y kind of lawyer y though. g So, why y didn’t the same constitution for instance p provide that the minister of health shall be a doctor or that the minister of works shall be an engineer? g All these serve to not only y mystify y y the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice but also demonstrate its architectonic position in the cabinet.

Again, g as can be deconstructed from its nomenclature, the office of attorney y general g of the federation and minister of jjustice are in fact two offices technically y fused into one. One half of the office is the Attorney y General who serves as the chief law officer of the nation and the other half is the minister of justice j who serves as the legal g adviser to the government. g Thus any y occupant p of this two-in-one office is expected p to be like Caesar’s wife, conscientious, and above board. Somehow the framers of the constitution expect p an incumbent of this special p office to be a superhuman p who, on the one hand, is expected p to be unbiased in defending g and p protecting g the rights g of citizens and, on the other hand, expected p to be an astute p politician g guiding the government through legal g entanglements. g The conditions and standards set for the occupant of the office of attorney y general g and minister of jjustice as adumbrated above are p prohibitive enough. g It becomes even more difficult to be Buhari’s AGF and Minister of Justice! We all know that President Muhammadu Buhari comes with a big g reputation p when it comes to matters of integrity, g y fig ghting g corruption and fighting g g for the rights g of the p poor masses.

What this means is that whoever President Buhari finds worthy y enough g to be his AGF and Minister of Justice must be two times Caesar’s wife in being g above board. Again, g during g the heated campaigns p g for the 2015 p presidential election, President Buhari had promised Nigerians p g that fighting g g corruption, p securing g Nigerians g and rebuilding g the economy y would be the three main focuses of his g government, if elected.

And once Nigerians g gave the President the mandate, g focus shifted on identifying y g the right g p person to provide that forthright legal platform for his governp ment to launch out.

President Buhari resisted p pressures from flamboyant y senior lawyers, y top p academics and mediahugging gg g senior advocates and kept p a cool head in choosing g his chief legal g officer. He at once recognized g that a cool-headed and steadfast lawyer y with eyes y for details is needed to meander through g the labyrinth y of rancid cases left behind by the previous PDP govern-

Moreover, Malami as Minister of Justice has proved himself a loyal y party y man. He has provided his legal g support to the leader of APC, his party, p y President Buhari, in navigating g g the party y out of many y traps set by y fifth columnists posing g as members of their party.

The unfortunate dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working g Committee (NWC) of APC due to some legal intricacies was a deft move to save the ruling party

Malami ment.

In fact, Buhari wanted a serious lawyer y un-assailed by y lust for money y and p publicity. y He understood well enough g that p people p in the p previous g government had looted the nation dry y and a good g chunk of that money must be recovered following g due process p and tact.

Thus, he reached out to a man who had been with him from the y years when they y literally y had no funds to run their former party, Congress for Progressive Change, g CPC. His choice was Alhaji j Abubakar Malami, a senior advocate of Nigeria g from Kebbi State. When Malami was appointed pp p the AGF and Minister of Justice in 2015, a few eyebrows y were raised because Malami was not one of the senior lawyers y who practised p their trade in the media and as such was p perhaps p underrated. Five years y after, its is clear enough g for all and sundry y that President Buhari was most prudent in the appointment pp of his AGF. Under Abubakar Malami, the office of the attorney y general of the federation and minister of jjustice is no g longer g noted for wheeling g and dealing g as has been in the past. p As a matter of fact, his immediate predeces p sor, Mohammed Adoke, is still in the court facing g charges g of corruption p over allocation of an oil block.

That is after allegedly g y running from justice for several years by y hiding g abroad.

In essence, Malami, has rightfully g y returned the office of the AGF to its pristine p value for the protec p tion of the interests of the Nation both at home and abroad. At the domestic level, Malami has used his venerated office to support pp vigorously, g y President Buhari’s fight g against g corruption. p Although g p previously y hamstrung g by y the uncooperative p attitude of the former leadership of the main anti-corruption

body y in the land, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malami has tactfully y removed all road blocks to fighting g g corruption p at the EFCC. The unintelligent g and even extra-legal g disposition p of the former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, g towards fighting g g corruption p and, of course, his refusal to submit to proper p p legal g supervision p by y the OAGF are well documented and need not be regurgitated g g herein. But the good g news is that Malami has returned EFCC to the excellent path p of fighting g g financial crimes under a new leadership p committed to global best practices and the rule of law.

The era in which EFCC had its cases thrown out by y judges j g as a result of lack of p proper p investigation g and diligent g p prosecution appears pp now to be over.

In essence, under Malami, EFCC is now completely p reformed organization g with stronger g teeth to bite and at the same time, preserving p g the rights g of citizens unlike before when shoddy y investigations and media trials were the order of the day. y Overseas, the attorney y general g and minister for jjustice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has also used his office to save the country y from all sorts of blushes and embarrassing g situations. The one that easily y comes to mind is the messy y award of a whopping pp g $8.9 billion by y a British court against g Nigeria g to a phoney p y company, p y Process and Industrial Development(P&ID). p The court awarded the amount against g Nigeria g for alleged g breach of gas g supply pp y contract between the Federal Government and P&ID in 2010, a clear five years before Buhari became President.

Reaching g out to his sagacity g y in law and and commitment to his fatherland, Malami had launched moves to set aside that award in a higher g British court and the recent pronouncement p of the court has vindicated the AGF’s decision to appeal pp that court judgment. j g The Commercial Court granted g Nigeria’s g appeal pp for a stay of execution of the award of $8.9 billion (about N3.2 trillion) in favour of P&ID. And at home, some of our citizens allegedly g y used by y P&ID to swindle their country y are having g their day y in court. This P&ID matter presents p a clear opportunity pp for a corrupt p AGF to line his pockets p by y simply py advising g the government g to pay p y the judgment j g debt and surreptitiously p y get g his own cut. But Malami chose to be a patriot p and instead warned that, “the whole saga g associated with P&ID contract was a product p of corruption, p fraud and non-compliance p with processes p and p procedures. The g greatest lesson that is apparent pp p arising g from this is to put p our house in order by y way y of ensuring g that we have in place p standard operating p g procedures relating p g to each and every y agreement g that has the potential p of affecting g our national economy and national interest and ensure that the stated standard operating p gp procedures are followed at the end of the day y and ensure that there are consequences q for corrupt p practices p relating g to the officials of the government that are saddled with the responsibility g p y of processing p g agreements g and ensuring g at the end of the day y that due processes and procedures are complied with.”

This AGF has also successfully y negotiated g the return of million of dollars looted from the federal coffers by y former head of state General Sani Abacha, from Switzerland and the United States of America.

And he has used the instrumentality y of his office to ensure that such returned funds are not re-looted as allegedly g y done by y the previous p government g by y tying y g the monies to some laudable capital projects like the Lagos-Ibadan g Expressway. p y Moreover, Malami as Minister of Justice has proved p himself a loyal y p party y man. He has p provided his legal g support pp to the leader of APC, his party, p y President Buhari, in navigating g g the party p y out of many y traps p set by y fifth columnists p posing g as members of their p party. y The unfortunate dissolution of the Adams Oshiomholeled National Working g Committee (NWC) of APC due to some legal g intricacies was a deft move to save the ruling g party. p y Those who do not understand the nature of the tight g rope p the party p y was walking g on given g the many y court orders may y not appreciate pp the yeoman y job j that the AGF did in advising g the President to dissolve the NWC and empanel p a caretaker committee to p put the party p y in line with the law as 2023 general elections beckon.

It must be stated that it is not a fluke that Abubakar Malami has enjoyed j y President Buhari’s confidence past five years y as AGF. He is now perhaps p p the these p longest g serving g chief legal g officer of the country. y He has proved p to be a patriot p and a good party man. And he deserves all the plaudits! p ––Okoro writes from Abuja

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Magnus Abe to Amaechi

“How can anybody get up in a party where we have not even concluded registration and come out to zone the governorship ticket of the party? No one individual has such power and definitely Amaechi does not have that power.”

– Senator Magnus Abe chastising Rotimi Amaechi over alleged zoning of the party’s 2023 governorship ticket to the riverine part of the state.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

25 Years Ago, Ovation International was Born in London

F

ellow Africans, I feel so emotional today, please, indulge me as I take you through the trajectory that gave birth to what is now known today as the Ovation Media Group, comprising of a magazine and television, as well as an online newspaper, The Boss. I just can’t imagine that a quarter of a century has already passed, just like that.

The journey has been long, but the story itself is even longer. The saga of how I meandered my ways into London in July 1995 is no longer news. I must have told and retold it on many different platforms a million times! I make bold to say that it is a unique and veritable lesson for most aspiring young journalists and would be politicians. I therefore offer no apologies for repeating it here again. However, because this is not the thrust of my epistle today, let me just summarise it for the sake of those who were not yet born at the time and may not be aware of the politico-military pestilence that hit Nigeria like a brutal tornado, an unrelenting and unremitting tropical storm, at the time.

On June 12, 1993, a Presidential election was conducted by the Babangida government. It was a straight fight between two business moguls, Chief Moshood Abiola and Alhaji Bashir Tofa.

The election was adjudged the best and freest in the history of elections in Nigeria. The winner was undoubtedly Chief Abiola. The results were never announced officially, although the full results had been compiled by the electoral umpire of the time, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the precursor to today’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and published by most newspapers. Some Smart Alec thought that by adding ‘Independent’ to the name of the body, it would suddenly become independent. Get real! There is nothing in a name. Now we know that the nomenclature may be slightly improved, but the antics and tactics remain the same. Shame on all those Czar’s that have held sway at the helm of affairs of our electoral body, apart from possibly Prof Attahiru Jega. Anyway, I digress. Unfortunately, the military leadership at the time, based on whatever possessed them, decided to annul the election, after the event. It was generally believed that an immensely powerful group of Army Generals and their civilian collaborators connived and conspired to rob Chief Abiola of his unprecedented victory. That is a tale I have also told a few times, but the gory details have never really been revealed. This is definitely a story for another day.

I was deeply involved in the political denouement that played out at the time, not only because I had become a senior journalist in Chief Abiola’s stable of newspapers, but also because I had become close to the colossus himself and I was one of his trusted aides. I was not a thoroughbred politician but boasted of socio-welfarist credentials at the time. I was not overly impressed with the Nigerian military or the politicians that shamelessly thronged around them like flies and fleas.

Once the freest and fairest elections were annulled, I could not like other fair-weather friends and acquaintances, abandon, desert or let down my boss and “adopted father”, Bashorun MKO Abiola. I decided to get involved in pro-democracy activities which landed me in detention in Lagos and, later, exile in England.

The main story for today is about what happened in the city of London after navigating my way from Lagos to Cotonou to Lome to Accra and eventually to London. I had been a relatively frequent visitor to London since the

MKO Abiola

1980s, but I was never tempted to abscond and disappear into thin air like many visitors often do. Despite some challenges, life was generally good and sweet in Nigeria, until the military boots decided to step and march on our necks!

So, despite the imminent dangers I faced in my dear beloved country, it never occurred to me that one day I will make the United Kingdom my veritable home until my first cousin Segun Fatoye opened my slumbering eyes to stark realities. He had asked me what I would be doing to keep body and soul together now that it was clear that I would be in exile for some time. To be honest, I had no idea and didn’t even contemplate such. He then volunteered a suggestion, which was later developed with my brother and great friend, Damola Aderemi, in a basement bedroom in their maisonette home at Rowley Way Estate, on Abbey Road, London, that would change the course and direction of African celebrity journalism in a ground-breaking and remarkable manner, forever. That was how the seed of Ovation International magazine was planted in me. Against all odds and, in particular, a chronic lack of sufficient funding for the mega dream and vision that we shared, we braved the odds to start. That is another story. I’m eternally grateful to all those who came to my rescue.

The first copy of the maiden issue of Ovation International magazine rolled off the press in April 1996. It was a miracle. Again, I must thank all the dare-devil friends and colleagues who made this feat possible. We managed to produce a masterpiece with Mohammed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods at the time, on the Cover.

By the time this premiere edition came out and we delivered copies to his office, he was so impressed that he sent us bottles of wine, champagnes and some chocolates, and above all a powerful letter of appreciation. It was the first indication that Ovation was going to be a great and huge success.

Our maiden edition contained populist stories of the commendable successes of African businessmen and businesses that would ultimately gain traction across Africa and beyond as the real African story. We can rightly and proudly assert to say that Ovation was the trail blazer for showcasing and celebrating the riches of men and women of Africa and African descent which some non-African magazine franchises have now enhanced by having a separate section and journal to deal with these personalities.

Indeed, our first cover was on some African

billionaires, including Al Fayed from Egypt; Chief M. K. O Abiola, leading a long list of Nigerian moneybags; Mr Amadou Samba of The Gambia; Dr James O. Onobiono of Cameroun; Daniel Asafo of Ghana, the Olympio Brothers, Salomon, Nathaniel, Harry, John and Alberto from Gabon and others.

We ran a controversial story on 100 stormy Nigerian women which became the major topic for gossips. The women included Mrs Bolajoko Kuforiji-Olubi, Chief Mrs Opral Benson, Mrs Florence Ita-Giwa, Ms Jennifer Uju Madike, Mrs Daisy Danjuma, Mrs Julie Coker, Mrs Maria Sokenu, Lady Grace Egbagbe, Mrs Bianca Onoh-Ojukwu, Hajia Laila Dongoyaro, Mrs Ronke Dalley Ayuba, Prof Grace Alele-Williams, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Mrs Morounkeji Okunowo, Mrs Titi Ajanaku, Lady Onyeka Onwenu, Mrs Christie Essien-Igbokwe, Regent Omotunde Adelabu, Senator Franca Afegbua, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, and so many distinguished names.

It practically sold out the magazine because we paraded who’s who in the Nigerian social scene.

The very first article (under the column called “Good Day Africa” on page three was penned by my journalism hero and inspiration, Mr Sonala Olumhense, from New York. My great friend, Onukaba Adinoyi-Oyo, an extremely gifted writer, now of blessed memory, wrote about the struggle for power in ‘Somalia: Fragments of a Nation...’ Who could have imagined Nigeria would one day go through a similar, if not worse situation, as we are doing today? I can never forget these lines in the story: “It is easier to find an AK47 than a loaf of bread in a typical Somali home...”

We had a story on famous Pastors, including Pastors Tunde Bakare, Reverend Francis Wale Oke, Pastor Agu Irukwu, the Odulele Twins, Albert and Vincent, Reverend Matthew Ashimolowo and different Nigerian and Ghanaian Pastors.

The story was authored by Ms Pauline Walley.

Famous broadcast journalist, Mr Mani Onumonu, interviewed Mrs Lola Ayanrinde, the first African female Conservative Councillor in the UK, representing Wandsworth. We culled a story from The Spectator, which was written

by Ms Zulikat Wuraola Abiola, titled ‘Let My Father Go.’ We never anticipated that Chief Abiola would later die in prison.

My old school friend at the University of Ife, Juwon Ogungbe, wrote a column called ‘Pleasure’, on music and entertainment. There were stories on Fela, Manu Dibango, Yousour N’Dour, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Hugh Masekela and others. Weird MC was also featured.

I wrote a story on Buckingham University as an African University where children of rich and famous Africans schooled. His Excellency Judge Bolasodun Adesumbo Ajibola, a Prince of Owu in Egbaland, was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa and, guess what, the Rt. Hon. Baroness Margaret Thatcher of Kesteven, KG, was in attendance. Ajibola’s children Segun (now a SAN), Ademola, Akinmade, and their sister, Mrs Modupe Afikuyomi all read Law at the same Buckingham University.

Judge Ajibola’s citation was read by another distinguished Nigerian, Dr Olufemi Elias, son of Justice Taslim Olawale Elias, Former Chief Justice of Nigeria and President of the International Court of Justice who is himself a renowned international Public International law lawyer. The graduation ceremony paraded many Nigerians at the Bachelors and Masters levels, including Ms Olayinka Aina, Ms Iyabo Olayinka Ogunseye, Ms Bilikisu Rimi, Ms Hakeemat Iyadunni SegunOki and Abdul Rashid Waziri. Ms Olufunke

Olatokunboh Onitiri bagged a first class in Law. There were so many Nigerians in the school.

Popular Nigerian journalist, Alaba Yusuf wrote an exciting column. My former colleague at the Concord Press of Nigeria, Larry Echiejile (now known as Larry Izamoje) wrote our beautiful Sports section beginning with ‘The All-time Goals’. George Opong Weah (now President of Liberia) was prominently featured.

We had a page for Property of the month, in which we featured the magnificent home of then Managing Director of Alpha Merchant Bank, Otunba Olujimi Adebisi Lawal. Chief Femi Alafe-Aluko, a property and real estate guru also authored a property column for us. Okagbue Aduba not only wrote the beautiful story on The Rising Profile of South African Women, but he also helped tremendously in production. We had our resource persons in Princess Funmi Ayandokun, Princess Moradeun Solanke, Badou Diop, Mrs Tayo Agunbiade, Mr Francis Kokutse, Mr Segun Adebayo (Photographer), Mr Sanya Ojikutu, Mr Kunle Bakare, Mr Sylvester Mbou, and others.

But the main clincher for us was the cover story written by the celebrated author, Ike Okonta, titled JUST DREAM. Just imagine a poor being, an irreverent committed idealist and non-conformist, let loose on Harrods, one of the most exotic and expensive shops in the world. It would be harrowing and galling, yet wonderful and awesome in its glamour and glitz! That was the traumatic experience Ike Okonta enjoyed, or suffered, as he explored the gilt, ostentation and razzmatazz of all that Harrods had to offer. Ike wrote: “Nothing comes cheap at Harrods, true. But one endearing side to this hymn to opulence is that it has a place for the very affluent and also for those who aspire to affluence. You can pick up a Cartier diamond watch for twenty thousand pounds. But take a walk to the next counter and you can just as easily pick up another, silver though, for about two hundred pounds.

And it will take a tested connoisseur to detect the difference. At Harrods, the watchword is good taste.

“Time flies. But you hardly notice. You are feeling thirsty. You take the escalator to the ground floor to slake your thirst with a cold beer. But you pause as you notice the price-tag.

At Harrods, you just must pause. But then you are just as quickly seduced by the beauty of it all, the understated elegance, the power, the aura.

“Harrods is the world, minus its poverty and sadness...”

It would be nice to be able to reproduce some of these stories someday. There is a lot of history, not only in the facts recounted in the stories but also in the life and times of the prodigious and prolific authors and contributors that have graced the pages of this magnificent, majestic and monumental magazine, even if I say so myself.

Sadly, some of the personages and authors alike have passed on to the great beyond and I pray for the sweet repose of their souls.

It is noteworthy to tell you one of the best things that happened to us at the beginning.

It was the visit by Prince Nduka Obaigbena and the profound advice he left behind: “Dele, make sure Ovation does not die. Do everything to protect and sustain it. Failure has no friend or relatives. I discovered this fact when my magazine, Thisweek, died! Ovation must not die...” These words continue to resonate and reverberate not only in my ears but stridently, obstreperously and endlessly in my heart and mind... (To be continued) ...

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