SATURDAY 10TH JULY 2021

Bandits Invade Gov Matawalle’s Local Government, Kill 42 Francis Sardauna in Katsina Bandits killed 42 farmers on Thursday evening in five communities in Faru, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle hails from the Local

government.

The affected communities are Tsauni, Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu, Wari and Gudan-Maidawa.

An indigene of the area, Malam Buba Faru, said the bandits, who rode over 100 motorcycles, stormed the

communities located few kilometres on the eastern part of Faru town.

Buba said the bandits shot indiscriminately at the people and burnt their houses and food stores.

“They were shooting sporadically at people they

came across in the five communities. They also attacked farmers who were in their farmlands cultivating their crops. So far, 42 dead bodies have been recovered by the security and volunteer groups in the area.”

Another resident of the

village, Ahmed Lawali, also confirmed the deadly invasion to THISDAY yesterday in a telephone interview, and said the bandits, numbering up to 70, stormed the village at about 4.30pm when most of the victims were working on their farmers.

He explained that the marauding bandits who were on reprisal mission to the village, trailed the farmers to their respective farms and started shooting sporadically, “in the process, 39 persons Continued on page 5

NACCIMA, NASMEs, NESG Worry as Diesel Hits N290 Per Litre… Page 8 Saturday 10 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9588

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Osinbajo: Taming Poverty with Common Sense Festus Akanbi and Deji Elumoye

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration plans to rely on a common-sense strategy to lift 100 million Nigerians Oba of Benin, HRH Ewuare II...yesterday

Continued on page 5

Oba of Benin: Let’s Pray for Obaseki We will not hand over our artefacts to any unauthorised private entities or third parties who want them for financial gain FG sets 2022 deadline for return of all looted Bini bronze Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City As the nation awaits the return of hundreds of artefacts looted from the Bini Kingdom in 1897 from Germany, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, yesterday alleged that some unscrupulous people were moving to hand over the artefacts to unauthorised private entities or third parties and that it would be resisted.

This is coming on the heels

of the August 2022 deadline set by the federal government for the German government to ensure full return of hundreds of artefacts looted from the Bini Kingdom in 1897.

Obaseki had told THISDAY last Thursday that he was working on a tripartite arrangement, involving the federal and state governments, the Oba of Benin and a private trust that would manage the artefacts on behalf of the palace Continued on page 5

TB Joshua Buried in Lagos Amid Tears... Page 6

EMPOWERING JOURNALISTS...

L-R: President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mallam Mustapha Isah; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; and President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, at the 1st Annual GYB Seminar for Political and Crime Correspondents/ Editors, held in Abuja...yesterday

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Buhari: We Are Employing New Tactics to Contain Security Challenges Kingsley Nwezeh ÓØ ÌßÔË President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that the federal government was deploying new tactics and state power to contain security challenges and promote peace in the country.

He said his administration “is determined” to strengthen multinational and multilateral cooperation in the Lake Chad region to defeat trans-border crimes plaguing the nations.

President Buhari made the declaration in a message to the graduation ceremony of the 43rd Course participants of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State.

The special guest of honour, who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd), expressed optimism that asymmetric threats were surmountable if African countries work together within a

clearly defined joint operational environment.

A statement issued by the minister's office last night said the president while reflecting on the national security challenges facing the nation, said his administration "is employing new tactics and deploying state powers to promote peace and tranquillity in the country".

He told the 226 graduands of the AFCSC to justify huge investments expended on them

by adding value to the counterinsurgency and anti-banditry operations, pointing out that to whom much is given much is expected".

He, therefore, urged the graduands of the 48-week intensive training to be good ambassadors of the 40-year-old tri-service institution.

The president reminded them that graduation was a clarion call to taking up higher duty in service to their fatherland.

He lauded what he called "milestone achievements and pivotal roles, the esteemed military institution is playing in raising the bar of robust professional competences of the armed forces of the various nations".

The Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Air Vice Marshal Ebenezer Alade, who had earlier conferred the prestigious title of the Pass Staff Course (PSC)

on the graduands said they, were found worthy in character, learning, and professionalism.

The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, which has Magashi as Chairman of the seven-man board membership, was established in 1976 and had over the years of its existence attained high-level developmental strides and acquired international status as a reputable citadel of learning in the West African sub-region.

is our main occupation here (in Faru)."

However, the Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer SP. Muhammad Shehu, while confirming the incident, said 35 people lost their lives as a result of the attack by the bandits in the village.

He added that, a joint security task force comprising military,

police, NSCDC had been deployed to the area "and normalcy has been restored right now."

According to him, their corpses were taken to Faru town where they were buried.

Shehu stated that the police could not reach the affected communities on time when they were informed of the bandits’

attack due to the road network.

“The police personnel tried their best to reach the affected communities on receiving the information that the bandits were there but unfortunately they could not reach the places because of the bad roads,” he said.

He stated that the “police are currently working tirelessly” to arrest the bandits.

Citing the example of Bangladesh where a poverty reduction strategy was also implemented, the Vice-President noted how the country's manufacturing sector was key.

“Bangladesh exports more garments than we export oil,” the VP said.

According to him, “countries that have managed to get out of poverty have created a lot of jobs through industries, and they have developed intentional strategies.

"We must look at what others have done, the smart things that other people have done, and adopt. We have to think smartly about how we are funding agriculture, "I think we really need

to take a deep dive because governments have made several efforts at poverty alleviation but generally speaking, they have not yielded the sort of results they should yield, and I think it’s because there is a lot of focus on documentation and paperwork and very little common-sense approaches,” the VP added.

Osinbajo explained that the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy is meant to be a national strategy, not just a federal effort and it is aimed at taking 100 million people, nationally, out of poverty within a target time-frame of 10 years.

He said, “I just want to emphasise that it is a national strategy as opposed to a federal strategy which is why the steering

committee is made up of federal, as well as state officials.”

While also emphasising the role of the private sector, the VP said, “Essentially, this effort must also be directed at how to facilitate private sector creation of jobs. The fact is that there is no way that the federal government or the state governments can create the number of jobs that we need.

“We need to take a few broad looks at the features of what constitutes our present predicaments in terms of job losses and unemployment.”

Prof. Osinbajo said efforts will be made to focus attention on creating opportunities for Nigerians to earn decent livelihoods in addition to

equipping them with the necessary vocational skills.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who is also Nigeria Governors Forum Chairman, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, and Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; Ministers of Agriculture, Muhammad Nanono; Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, and Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige also attended, while the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba joined the meeting virtually.

body now referred to as Legacy Restoration Trust.

When Governor Godwin Obaseki informed me in his correspondence of another implementation framework using the so-called Legacy Restoration Trust and the Edo Museum of West Africa Arts (EMOWAA), my response was that the setting up of another organisation or legal entity in whatever form or guise will not be necessary or acceptable.

"I informed him that Oba Ewuare II Foundation has been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and has worked out a framework for not only receiving the artefacts but also building a modern structure - The Benin Royal Museum – within the precincts of the Palace and that land has been secured for the building of the Benin Royal Museum under the supervision of the traditional institution. But for reasons best known to him the Governor has gone against the understanding, given recent events.

The Oba, who addressed Palace Chiefs, Enigies (Dukes) on the repatriation of the looted Benin artefacts, the Benin monarch strongly advised that anyone, group, organisation, or government – national and international that is dealing with any organisation or artificial group in the process of returning the artefacts looted from the Benin Kingdom would be doing so at their own risk and against the will of the people of the Benin Kingdom.

The Oba of Benin’s press conference was in reaction to

a report yesterday by THISDAY that hinted at a possible showdown between him and the Edo State governor on the final destination of the looted artefacts.

Obaseki had told THISDAY that he was working on a tripartite arrangement, involving the federal and state governments, the Oba of Benin and a private trust that would manage the artefacts on behalf of the palace and the people.

“I intend to work with the Oba of Benin in an arrangement that would be led by the federal government,” he told THISDAY, accusing a palace chief, Elemai Oseni, of misinforming the revered monarch about his plans.”

The governor said he would straighten out things with the monarch on his return from Germany, where he and the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, are currently negotiating and insisting on unconditional repatriation of the artefacts.

government officials in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday, according to a statement he issued yesterday.

Mohammed, who led a Nigerian government delegation for high-level talks with German government officials on the repatriation of the artefacts, said the agreement for the return of the Benin Bronzes from Germany must be signed by December 2021. ''For us, the most important issue in the road map is the signing of the agreement and the date of return. We won't move forward if we don't have a clear date on signing and return,'' he told participants at the round-table. ''Full return should be completed in a year, not beyond August 2022," he said.

The minister said Nigerians were eagerly awaiting the return of the 1,130 Benin Bronzes, which are being held by various museums in Germany.

The German government is coordinating the return of the Benin Bronzes, which are mostly held by state and private museums. Of the 6,600 museums in Germany, less than five per cent are owned by the government.

Speaking at the roundtable, the Secretary of State in the German President's office, Mr. Stephen Steinlein, said the President was happy with the progress made so far on the planned repatriation of the artefacts.

He described the planned return of the artefacts as ''a lighthouse project'' and

assured that the President would continue to follow the process keenly.

Work is set to begin on the building of a museum, tagged Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), in Benin City that will hold the artefacts when they are repatriated.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who is also part of the Nigerian delegation, told the roundtable that the museum “is part of a transformation project” being planned to make Benin City a cultural hub.

The architect handling the museum project, Sir David Adjaye, made a presentation to the roundtable, during which he said the project would fuse the technology of ancient Benin Kingdom to that of the 21st century to get an organic pavilion that will boast of an auditorium, storage, as well as exhibition space, among other facilities.

Earlier in the day, the Nigerian delegation met with representatives of Ethnologisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, where a select number of Benin Bronzes, some of them dating back to the 16th century, were on display.

Other members of the Nigerian delegation included the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Yusuf Tuggar; the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Prof. Abba Tijani; Benin Crown Prince Ezelekhae Ewuare and Mr. Phillip Ihenacho, Director of the Board, Legacy Restoration Trust.

BANDITS INVADE GOV MATAWALLE’S LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KILL 42 mainly men, were massacred on the spot.”

According to him, the bandits raided the village following the arrest and killing of two of their members along Mafara- Faru road by the group of vigilantes popularly known as Yan'sakai who nabbed them with two AK-47 riffles last Wednesday.

He said: “Yesterday

(Thursday) at about 4:30pm bandits armed with sophisticated weapons attacked Faru Village when some of us were still working on our farms. They (bandits) killed 39 people on their farms and injured many others.

"They (bandits) attacked the village because last Wednesday, Yan'sakai arrested and killed

two bandits along Mafara- Faru road who were nabbed with two AK-47 riffles. It was a reprisal mission. ”We buried all the dead bodies this morning (Friday) according to Islamic rights after Friday prayer. We are calling on security agencies to come to our rescue so that we can return to our farms because farming

OSINBAJO: TAMING POVERTY WITH COMMON SENSE out of poverty within a time frame of 10 years.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee on Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Prof.

Osinbajo said the government would adopt a different and more effective approach in actualising the objective of eradicating poverty in the country for the sake of delivering results.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, quoted Prof Osinbajo as saying, “I want us to approach this as much as possible, common-sensical so that we can resolve all the issues and

focus on the real progress.

“I want us to look beyond all of what we are going to be doing, there is going to be a considerable amount of paperwork, but a lot of common sense is what grows economies.

It's what other countries have done, not reinventing the wheel.

So, I want us to focus on those common-sensical things so that we can move forward.”

Expressing the hope that this way, the Committee will be able to achieve rapid progress, Prof.

Osinbajo said, "in order not to make this merely, another of those high-sounding committees that eventually achieve nothing, we have to be very intentional about our objectives and how to achieve them.”

OBA OF BENIN: LET’S PRAY FOR OBASEKI and the people.

But Oba Ewuare II, who addressed a press conference yesterday said he had agreed with the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki to house the artefacts in a palace museum and that the controversy around it was absolutely unnecessary.

He said: “I had a discussion with the governor about the need to return them to the palace. If he is here, I will ask him if that was not what we agreed upon. The international community must also know this.

“I will ask for prayer for the governor because it seems there are some unscrupulous people behind this arrangement, who might be doing it for financial gain.”

The Oba said he discussed with the Minister of Information and Culture on the direct repatriation of the artefacts to Benin Kingdom from where they were stolen.

He added that the federal government should take custody of the artefacts and not to hand it over to a private company or the state government, until the Benin Royal Palace Museum was built.

According to the Oba, "Thankfully just yesterday I spoke with the Hon. Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who is presently in Germany over the negotiation with the German Government over the plans for the repatriation of our artefacts.

He assured me that the federal government remains committed to unconditional return of our artefacts and will guarantee

their full custody for their onward transmission to Benin Kingdom to the exclusion of any unauthorised private entities or third parties.

“We once again thank the federal government for this commitment. It now behooves on the federal government to be the only level of government that can take custody of the artifacts with a view to transferring them to their original owner and their original place of abode, more so that there exist international treaties and laws guiding these processes."

The Oba said he also discussed the destination of the expected artefacts with Obaseki, stating that they reached an understanding that the Palace would be in charge, but that he was surprised by his recent position.

"It is pertinent to note that shortly after my ascension to the throne, I had several discussions with the governor on the plan for the Benin Royal Museum and he expressed his readiness to work with the Palace to actualise this laudable wish of my father. I made efforts and acquired additional plots of land from different families within the Adesogbe area near the present day palace for this purpose.

"I was, however, surprised to read from the Governor's letter to the Palace where reference was being made to the fact that a new Museum to be known as EMOWAA is now being proposed, which will be funded and executed through the vehicle of another

FG sets 2022 deadline for return of all looted Bini bronze in Germany The federal government has set August 2022 deadline for the German government to ensure full return of hundreds of artefacts looted from the Bini Kingdom in 1897.

The Minister of Information and Culture, made the demand on the artefacts’ repatriation at a roundtable with German Museum Directors and

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NEWS

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

TB Joshua Buried in Lagos amid Tears Festus Akanbi

The remains of renowned televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, were buried in his church premises in Lagos yesterday amidst tears by loved ones including his wife, Evelyn, his children, and other members of the family.

Also in attendance at the sombre event were members

of the church’s neighborhood community in the Ikotun area of the state; representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who described himself as a beneficiary of Joshua’s philanthropy.

Joshua was buried after a week-long funeral service which ended yesterday afternoon.

Governor Akeredolu recounted how Prophet Temitope

Osubi Airport Reopening Excites Delta Government Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has expressed delight at the decision of the federal government to reopen the Osubi Airport in Okpe Local Government Area in the Warri axis of the state, yesterday, more than one year after it was shut to passengers.

Until its reopening yesterday, the Osubi Airport, which became operational 22 years ago as the only air transportation facility in Delta State, had been shut down for over 16 months.

Hon. Oborevwori, who represents the Okpe Constituency in the State House of Assembly, described the occasion as “the remaking of history”, saying that his excitement reflected the mood within the state government and the state at large.

While noting that the Nigerian aviation statistics of passenger traffic for the Osubi facility was

significantly high even as far back as 2015, the Speaker said that the social and economic importance of the reopening, especially for the oil and gas industry, needed not be overemphasised.

As a result of the closure of the Osubi Airport to business, the loss of economic benefits to Delta State Government and the Okpe/Warri area where the facility is located was huge, he observed.

Oborevwori said, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are here to witness the re-making of history. I say this because on the 17th of April, 1999 when the Osubi Airport was commissioned, it was first of its kind in the state. It attracted headlines as a major breakthrough in air transportation in the state.

“Unfortunately, following controversy involving aviation service providers and management of the airport, it was closed in February, 2020.

PIB: Don’t Treat South-south like Beggars, Increase Host Communities Equity to 10%, Say PFN, PDP Chieftain Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Former Vice President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), South-south, Bishop Simeon Okah and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke, have berated the National Assembly for allocating a paltry three per cent to oil-bearing host communities and 30 per cent for oil exploration in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Bishop Okah, who’s the founder, Flock of Christ Mission and current member, National Advisory Council, PFN, warned that the South-south, which lays the golden egg, in particular, should not be treated as beggars following the development.

The cleric, while addressing journalists in Warri yesterday on the recently passed contentious PIB, warned that the situation could create youth unrest and recommended at least 10 per cent for host communities.

“I congratulate them for doing a good job. I feel it’s a good job because it has been around for a very long time. But they did something that is very bad

and the whole South-south is unhappy.

“Three per cent is nothing; if it’s about 10 per cent to 15 per cent, fine. They should not treat the South-south as if we are begging them for something.

It is the money from the Southsouth that is running the whole economy; so it is very unfair.

It should be at least 15 per cent,” he noted.

Also speaking to journalists in Warri, former governorship aspirant, Chief Onuesoke, described the passed PIB as a coup against host communities of Southern Nigeria.

He said the content of the PIB was nothing short of a ploy to further rob the South that produces the oil to pay the North that doesn’t produce a single drop of oil.

According to him, it’s befuddling how the National Assembly (the Senate in particular) would cut down compensations for host communities from five per cent to three per cent against the cries of Southern Senators and redefined host communities to also mean oil-pipeline-bearing communities in the country.

Joshua impacted his life even as a governor saying “he not only impacted the less-privileged but also the privileged. I was a beneficiary of his philanthropy.”

Akeredolu, who paid glowing tributes to the deceased at the burial service, said the late prophet was indeed a phenomenon.

The governor recalled that few days after he won the election as the governor of Ondo State, Prophet Joshua drove down to Owo to congratulate him.

He said, “He drove to Owo my hometown. I think

something went wrong with his vehicle but he managed to get to Owo. No other person had ever done that before. “He said he came to wish me well.

He prayed with me. When he was leaving, he put something in my pocket. It was a great thing he put in my pocket. I am a privileged person yet, he blessed me. He also asked me to give my wife some money too which I delivered.

“I owe him a duty to be here today. We can’t forget so soon the things we benefited from him.

He empowered youths. He paid huge electricity bills for four

local government areas in Ondo State. He assisted communities. He bought transformers for several communities. He ensured many communities that had been without light were reconnected to the national grid.

He gave logistical support to security agencies. Before he left, he supported the greatAmotekun.”

Akeredolu said further that the Akoko community in Ondo State will not forget his yearly largesse, adding that he had planned to build a university in Ondo State.

Continuing his speech he said, “When he passed on, the Kabiyesi of Arigidi called me to mobilise

me against his being buried in Lagos. This was the only person who died and the whole town closed markets and shop for one week. Kabiyesi was convinced we should bring the body to Arigidi.

“But I told him that it is for the family to decide not for me. It took me time to convince him that though TB came from Ondo State, he was a world citizen. Where he had touched, many will not touch till Christ will come. His ministry is global because a number of us seek spiritual uplifting. Many who have come here have gotten what they wanted.”

T.B. JOSHUA GOES HOME. . .

L-R: Daughters of the deceased: Heart Joshua, Promise Joshua, Serah Joshua; her husband, Mr. Brian Moshi; and wife of the Ooni of Ife, Olori Naomi Ogunwusi, during the funeral service for the late Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua in Lagos... yesterday.

Olu of Warri: Chief Ayiri Threatens Court Action over Suspension as Ologbotsere Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Ologbotsere of Warri and Chairman of the Olu Advisory Council, Chief Ayiri Emami, has threatened to challenge his alleged suspension as Prime Minister of Warri by the Ginuwa Ruling House over the crisis rocking the selection of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu designate.

Ayiri, who had insisted that the selection of Prince Emiko as Omoba following the passage of Ogiame Ikenwoli ran foul of the process to the enthronement of a new Olu, will be suing the

Ruling House and the Iyatsere of Warri.

Spokesman of the Ologbotsere Descendants worldwide, Comrade Alex Eyengho, who disclosed the resolve of the Ologbotsere to seek legal help yesterday said Ayiri had been silent on the issue to widely consult before taking any action.

He maintained that the alleged suspension of Chief Ayiri as Ologbotsere by a section of the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House remained unconstitutional to the Itsekiri people.

He said that Chief Ayiri

“is taking this decision after painstaking wide consultations with critical stakeholders on the matter both home and abroad,”adding that Ologbotsere’s prayers in court “shall be seamlessly simple, straightforward and from the point of extant laws.”

Eyengho added, “I am sure that the general public must have noticed the dignified deafening silence of Ologbotsere Ayiri Emami since his purported suspension by a section of the Ginuwa I Ruling House.

“This silence is certainly

not a mark of weakness but an opportunity to give those involved enough time to retrace their steps, swallow their prides, apologise to him and the Itsekiri for their illegal action, in the overall interest of the Itsekiri and as the only sure way forward.

“The Ologbotsere will simply be asking the court to interpret within the framework of the 1979 Edict as it concerns Warri Kingdom and other relevant extant laws whether the Ginuwa I Ruling House has the power whatsoever to suspend any or the least Chief of Warri Kingdom

FG Votes N37.5bn as Hazard Allowances for Health Workers Urges NARD, JOHESU to withdraw strike notices Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Federal government has said that N37.5 billion was being set aside to take care of payment of the new hazard allowance for federal workers in the healthcare sector.

Government also said that it would take the final decision on the new hazard allowance for health workers following the inability of the unions in the health sector to resolve issues among themselves.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, stated this Thursday night while briefing journalists after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Salaries, relevant federal government stakeholders and health sector

professional associations and trade unions.

Ngige explained that the government side allowed enough time for the two big bodies of the health unions and professionals- the Nigerian Medical Association and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to harmonise their different positions on the hazard allowance, but they were not able to do so.

Consequently, the minister said the matter would be taken back to the National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) and the Presidential Committee on Salaries to decide on the new hazard allowance for health professionals and workers.

A statement issued yesterday

by Deputy Director Press, Mr. Charles Akpan quoted the minister as saying that the federal government was treading cautiously in order not to be seen as trying to stampede the health workers since the matter concerned money.

He said, “We would have separated them into JOHESU and NMA but that will give us much problem in terms of the implementation of whatever we agree on.

“So, we are taking them jointly and it is yielding fruits now. The two big bodies have given their final positions. The government has taken their final positions back. We have also allowed them time to see if they can discuss among themselves like they

did just before COVID-19 and we came out with COVID-19 allowance.

“We have given them that time to see if they can meet and harmonise their positions, but they were not able to do so. We are adjourning this meeting sine die for the government side to look at those two positions to see whether we can do a middle of the road within our organ, the NSIWC, which by its mandate, is the government organ that fixes salaries, wages, allowances and remuneration.”

Ngige said that the federal government earlier offered the health workers 300 per cent increment on hazard allowances, which came to a quantum amount of N37.5 billion.

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NEWS Man Arrested in Sokoto for Alleged Blasphemy Innnocent Onuminya in Sokoto

Some youths in Sokoto had on Thursday, stormed the palace of Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar and demanded the arrest of Sani.

The youths who were armed with placards, among which read “We are calling on the Sultanate Council to take the necessary measure against the perpetrator” and “Isma’il, must die” among others stormed the palace around 5p.m.

They were, however, denied entry by armed policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of Marina Police Station, Chief Superintendent M Y Maru.

Maru, while addressing them, pleaded for calm, saying the suspect was under detention at the Criminal Investigation Department of the state command “We have arrested the suspect.

He is currently under detention at the CID office and I can lead your leaders to the headquarter to confirm,” he said

The peace and tranquility enjoyed in Sokoto State known as The Seat of Caliphate, was troubled yesterday when one Isma’ila Sani Isah allegedly posted a blasphemous comment against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on his social media platform.

The suspect, who was later arrested by the Sokoto State Police Command, was said to have made the alleged comment on Facebook in protest of not getting a local government job.

In the post, Isah accused one man in their area of denyL-R: Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Rev. Father Matthew Kukah with the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. ing him an offer despite his Kayode Fayemi, during the inauguration of the NGF Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative in Abuja.. recently. financial problem.

The Sokoto State Government in a statement yesterday, condemned the blasphemous comment against the Prophet, Dike Onwuamaeze (NASMEs) raised the alarm that “provision of energy at a reliable oil increases or decreases globally, even as it called on residents the new price regime might and affordable price to industries there should be a consequential to remain calm as the suspect There was palpable fear trigger a corresponding increase will reduce the demand for change in its prices nationally. had been apprehended and among members of the in prices of goods and services, diesel, while improving the “Currently, the price of Brent investigations are ongoing. organised private sector as most companies in Nigeria infrastructural provision of rail crude is $75.57, therefore the yesterday over a spike in the rely on diesel to power their for easy movement of goods price should necessarily increase price of Automotive Gas Oil, factories. and persons at a cheaper price and can even be exasperated also known as diesel, which hit The OPS feared that the price will reduce the burden on busi- as the current crisis between an all-time high of N290 per increase, believed to have been nesses and further reduce the Saudi Arabia and the United litre this week as against N280 precipitated by the rise in the inflationary rate.

Arab Emirates escalates the per litre last week. price of crude oil, with Brent Olawale said: “Ordinarily, the global price.”

A High Court of Anambra the judgment of an Abuja Consequently, the Nigeria crude selling for $75.31 per bar- burden will be shifted down to He added that the impact of Employers’ Consultative rel at the international market the consumers, whose purchas- the surge in diesel price would State sitting in Awka, the state High Court and in violation Association (NECA), the yesterday, would compel its ing power has been eroded with be grave on manufacturers and capital, has barred the factional of section 87 of the Electoral Nigeria Economic Summit members to transfer the burden the rising inflationary trend, other economic actors in the candidate of the Peoples Demo- Act, sections 25 and 50 of the Group (NESG), the Nigerian of the new price to Nigerian while more and more people banking, telecommunication, cratic Party in the November PDP Constitution and directive Association of Chamber of consumers. would enter into the poverty and transportation sectors 6, 2021 governorship election of INEC dated 22nd June 2021, Commerce, Industry, Mines The Director-General of the margin.” “as the country is one of the in Anambra, Valentine Ozigbo which mandated PDP to comply and Agriculture (NACCIMA), NECA, Mr. Timothy Olawale, Olawale said with the total de- world’s largest economies where from parading himself as the with the Abuja High Court order and the National Association of told THISDAY that the asso- regulation of prices of diesel, “it businesses rely so heavily on PDP candidate for the election, issued by the Honourable Justice pending the determination of A.O Adeniyi.

Small and Medium Enterprises ciation believed that only the behooves that as prices of crude diesel-powered generators. a suit before it.

Uba further claimed that the An order issued by primary election conducted at the Honourable Justice the Anambra State Congress Obiora Nwabunike, in suit no. held at Saint Paul University A/230/2021, Senator Uba versus Awka, at which Uba emerged Michael Olugbode in Abuja signed between the African Vac- the development of an Advance The statement quoted UNICEF Independent National Electoral winner and PDP governorship cine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) Procurement Commitment (APC) Executive Director, Henrietta Fore Commission & 2 Others at the candidate with 275 votes, was United Nations Children’s and Janssen in March of this Framework to support member to have said: instance of Counsel to Uba, Emeka the proper party primary elecFund (UNICEF) has signed year. state access to COVID-19 vac“African countries must have Nwankwo, Esq, also prohibits the tion. an agreement with Janssen The statement revealed that cines. affordable and equitable access to PDP from presenting Ozigbo and This, according to him was in Pharmaceutica NV to supply the agreement secured an option The statement revealed that COVID-19 vaccines as soon as prohibits INEC from accepting full obedience to the judgment up to 220 million doses of the to order another 180 million UNICEF will procure and possible. Vaccine access has been Ozigbo as the candidate of the of an Abuja High Court and Johnson&Johnson single-dose doses, bringing the maximum deliver COVID-19 vaccines on unequal and unfair, with less than PDP until the final determination which was in compliance with vaccine for all 55 member states access up to a total of 400 million behalf of the AVAT initiative. one per cent of the population of of the suit brought by Uba to section 87 of the Electoral Act, of the African Union (AU) Other partners include the the African continent currently nullify the parallel congress held sections 25 and 50 of the PDP doses by the end of 2022.

The delivery which is planned The African Union established Africa Centres for Disease vaccinated against COVID-19. at the Dora Akunyili Women Constitution, and directive of for the end of 2022, will get AVAT in November 2020 to Control and Prevention This cannot continue.”

Development Centre, Awka at INEC dated 22nd June 2021, some 35 million doses to the deliver COVID-19 vaccines to the (Africa CDC) and the World She added that: “UNICEF, which Ozigbo emerged winner. which mandated PDP to comply African countries.

Uba claimed that the Congress with the Abuja High Court order African continent, with a goal of Bank. with its long history of delivering According to the UN vaccinating 60 per cent of each AU The statement disclosed vaccines all around the world, at which Ozigbo emerged was issued by the honourable Justice agency yesterday, the agree- country’s population. Under the that while multiple vaccines is supporting global COVID-19 conveyed in disobedience to AO Adeniyi. ment between UNICEF and plan, the African Export-Import were anticipated to be part of vaccinations efforts through Janssen Pharmaceutica NV will Bank (Afreximbank) and AVAT the initiative’s portfolio, Janssen’s AVAT, COVAX, and other help implement the Advance have signed a cooperation agree- single-dose vaccine is the first to channels to maximise supply Nonagenarian, Teenagers Arrested Purchase Commitment (APC) ment on behalf of the AU for be included. and access to vaccines.”

FOR SECURED NIGERIA. . .

NACCIMA, NASMEs, NESG Worry as Diesel Hits N290 Per Litre

Anambra Court Restrains Ozigbo from Parading Self as PDP Governorship Candidate

UNICEF to Deliver 220m COVID-19 Vaccine Doses in Africa

O furt infl tran exc furt slow

for Selling Drugs in Katsina, Ondo

NHRC Laments no Strategies to Free Kidnapped School Children Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has lamented what it claimed “no strategies in sight” for safe return of kidnapped school children in parts of the country.

The Commission stated this while expressing deep concern over rising cases of kidnapping of school children in different parts of the country particularly in the Northern part where a staggering number of this vulnerable group had been forcefully whisked away to unknown destinations.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu expressed this concern yesterday in a statement issued in reaction

to recently released UNICEF statistics showing that 950 children had been kidnapped from December 2020 to date.

He noted that the figure was an indication that a lot of things had gone wrong with the security system which was supposed to take proactive and drastic measures to curb the festering criminalities including child kidnappings.

Accordingly, Ojukwu lamented over the recent kidnappings of scores of children in an Islamic school in Niger State, the more recent abduction of many students at a Baptist School in Kaduna as well as kidnapping of new

born babies and medical personnel in a hospital in same state.

He said: “Children are a heritage from God, the government in collaboration with other stakeholders ought to rise up to the occasion to protect them by giving a marching order to all the relevant security agencies to explore all available intelligence and strategies to ensure that kidnapping is halted in Nigeria and all the children in the kidnap den are rescued and given psychosocial support before reuniting them with their families.”

He decried that if this trend was left unchecked, there would be worsen the already poor school enrollment

in Northern Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary used the opportunity to reiterate the need for the domestication of the Child’s Rights Act 2003 in the remaining 11 out of the 36 states of the federation, saying that “the domestication and subsequent implementation of the Act hold the key to effective child rights protection.”

The NHRC scribe therefore called on the affected states in Nigeria to liaise with the relevant stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to push for a speedy domestication of the Child’s Rights Act in order to forestall further violations of the rights of children under their jurisdiction.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A 90-year-old man has been arrested in Katsina State for selling drugs to youths.

The man, Yusuf Yarkadir was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Yarkadir Village of Rimi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

According to a statement yesterday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the nonagenarian was full of regrets under interrogation, and confessed he had been selling cannabis sativa to the youths in his community for eight years due to their demand for the illegal substance, although he failed to disclose his source of supply. He however vowed that with his arrest last Wednesday, he was backing out of the business

having tried in the past to stop the illicit trade without success.

In another development, narcotic officers in the Ondo State Command of the agency have arrested two teenage siblings along with other suspects for dealing in assorted illicit drugs in the state capital.

The teenagers; Sunday Onyema, 16, and his sister, Amaka Onyema, 15, were arrested in Car Street area of Akure with 1,894 kilogrammes of Tramadol on Monday 5th July while 23-year-old Kazeem Oluyede was nabbed in Eru Oba area of the capital city with 300 grammes of cannabis and three grammes of methamphetamine, just as a lady Maryam Musa, 35, was arrested in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore local council area of the state with 5.5 kilogrammes of cannabis, all on the same day.

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NEWS Panel Asks Abia to Pay N511m Compensation to Victims of Police Brutality Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

OCTOGENARIAN CELEBRATIONS… L-R: Former Minister of Health and Executive Chairman, Juli Pharmacy PLC, Ikeja, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; former Principal, International School, UNILAG, Mrs. Olusola Peters; her husband, Dr. Michael Obafunso Peters; and Chief Medical Director, Unity Hospitals Group Ltd, Ikeja, and Public Relations/Media Consultant, Mr. Aramide Toa Noibi, at the Dr. Peters 80th birthday celebrations and his 50th wedding anniversary at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos

Baptist Convention: We Will Not Pay Ransom to Bandits John Shiklam in Kaduna The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Israel Akanji, has declared that no ransom would be paid for the release of the 121 students of the Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna.

The students were abducted on Monday at about 11p.m. when bandits invaded the school.

Speaking in an interview with journalists yesterday shortly after a special prayer session for the abducted students at the school premises, Akanji said the church did not believe in paying ransom to bandits.

He also said the Kaduna State

Governor, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai had assured him that everything would be done to ensure the return of the students.

Akanji said, “As a church we do not believe that people who are free should be taken and then we should go and pay for them.

“That is the position, we do not believe in that, we do not practice it, we have not been doing that.”

He said for the past 166 years, Baptist Church had operated secondary schools in Nigeria, and “it has never happened that our children would be taken away.”

The clergyman said, “now that they have been taken away, we have called upon God for

intervention and we believe our God is su΀cient.” Akanji also called on those in authority to do something about the security situation.

“We do not have security in our hands and therefore we have called on the governor of Kaduna State to ensure that these children are released and when I spoke with him, he made a promise that he will do his best.

“I am trusting that he will make good his words as a governor and as one who is in charge of the security of the state.

“That is what we are trusting God to do for us. We are looking up to God to touch the governor and use the security agencies to

bring our children.

“We are not looking at paying ransom as the way for the release of the children,” Akanji said.

Speaking further, he said the federal and the Kaduna State governments may think they are doing their best to tackle the security challenges, stressing however that their best is not enough.

“I tell you the truth, the federal government and the Kaduna State, may be saying that they are doing their best, but my assessment is that their best is not enough. “Whatever their best is, it could be their best but their best is not enough,” he said.

Low Charges for Airlines Handling Nigeria Deserves the Best Captain No Matter Services May Compromise Safety Where He Comes From, Says Yahaya Bello Chinedu Eze Stakeholders in Nigria’s aviation industry have drawn attention to the comparatively low charges by ground handling services, saying that such low charges could compromise safety and operational standards.

The industry insiders said that the massive drop of ground handling charges from $1,139 to only $400 on a Boeing 737 aircraft (narrow body airplane) or its equivalent on both local and domestic services would drastically aͿect the companies’ revenue and operational standards.

They noted that the ground handling service rates were the lowest in Africa.

THISDAY learnt that the three ground handling companies; Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc and AHS Aviation Handling Services charge the lowest on the continent, despite having better Ground Support Equipment (GSE) than most of their counterparts in Africa.

THISDAY also learnt that ground handling charges in Guinea, Senegal, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Ghana for narrow body and wide body aircraft are way ahead of Nigeria.

The narrow body aircraft

include B737, Airbus A320, ER 135 and ATR aircraft, while the wide body aircraft are categorised as B767, A330, B777, B747 and A380 aircraft.

For instance, investigation revealed that in Guinea, foreign airlines are charged $1,673 (narrow body); $4,715 (wide body), Senegal; $2,250 and $5,259, Cameroon; $1,400 and $4,500, Sierra Leone; $2,250 and $5,250 and Ghana with $1,500 and $4,150 for passenger Áight.

Cargo Áight attracts $2,300, $1,750, $2,300, and $2,500 in Senegal, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, respectively for narrow body aircraft, while for wide body aircraft, the ground handling in those countries charge between $4,450 and $5,250 per Áight.

A source told THISDAY that while the above named countries charge the airlines appropriate rates, a narrow body aircraft attracts about $1,000 ground handling charges in Nigeria, while a wide body aircraft goes as low as $3,000 for passenger Áight.

At times, it was gathered that the $1,000 ground handling rates could be as low as $400, depending on the negotiating power by such a foreign airline.

For cargo Áight, airlines pay as low as $1,300 and $3,850 for narrow and wide body aircraft, respectively.

Segun James

The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has said that rather engage on the unconstitutional issue of rotational presidency, what Nigerians should focus on is look for that Nigerian, no matter where he comes, who can be the captain to pilot the country to the promised land.

The governor who stated this at the First Annual Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents/Editors at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, said that even after 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and another six years of All Progressives Congress (APC), in the country, the problems of the nation has not been solved by the rotational presidency that has taken place over the years.

Bello insisted that the political party must not limit the choice of Nigerians to any region, adding the nation must not continue on the sentiment of rotation as it is a setback to the development of the nation.

Bello in his paper, Perspectives on Leadership and Aspiration’, admitted that “there is no denying the fact therefore that we need to urgently rearrange in the ways and manners in which

we relate if we are to arrest the dangerous slide in conÀdence and team-building amongst Nigerians caused by years and years of mismanaged diversity.”

Giving Kogi as example of a place where merit is the order of the day instead of where you come from, the governor said that “within the context of Kogi State which is a microcosm of Nigeria itself, our diversity was enough to tear us apart as a government in the same manner it had divided our people for decades before our coming, but that is if we allowed it. We refused to allow them, and by working together instead, we were able to leverage on our diversity.”

He stated that “tribe, religion, geography and class no longer play role in the measure of anyone among us. We have Nigerians from everywhere helping us to move Kogi State forward, right from our cabinet and into other areas and position.

Today, we have managed to improve the sociopolitical outlook for our people and state and created an intra-state legacy of cooperation and integration which will outlast us. This achievement did not come from wishful thinking but by the deployment of Àve foundational mindsets from my day one in o΀ce.

All veriÀed victims of police brutality and inhuman treatment in Abia State would be paid over N511 million as compensation, subject to approval of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The monetary compensation was part of the recommendations contained in a Àve volume report of the Abia State Judicial Panel of Enquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-judicial Killings and other Related Matters after eight months of investigations.

Receiving the report from the chairman of the panel, Justice Sunday Imo (rtd), the Abia governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Chris Ezem, said that government would “clinically study the report” before implementation.

He lauded the Panel for rendering “historic and selÁess services to their fatherland”, adding that the report would

serve as a guide to the public on how best to relate with the police and other security agencies.

The Abia chief executive stated that the security institutions need the support and cooperation of citizens to function eͿectively and excel in their duties.

Earlier, the chairman of the panel, Justice Imo (rtd), who is a former chief judge of Abia, explained that the Àrst volume of the report contains the main report while the second volume contains all the petitions with volume three has the records and proceedings of the Panel.

He further noted that fourth volume centred on Àndings and recommendations of the panel while the last volume contains case Àles, exhibits, among others.

Justice Imo said that the panel received 86 cases/petitions out of which 46 went through full hearing while the remaining cases were dismissed or struck out.

Siemens Energy Partners GIL Automation to Expand Local Content Development Siemens Energy has signed an agreement with GIL Automation to boost the development of local content in Nigeria, in the form of training, skill developments and joint project execution, at the Siemens Energy Rotating Equipment Workshop in Port Harcourt.

The agreement highlights Siemens Energy’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the development of the local economy through training, skills development, and investment. The agreement affirms Siemens energy’s continued compliance with the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act. The agreement was signed at Siemens Energy’s Rotating Equipment Workshop in Port Harcourt, by Seun Suleiman, Managing Director of Siemens Energy Nigeria, and Lawal Gbolahan, Managing Director of

GIL Automation, and witnessed

by Engr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

“Our goal at Siemens Energy is to Energize Society. This is more than just the products, services, and solutions we provide; it’s about benefiting and bringing value to the society in which we operate. Since we commissioned this facility in 2016, we have continued to invest in its capabilities and expand our service offering to our clients in the oil and gas and non-oil and gas sectors. We have also recruited and trained more local engineers to effectively operate the workshop and increase the amount of local content. I am extremely proud that this agreement with GIL Automation will add further value to the local economy through skills development, training, and jobs,” said Seun Suleiman.

Five Killed By Bandits in Niger Community Laleye Dipo In Minna Five people two of them mobile policemen have been killed in a raid by bandits on Kwampani Bobi town in the Mariga local government area of Niger state.

In the incident which occured between Thursday and Friday this week two of those killed were women who were wives of the same husband with the fifth deceased being a member of the local vigilante.

Several others who were passengers in a commercial vehicle traveling to Kontagora were also injured during the attack by the bandits.

The injured have been admitted at both the Mariga and Kontagora general hospitals.

It was gathered that the invasion by the bandits who rode on several motorcycles started at about 10 pm on Thursday and continued till the early hours of Friday.

According to eyewitnesses who were commuters in vehicles that made detour as a result of the attack the bandits blocked the highway

and started shooting sporadically.

It was learnt a few hours before they blocked the road the bandits had invaded some villages close to Kwampani Bobi during which several herds of cattle.

“The bandits were so daring to the extent they did not care if security operatives were around the area” the eyewitness said.

However it was learnt that men of the local vigilante were deployed to counter the bandits leading to neutralisation of some of the bandits.

It was gathered that the bandits were bold enough to take away the corpses of their men that died in the counter attack by the vigilante.

State Police Command Public Relations Officer Niger State Police Command DSP Wasiu Abiodun could not be reached for confirmation of the story as he did not pick his cell phone.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency NSEMA Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Inga when contacted by THISDAY said the Agency has heard about the incident but “ I don’t have any details for now”.

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COMMENTARY

LIYEL IMOKE AT 60

Joe Edet pays tribute to Liyel Imoke, former Governor of Cross River State

O

pportunity and chance are two strategic factors that shape our being in greater measure and length. At the twilight of the administration of Mr. Donald Duke as Governor of Cross River State, I was railroaded into the Executive Council as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Affairs. I served for just 11 months before the end of that administration in 2007. Instructively, Mr. Duke met me for the first time at the swearing in ceremony that fateful morning. I never knew it was possible to be appointed into a State Executive Council without the necessary ‘connect’ with the powers that be.

The transition to a new government was meant to be seamless, so I had no qualms of a reappointment as I was assured of my placement in the new administration. Those were the days of continuity as Imoke’s regime was more or less a carry over or a fac simile of Duke’s administration. Indeed, the very irrepressible Rt. Hon. Alex Egbona now in the House of Representatives graduated from being Duke’s Deputy Chief of Staff to Liyel’s Chief of Staff. So I stepped in from Duke’s Special Adviser to Liyel’s Deputy Chief of Staff. But then, i never envisaged my placement as the Deputy Chief of Staff, a position I was made to understand was reserved for members of the inner circle, the privileged few considered very close to the Governor, some sort of kitchen cabinet. I barely knew Imoke.

Imoke like Duke barely knew me. That is the story of a detribalised Nigerian whose yardstick for an appointment was capacity, competence and credibility. He believed in giving everyone equal opportunity irrespective of tribe, tongue or gender. Imoke was a man who would patiently give you the proverbial long rope to draw, make you to retrace your steps or make amends mutatis mutandis.

I had served in that capacity for five years. During this period, Imoke demonstrated class, dexterity and deep experience in the art of governance, having been a Senator at the youthful age of 30, a Special Adviser to the President and a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He seemed to me that he knew everything because I was awed by his deep knowledge and experience. His State Executive Council session was like a Ph.D dissertation class, having assembled some of the brightest in mind and candour from different fields of endeavours. The debates were usually incisive and penetrating as Imoke will patiently wait for everyone to make their contributions before the final decision. He was a great consensus builder and this informed his politics. He would rather build consensus through various caucuses before a decision was taken on political issues.

Imoke acted in locus parentis to everyone around him as he proved to be a father, mentor, dependable ally and a very understanding boss who would do everything possible to encourage his subjects to achieve their personal goals. At the launch of my book, Immunity of Public Officers Under the Nigerian Constitution in 2009, he shelved every other official engagements to travel from Abuja to grace the occasion in Calabar. Indeed he requested the event be stepped down or delayed as he came straight from the Airport. I was really overwhelmed especially with the encomiums he showered on me that day.

Imoke made me look like a superstar. Here is a man who being aware of your deficiencies and inadequacies would pat you on the back and urge you on. He has the mother hen figure of catering for everyone around him. He has the zeal of doing everything within his power to support you and possibly bail

IMOKE DEMONSTRATED CLASS, DEXTERITY AND DEEP EXPERIENCE IN THE ART OF GOVERNANCE, HAVING BEEN A SENATOR AT THE YOUTHFUL AGE OF 30, A SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT AND A MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

you out of trouble. To him, failure was not an end or termination bill, but a moment to restrategise with a bang.

Perhaps, deciphering Imoke as the man with big ideas quadrupled with my role as his Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Affairs and Liaison, Abuja. In the latter role, he intended to schedule me as the State’s Ambassador, coordinating the Governor’s official engagements and equally preside over his official and domestic affairs while in Abuja and outside the state. He would be the first to address me as ‘Your Excellency’, an epithet reserved for those on diplomatic mission. Thus, the attention of being the state’s representative and especially the rare privilege of seeing the governor up-close and personally was overwhelming. I had the first hand knowledge of being with and seeing this very meticulous and workaholic, politician and technocrat who was as hard working at night as in the day. Imoke hardly sleeps. He is as nocturnal as a bat. These elevated privileges afforded me an insight into the fact that he was clearly misunderstood, underrated and very undermined.

And that whatever the situation, he would come out unscathed, victorious and indeed better off. Imoke had the chasm of always laughing last even in the midst of turbulence and storms.

Beyond his status, he has the garb of a jovial gentleman who would crack ribs and make you shed tears of laughter with endless banters. His quietude is a bit exaggerated because when in his elements, he would engage you in an endless conversation especially where the topic is interesting and bothers on politics and statecraft. Indeed, he is a repository of Nigeria’s political history and development in many ways.

In Abuja, we would spend time, even after hours playing host to political heavyweights and associates especially of the PDP extraction. In times like these, you could get anything from Imoke. He is compassionate and generous to a fault especially on matters that affects public health and well being. I fondly remember how I would climb the Aircraft taking him back to Calabar to squeeze some ‘dough’ from him. He was always ready to give even when he was being inconvenienced.

-I wouldn’t know how impressed he was with my duties in Abuja but when the opportunity came, I was saddled with the additional responsibility of serving as Desk Officer and Coordinator of the Sister State project between Cross River State and the State of Maryland in the United States of America. I knew instantly that his reward for hard work was more work.

His approvals were basically based on the merits of your postulations and arguments.

In summation, he is strategic, blended with astute and thoroughbred personality. Substantially, he is an avid listener with the patience of Job and the foresight and doggedness of Moses. For one born with a silver spoon, Imoke’s humility is legendary. Such that he carries no airs or wants to be addressed in borrowed paraphernalia and insignias. In all, he was very knowledgeable and a deliberate planner and a stickler for excellence. Though he does not engage in any conventional sports, yet he is a great sportsman. His 60th birthday is very remarkable to a lot of persons. Happy diamond birthday boss, may you live long for us to continue to drink from your wealth of experience and goodwill.

Dr Edet, is the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean of Law, Arthur Jarvis University, Calabar, Cross River State

WIKE AND HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE Wike is working, but he can do more, writes Chimezie Elemuo

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ivers State is agog these days. The governor is either flagging off one project or commissioning another.

There is no doubt that Port Harcourt is a one big construction site. Governor Wike is now commissioning projects day and night and he is beating his chest over this. Indeed, Governor Wike is a good student of Machiavellian tactics of sustaining one’s hold on power. The governor uses either the flagging off or commissioning of these projects to take a swipe at his political foes. First and foremost, governance is service to the people. The people deserve no less than good governance and basic things of life. If there is any political leader who provides these to the people, he should not see it as doing a favour to his people, rather he should see it as giving the people what they deserve as of right. When you build good roads, solid bridges, hospitals, factories and educational institutions, these are what the people deserve as their right. You don’t need to make a fanfare of them. After all, you did not provide them with your personal money.

Rivers people (as the gimmick goes) deserve more! This is Wike’s second tenure in office and some have rightly observed that he is still working tirelessly as if he is a first term governor. That is the problem

with Nigeria and Nigerians. Nigerians are very naïve and not conscious of their rights as citizens and how to demand same from their political leaders. So are we saying that it is only when a governor is seeking re-election for second tenure in office that he should work hard for the people? Generally, that is how it is in this clime. But it should not be so. Governance is about the people.

For me, Wike should work harder! The only problem I have is that his words these days are not majestic. At the commissioning of the internal roads at the old GRA, he took a serious swipe at Dakuku Peterside, former DG of NIMASA. He said so many unprintable things about Peterside on television. Wike came out smoking, spitting fire on those he would better described as detractors. But I see that Wike does not brook criticisms.

But then criticisms are a necessary check on leaders and governance.

Indeed, the governor is a good student of the Machiavellian tactics. Machiavelli taught his students that to keep your hold on power you must use very important tools to achieve this. These tools include gifts, blackmail, unusual benevolence and brute force. Governor Wike uses these tools appropriately at every given time. We have seen Wike invite some leaders of the APC

to commission projects in Rivers State. At these occasions, he would challenge other governors of the APC to show their own projects in their states. All these just to blackmail the APC in Rivers State. When the federal government indicated its intention to refund about N78 billion to the Rivers State government, Wike welcomed that and even alluded that he would use the fund very well and will invite President Muhammadu Buhari to commission projects built with the fund. Only recently, Wike told Rivers people that he only got N52 billion out of the entire sum. Why did it take him so long before revealing this? Governance is about openness. Government should be open to the people. When you use threats and gifts to cow the people, that is not a mark of an inclusive government. I heard Wike said that he is the one to decide where his projects shall be located. He said this in response to criticisms of putting up the law school at Rumueme, a town within the city of Port Harcourt.

I was one of the people who thought the government would try to decongest Port Harcourt by building the law school in a town outside Port Harcourt. But the governor says that the people of Rumueme community have been his staunch support-

ers all this while. That they voted for him massively, so why would he not appreciate them by putting up the law school in their community? So it is a case of quid pro quo.

I thought that before any project decided upon would be executed, experts opinion would be sought to decide the nature of the project and the best place to site such projects. From what the governor said, I am muffled that this is not so. He said he was the one that was elected and would decide where these projects would be sited.

The implications of this is that the projects surely have not passed through professional assessment measures which may affect their quality and defeat the avowed urban renewal policy of the government. He decides what happens, after all, he is the governor. This is not to say that Wike has not taken some laudable decisions. My take is that the governor should make his government more open to the people. His response to criticisms should be objective, responsible, and devoid of banality. Above all, he should work harder. Rivers people want more from him. It is not yet time to lower is guard until May 29, 2023! Above all these projects, human capital development is key.

Elemuo is a Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner

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JULY 10, 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

Where are they?

Combating Campus Cultism: Lessons from OAU

The Viral Videos from Igarra

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ecently the video recordings by Mr. Alaba Lawani about the poor state of infrastructure in Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State went viral on the social media. Akoko-Edo is the largest and oldest, Local Government Area in Nigeria. Igarra the headquarters of Akoko-Edo local council is also said to be the most neglected local government headquarters in Nigeria with respect to lack of infrastructure and functionality in terms of lack of job opportunities.

One of the video recordings was about a 200 meters link road and drains in Igarra which he claimed was substandard. The other video from Igarra that went viral contemporaneously was that of the dilapidated, decrepit and unfenced Orere primary school in Igarra. The member representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Edo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Peter Akpatason who attracted the road project as part of the “Zonal Intervention Projects in the 2020 Appropriation Act” claimed that the video “was done to malign and discredit his reputation”. He promptly wrote a letter addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Agency, demanding for an investigation and a report within 24 hours on the narratives about the road project captured in the video. The government of Edo State swung into action and “took over construction of the road project” after an inspection visit of the project by Edo State Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu who claimed that the project was substandard and fell short of the current standard of road construction in the state. While Igarra community residents jubilated that the attention of the world has being drawn to their plight, Mr. Alaba Lawani the whistle blower, informed all that his life was allegedly being threatened by those who believed he shot the viral videos for political motives. Mr. Alaba Lawani who is an indigene of Igarra claimed he shot both videos for altruistic reasons and he wondered why the deputy governor did not also visit the site of the decrepit Orere primary school. While the accusations and counter accusations continue we must learn lessons from the video saga from Igarra, some of which include: the urgent need to ramp up the level of collaboration between federal agencies and the state government in terms of project monitoring and evaluation cannot be overemphasized. The prevailing state of suboptimum collaboration is one of the reasons for the phenomenon of abandoned projects in Nigeria. Recent media reports attributed to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs claim that preliminary findings from the forensic auditing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), reveals that so far about 12,128 projects have been abandoned.

The local government in Nigeria is the third tier

of government. It is acclaimed as the tier of government closest to the people. Going by constitutional provisions it ought to be autonomous as its leadership is democratically elected and answerable to the electorate. In a system that functions well, the supervising councillor for works or the councillor representing where the road project in question is cited ought to have raised the flag about the alleged substandard status of the road project. The latter scenario of non-existence of democratically elected officials for the third tier of government is replicated across most states in Nigeria. In some states of the federation, where democratically elected local government exists they lack security of their tenure. The House of Assembly in most states have not also helped matters as they are alleged to be appendages of the executive and make laws that can only throw up incompetent individuals sponsored by moneybags as elected local government officials. The respective regulatory bodies for professionals in the construction industry should take proactive measures to stem the tide of the spectrum of failed, substandard or abandoned projects in Nigeria by making their members accountable.

In conclusion all men of goodwill can only hope and pray that the lessons learnt from the Igarra viral videos will have positive impact on the citizenry as well as reinvigorate the relentless clamour for a better society.

Lawani Ambrose, a Psychiatrist, wrote from Benin City, Edo State

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he students of Obafemi Awolowo University are currently commemorating the death of five students who were massacred by members of Black Axe Confraternity, in July 10, 1999. George Iwilade, Eviano Ekeimu, Yemi Ajiteru, Babatunde Oke and Godfrey Ekpede were slaughtered in cold blood in the wee hours of the fateful day. The horrible event didn’t go or slide away unchallenged.

The generation of students’ union leaders at the period mobilized their fellows and rose to the occasion. They immediately swung into action, apprehended some of the suspected cultists and handed them over to the police.

Although numerous occurrences have thwarted all efforts to bring the perpetrators of the cult - attack to book, the ugly incident became a symbol of resistance against neo - fascist elements on OAU campus. The students who paid the supreme price were therefore immortalized and their remembrance comes up annually.

A three - day programme has been traditionally dedicated as a mark of honor for the victims in the aftermath of the orchestrated attack. On every July 8, OAU students often troop out to sign a book of condolences which is traditionally placed at the front of Students’ Union Building in reawakening the spirit of the deceased. After the condolence register, there

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

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI 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

comes anti - cultism parade and sensitization against engagement in cult - like related activities on July 9. The most remarkable day of the commemoration is July 10. On this day, a public symposium is organized where notable former students’ union leaders often speak on dire consequences and horror which cultism begets.

Every generation of students is properly sensitized on how cultism kills dream chasers faster than death. The sensitization has made the university community hostile to cult - like activities. The blood of the five gruesomely murdered students has continued to water the flower of freedom on the campus. Cultism has become a relic of history. In OAU, supremacy of arguments has been the greatest tool to resolve conflict among students as against the survival of the fittest in some other tertiary institutions.

OAU students have set a mechanism to utterly combat cult - like related activities on the campus. Ironically, cultism has become a pride among students in many other higher institutions across the country despite loss of lives and recorded casualties regularly emanated from rival clashes, battle of supremacy and some other criminal activities.

Binzak Azeez, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile IfeI

The Sounds of No Hands Clapping

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here is a philosophical question,“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” and this could be extended to “If no one goes to the Olympics did they happen?”

The Japanese Government has finally decided that there will be no crowds at the 2021 Olympics which seems a wise and quite expected decision.

What will really be different? The athletes will still be able to compete unless there are positive cases and then events will stop and eventually maybe the competition will stop. There will still be winners and some records will probably be broken but at what risk to the athlete and official’s health?

Perhaps it would be better to put a line through 2021 and come back in 2024 for the safety of everyone although given how a number of countries are handling the COVID virus that might be 2028 or 2032. The world has bigger problems than who will win the 100m race and the Usain Bolt record isn’t likely to be beaten for a long time. Sit at home, watch it in safety and cheer through your masks.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 10,2021

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NEWS Sylva Commends LNG, Daris Police Arrests Ohakim’s Accuser for Tele on Decade of Oil and Gas Allegedly Giving Police False Information Alex EnumahinAbuja Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force on Thursday arrested one Chinyere Igwegbe, for allegedly providing false information to the force in respect of the person of the former governor of Imo State, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim and one Chinedu Okpaleke.

She was arrested at the premises of the Federal High Court shortly after a court session on a case she filed against the former governor and Okpaleke.

She specifically accused them of threatening to release a nude photograph of herself, although

at Thursday’s proceedings the police who had filed charges against Ohakim and Okpaleke, had applied to withdraw the suit, while the office of the Attorney General of the Federation at the same time is seeking to take over the prosecution.

But in a dramatic twist, the nominal complainant, Igwegbe was arrested by the police at the court premises shortly after the proceedings, on an alleged four-count charge bordering on false information.

The Inspector General of Police in the said charge signed by Matthew Omasun and Rotshang Dimka,

accused Igwegbe of supplying false information to the police with the intention to defame the defendants.

Count one of the charge reads: “ that you Chinyere Amuchienwa Igwegbe (f) of 7b Emeida Estate Apo, Abuja, FCT, on or about August 14, 2020, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did furnish police authorities with false information and via allegations in a petition by your solicitors, Agala and Agala chambers to a public servant against (1) Dr. Ikedi Ohakim (2) Chinedu Okpareke on allegations of criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, defamation

of character, attempted kidnapping and threat to life punishment with imprisonment, which could not be substantiated and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the penal code laws of Northern Nigeria.

In count two, the police accused her of furnishing the police authorities with false information via allegations in a petition against Dr. Ikedi Ohakim on the false allegations that you paid Dr. Ikedi Ohakim the sum of N5 million for the purchase of a land in Lagos during the 2019 election, an allegations which could not be substantiated.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has applauded the management of Daris Tele Limited under the leadership of Tokunbo Olateru-Olagbegi for the commitment and eͿorts put into making the documentary on Nigeria’s decades of oil and gas production.

The minister who spoke at the launch of the documentary: ‘The Nigerian Gas Journey...

Past, Present and Future’, recalled that the National Gas Policy approved by the federal government in 2017 foresees Nigeria as an attractive gas-based industrial nation, centred on satisfying local gas demand requirements, and developing a signiÀcant

presence in international markets.

He disclosed that the documentary by Daris Tele, which was put together through the assistance and support of the Nigerian LNG captured the story from all angles of the industry insisting that it was a wise decision “in getting this documentary and brochure produced on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in line with FG’s declaration of the “The Decade of Gas”.

The policy according to Sylva seeks to deÀne and set the framework necessary to move Nigeria from being a crude oil export-based economy to becoming an attractive, oil and gas-based industrial economy.

Dabiri-Erewa Urges Media to Raise Advocacy on Rape OlawaleAjimotokaninAbuja

BIRTHING NEW IDEA… L-R: COO, StarTimes Nigeria, Tunde Aina; Filmmaker, Femi Adebayo; ED, OMD Media Reach, Yinka Adebayo; and CEO, StarTimes Nigeria, Alex Jian, during the press conference to announce Ile Alayo drama series

Oba Adetona Backs Prayer AAAN’s AGM/Congress for Peace in Nigeria Holds in Ibadan Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

The 30-day-Global Prayer for Peace in Nigeria is gaining more popularity as the longest reigning king in Nigeria, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetaona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, has embraced the project.

The prayer which begins on September 1 is the brain child of Prince Ayo Manuel Ajisebutu, a US-based musician, peace activist and social entrepreneur.

Declaring his support for the divine intervention being championed by Ajisebutu, Oba Adetona who believes in using unconditional love as a tool for change, said: “We owe it to our people that were taken away as slaves to the America and other parts of the world to make Africa more peaceful and investment friendly in order for them to have a sense of belonging”.

He appealed to all Nigerians to denounce violence and embrace each other with love, adding, “God is love and we are all children of the same Creator.”

The monarch urged Nigerian leaders to carry the youth and other neglected members of the society along in the task of putting the nation back on track of development and prosperity.

“The leaders must listen to the cry of the youths and every members of the society that feel neglected. We must work together to lift the poor.

We must make education a priority for our children.”

“The religious leaders, be it Christians, Muslims or traditionalists , all have vital roles to play in making Nigeria a harmonious society. They must come together as a body of God, love and protect their followers,” he said..

The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria has concluded plans to hold its 48th Annual General Meeting/ Congress. The AGM/Congress will hold at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th July, 2021.

The theme for this year’s AGM/Congress is “Boom, Gloom and Doom! Where do we sit?”

Mr. Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, will be among prominent dignitaries at the 48th Annual General Meeting/Congress of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria. The Governor is expected to declare open the AGM. The Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed will also be in attendance as the Special Guest of Honour.

The President of the Association, Mr Steve Babaeko

stated that the Association’s AGM is a platform to actively engage in intellectual and critical discourse on the challenges facing the business and practice of Advertising in Nigeria and advocate unconventional solutions in rebuilding and rebranding the industry.

The Chairman of the Events Planning Committee, Mr. Doyin Adewumi stated that the Association has come to a decision to invite leading experts in their Àelds to lead the discourse on the theme. He further stated that the impact of the discourse will be beneÀcial to delegates and members of the Association.

To emphasize the importance of the AGM, the Association has invited Mr. Abubakar Suleiman (MD, Sterling Bank Plc), Mitchell Elegbe (MD/CEO, Interswitch) and Mr. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (Founder, Future Africa) as speakers.

Ogun Deputy Gov Heads APC LG Elections Committee

Festus Akanbi

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has constituted its state campaign committee headed by the state’s Deputy Governor, Mr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, ahead of the July 24, 2021 local government elections.

According to a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, on Friday, the

campaign committee is charged with “overall coordination of the APC Local Government Elections Campaign and it is to liaise with respective local government campaign committees.”

According to the statement, the terms of reference for the high-powered committee include “overall coordination of the APC local government elections campaign activities, including but not limited to drawing up a state-wide

campaign timetable and itinerary and liaison with respective local governments’ campaign committees.”

The terms of reference also include the “identification of projects to be commissioned by the Governor during the campaign across the twenty (20) LGAs; determination of required campaign resources and materials and support to the Local Government Campaign Committees

and Candidates; preparation of campaign budget and solicitation for Funds; and any other issue that may be required for successful campaign.”

The SCC includes some members of APC State Working Committee (SWC), members of the House of Representatives, some members of Ogun State House of Assembly, Special Advisers and Special Assistants to Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The Chairman of Nigerian in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has challenged journalists to raise awareness and advocacy about rape for the victims to get justice.

She made the appeal during a capacity building for journalists on reporting rape organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).

She said that although many victims of rape were usually hesitant to speak out, journalists had a duty to advocate and encourage victims of rape to speak out.

“Let somebody know that you can go to jail for 14 years for 21 years, if you rape an underage girl. There is a lot of work for you to do in reporting, in advocacy

and in encouraging victims of rape to speak out. Till date, I get people who come to me and say ‘I don’t want to talk about it’.

“Because women are, they just don’t want to talk about it.

And that is the truth. We need to encourage women to speak out more and seek justice, particularly about what is going on back there.

It is really happening with the younger girls below 11 years.

Even the parents can talk about it. So it is your role as reporters to report this and follow it up,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

Also the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, described the issue of rape as very sensitive and emotive. He said the victims of rape could be further destroyed if the cases were not reported with compassion.

BRIEFLY Ezeoke Appointed College of Surgeons President College of Surgeons International, Nigeria Section, has appointed General (Dr.) Maurice Ezeoke as its new president in a colourful ceremony in Jos, Plateau State capital, recently. Ezeoke, Umuchu, Anambra State-born surgeon, has been making waves both at home and in the Diaspora, from Lagos, Kaduna to Liberia, Sudan and United States of America. He was onetime surgeon to State House (Aso Rock) Clinic, Abuja during the IBB regime. Meanwhile, no fewer than 79 fellows of the College were also inducted during the ceremony in Jos. The fellows included many professors in different fields of surgery and surgical specialties and sub specialties. These include general surgery, ENT, plastic surgery, urology, neuro-surgery, opthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology as well as orthopedics and histo-pathology. In his acceptance speech, General Ezeoke promised to work assiduously to build the college secretariat in Abuja as well as partnership with Teaching hospitals in the six zones of the country to provide surgical outreach programmes to some states in the zones. Founded in 1953

by Max Thorek, International College of Surgeons is a global organization dedicated to bringing surgeons and surgical specialist as worldwide.

Ezeoke

Ethelbert Alozie is Dead The death has been announced of Mr. Ethelbert Alozie of Umueze Amaimo in Ikeduru L.G.A. of Imo State. Aged 66, he died of heart attack on February 26, 2021 following a protracted illness in the United States of America. His body will be flown into the country and committed to mother earth on August 20th, 2021 in his country home, Umuezeala-Oruohia, after funeral Mass @ Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Umueze Amaimo, @ 10am Prompt.

Mr. Alozie is survived by wife, daughter, brothers, uncles, in-laws and a host of other relations and friends including Mazi Iheanyi Alozie, formerly of News Desk and Mr. Eugene Nwachukwu (CSO), THISDAY Newspapers, Apapa, Lagos.... May his gentle soul rest in peace, Amen.

Alozie

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸, 2021

08054699539

Tears for 339 Students with Captors

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39. As at press time, that’s the number of students from three schools languishing in the dungeons of bandits in Niger, Kebbi and Kaduna states. There are hundreds of others from unrecorded abductions, still with kidnappers. Hundreds of children are being abused in forests and all we get are rhetoric from a lame federal government that controls all the security agencies in the country. While we sleep in the comfort of our rooms, hundreds of our children are with beasts in the forests. The latest addition to the number of our children in the forest is the 121 taken from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State. The bandits strolled into the school, operated for over an hour unchallenged, and walked out with 121 children. It can only happen in Nigeria.

Then, it is followed with lies, damn lies by the Kaduna State Government and security agencies. Our well-trained soldiers claimed they exchanged fire with the bandits, but they still escaped with the Bethel students. Two security agents were killed by the bandits but our soldiers did not kill a single bandit in the firefight. This is absurd. It was later claimed that security agents rescued 26 of Bethel students. It turned out not to be true. The Proprietor of the Bethel School, Ishaya Jangado, sheds light on this: “After the exchange of fire between the bandits and the security personnel, we came to the school and we recovered 28 students. Some hide in different places. Some of them, in the course of taking them, escaped from the bandits and came back to the school.”

Also, midway into the case of the abducted 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State, the Army reported that five of the abducted students had been rescued by the military.

That was not the true story. The military was merely trying to take credit for a job not done. One of the five freed students blew the whistle on the Army and the Kaduna State Government by revealing that the bandits released them voluntarily.

Security glitches under this federal government are ceaseless and consuming too many innocent lives.

The killings, kidnappings and destruction across the country in the last six years of the Buhari government have become a big embarrassment to this country. The Nigerian state has never been this weak.

I’m convinced that Buhari knows what to do to end this madness, but has refused to do the needful The managers of Bethel Baptist High School have been told by the bandits to send food to the 121 students through them, so as to prevent the children from starving. The outlaws have started coming out to pick the food at an agreed location, yet, security agents are unable to track down these bastards.

The gangsters communicate daily with the school and parents using GSM phones, yet, tracking them down is a problem for our security agents. What a country!

Another shocking thing about unending abductions and killings in Kaduna State is that this state is home to a large number of military formations, including the headquarters of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army. The Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) and the Nigerian Army school of Artillery, Kachia, are some of the elite military institutions here. Garrisons and military training schools abound in Kaduna, nevertheless, outlaws

control this state. How can one explain the abductions at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, located near the NDA along the Kaduna International Airport road? It’s a big disgrace.

It will be a waste of time for the abducted students of Bethel Baptist High School to look towards Governor Nasir El-rufai for salvation. This man called El-rufai has never been there for anybody in this state. He enjoys showboating and persistently spins rubbish, without offering relief to victims of unending killings and kidnappings in Kaduna State. The other day, El-rufai openly rejected ransom to kidnappers. But he never followed up with anything positive to free victims. That was why five abducted students of Greenfield University were killed.

In Niger State, 135 pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina, have spent 40 days in the forest without any serious effort to rescue them. I’m talking about kids as young as eight years. The kidnappers want N100 million and sympathizers of the abducted pupils have so far paid almost N20 million. Earlier, one pupil died in the prison of the kidnappers.

In Kebbi State, 83 students and seven staff of the Federal Government College, Yauri, have spent 24 days in the forest with bandits. Three of the students died during separate weird rescue operations. In one of the operations, the Army reported that the fleeing kidnappers ran into men of the Joint Taskforce of Operation Hadarin Daji in the North-West Zone, at a roadblock, and a firefight occurred. According to the Deputy Force Commander, Operation Hadarin Daji, Air Commodore Abubakar Abdulkadir, as a result of the duel, the bandits were forced to abandon five students and a teacher; “but sadly, one of the students died in the crossfire.”

So, there was a firefight and not a single bandit was killed or captured? The bandits abandoned only five of the students and crossed the road block with the others unhindered? How did they escape through

Zulum is Clearly a Muddled Governor Watching Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on a television interview last Wednesday left me depressed. How can this man be the governor of a traumatised state like Borno and nonetheless, refuse to be truthful about its plight?

Zulum was economical with the truth during the interview. On the one hand, he admits that a large number of his people can’t go to their farms because of raging insecurity, stating: “The Nigerian military should create the enabling environment for farmers to go to their farmlands so that they can cultivate their lands. It is no longer sustainable for our internally displaced persons living in IDP camps and host communities to receive food and non-food items from donor partners. People must earn their livelihood if we want this insurgency to come to an end.”

On the other hand, Zulum said peace was gradually returning to the North-East after over 11 years of Boko Haram: “The Nigerian Army should not relax by our statement that there is peace in Borno State, that there is gradual return of peace in the North-East.” Which peace is this governor talking about? If peace is gradually returning, close to a million people will still not be living in IDP camps in Borno State. In this state, you will find people struggling for a meal a day in the IDP camps. Why would they remain in these camps if their towns and villages are now peaceful?

During the same interview, Zulum lamented: “The Nigerian Army does not have the lethal weapons, fighter helicopter and numerical strength to fight aggressors. The Nigerian Army of last 30 years, of last 40 years is better than the Nigerian Army of now a day. It is sad, it is very sad. We are supposed to have gone far in terms of development but if you look at it, the equipment we have in the last 40 years are still in existence.”

Governor Zulum

So, how did this poorly-equipped Army dismantle Boko Haram as earlier claimed by Zulum? Was it with bare hands? The truth which Zulum is being economical with is that the Nigerian Army has not degraded Boko Haram. The terrorists are roaming freely in 20 of the 27 local governments in Borno State.

Just last Wednesday, 24 persons were killed by Boko Haram in Dabna, a farming community in

Adamawa State. Zulum’s peace in the North-east is obviously an imaginary one.

On open grazing, Zulum said its prohibition won’t work until insecurity as “well as the socio-political and economic dimensions of the crisis are addressed.” Was he not part of the Northern Governors Forum that banned open grazing? How can an educated man be defending open grazing in the 21st century?

Zulum said an enabling environment must be created for herders before a ban is placed on open grazing. The only enabling environment is ranching. Herders don’t need eternity to cuddle ranching. This can be achieved in months by government of affected states before the herders return to base. Zulum should do his research properly. Any forward-looking governor would support a quick end to the persistent clashes involving nomadic herdsmen and farmers in different communities across our country. These clashes have assumed a frightening dimension under the Buhari administration, resulting in hundreds of deaths on both sides.

Human lives are sacred as ordained by Allah and we must all work very hard to preserve them. The only way forward is ranching. Multiple industrial boreholes, powered by solar energy, can be erected to pump uninterrupted water to sustain artificial lakes all year round for the ranches. Zulum needs to read about how the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, turned thousands of miles of desert into arable land.

He should also read about Gaddafi’s “Great Man-Made River.” If the Libyan wonder is replicated in Northern Nigeria, there will always be hays and water for cows in ranches all year round. My dear Zulum, ranching is the magic wand that will turn around the economy of Northern Nigeria.

the fortified road block, if indeed, there was a firefight? This story is outrageous. The army reported further that the land troops tackled the bandits in conjunction with elements of the Nigerian Air Force, who provided close air support, nonetheless, they could not gun down a single bandit during the rescue mission. With the aircraft, the Air Force could not track the location of the bandits. Commodore Abdulkadir’s men, who could not rescue the traumatised students, reported that they were able to recover 800 cattle from the bandits.

What a country!

Last Thursday, bandits released the six students and two staff of the Kaduna Stateowned Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, who spent 29 days in captivity. The abductees were freed after affected families paid about N5 million. This is Nigeria for you under Buhari.

Security glitches under this federal government are ceaseless and consuming too many innocent lives. The killings, kidnappings and destruction across the country in the last six years of the Buhari government have become a big embarrassment to this country. The Nigerian state has never been this weak.

The need to bring committers of these grave human rights violations to account is pertinent. Nigerians desire improved security. I’m convinced that Buhari knows what to do to end this madness, but has refused to do the needful. Nigeria is in a big mess. Who will save this country?

This is one big question begging for answer.

Kanu and the Duplicity of the British Government The role of the British Government so far in the Nnamdi Kanu saga leaves me wondering if the UK is truly a bastion of the Rule of Law as being promoted. The IPOB leader, whose Nigerian and British passports were impounded in 2016 by an Abuja court, as part of his bail condition, jumped bail and escaped to a neighbouring country, where he was issued another passport by the British Government. He escaped to UK with this and to other countries until his re-arrest last month.

Of course, the British Government knew Kanu was a fugitive running away from justice in Nigeria. UK’s new passport to Kanu shows disdain for the Nigerian court that impounded his passports.

Now, let’s juxtapose this with the British Government’s role in the Julian Assange case. This will help us understand the UK government’s duplicity. In 2002, Assange, Wikileaks co-founder, faced a case of extradition to Sweden in a British court over a sexual assault allegation. He was granted bail by the court but he jumped bail fearing likely extradition to the United States over another case. The US Government wants him extradited to face charges of massive leak of classified government data. So, he took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012.

The Ecuadorian government later withdrew Assange’s asylum and threw him out of its embassy in London in 2019. The British Government quickly grabbed him, took him back to court and was found guilty of jumping bail. Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks imprisonment and has been held there ever since over the extradition case to US. The point I’m making here is that when Assange jumped bail granted by a British court, the British Government went after him with so much venom, got him and ensured he is returned to court and jailed for his action. But when Kanu jumped bail granted by a Nigeria court, Britain provided him a new passport to escape justice. UK deliberately undermined the Nigerian court after a bench warrant was issued for Kanu’s arrest. The British Government should be ashamed.

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SATURDAY JULY 10, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JULY10, 2021

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Ferdinand Ekechukwu 08035011394 Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

SHOWBIZFLAIR

RMD, King of the Silver Screen at 60 Veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo turned sixty last Tuesday. It was heralded by a spectacle of posts which brought to the fore his very well known status. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

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o be frank, Richard MofeDamijo sure looks good at age sixty and more so thankful to the almighty God for the milestone which appears a remarkable triumph in his story. Better known as RMD by many, Richard is a folk hero, greatly admired for his achievements in acting in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. So you can imagine the outpouring of emotions and love extended to this great thespian on his diamond jubilee. No doubt, he has inspired millions of Nigerians with his talent and creativity.

The debonair actor and role model had brought his many years of experience to bear on his performance in acting which had inspired many to the thespian profession. It is worth reckoning his contribution to the Nollywood industry. Fans and colleagues also took to their social media pages to celebrate the movie icon and speaking glowingly about the former commissioner of Culture and Tourism in Delta State. This comes a few hours after he opened up about his life and marriage in a recent interview.

Sharing a photo, where he was dressed in a white shirt, the King of the silver screen expressed gratitude to God for the new age. He said: “Finally, It’s dawn and it’s my birthday. What an incredible journey, this has been. Yet I won’t tire. Just super grateful and thankful. Life like a Nollywood movie. To God be the glory!” Few hours to his birthday, the actor had shared another set of lovely photos.

Even after his birthday celebrations, the posts continue with so many pictures and reposts and prayers, creating so many beautiful new memories. It was everything he hoped for and more.

Mofe-Damijo was born in Aladja community of Udu Kingdom, near Warri, Delta State. He attended Midwest College, Warri and Anglican Grammar School and was a member of the Drama Club.

He enrolled into the University of Benin to continue his education and studied Theatre Arts. In 1997, Mofe-Damijo returned to the university to study law at the University of Lagos and graduated in 2004. After graduating from the university, RMD took part in a television soap opera in the late 80’s called Ripples. Before then, he had a stint with Concord Newspapers and Metro Magazine as a reporter. Out of Bounds (1997) was the Àrst Àlm for which he received a writer/ producer credit. In 2005, at the maiden edition of the African Movie Academy Awards, Mofe-Damijo won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Richard Mofe-Damijo

Some of the movies he has acted in include ‘Hostages’ (1997), ‘Scores to Settle’ (1998), ‘Diamond Ring’ (1998), ‘Freedom’ (1999), ‘When God Says Yes’ (2003), ‘The Intruder’ (2003), ‘The Mayors’ (2004), ‘I want Your Wife’ (2004), ‘Engagement Night’ (2004), ‘Critical Assignment’ (2004), ‘The Bridesmaid’ (2005) ‘Darkest Night’ (2005), ‘30 Days in Atlanta’ (2014), ‘Oloibiri’ (2015), ‘Okafor’s Law’ (2016), ‘Three Wise Men’ (2016), ‘The Wedding Party’ (2016), ‘Chief Daddy’ (2018),

30 Days in Atlanta, ‘Seven’ (2019) and dozens of others.

Living in the spotlight is often regarded as a blessing and a curse, and this is something Richard Mofe-Damijo understands all too well. A rounded artiste as solely observed, RMD was a journalist before succumbing to the allure of the big stage. Along the way of life, RMD has been an actor, politician, writer, lawyer and poet, but he likes to keep it simple by insisting that he likes to be known

as an actor, for it was the study of Theatre Arts at the University of Benin, going against the expectations of his parents as the only male child in a family of 17, that opened the opportunities for his other roles.

The ever-green actor once said: “I’m an actor because that’s what everybody knows me as.

I’m a qualiÀed lawyer and communicator.

I do corporate communications, government relations, public operations and I give opinions on legal matters when it concerns trademarks and intellectual property. I’m that kind of person that must be juggling three or four things at the same time to maintain a balance.”

Youthful minded, relating with the younger generation has always been easy for RMD. Interestingly, he puts it this way: “I think that you are only as old as you allow yourself. I have an incredible team of young people. I don’t have anybody in their forties that work with me. The oldest is just a bit above 30.

That way, they look at me in the eye and say, ‘Papa this is not right. This is how it works now’. With social media, I was very reluctant participant but I also got to see many values in it when it is used right. No matter the age, I’m never afraid to start again.”

Having made an impact in so many lives and hailed by all, RMD has every reason to celebrate as he clocked the big 60. The veteran actor explained that he was happy about his birthday because none of his parents had lived to become 60. According to him, his mother died at 59 while his father passed on at 57/58. Explaining further, RMD said his life was just about to start at 60: “There’s been a specter of death around my life, that’s what I’ve been dealing with last year till this year. When I turned 59, it was a big deal for me, big deal for me! My mom died at 59, my father died at 57/58. So, it was like, can I break it?

“When people see me and I go on a weight loss, people think that... you know, its health.

Both my parents were diabetic and hypertensive, I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be diabetic and hypertensive, I want to be healthier. At least give myself a Àghting chance to change that whole cycle. Yes I’m a Christian now, so I’ve broken that yoke but I have to also help myself. Becoming 60 for me is even a bigger deal, so when July comes and I become 60.

“You know how the Bible says old things have passed away, I will truly truly become a new man because that is when I’ll make a bucket list. So all these things that you think I’ve achieved or done, for me it’s nothing, like zero. So I’m going to now sit down when I’m 60 and do a bucket list … and then we’ll start.”

TV Adaptation of Ile Alayo to Air on StarTimes StarTimes in conjunction with Wakaati TV and Nollywood Thespian, Femi Adebayo, is set to launch Ile Alayo comedy series which is an adaptation of the blockbuster movie.

The cast includes Nollywood thespians and notable social media comedians like Mr Macaroni, Broda Shaggi, Woli Agba, Odunlade Adekola, Mercy Aigbe, Adebayo Salami, Lateef Adedimeji, Dele Odule, Femi Adebayo, Ebun Oloyede, Cute Abiola and Wale Akorede.

The cast and crew of the series were unveiled last Wednesday at a press conference organised

by StarTimes. Also in attendance were the CEO of StarTimes Nigeria,Alex Jian; Content Director, Viki Liu, COO, Tunde Aina; the CEO of Wakaati TV, Rotimi Akingbogun; ED of OMD, Yinka Adebayo, and representatives of major brands in the country.

In 2013, ‘Ile Alayo’, a comic movie which was written by the seasoned actor, Femi Adebayo, was released to critical acclaim.

Speaking at the press conference, the 43-year-

old actor said the series will borrow heavily from the original storyline of the movie, stressing that it will centre on humourous characters with conÁicting behaviours.

Adebayo said: ‘IleAlayo’ will bring back more than 70 per cent of the original cast, and will introduce new characters like Mr Macaroni, Woli Agba, Broda Shaggi and Lateef Adedimeji.

Some years ago we produced ‘Ile Alayo’ as a home video, and when we ended it, there have been a great demand for ‘Ile Alayo’ to come back majorly as a series.

“When the opportunity from our association TAMPAN to synergise with StarTimes showed up, we gave it a shot, and after so much consideration by the company they felt it was good enough to bring on board as a series.

“Ile Alayo has so many comedians. The concept is about a “face me and face you” house where we have so many characters with conÁicting behaviours and attitudes. We have a Muslim cleric, a prophet, a man that sells

Indian hemp, prostitutes, retired soldier and cybercriminals.

“The essence of the series is to create a comedy that will make sense. As far as we are trying to make it as humorous as possible, we also want to touch on some social messages that aͿect our environment. ‘Ile Alayo’ is a comedy Áick that I know people will appreciate. I can assure that the sponsors will get value for what they have invested.”

On his part, Alex Jian, the chief executive o΀cer of StarTimes, said the partnership comes as a result of the company’s desire to satisfy the growing demands of viewers for local content.

“Nollywood is the second largest content production centre in the world, in the past 10 years, StarTimes has come to the industry in our own way, whether through content acquisition and production,” he said.

“However, when demands from our audience increased, we began to realise the need to do more. Yes, we are going to do more. ‘Ile

Alayo’ is just a start. In the near future, more Nollywood artistes and professionals will bring more exciting local content to the screen of our viewers.

Viki Liu, Content Director, StarTimes added, “We are making a broader commitment to the Nollywood industry. Ile Alayo is the Àrst step to this commitment. With an array of super-stars, movie fans should expect laughter aplenty in the blockbuster drama launching in the fourth quarter.

“We are currently working on a plan that will make StarTimes a powerhouse of Nollywood content. As such, we are willing to collaborate with budding talents in the industry to bring more creativity to life. For young and promising creatives who do not have the opportunity to showcase their ingenuity, we are open to collaborate with you on your journey to becoming a global brand. You have the talent; we have the Ànance to power your creativity,” she concluded.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 10, 2021

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

Bella Shmurda Makes New Entry, Hits 2.0 Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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s you read this, Bella Shmurda’s debut EP, titled “High Tension 2.0” is out and streaming across major music platforms.

The sophomore EP, a follow-up to his Àrst EP, High Tension 1.0, dropped hours ago and has eight solid tracks all by him. Although it wouldn’t have been out of place he made it a full album. He’s capable and lyrically proliÀc. More so, owing to expectations that he takes it a notch higher for his teeming ‘Republikan’ fans had expected more from him.

The afropop star had earlier announced the Àne body of work on his Instagram page. He wrote: “There are people who are born to shine. Stars, you cannot dim their light. No matter what happens, no matter what life throws at them. They stand tall, they chase the bag. They continue to break stereotypes, they break standards.

Successful people equal High Tension.

As lightening is forever due to strike, they will do whatever it takes for them to shine.....July something! 2.0.”

Released under his Dagbana Republik and OneRPM, ‘High Tension 2.0’ has the following songs: Out There, Rush, World, Soldier Go, Far Away, Lako, Party Next Door, and Champion. In fact, this seems like another starting point for the Nigerian artiste. The Àrst part of his critically acclaimed “High Tension” EP had hit tracks such as Amope, Omnipotent, Upgrade, Ginger Me and more. Recall that Bella Shmurda Àrst came into limelight when his 2019 single, Vision 2020 got a remix with Olamide.

The street hit became the lead single for his EP, which was released not long after in 2020. Since the release of

Bella Shmurda

his Àrst EP, Bella Shmurda has gone on to release some very successful jams, including “Dangbana Orisa”, “Only You”, “Cash App”, and the latest “World”.

It has taken Akinbiyi Abiola Ahmed, known by his stage name Bella Shmurda, approximately two years to set the Nigerian music scene ablaze.

Fans will remember it as being less than that, while those who doubted

him will wonder what took them so long to join his camp.

Bella Shmurda had instantly caught the attention of Afrobeats listeners who loved element of street sounds in their songs. The Headies 2020 NextRated nominee continued to prove his quality by dropping the ‘High Tension’ EP to further deÀne his full potential to the music industry.

Aided with his story telling abilities, the singer and songwriter is deÀnitely

one of the best among his peers. What makes him stand out is the fact that he is unique in his own way. “I tried to put myself in the music, you know, using my personal experience to speak because there is no new word out there, the thing wey you won sing, person don sing am before, it is just for you to put yourself in that shoe and that’s where I think I am unique because I put my own life story in it.

And I think my voice is nice…”

Diya Ojo: Why I Respect Admiral Abiodun Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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ondon-based Nigerian musician, Diya Ojo, has expressed his utmost respect for one of the living legends in the Nigerian music industry and former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, (PMAN), Admiral Dele Abiodun. Diya, whose Africa Rhythms Band is synonymous with Jelenke brand of juju music, relocated from Nigeria to United Kingdom in 1995.

He rose into prominence by being the rave keyboardist in the early 90’s, performing in album studio sessions for music veterans including K1 de Ultimate, Sir Shina Peters, late I.K. Dairo, General Kollington Ayinla and Evangelist (Chief) Ebenezer Obey, among others, while being a bona Àde member of Admiral Dele Abiodun’s Top Hitters’ Band, prequel to his relocation.

“Admiral Dele Abiodun gave me the opportunities to excel and that is why he remains the best boss I have ever known in my life.

He was the one who brought me to limelight by allowing me to perform for various artistes who needed my services at that time,” he said.

Nominated in two categories: Best Juju Artiste in the World and Best Musician in Diaspora, for the current year by Yomofa Global Awards, Diya recently released his much-anticipated single, Oja L’aye meaning The World is a Market Place. Produced by Doxolie and released on the stable of Diya Ojo Music Limited, Oja L’aye is an eight-minute lyrical composition with rhythmic Áow, spiced with scintillating percussion and tunefully-played instrumentation, reminiscent of Diya’s prowess as a Àrebrand artiste.

Diya, yet again, dexterously displays his talent as he enunciates on issues prevalent in the world, while giving a summation on the COVID-19 pandemic and oͿering cautionary advice to the public.

Diya, who was born in Omo Ofe, Ilesha, Osun State, started his musical career from the church.

He was introduced into music when he became a member of the Christ Apostolic Church, Iperindo, Osun State’s choir group in 1972.

He later joined the Christ Apostolic Church Choir, Oke Imole, Agbeni, Ibadan in 1979 where his talent for playing the church organ was discovered. He consequently studied music at the Chamber Music School, Ibadan, founded by Professor Wole

Adetiran, the head of Music Department at Ibadan Polytechnic, between 1983 and 1988; and at the Royal Schools of Music, London.

His Àrst album, Igba Otun, (New Dawn), was released on Sony Music label, Nigeria in 1994.

“My type of music is a modern juju music that combines the rhythms of other music including juju, highlife, fuji, blues and so on,” he says.

Diya’s other previous albums include Millennium Buzz and Mind the Gap, (1999); Sound of Time, (2003) and The Lord on My Side, (2006). He has won several awards including Afro Hollywood Recognition Award, (1999); Outstanding Juju Performer, (2006); UK Indigenous Artiste of the Year, (2006); Best Artiste of the Decade in Diaspora-presented by Nigerian Music Awards, (NMA), in Abuja in 2007; Special Recognition Award by Zafaa Global Awards in 2009 and Maestro Supremo De La Musica Juju award, in the United States of America, in 2014.

He established Diya Ojo Music Elite Klub, (DOME Klub), in 2000 and became the Àrst president of the Nigerian Performing Artistes, (UK), in 2008. He has an impressive resume, having performed on world concert stages, including Diya Ojo the coveted Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London concert.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 10, 2021

SHOWBIZFLAIR Jamopyper

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Tosin Clegg

07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

I Don’t Want to be Known for a Particular Sound Jamiu Damilare Tajudeen, known professionally as Jamopyper, is a singer, songwriter and dancer. He rose to prominence with the release of the song “Of Lala” and a follow up single “If No Be You”, which featured Mayorkun.

Jamopyper has proven himself to be a force to reckon with as he firmly holds a stake in the industry with some of his releases, performances and artistry securing the stand for him. Talking to Tosin Clegg, he sheds more light on his background, getting into music, signing and much more

I

Growing up in Egbeda was born at Egbeda and I am the Àrst in a family of six. I am a native of Oyo State, Iganna to be precise. I schooled in Nigeria. I attended Topaz Emerald School, Egbeda for my primary education and Millennium Secondary School, Egbeda for my secondary education.

My style is very unique I started music as a kid but it started professionally in 2015. I was actually into generator repairs and had plans to be a Mechanical Engineer before I decided to do music full time. My style is very unique, I actually don’t want to be known for a particular sound as I am a versatile artiste. I blend well on Afro-pop beats and dancehall.

In fact, play any kind of beat and I will be singing my lungs out. For me

My inspirations Akon is like my icon. He inspires me a whole lot and I also like Rihanna. My Nigerian Idol is 9ice, Wizkid and Davido. If you listen to my sound well, you will know they all have huge impact in the kind of music I make today. I see myself on the world stage as one of the biggest artistes across Africa.

Jamopyper

generally, good music is timeless music, songs that will last for decades and songs that people can learn from.

Shout Out to Zlatan I got signed to Zanku Records after the release of my song with Rahman Jago and Zlatan. Big shout out to my boss and friend, Zlatan for believing in me. It’s been blissful since signing this deal. I have known Zlatan for Àve years.

I have a solid relationship with him and I respect him as well. Not just as a friend but also as a boss. Working with him has been great as he motivates me with the way he strives harder. It has helped sharpen my career with the platform he gave me.

The Nigerian music is where new talent surfaces daily I appreciate the fact that the Nigerian sound is mainly what deÀnes the African market today. And no gainsaying the Nigerian entertainment music industry has been good to me and it has helped sharpened my ability to strive harder daily.

The internet has impacted the music business in diͿerent awesome ways.

Now people can go on diͿerent online music store to stream music unlike before that it has to be through Bluetooth and disc.

I appreciate all my fans worldwide, please don’t stop supporting the brand Jamopyper, as we are all in this together and I love you all.

I will be dropping the remix of Better Better with Davido in a couple of weeks, after which, I will drop a song produced

by Young John, release my EP and host a concert at Egbeda.

Comedian, Pencil Jemiriye Celebrates Lagos Releases 3 Web Series Despite the slow pace of organising shows and concerts as a result of the new normal, multi-talented comedian cum actor Ogechi Nwanevu Cyril, otherwise known as Pencil has released three web series content that includes Banabas, Relationship Saga and Aboy and Mama as a means to provide quality entertainment contents and keep the Pencil Brand awaken in the minds of his teaming fans.

Speaking on the messages of the web series, Pencil disclosed that for Banabas, which features the likes of Lasisi Elenu, Don Jazzy, Heroes Daniels, Ada Jesus, amongst others, the story is about a false and pretentious lifestyle of an average guy played by Pencil, and as such has the sole aim of creating laughter, teaches didactic lessons and as well lifts one’s inner mind.

On the other hand, Relationship Saga dealt with the challenges faced in relationships and marriages with special focus on the theme of insecurity, jealousy, inÀdelity, and lies amongst others, while Aboy and Mama Series bring back the feeling of nostalgia as special focus was centered on childhood memories and experiences of growing up with African mothers. The web series, however, featured Ada Jesus, Mannericous and Pencil.

On delving into acting at the moment, Pencil noted that as a result of the pandemic which hindered events, shows, comedians needed to have an alternative to pay their bills hence the need to delve into acting.

Pencil

Charismatic, elegant, stylish, beautiful, bold with a powerful sonorous voice. That’s Jemiriye.

She uses her songs to campaign for the liberation of theAfrican woman, promoting peace inAfrica, saying no to child marriage, empowering the African woman and campaigning for theAfrican child’s education.

She just produced a new song she titles, Lagos, which reverences the city. She has a base of opportunities where so many people have been made prosperous from all spheres of endeavours.

About the song, she said, “So many things go on around the world now and in Africa we tend to focus on our negative side and that breaks my heart. Every country has its own problems but they don’t tell you how bad it is, but we tend to blow things out of proportions. Focusing on our negative sides does a lot of damage to us but we are a happy people. And I just wanted to focus on Lagos as a Center of Excellence as it is and celebrate it. My song, Lagos, came to be as a result of that image for Africa to make the world see us with the goodness and excellence imbedded in it.”

Jemiriye

Jemiriye’s music is rooted in a mix of Highlife, Classic, Afro Jazz, Afro Soul which coins into Afro Fusion. It has a mix of diͿerent rhythms and sounds. Growing up, Jemiriye listened to and sang diͿerent genres of music, making her one of the most versatile singers of her generation.

As a former Nigerian idol star, she advocates contestants should keep voting pressures managed and not run into debts over voting expectations.

She stated, “Do not break the bank trying to impress people.

Desphil Osawaru Igbinedion Celebrates Clocking 30 Desphil, a movie producer, screen writer and chef based in Los Angeles, U.S.A is passionate about visual storytelling and with this desire she began directing and producing videos. She has relentlessly gone ahead to earn degrees and work on several projects to further enrich her knowledge and expertise behind the camera and has indeed paid oͿ with awards and massive recognitions.

Her works’ excellence can be referred to by her use of creativity and knowledge through short Àlms that tell a story behind her contents and this is circulated globally in music videos, short Àlms and feature length Àlms.

She emphasises her love for story telling that brings awareness to people in society

with depression, suicide thoughts, abuse, pain, something with an exceptional meaning. She loves the diverse culture and plans to have a production company in Àve years, nationally and internationally, to create a wide range of viewers all over the world. Desphil said, “You need to begin to have a dream.”

The granddaughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, exquisitely celebrated her 30th birthday with friends and family over the weekend and it was an exclusive black tie party which saw the likes of the former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Fred Igbinedion, Mike Igbinedion, Bright Igbinedion, Philomena Igbinedion, among others attend the event.

Igbinedion

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

SUPER SATURDAY Nkechi Blessing Sunday

I’m No Longer Working for Fame…This is the Time to Start Making Money from My Passion See her as being razz, call her controversy. Whatever you make of her doings, wave-making Nollywood actress and brand influencer, Nkechi Blessing Sunday tells you she is not as you perceive but what her brand is outside the glam. This ‘Igbo-Yoruba’ sister by her affinity with both cultures, appears packed on the screen and on social media. NBS as she’s fondly called, starred alongside Regina Askia in her comeback movie. In this conversation with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, NBS talks about her life and thought-provoking issues borne-out of personal experiences

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ou have been in the eyes of the storm concerning your opinion on the alleged child molestation case against your colleague Baba Ijesha. . .

The last time I spoke about it got me a suspension. I’m tired of talking about that thing.

But you have apologized to the body (TAMPAN) now…

Eehn. Yeah exactly, so…

How do you feel about how the matter has played out?

Erm… to be very, very sincere I don’t know, I don’t know because if some people would notice I actually stopped when a lot of people were saying let the court be the judge. I said okay, Àne.

But I know for sure that justice must be served.

The fact that he was granted bail does not mean he is totally free. It simply means he would be coming from his house to court until the matter is decided. That’s how I think it should just play out.

What do you think that needs to be addressed in Nollywood and how would you love to see it addressed?

The thing is that I am actually not their problem in that Yoruba sector of Nollywood because it is divided. There’s the English and there’s the Yoruba. They need to pay more attention to paying their cast… their artistes well enough because these people that are suspending me Nkechi Blessing Sunday has left them a long time ago when they can no longer pay my bills.

Yes! Because I am no longer working for fame, I think God has blessed me to a point where I will say I cannot walk on the street and one or two people will not say ‘oh that is Nkechi’.And this is the time to start making money oͿ my passion.

It is a passion yes I love it. But it has to make me money. It has to do one or two things for me. I will go on location, I will work, I will do twenty scenes, I will do thirty scenes, you will give me N10,000 you will give me N15,000. How long will that N15,000 or N10,000 build me a house?

How long will I save to buy a car? The only time that I get to feel that I am working and being paid is when I do English movies. The moment I started business last year was when I decided I just needed to face my business because it was given me more money and taking care of my family; I have a large family. I have my sisters, I have my mother, and I have my cousins. That’s only me.

I have over seventeen people living under my roof that is looking up to me for daily survival.

Because I don’t come out of the glam to talk about my problem does not mean I don’t have.

So you think one of the problems is to pay artistes well, any other problem you want to mention in addition?

They have lots of problem in that industry and only God can solve them for them, not me because I don’t even know what to say.

Away from TAMPAN wahala, what’s up with you at the moment, are there any show or project that you’re on?

Right now I am bent on winning a N120,000,000 (one hundred and twenty million naira) prize on a celebrity show that is going on right now.

It’s going to be on for eight weeks and that’s where I am.

What’s the name of the reality show?

It’s called ‘Celebrity Come Build Reality TV Show Naija’. It is huge; where celebrities come together to build a three bedroom bungalow. So that is what I am on now. After eight weeks of my life dedicating it to that show, by the Grace of God I emerge the winner of that show, then I would know my next project.

So you really feel you will emerge winner?

100%. I’m always positive in my life. I never talk negative words to myself. I’m a winner.

Blessing

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

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SUPER SATURDAY If You Do Not Like Me, You Bounce. I Can’t Displease Myself to Please Anybody boutique, I have a saloon, I have a kiddies’ store all here in Nigeria, Lagos.

So how do you manage all?

I have people; my mum is in charge of all of all the three businesses.

So which would you say pays the bill more for you?

The kiddies store and I don’t even loud it. But for now the thing that pays my most bills is brand inÁuencing. Oh Jesus! Instagram inÁuencing is the sweetest thing in this life!

6R \RX HDUQ PXFK IURP ,QVWDJUDP LQÁXHQFLQJ" I just recently bought a N15.5 million Range Rover from money I made on Instagram in two weeks. So what are you now telling me? Which one come pay money pass? ,Q WZR ZHHNV IURP ,QVWDJUDP LQÁXHQFLQJ you made N15.5million and used it to buy a car?

Yes, because they ‘don accuse me before say I no dey drive machine’. So I needed to.

What spec of Range Rover?

It’s Range Rover Evogue ‘tear nylon’. I didn’t even post it because there’s no point. But if you go to my page you would see it. I didn’t post it like saying ‘okay o congratulations to me’. I don’t have that time. You will just see me in my car, beside my car, inside my car, anywhere around my car. It’s you that will now type congratulations by yourself (laughs-out-loud). Oh my God… Let’s talk about you speaking Yoruba and Igbo dialects. You have pretty much featured in Yoruba movies right? But you speak both Igbo andYorubalanguages,howdidthatcomeabout?

A lot of course; I was born in Lagos that’s the reason. I was born in Surulere area of Lagos (Bode Thomas). Born and brought up in Lagos.

Can you take us through your background, childhood and growing up?

Growing to me was quite fun. I lost my dad in 2014. And he was one my greatest role models becausemyfathersupportedanythingIdid.While in secondary I was doing a little bit of drama and all of that he supported me. He liked it. He was always providing all the costume that I liked wearing for the school drama. My mum and dad were very good until they separated some eight years before he died. So, my mum has been the one; single-handedly took care of us. So it’s been just me, my mum and my younger ones trying to survive.

I was not born with a silver spoon. It was good when my dad was alive. But when he died, it became the responsibility of my mother to try to pick up from where he stopped but it wasn’t easy. A lot of people know where I’m coming from. I have hawked Okrika just to pay my school fees; I have done a lot of things just to survive. So wherever I am today did not just happen. It took a lot of hard work, time, suͿering and then the grace and determination not to give up.

The hunger to be successful to not let my mother suͿer is what brought me here. I’m not even where I’m supposed to be this just a tip of the iceberg trust me because where God is taking me is still far.

Blessing Let’s talk about a movie you featured which is one of the most anticipated Nollywood movies at the moment, Web, which marks comeback for Regina Askia. Tell us about your role in the movie?

Yes Web, was shot in the United States of America by Siderz Entertainment. Actually, the thing is I was about leaving the United States when they started that production. So I just had to be there to oversee and I didn’t really do much. If I shock you I didn’t really do more than a scene; like a cameo in the movie.

But trust me, I needed to give the movie all the hypethatisneededyouknowIamanambassador to Siderz Entertainment and that is their Àrst major Áick and it is big. It is going to be showing in the US cinemas. It is quite big getting Regina Askia involved, bringing Ramsey Nouah all the way from Nigeria to the United States.

So ‘Web’ is actually a very interesting story to watch out for. So everybody watch out for it.

‘This one Àt carry me enter Hollywood wey I don dey project’.

Are you really based in Nigeria or in the United States right now because your online SURÀOH VD\V ¶86 EDVHG·" This reality show (Celebrity Come Build) brought me back, I have relocated. So after the show I’m going back to New York.

Which one of the movies you featured in readily comes to your mind and why?

The ones I featured in or the ones I produced myself?

Well, be it the ones you featured and or the ones you produced….

I will categorically tell you that any movie that

has made me famous today is my Àrst ever movie that I did, that is ‘Omoge Lekki’ that I shot in 2015.

And that movie shot me into limelight. But if I’m talking about the movie that is my number one movie in all the movies I have produced is the one, ‘Judasi’ that even featured daddy Jide Kosoko. That movie was da bomb! It featured Mercy Aigbe, Bolanle Ninalowo, and a couple of others.

Can you not see the way he’s been disturbing me? That man is the one that is teaching me everything that I’m doing now in a good way.

In fact, he asked me to do a video apology but my management insisted on a write-up for some reasons and we decided to go by that and I apologized to him to please see reasons.

Yea because a lot of people see me as being razz and all but some people who Ànd me worthy still associate with my brand because they know I am nothing like what I am on the glam. So I wouldn’t now use my own hand to spoil this reputation.

It is now the Igbo sector knows that I am one of them. I have been receiving countless calls from them. He’s being like… if I say he’s my number one supporter after my family he’s being the one.

You have reached fame to some extent that RQH FRXOG QRZ DVVXPH WKDW LW KDV D;HFWHG \RXU lifestyle in ways…

I tell you it has not aͿected my lifestyle in anyway because acting, as I’m talking to you now I’m acting. Acting is part of me. You know when I saw lot of comments that ‘now that they have band me from TAMPAN what next?’ ‘Wouldn’t we be seeing you on our screens anymore?’ Na! I do English movies before now. I have some He’s a Yoruba guy too?

EnglishmoviesonYouTuberightnow–Unknown Yeah he’s from Ado Ekiti. He’s very supEnemy, Love Triangle, The Otedolas, a lot and portive. His name is Honourable Opeyemi some that are still going to come out next two David Falegan. He’s based in London. weeks. It all depends on the channel that you Still on marriage related there’s the notion are watching. that showbiz is no place for decent women who want to build a home and family. . .

But you have apologized…

Of course and everybody should just move It is not for me because I can decide to leave on because I want peace for myself. the showbiz and go raise my family and come back. I have done like three interviews where Let’s go a bit personal here. I read you recently they asked me if I can leave showbiz for my margot married, right? riage. And my answer was yes. Of course, I can Yes. go build up my family and come back. I can be behind the scenes as long as it has my name on it - Nkechi Films Production.

In America or where did you wed?

It was here in Lagos.

You were earlier talking about businesses So, how marriage life and what qualities you do aside acting and movie production. . . endeared you to your man?

Yeah I own two stores, in fact three: I own a

You are largely perceived as controversial maybe because you are very outspoken. Tell us who Nkechi Blessing Sunday truly is?

Yeah you know what a lot of people do not like real people. I am not like any other person.

I am Nkechi. I will not ignore your stupidity.

When you meet me one on one I’m always calm on my phone replying trolls but being quiet . . . (laughs). The Nkechi outside the glam is too sweet; somebody you would not like to leave her side because I’m always full of life and giving you fucking fun. And I will tell you reality if you do not like me you bounce. I can’t displease myself to please anybody. I put myself Àrst before anyone else. So if that makes me a bad person well so be it. But I’m not a bad person. People who know me know I have a good heart. Those who have inner eyes know I have a good heart.

Let’s get to know some intimate things about you Hmmm like what?

What you like and dislike; hobbies; turn on, WXUQ R;V IDYRXUWLH IRRG IDYRXULWH FRORXU DQG things like that…

I like to travel. My favourite colour should be white. I love food a lot, I’m a foodie. I’m a lover girl. I make sure that I’m always there for those I love to make sure they are very okay. I look out for them. . .

It was once reported that your backside is VXUJLFDOO\ HQKDQFHG ,V LW QDWXUDO DV ¶IDFWRU\ ÀWWHG· EHFDXVH PRVW WLPHV \RX RIWHQ ÁDXQW LW on social media?

Never! My bum-bum, before you talk, my bumbum is the only original bum-bum in the industry asatnow,don’tworry.It’snaturalhundredpercent.

You know a lot of people think maybe I used to edit my bum-bum but when they see it real life they will be like ‘ah, oma to bi gaan o!’

22

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

PEOPLE Kikelomo Atanda-Owo

My Biggest Mistake is My Failed Marriage…

That Mistake Still Has a Rippling Effect on Me Well-grounded in marketing communications, Kikelomo Atanda-Owo has been impacting the sector for over 18 years with her versatility. Atanda is also the founder and host of “RealTalkWithKike” on radio and TV. Her impact extends beyond her profession as she supports single mothers and widowers through “Kike Hub Foundation”. The CEO of ZEdge Consulting, which specialises in organisation, strategic market planning, and supply chain consultancy among others, talks to Azuka Ogujiuba about the state of things in the Nigerian communication industry, way forward for Nigeria in terms of good image, her take on PR/Advertising practices in Nigeria and vision for Z-Edge among others With over 18 years in Marketing Communication, do you y think we are getting ad copies, rebranding, and general image i building right in Nigeria? Tell us about the quality of o work being put out by the industry Speaking from experience, Nigeria is gradually advanci in these areas. More experts are delving into these areas ing of o communication. Thus far, we are being compared with advanced a countries with higher expertise in integrated m marketing communications. We can get better. However, the t structure is one thing that sets us back. Part of it is the l legal framework for and parenting of content because of c content piracy and content theft.

What’s the one thing you wish your clients or Nigerians u understand about PR and advertising?

Advertising and Public relations in Nigeria is another s sphere entirely. In advertising, we are pulling our wits but i public relations, I think we are still grappling with proin f fessionalism and sensitivity and that plagues almost every i institution.

At the federal governmental level, the way the g government communicates with the people shows poor PR i terms of sensitivity and professionalism. Even in private in c companies and business enterprises, company managers a owners don’t care about their customers and clients in and t public. They shove a different kind of rubbish at them the w when they want to exhibit their monopolistic tendencies t that put buyers or end-users at their mercy. For advertising, w can get better but at PR, we are below standard and we we n need to advance our ethics in PR. What’s the vision for your firm, Z-Edge Consulting?

The vision of Z-Edge can be spoken about from the i idea that led to its birth. First of all, Z-Edge is a legacy for g generations.

The name Z represents Zion my first child and b beyond its primary functions and values that the company g gives in terms of consulting, executive training, procurem ment, foreign resource facilitation, and event management.

Z Z-Edge is the generational legacy of professionalism and v value.

The vision is to ensure that the legacy of Z-Edge t transcends generation and continues to give value to h humanity across the globe with professional standards.

Atanda-Owo

Kamala Harris became America’s first black vice president, t highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. Do the y think this is feasible in Nigeria given the fact that you N Nigerian politics is male-dominated? Also, how do we g more women to participate in politics? get This is a topic I’ve grossly debated and discussed on m show and platform more vigorously in March when my I dedicated the full month to promoting African women a their exploits. The response is this: Yes, it is feasible and f Nigeria to produce a female Vice President given the for t terrain of the male-dominated political landscape. However, t factor required is time and participation. There are the s several women in the political sphere of Nigeria and they h haven’t been doing badly. They have been conscientious a compassionate about Nigerians. However, for a female and t get to the position in question, it requires a track record to o integrity from the few female politicians on the stage of n now, the tenacity of non-participants to get involved in p politics, and further sensitisation of the female public on its i possibility. Women need to understand and accept their core responsibility of creating the desired change they want c to t see in our society. The understanding of their roles and the t assumption of that obligation will enable this to come to t pass.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

23

PEOPLE I Was Born with a Silver Spoon and that Spoon Has Nothing to Do With Who I am Today i impact on society, the contribution of standards, and the p posterity of my empire.

Tell us about your formative years My formative years were filled with so much experience.

I at present finalising my memoir. I have been writing I’m f three years. for Give us more insight into your educational background a career? and I am a double master’s degree holder from the University o South Wales and Kingston University. I am a bachelor’s of d degree holder in a mass-communication from Igbinedion U University Okada.

Can we say you were born with a silver spoon?

Yes, I was born with a silver spoon and that spoon has n nothing to do with who I am today or what has become o other than the platform and leverage it gave me to become w I am. I tell everyone who cares to listen and know who t that my father was an elite socialite who gave me all the l luxuries I could ever crave for growing up. He provided a the exposure I could ever want with the training that all I got from my grandmother of blessed memories, Alhaja H Habeebat Atanda-Owo. How did your background shape your life?

It was a loving experience for me and the one that s shaped my future. Some unforgettable personalities played i integral roles in my formative years. These two are my f father and grandmother. My father gave me all the love, n nurturing, education, and exposure that I could get in life d despite being absent physically and my grandma trained m with enterprising skills in entrepreneurship developme m ment.

She trained me to be independent and resilient in c chasing my dream and following my ambitions whilst the m mother who birthed me taught me a lesson to be more p present on all fronts for my children.

What was the best gift you remember receiving as a c child?

I think the best gift is education. Well, education c comes with exposure and training. Those are my best g gifts asides from the gold jewelry my late grandmother e exposed me to growing up.

What was the most difficult thing that has ever h happened to you in all your years and how did you o overcome it?

Failed marriage: finding peace, healing and selfr realisation to overcome it. It wasn’t easy and the path t self-actualisation was the difficulty after broken to m marriages.

Healing took a gradual process especially my l marriage and that process took tolls on me and my last r relationships with people.

What do you consider the biggest mistake you have e ever made?

My biggest mistake is my failed marriage. That m mistake still has a rippling effect on me and my children.

W that is why it is called a mistake. We learn from Well, i and move forward. I am happy being alive and in a it b better place...

Atanda-Owo How best do you think we can tackle the increasing cases of rape in Nigeria?

In my opinion, it has to be tackled from multiple angles - The angle of law, the angle of our artistes, and that of institutions. I know and understand that our laws are weak and very slow to acting and prevailing on rape crimes. If the penalties can be stiffer, quicker, and highly transparent, we will see fewer rape cases. Secondly, our art media promotes sexuality and sexual objectification of the female gender and all these lead to sexual crimes.

When music stars promote these obscenities, objectification, gender-degradation of our girls in their videos, it makes it easy for perpetrators of this kind of crime to see it as a cheap offense.

The third but the most powerful angle to tackling rape cases is to address our cultures and values. Our value system is hugely eroded. If individual families can work on the values and standards that are inculcated in their kids, the human products we get from our social institutions will be better The abduction of school children in the Northern part of the country is becoming more alarming by the day.

If you could sit one on one with the President on this issue, what would you suggest to him as the way out?

Well, for a fact. He has been too docile for my liking in terms of his leadership approach. I think he needs to be forthcoming with stern actions of dealing with those perpetrating the crime of insurgency, abduction, and banditry. Secondly, he is not paying attention to the youths. The perpetrators of these crimes are youths and it simply tells us one thing. They are not being engaged

properly and optimally. If there were job opportunities and the industries are working to earn a decent livelihood, I’m sure we will be able to eliminate these challenges of insecurity. Thirdly, inequality should be brought to the least.

Some of the agitations that lead to kidnapping, insurgency, and banditry are the marginalisation and unfair treatment of some groups. Justice and equity of resources sharing can help eradicate these issues.

What’s your take on the numerous young Nigerians coming out as gays on social media and the anti-gay law in Nigeria?

It is just a reflection of the level of decadence and immorality we have in our society today. I don’t believe it and I advocate against it with all my existence. It is a virus against the code of existence, procreation, and the functionality of humans in our society. Our anti-gay laws are not being enforced let alone to know if it is effective.

We have a lot of people parading themselves in the streets and on social media spreading the virus and the insanity of gay and transgender. If these laws are enforced, we can see a tremendous level of sanity.

What would you say is your greatest achievement in life?

I think my greatest achievement is my kids. They are the greatest investments, assets, and a definition of my success. I so much care about society and I believe in individual contributions. The individual quota of nationbuilding starts from each home and I think my greatest achievement will be producing role models and unquestionable children for the next generation. My children are what will be left of me when I’m gone in terms of my

Are there things you still desire?

A big empire and a multinational company. I am w working on making my business global. I’m working on making Z-Edge and RealTalkWithKike a global brand with an international presence in many countries. I’m hopeful that will foster my influence and the contribution I want to give to humanity at large.

What are some of the lessons life has taught you?

Trust lessons. I am too open to a fault. I had to reduce my inner circle of friends. I knew I had to keep a little I could trust because I don’t think I can ever keep a secret or apply diplomacy in my affairs. I let my guard down too frequently and guarding my vulnerability is key. Hence, the reason I’m careful with my smaller inner circle.

What are your plans going forward?

I have tall ambitions. I admire quite a several role models and I aspire to be greater than them. It is double the diligence and triple the resolve, because those role models are juggernauts and they aren’t cooling off anytime soon. To be like the likes of Amanpour, Dr. Abati, Dele Momodu, Bola Adesola, Funmi Iyanda, Allen Onyema, Mo Abudu and still beat them is an imaginable feat, yet achievable feat.

What’s your biggest fear in life?

Not feeling truly loved till I leave this earth. . The fear that I may not experience loyalty, genuine love, and commitment from my partner is my fear, i.e. experience that with someone special in a peaceful home. Likewise, my children understanding what true family foundation should be with the unit of a husband and wife with God’s presence is despair for me.

24

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

POLITY

Sabiman Scheme: GOtv Nigeria’s Panacea to Youth Unemployment Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

D

uring the pandemic last year, a panel led by the Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo on economic sustainability projected that nearly 40 million Nigerians will be unemployed in 2021. In March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the unemployment rate in Nigeria increased by 6.2% from the second quarter to the fourth quarter of 2020. This placed Nigeria in the third position on the global list of countries with the highest number of unemployed persons.

To anyone, this news is disheartening. More devastating is the fact that the rate of unemployed youths aged 15 to 24 stood at 53.4% in the fourth quarter, while that of youths aged 25 to 34 was 37.2%.

Nigeria’s active population falls between 15 and 64, thus, mostly are youths who are considered to be the future drivers of the economy.

But if the government fails to employ the youths, or provide an enabling environment for businesses, brain drain is imminent as seen in the medical field where the shortage of doctors is crippling the system.

However, the private sector can play a part in ensuring that the rate of unemployment is stunted. This is where GOtv, a digital

terrestrial TV owned by MultiChoice Nigeria comes in.

For five years, GOtv has been creating jobs for hundreds of Nigerians through its Sabiman/Canvasser Scheme. The scheme provides willing young Nigerians with technical training that enables them to resolve various issues related to the GOtv service.

The trained youths offer door-to-door services in their assigned neighbourhoods. The services include resolving connection issues and assisting subscribers to renew their subscription through e-payment platforms.

So far, GOtv has employed over 8,000 youths and invested N162 million in the scheme since it began. These youths come from various parts of the country and with GOtv reaching many households in over 20 cities in Nigeria, the number is bound to increase.

While Sabiman focuses on technical skill acquisition, the GOtv Canvasser scheme provides young people with the basic marketing skills to enable them to make GOtv products more accessible to subscribers.

In chats with some of the beneficiaries, it was clear that GOtv Nigeria, through its Sabiman and Canvasser initiatives, has shown its commitment to taking more Nigerians off the unemployment market, enriching them via creative, intellectual and resourceful engagement to become better citizens and entrepreneurs who would in turn, contribute positively to society.

For Titilayo Ogunyemi Taiwo, a GOtv Sabiman who joined the

programme in 2013, the training taught him everything he needed to be successful. Taiwo who is currently a coach expressed his gratitude to GOtv Nigeria for the opportunity to grow and achieve financial stability and also have 25 young people working for him.

“Financially, MultiChoice is really trying and I’d be forever grateful to them. The payment is encouraging. My team and I have been able to meet all our needs and that of our family” he said.

Oluwagbemi Sunday, a GOtv Canvasser, said that the initiative has renewed his belief that where there is a will, there is a way.

He said, “I have learnt technical skills in installation and engineering jobs. I have also improved interpersonal skills and learnt how to approach people. Being a canvasser involves highlighting the benefits of the products to customers. This also added to my experience. Today, I am earning a stable income. I only became a canvasser two years ago and MultiChoice, since then, helped me build experience.Armed with all these, I have been empowered by the idea of establishing my own shops to make more money and also work as a canvasser”.

Apart from the schemes, GOtv also has another social-economic empowerment initiative called “Moms and Pops”. The initiative requires a little capital from participants to be GOtv sales agents.

What this means is that one doesn’t need to rob a bank to become a GOtv sales agent and make a livelihood from it.

Read full article on www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

25

POLITY

Owerri: Metaphor of South-east on a Rebound Sunny Igboanugo Have you heard about the Phoenix, the mythological ancient bird which rises from its ashes? Feel free to replace its essence with the South East, the heartland of the Igbo of Nigeria. Add Owerri and you’re spot on!

Just a few weeks ago, not a few people believed it was going to be the beginning of the end, if not the actual end with the blitzkrieg that besieged the area.

The older generation recoiled at the thought of a replication of the scary era they struggle to forget, with the image of 1967-1970 Nigeria’s cataclysmic eruption flashing like a television montage. They must have pictured once again those tiny limbs, distended stomachs and glazy eyes of the malnourished kwashiorkor children in the refugee camps combined with the human carcasses scattered in the ruins of market places, churches and public places amid smouldering smokes from sustained bombings.

They cried, remonstrated and warned at the gory stories and images that became the byproducts of the sweltering engagements between the Unknown Gunmen, and security forces.

Just like the civil war, conflicting angles, some contrived or deliberately (mis)construed to hoodwink and distort history, the horrible situation of the South East in the last four months would obviously be subsumed in the allegations and counter allegations.

What cannot be taken away is that the mayhem is a product of vested interests. The Federal Government says the mayhem was the handiwork of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while IPOB and its leaders insist that it was sponsored by the same government to set up the Igbo people for the final annihilation. Politicians, including the governors insist it is all a gambit to turn the people against them, while others argue that the promoters of the turmoil wanted to use it to stop the South East from producing the next President in 2023.

Somewhere in-between, lies the truth and the real culprits.

What is constant however remains the toll the conflagration took in human and material resources. Who is going to replace the lives lost – innocent people killed both by the UGM and security forces? Who is going to compensate those alleged innocent caught in the crossfire, some of whom are still languishing in detention till date?

The good news however, is that normalcy seems to have returned substantially and the people appear to have their lives back. They are currently picking the pieces as they did more than 50 years ago.

The situation is not as grim as it was a few weeks ago.

That I could confirm. Traversing the South East this past week, through Owerri, Enugu and Anambra, I could safely conclude that the worst days are over, even if temporarily. It is

an exhilarating feeling.

There are still vestiges and tell-tale signs of the onslaught.

The ubiquitous checkpoints mounted by the military and the police are stark reminders. But like it is understandable that a mad man could still be muttering to himself after getting a cure, the current situation is by far a lesser threat.

Even so, the benign attitude, if not comeliness of the soldiers, contrasts with the images of those unleashing the brutalities and torture on citizens as depicted by those gory images captured in the videos circulated then.

I observed that except the Ihiala-Mgbidi stretch on the Onitsha-Owerri road where my taxi had to make a deteur into the village roads to avoid the almost immovable traffic snarl created by some soldiers, nothing else left a sour taste in the mouth from the Asaba Airport to Owerri. Surprisingly, the other side – Enugu-Owerri along the Port Harcourt presented a different picture of pleasant and refreshing journey.

Talking about Owerri, whoever plotted that assault against the tourism capital of Nigeria – that is if it is not an accident, but a design - truly hit the bull’s eyes. They hit the town at its soft underbelly where it hurts the most.

Attempts at destroying the major bragging rights – tourism and hospitality is like taking away the insignia of the warrior and make him lose his identity or taking away the paraphernalia of a woman’s beauty and diminishing her splendour.

Owerri bu oke mba was on the verge of losing its meaning by the bombardment it experienced.

But the Owerri I met during my four-day stay, seemed to have recovered fully and rediscovered itself.

In fact, when my host invited me to Owerri for our meeting, I had the intuition of something terrible. He had flown in from Abuja, not being resident in the city himself. I could have said no, if I had the choice. I practically held my heart in my hands as we drove back to our hotel well beyond 2am on the first night of my arrival. On the second day, we were able to eat, what I believe is the best barbecue fish there is in the world in one of the bubbling joints, well beyond 11pm. But my confirmation about the status quo came on the Friday preceding my departure.

At another popular joint where we converged, the usual revellers were already on ground as early as 4pm and before dawn the arena as large as a football field was already filled to its stretch.

My conclusion again – Owerri is back! Exhilarating!

How this came about would definitely remain a subject of future discussion. But the central feature that would continue to turn up also is Hope Uzodimma, the governor of the state.

Somehow, the animosity doesn’t seem as high as IPOB and other traducers seem to habour against him, just yet. If anything, there seems a certain agreement within the Owerri environment to give him a chance.

Perhaps, this might be from the perspective of what cannot be changed must be endured.

A journalist, who enthused to me that if nothing, the governor has been able to stop the bleeding the state experienced

Uzodimma

with the Rochas Okorocha government, explained how the governor adopted some of the ideas in the initial frameworks of Emeka Ihedioha, his immediate predecessor, such as working with the results of the commissions of inquiry that were set up upon arrival, instead of disbanding them. Through this, he is said to have reset the structure of the government, particularly the civil service that had been in disarray hitherto.

If this assessment is true, it means that the governor is using his head rather than his heart, which in itself presents a veneer of plausible expectations. There is also the suggestion of his government running on emotional intelligence in recognising and tackling of youth unemployment. One of such is his recent advancement of N250,000 to about 15,000 youths as start-up capitals.

Again, such a move is not only sure to win him more converts if it is true, but suggests the positive trajectory of his government, if he keeps his eyes on the ball.

Uzodimma has got his own baptism of fire given the recent events. There may be more in future as his traducers may have returned to restrategise. Yet, like Chris Ngige, former Governor Anambra State who survived a similar cataclysm including being kidnapped from office, he could reverse the odious story of the Imo people, which they have been bemoaning since after the time of De Sam Mbakwe. The return of normalcy in the state offers him the opportunity.

Meanwhile, you must have heard of Ofe Owerri, the popular delicacy that has got different people crossing seven seas and seven deserts to taste! There is an improvement. It is called Ofe Eju (Snail soup). Travel to Owerri and taste it and thank me later! That’s where I’m coming from.

On South East and Owerri, I permit myself a drink as I await the party. *HCPBOVHP B KPVSOBMJTU XSPUF GSPN -BHPT

My Dakkada Experience Adeyemi Saka

I

have read and heard a lot about the many great strides recorded so far by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State which I can rightly call the “Dakkada Revolution” and I had a peep into what awaits me from Lagos with my first hand encounter of the effectiveness of Ibom Air which many have talked about. I did not miss my flight because of the many reviews of how the airline prides itself with promptness.

It was a good flight on one of the Bombardier CRJ900 in its fleet.

On our descent into the Victor Attah International Airport, I was greeted with a sight of green vegetation and I told my companion on the trip that the state seems to have an all year-round green vegetation.

During my two-day visit to the State, I ensured I went to some places which are pivotal to the success story of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration and it was as convincing as I have read about them. I was eager to get to the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing complex, the General Hospital Awa, which was recently upgraded from a Primary Healthcare Centre to a General Hospital, and which will soon be upgraded to a Teaching Hospital in line with the “Completion Agenda” of Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

On our way, we went through the ongoing dualised Uyo-Etinan-Onna road. The ongoing dualisation project had a noticeable drainage system from Ikot Oku - Ikono Flyover to Onna. This often times is an afterthought in many road construction or rehabilitation works across the country.

On the ride to the General Hospital at Awa, I was informed there is a medical facility within every hour drive. The General Hospital I must say is well equipped with the much-needed manpower and equipments to cater for primary and secondary medical needs of Onna and neighbouring communities.

My next stop was the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing complex and I had the opportunity of interacting with workers and management of the organisation.

I was given a tour around the facility in strict compliance with Covid-19 and safety protocols. It was quite revealing. The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Akin Oyediran noted the key target markets within Nigeria and West Africa for the Syringe manufacturing company. He reiterated the skills training and development policy of the company designed to ensure many

Gov Emmanuel

indigenes have the right skill set to gain employment into the company.

On our way out, I noticed the company’s international standard of quality certificate. Also on display was the endorsement by the Nigerian Medical Association achieved in just a few years of its operations.

My next stop was the Kings Flour Mills at Mkpok. The company’s General Manager, Angelo Hyuwah stated that the company has a training policy to ensure that majority of its workforce who are indigenes of the community of its operations and state get the necessary skills to work at the Flour Mills. Presently, the Kings Flour is in high demand in Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, Imo and Abia and with intention of expanding their market. My encounter with Mr Akin Oyediran and Angelo Hyuwah is a testament that one of the core values of the Dakkada Revolution is making Akwa Ibom a land of opportunities to all Nigerians irrespective of your tribe or state of origin.

The next day saw me going to the famous Dakkada Towers and

it brought a popular verse of the Holy Bible to my mind. Proverbs 18 verse 10 says; “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe”.

The towering edifice of twenty-one (21) floors which has changed the face of the capital is situated at the Central Business District Uyo. It seats on a one hundred and eighty meters’ pile with raft band making it an engineering masterpiece. This is one of the many impressive projects of the Udom Emmanuel-led administration towards transforming the lives of Ibomites and the state.

During a chat and a tour of the facility with the project engineer, Engineer Francis Uwah and Client Representatives from Ministry of Special Duties, Arc. Ekanwan Alale revealed the building was erroneously tagged Mobil Headquarters Uyo and this was not far from the truth as the project was aimed at attracting the said oil company and others to relocate to Uyo, and take up spaces in the building.

The smart building will soon be open for business just as it boasts of an enviable list of high profile clients/tenants.

The Dakkada Towers surely comes with its economic benefits as it will create employment through ancillary services and attract investments as well as growth when the companies take up their spaces in the complex.

My tour will not be complete without a visit to the Dakkada Industries Limited. An Industrial hub designed to create jobs, promote skills development for the youths, maximize the agricultural value chain and ensure long term economic growth for the state It will amount to stating the obvious if I say “Dakkada Revolution” has surely diversified the economy of Akwa Ibom and will increase the economic potential of the state. I am certain that Ibomites will feel more positive impacts as the products and services offered by these projects will be enjoyed and utilized by us all.

I did not leave the state without interacting with some citizens and the feedback was very positive. This has left me with a sense of feeling that our people know a good leader when they see one. They understand the medium and long term impacts of these projects if there is honesty and clarity on the part of government as exemplified by the Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

POLITY Christopher Oni

‘Bello Will Replicate His Good Work If Elected President’ Christopher Oni, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a philanthropist and founder of Apolo Faramebi Foundation. He has high sentimental admiration for Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. Oni talks to Deji Elumoye on Bello’s credentials that will stand him out for the coveted office of the President of Nigeria come 2023 What informs the clamour for North Central to Produce President in 2023?

S

nce the return to democratic government in 1999, all the political zones in the country have had their fair share and have tested power at the highest level of leadership in the country by producing either President or Vice President. Some for two terms and it is only fair and just that the region which is the major contributor of votes in all elections, the North Central should be allowed to taste power this time. This and many other reasons call for the advocacy you are hearing and was championed by the Kogi State House of Assembly which feels and know that the governor has done well in various areas.

What inherent and leadership credentials doesYahaya Bello have that necessitated people rooting for him?

This question gladdens my heart so much. My people have an adage that ‘when you are told to go and call Rotimi, it is the Rotimi in your House that you will call, except if reference is made to another or particular one’. I will give you just three broad reasons with several points in each of the headings why the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello should be the next President and most accepted candidate for 2023.

First, Bello assumed power through a very divine circumstance and most of the issues that concern him are divinely made. Nigeria as it stands now needs a young digitally minded, politically conscious and sagacious leader that is not only courageous, competent, experienced, connected, active, youthfully accepted, but one that has the capacity to address the country’s major challenges and to challenge the status quo such as bringing on board, those with the right capacity to effect systemic change, address security issues and make the economy function optimally. Governor Bello has these few areas that I mentioned and would make Nigeria work effectively, if given the opportunity. Kogi is working today because he identified and brought on board those with capacity through strategic, conscious and deliberate involvement of Youths in governance at all levels in the state and you know that youth

are digital and solution driven individuals. This is what the young man is bringing on board if he emerges as flag bearer of his party.

All over the world, you know that women are master planners and natural managers in all spheres. With what he has started by engaging women in governance, most appointments - political, professional and otherwise - will see women occupying them if he emerges and I can tell you Nigeria will be better for it. This is what many women out there crave for and you think they will not go for Yahaya Bello, seeing what he is already doing in the Confluence state?

Secondly, is the issue of security. It is Nigeria’s major problem now, and in this area, the younggovernorisamasterstrategistandtactician indealingwithsecurityrelatedissues.KogiStateisregardedasthemost securedstateinNigerianotbecauseithasimportedsomeinternational handstodealwithit,butbecausehehasadoptedlocaloptionsand intelligencetoaddressit.YahayaBelloasyoucansee,starteddealingwith criminalsfromhisconstituency.Individualswithrecordofcriminalities weresentparkingfromthestate.Personally,Iqueriedhisearlierstance thinkinghewaswitchhuntinghispoliticalenemies,butlaterIrealizedit wasforthegoodofallofus.So,IcanboldlysaythatcrimesthriveinNigeria todaybecausethosefightingitarereallynotsincereintheirfight.Butthis manlikehehasdoneandwasalludedtobysomesecuritychiefs,has securityintelligenceandhasmasteredhowtodealwithit.So,ifYahaya AdozaBellocomesonboard,hewilladdressthisbecauseheisinfectiously courageousandadangerouslynononsensemanindealingwithcriminals andupcomingones,notmindingwhotheirsponsorsare.Ofcourseyou know,oncesecurityishandled,theeconomywillbounceback,Nigeriawill becomeaninvestor’sdestination,andeveryotherthingwillfallintoplaces.

Thirdly,noleaderinthecurrentdispensationinNigeriaisasunifyingas YahayaBello.Beforenow,Kogistatewasdividedalongreligious,political andethniclines.Itgeneratedalotofbitternessanddivisionsacrossall levels,butlookatthestorytoday.Thereisunity,togetherness,loveand friendshipevenbeyondpartylines. Appointmentsaregiventhespread needed,EbiracommissionersnowhaveaidesthatareIgalasandIgalanow havebothOkunandEbiraaidestoensurethattheYahayaBello’sEBIGO agendacomestostay.AnymanwhocaneffectivelyleadKogiStatewithits ethnicandreligiousplurality,location and complexities, can lead Nigeria effectively because Kogi state on its own is an assemblage of Nigeria in

its right. Governor Bello on account of his unifying approach to leadership has received laurels from various bodies, groups and cooperate organizations home and abroad for how he has effectively united his people.

Most importantly, age is seriously of great advantage to my Governor. By 2023 when he would become president by the grace of God, Bello will be 48 years thereabout. Recall he just celebrated his 46 birthday, which my foundation celebrated massively too, this age grade or period of time for him is a productive age characterized by courage, vision, performance, tenacity, charisma, positive radicalism and everything active. The relationship between age and performance in the case of Yahaya Bello should be considered in leadership because the younger person is always swift, spontaneous, decisive in action and very futuristic.All these qualities are seen in Yahaya Bello and we have to explore them for our common good.

So, who is Governor Bello’s godfather and don’t you see his stance on CoronaVirus affecting his fortunes in 2023?

Iputthatquestionbacktoyou,whoishisgodfather?Youknowhow heemerged,firstdivinelyandsecondlybydemystifyingthetheoryand practiceofgodfathersandgodfatherisminthestate.Nameonegodfather inAPCinKogistateoranotherpersondeterminingwhathappensin government?Couldthegodfathersstopthescreeningexercisewhenhe startedwithalltheydidintheirhidingbeforetheywerefinallyrelegated tothebackground?Yes,therearepartymenandwomen,eldersand statesmenwhoseinvaluablecontributionswillmaketheprojectcome torealityatalllevelsandstates.Someevenfromotherpartiesasyoucan alreadysee,buttheyarenotgodfathersandmygovernordoesnotuse his teeth to divide a meat he does not eat or forbidden from eating.

On your question pertaining to coronavirus, it will interest you to note that it is one of his selling points. Governor Bello has provided a lot of insights to Nigerians on why they should know that they are just trading with their future using corona. Most of the State House ofAssembly members visited, they told our lawmakers that Yahaya Bello’s position on Corona made them love him more because he has been telling the truth. It’s just the name; corona is malaria and can be treated.

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Chairman, Mosan Okunola LCDA, Alimosho, Princess Olabisi Adebajo; First Lady, Lagos State, Ibijoke Soanwo-Olu; and Executive Director, Boskoh Healthcare Mission International (Hmi), Nike Osa, at the ongoing Boskoh Medical Outreach held at Abesan, Mosan Okunola LCDA, Lagos...recently

L-R: Regional Coordinator, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Egba Region 1, Rev. Yomi Idowu; Fonder, Dulos Ministry, Pastor Charles Achonwa; Chairman, PFN Ibafo Province, Dr. Fola Oyebade; and wife, Pastor Mrs. Remi Oyebade, at the groundbreaking of PFN Ibafo Secretariat held in Ibafo, Ogun State...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Carol Oyedeji; CEO, MT Olive Nigeria Limited, Dr. Elizabeth Ajibola; Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan; and Head, Consumer Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Olukorede Demola-Adeniyi, during the official launch of Ellevate, a ready-made banking for women focused businesses by Ecobank in Lagos ...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Senior Manager, Sales and Trade Development for Far North, MTN Nigeria, Kumar Abubakar; Chief Executive Officer, Y’ello Digital Financial Services (YDFS), Usoro Usoro; Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero; General Manager, Regional Operations, MTN Nigeria, Amina Dambata; and Chief Sales and Distribution Officer, Adekunle Adebiyi, at the inauguration of 1,004 youths MoMo Agents in Kano as part of MTN Nigeria’s empowerment initiative in Kano State…recently

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

10.07.2021

NEWS

WHO RULES EUROPE? PAGE. 31

Michael Olise Set for Selhurst Park Challenge

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸, 2021

28

GLOBAL SOCCER

Michael Olise tries to shield the ball away from a Derby County defender during a Championship match

Michael Olise Set for Selhurst Park Challenge For the past two seasons, he has been linked to several Premier League sides. It was therefore no surprise when it was announced that Michael Olise had agreed a four-year deal with Premier League side, Crystal Palace

T

he youngster impressed in the Skybet Championship for the Royals last season, and that has earnedhim amove tothetop-flight Crystal Palace that have completed the signing of highly-rated French-Nigerian midfielder Michael Olise from Reading.

Olise, who is still eligible to play for Nigeria, has signed a four-year deal with the Eagles after attracting interest from many clubs in the Premier LeaguehavinghadafantasticseasonintheSkybet Championship.

The 19-year-old scored seven times and registered 12 assists in 44 league games for Reading last season. His performances did not go unnoticed as he was named the Championship Young Player of the Season while he also featured in the team of the season.

BorninEngland,OlisehasplayedfortheFrench U-18 team, but he is also eligible to play forAlgeria and Nigeria through his parents.

He was on the standby list in Nigeria’s Squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations against Benin and Lesotho in March.

Olise’s move to Selhurst Park will see him link up with another Nigerian national team target Eberechi Eze under Patrick Viera, who is the new Crystal Palace coach.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) target wasinMarchratedthe10thmostpromisingplayer of his age group in the world by Neuchâtel-based International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES).

The playmaker is the only Nigerian eligibleplayer to rank among the top 25 for the 2000, 2001 and 2002 age groups.

CIES used the capital experience approach,

weighing the domestic league minutes played by footballers with the sporting level of their teams of employment on a global level.

Olise had a breakout season at Reading and the solid campaign saw him linked with a plethora of English Premier League clubs in the January transferwindowbutheremainedputattheRoyals.

The Three Lions of England are also in the discussion, given he was born in London and currently plays in the country.

His younger brother, Richard, is on the books of Chelsea, where Michael started off his career before joining Reading.

The older Olise is capable of playing multiple positions including right midfield, attacking midfield, left winger, right winger and left midfield.

“My best position? Any position the manager tells me to play. At my age, I think it’s important to spend time on the pitch because it’s the best place to learn and develop your game,” Olise told Daily Mirror.

Olise has been one of the standout stars of the Championship season, said manager Jose Gomes, who worked with some extremely gifted players during his time at Porto but the former Reading manager becomes animated at the thought of young Olise.

“We are talking about a player who will bring people to the stadium,” he tells Sky Sports. “It is impossible not to feel happiness when watching his movements and his technical ability.

“Helovestoplayfootballandhehasthecourage to try magical things even in tight areas. Things that some players cannot even do in training, he will do them in a game.”

Now 19, the boy Gomes rewarded with a professional debut in 2019 is fast becoming a man,

attracting the attention of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Whether operating on the right wing and cutting inside or entrusted with a central role, he is the creator.

Gomes is not surprised but there is an awareness too that the teenager’s path has not been a smooth one. He arrived at Reading after spells in the academy at Chelsea and Manchester City.

Somewonderwhattheymusthavemissed.Others have questioned his attitude.

Former Reading favourite Stephen Hunt has urged Olise to channel his attitude “in the right way” and, for the most part, that is what he has done.

“Michael did not like to study,” recalls Gomes.

“But when I saw him play I asked the academy director if he could train with us.

“It was the step that he needed to take, not that it was straightforward at such a young age.

“His body was not very strong so he would lose physical challenges all the time. Others were so much stronger than him.”

Fast-tracking Olise into the first team - he was only 17 years and three months old when making his debut against Leeds United - was a huge challenge but it engaged the player. Before long, he was giving regular glimpses of the quality that set him apart from the rest.

“I loved the speed and the technical ability that he showed. Even without space, under pressure, he was able to dribble past two or three players in a very small space. At the same time, if you give him space he is able to find the net easily with his left or even his right.”

Gomes spotted the potential but it is under Serbian manager, Veljko Paunovic that it is being

realised. The skill was there but it was not until last season that Olise registered his first senior goal.

“He had to get his numbers up. You could see he was a good player but he was not assisting enough and he was not scoring enough. He was not converting it into figures and that is what is so important,” said Michael Morrison, his Reading teammate.

Morrison believes that Paunovic has been key to his development.

“He is lucky to have a manager who supports him,sometimesplayshiminside,sometimesplays him outside, knows when to rest him, doesn’t put too much pressure on him to carry the team every week. When you have young talent like that it can be easy to overuse it.

“The manager has also been on to him to make sure that his mentality is right and he achieves everything he can because I would say that he can be a top player in the Premier League. If he works hard now he could get a move to one of the top Premier League teams.

“I am sure he is good enough for that and I know there is a lot of interest. We are lucky to have him but he still needs that game time and this is a really good place for him to be at the moment. He is playing in a good team and I think that has really helped him. As long as he keeps his head down and works as hard as he has been doing, he can go to the very top.”

Gomes agrees and regardless of whether or not Reading are able to achieve an unlikely promotion, he does not think Olise will have to wait long to play in the Premier League.

“I would not be surprised if we see Michael playing in a big team in a very short space of time,” he concludes. “He is different.”

Football runs in the Olise family as Michael’s younger brother is also a footballer and has been capped by England at the schoolboy level.

Michael started his football career with Chelsea’s youth team, which is also where Michael’s brother (Richard) currently plays.

However, Olise moved to Reading in 2015 and played with the club’s youth team. Due to his young age, Olise did not have a professional contract with the Royals until 2019, signing a three-year deal in July.

The enterprising youngster made his first-team debutforReadingin2019,comingonasasubstitute in a 3-0 home loss to Leeds United.

SincemakinghisdebutfortheRoyal’sfirstteam, Olise’s profile has been on the rise. Last season, he played a vital role in Reading’s promotion chase.

In terms of style and his position on his pitch, Olise is versatile. He has played as an attacking midfielder and on the right-wing this season.

When asked about his preferred position, Olise revealed he was ready to play anywhere on the pitch as he is at the age where he needs to learn

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸, 2021

GLOBAL SOCCER EURO 2020 . . .EURO 2020 . . . EURO 2020 . . .

Wembley Rumbles as Italy, England Clash Italy and England will lock horns for the 28th time tomorrow, with the two teams battling for the European Championship trophy. England topped Group D with seven points before beating Germany, Ukraine and Denmark in the knockout rounds to advance to the showpiece event at Wembley. Italy, meanwhile, finished at the top of Group A with nine points before overcoming Austria, Belgium and Spain to book their spot in the Euro 2020 final View from the Managers Roberto Mancini, Italy: “We have been working towards this for many years so we are very happy and I can only thank the players for what they have done so far.

We have won nothing yet; we will have to win on Sunday to consider it a success.

England will have an entire stadium behind them. It will be on us to put them under pressure. A final is a bit different from other games, we will have to play with focus but also with joy because you can only win a final if you take pitch to have fun.”

Gareth Southgate, England: “We’ve got to enjoy the fact we’re in the final but there’s one more massive hurdle to conquer. Italy are a very good side, I’ve thought that the last couple of years. They are in outstanding form and have defensive warriors who have been through everything. It’s a great game to look forward to.”

Raheem Sterling has been inspirational for England since the beginning of Euro 2020 and the Three Lions would be counting on him against Italy on Sunday

England will have home advantage, but Italy have not lost a single match at international level since September 2018, and Roberto Mancini’s side will be confident of upsetting the Three Lions on Sunday evening.

Italy lead the head-to-head record between the two sides with 11 victories to England’s eight, while there have also been eight draws throughout history.

After two epic semi-finals, London now hosts a decider which, for the first time in Euro history, will feature England. Since their 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph at the previous Wembley Stadium, England have lost in the semi-finals of five major tournaments: Euro ‘68 and ‘96, the 1990 and 2018 World Cups and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. However, they have seen off Germany, Ukraine and, in extra time on Wednesday night, Denmark to earn their chance to end 55 years of hurt.

Italy’s sole Euro title came as hosts back in 1968. They also lost the finals of 2000 and 2012, although since becoming continental champions they have won two of their four World Cups. The Azzurri beat Spain on penalties on Tuesday to still remain unbeaten in 33. A remarkable turnaround for a team who, while England reached the 2018 World Cup semis, did not even qualify for Russia. But sitting out a preceding World Cup did not stop Czechoslovakia in 1976, Denmark in 1992 or Greece in 2004 claiming the European title.

England manager Gareth Southgate wants his players and the fans to enjoy the fact that the team has reached the final of Euro 2020, but he has warned there is still “one more massive hurdle to conquer”.

The hurdle that England are facing at Wembley on Sunday night is Roberto Mancini’s Italy - a team that are unbeaten in 33 games.

The Azzurri have gone from failing to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup to making it to the Euro 2020 final, Al Jazeera says.

And having not lost since September 2018, if they extend their “astonishing” record to 34 matches Mancini’s men will be crowned European champions.

Describing Italy as a “fantastic team”, Southgate knows the size of the task that his squad must take on if they are to win their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. However, he is “so pleased” for the country and “so proud” of his players that the Euro run will continue until Sunday’s showpiece fixture, the BBC reports.

Captain Harry Kane, who scored the extra-time winner against Denmark in the semi-final, added: “We got there when it mattered. We reacted really well and we’re in a final at home. We know it’s going to be a very tough game against Italy. We’ve had a great tournament so far. One more game to go at home.”

Winger Federico Bernardeschi has revealed that when Mancini took over as

head coach in 2018 he was the only person who believed that Italy could get to the final of the Euros, the London Evening Standard reports.

“There was only a madman three years ago to say we could get to this point and it’s Mr. Mancini,” Bernardeschi said. “He’s always believed in us, he has always brought enthusiasm to everyone. When he says that we are a squad of 26 players, it is the truth, because we are a wonderful group.”

After beating Spain on penalties in the semi-final at Wembley, Italy will return to England’s national stadium full of confidence of winning the European Championship for the second time in their history.

Forward Federico Chiesa praised England for their “top players in the final third and all across the pitch”, but urged his own team-mates to “simply think about ourselves, as we have done throughout this tournament”.

England, Italy Euro 2020 Final Live on DStv, GOtv As the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament enters final run, DStv and GOtv customers get to watch all the action from the final match, live on SuperSport.

The final knockout match will be between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on the evening of Sunday at 8pm, live on SS Football (DStv channel 205 and GOtv channel 31) and SS Euro2020 (DStv channel 204 and GOtv channel 32).

Italy have looked the pick of the teams through the course of the tournament, though they had to resort to extra time and penalties to finally overcome Spain in the first Semifinal on Tuesday night. An equaliser from Spain’s Alvaro Morata sent the game to a full 120 minutes, but a save by Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma from the same attacker’s penalty in the shootout proved the key difference between the rivals.

England’s semi-final also went a full 120 minutes, but a Harry Kane goal – scored off the rebound from a penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel – ensured that they triumphed 2-1 over a brave Danish side which had given the tournament so much in the wake of Christian Eriksen’s collapse in their opening game against Finland.

The Three Lions are into their first European Championship Final and a first major tournament final since they won the World Cup 55 years ago. With home support at Wembley, England finally, truly believes that ‘football is coming home’.

Football fans will also enjoy pre and post-match analysis of the match by former Nigerian professional footballers and European stars, Jay-Jay Okocha and Joseph Yobo, as part of SuperSport extensive coverage of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

PAST WINNERS 1960 – Soviet Union 1964 - Spain 1968 - Italy 1972 – West Germany 1976 – Czechoslovakia 1980 – West Germany 1984 – France 1988 – Netherlands 1992 – Denmark 1996 – Germany 2000 – France 2004 – Greece 2008 – Spain 2012- Spain 2016 – Portugal ROAD TO FINAL GROUP A Turkey 0-3 Italy Italy 3-0 Switzerland Italy 1-0 Wales ROUND OF 16 Italy 2-1 Austria Q’FINALS Belgium 1-2 Italy SEMIFINALS Italy 1-1 Spain (4-2 pens) ENGLAND GROUP D England 1-0 Croatia England 0-0 Scotland Czech Rep 0-1 England ROUND OF 16 England 2-0 Germany QUARTER-FINALS Ukraine 0-4 England SEMI-FINALS England 2-1 Denmark (aet)

Top Scorers PLAYERS

Cristiano Ronaldo Patrik Schick Karim Benzema Emil Forsberg Romelu Lukaku Harry Kane Raheem Sterling Georginio Wijnaldum Robert Lewandowski Kasper Dolberg Xherdan Shaqiri Haris Seferovic Alvaro Morata

CLUB

GOALS

Portugal Czech Rep France Sweden Belgium England England Netherlands Poland Denmark Switzerland Switzerland Spain

5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸, 2021

GLOBAL SOCCER

Nigeria’s male basketball team, D’Tigers hoping for Olympic success in Tokyo

Flutterwave Backs Nigeria’s Basketball Team for 2021 Tokyo Olympic Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, will partner with the Nigerian basketball team, D’Tigers, as they head to Tokyo to compete for gold at the 2021 Olympic Games.

Coach Mike Brown— Associate Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors will lead D’Tigers to the Olympics.

D’Tigers are the only African basketball team competing at the Tokyo Olympics and are up againstArgentina, Australia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Japan, Slovenia, Spain, and the USA. Flutterwave has partnered with D’Tigers through an agreement with the Friends of Nigeria Basketball (FONB), a non-profit organisation supported by Nigerian Basketball Federation to promote basketball in Nigeria.

The latest collaboration with D’Tigers cements Flutterwave’s goal of fostering unity inAfrica through sports by celebrating the continent’s home-grown talent.As part of the partnership, Flutterwave will be the exclusive payment partnerofD’Tigers—enabling fans to seamlessly donate and shop for the latest merchandise of the team at their convenience.

The partnership with FONB is an extension of Flutterwave’s recent collaboration with BasketballAfrica League (BAL) and forms part of the brand’s goal to make Africa feel like one country through its love for sports.

JimmyKu,HeadofGrowth - US at Flutterwave, said: “We are delighted to partner with FONB to support the Nigerian National Team on their quest to make history

at the 2021 Olympics. We believe sports have a way of connecting people and creating communities with a shared common goal,” he said. I’m particularly excited that Coach Mike Brown will be the one leading the charge.

I’ve admired his coaching abilities and he has coached some of the biggest names in basketball including Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Tim Duncan.”

Head Coach Mike Brown was equally excited, “Flutterwave has stepped up by helping the Friends of Nigerian Basketball program and we’re excited about working with such an established partner already doing business in Nigeria.

Jimmy and his team have been outstanding and will help us gather support as we continue on this journey.”

Princess Oyeghe’s Lady Captain’s Day Tees-off Today The long awaited Benin Club Golf Section (BCGS) Princess Habiibah Oyeghe Oyarekhua Lady Captain’s Day tees-off today by 6:30am.

The tournament packaged by the Princess will attract top amateur golfers from various golf clubs across the country in honour of the lady captain whose exemplary contributions have changed the face of leadership in the club.

Speaking on the event,

Oyarekhua noted that there is time for everything, and that this is the ideal time to host her golfing friends and family to another historic Lady Captain’s Day in the club.

She added that though the tournament should have been hosted long ago, but due to the sudden emergence of Coronavirus pandemic that had claimed many lives globally.

Some of the golfers anticipated

at the event will include the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu.

She assured of hitch free golf tournament with enough to eat and drink on the course while promising that trophies would be available for those who distinguished themselves and special awards to sponsors during her tenure as Lady Captain.

Dinner and presentation at the one day event is scheduled for 5:30 pm.

Lionel Messi and Neymar

Brazil, Argentina Go for Broke in Copa America Final The Maracana will play host to a thrilling clash on Sunday, as host nation, Brazil and Argentina do battle in the final of this year’s Copa America.

With both sides steeped in history in this competition, Brazil will aim to win the trophy for the 10th time, while their opponents would add a 15th Copa America title to their trophy cabinet with a win.

The hosts will aim to retain the title on home turf after triumphing in 2019, while Lionel Scaloni’s men go in search of their first piece of major silverware since the turn of the century.

Brazil came into this year’s edition of the Copa America with major expectations as the pretournament favourites, and they got off to a strong start in the group stage with three consecutive wins.

The Selecao started with a 3-0 victory over Venezuela and a 4-0 thrashing of Peru, before they had to show a different side to their game to defeat Colombia.

Their opponents took an early lead through Luis Diaz, and Tite’s men had to dig deep in their pursuit of an equaliser, finally drawing level in the 78th minute through Roberto Firmino before Casemiro headed in a corner in the 10th minute of added time to claim their third straight win and make the gap at the top the group insurmountable for the chasing pack.

The defending champions were unable to finish the group stage with a perfect record, though, drawing 1-1 with Ecuador in the final game as Angel Mena drew La Tricolor level after Eder Militao opened the scoring for Brazil.

Their first-placed finish saw Tite’s men handed a quarter-final tie with Group A’s fourth-placed side, although that was a particularly tough draw as the Selecao would take on Chile in Rio de Janeiro.

Lucas Paqueta put Brazil ahead in the first two minutes of the second half, but a red card to Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus two minutes later meant they had to defend a narrow lead with 10 men for 40 minutes.

They would stand strong to keep a clean sheet and progress to the final four, and Peru awaited Tite’s side.

Paqueta again made the difference in that game, scoring in the 35th minute to give Brazil their second consecutive 1-0 win and book their place in Sunday’s final.

The Selecao now head into their 21st Copa America final with high expectations, having won nine of those, including the 2019 edition of the tournament.

That tournament again took place in Brazil, and the hosts defeated a resilient Peru side 3-1 in the final as Everton, Jesus and Richarlison got on the scoresheet.

Brazil will now hope for a repeat of that outcome on Sunday, as they aim to retain the title on home turf two years later.

They take on an Argentina side who will look to end a 28-year drought in this tournament with a win at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

La Albiceleste had somewhat of a contrasting group campaign to their final opponents, having drawn their opening game before growing into the tournament.

Scaloni’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Chile in their first outing, as Eduardo Vargas drew La Roja level on the hour mark after Lionel Messi netted a pinpoint free kick in the first half.

They quickly started a winning run after that, though, picking up crucial 1-0 victories over Paraguay and fellow group favourites Uruguay in the following matches.

Argentina then finished the group campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of strugglers Bolivia, as Messi hit a brace in between goals from Alejandro Gomez and Lautaro Martinez.

Having comfortably topped their group, La Albiceleste were drawn against Ecuador in the quarter-final, and they picked up another dominant win as Rodrigo De Paul got on the scoresheet before goals from Martinez and Messi sealed a 3-0 victory.

Colombia then awaited Scaloni’s side in the semi-final, with a much closer game following as the tie went to a penalty shootout as Luis Diaz levelled the game at 1-1 on the hour mark after Martinez’s early opener.

La Albiceleste prevailed in the shootout, as Emiliano Martinez denied Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina and Edwin Cardona while Messi, Martinez and Leandro Paredes all made no mistake from 12 yards.

That saw them reach the Copa America final for the 29th time, having most recently got to the big stage in 2016, when they fell to a defeat in a penalty shootout at the hands of Chile.

Heineken to Entertain Fans with EURO 2020 Finale Showpiece Event England Face Italy in Euro 2020 Final Live on StarTimes

Heineken has continued in its tradition to create even more engaging and exciting experiences for football fans around the world with the best entertainment in prestigious sports tournament using its partnership as official beer partner of UEFA EURO 2020.

The UEFA EURO 2020 onemonth long football fiesta is in its 60th anniversary. As a break from tradition, it is being hosted across 12 European cities: Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, Munich, Rome, St Petersburg and London.

Nigerian consumers and football fans will be thrilled to an

unforgettable viewing experience at the exclusive Heineken fan park in Lagos during the final match between Italy and England this Sunday at 8:00pm Nigerian time.

Senior Brand Manager Heineken, Chinwe Greg-Egu, noted that the brand’s partnership with the European Championship had a significant impact beyond the continent.

“The European tournaments are followed around the world and we see excitement from markets outside of this continent.

Here in Nigeria, the tournament is followed passionately, our fans and consumers will no doubt have a feel of the thrilling football

excitement just like the rest of the world courtesy of Heineken”.

“Heineken has enjoyed an unrivalled relationship with football fans through our sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League. We are excited to be able to build the relationship further with the UEFA EURO 2020 partnership, meaning we are involved in the leading European club and international football tournaments” she said.

The Heineken partnership with UEFA EURO 2020 complements the brands other unique global platforms that includes the Rugby World Cup, Formula One, James Bond and the UEFA Champions League.

England will finally be playing in their second major football final on Sunday after 55 year as they face Italy in the Euro 2020 championship match. The match will be aired live and in HD on the affordable pay-TV platform, StarTimes at 8 pm.

The last time England played a final in Wembley was in 1966, when they beat Germany 4-2 to lift the World Cup - for the first and only time - and on Sunday they will be looking to win the Euros for the first time.

To get to the final, the Three Lions had to overcome some stiff opposition in the semi-final from Denmark, who took the lead only to lose to an extra-time penalty scored by England’s captain Harry Kane.

Going into the tournament Gareth Southgate’s team were the favourites to win and they have looked impressive – particularly in the knock-out rounds.

England’s success has been built around a solid defence - that has conceded just once in the six matches at the tournament - and the dangermen upfront, Kane and Raheem Sterling.

The two could hardly be more different. Sterling dazzles with his skill and loves to dribble into the box, while Kane is a powerful centre forward who uses his strength and size to be a constant threat.

Italy, meanwhile, earned their place in Sunday’s final with a penalty shoot-out win against Spain, with young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma being the match winner as he saved Álvaro Morata’s decisive spot-kick.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 10, 2021

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MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

L-R: Assistant Director, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Mrs Taiwo Peters ; Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action, Mrs Bekeme Masade-Olowola ; Permanent Secretary, Office of the SDGs and Investment, Lagos State,Mrs Abosede Oluwakemi George ; and Assistant Director of Community Development, Ministry of Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs, Lagos State,Hon. Adeniji Oluwatoyin at the Sustainability in The Extractive Industries (SITEI) - Woman Workshop and Launch of SITEI - Woman Radio Drama in Lagos.....recently

Immediate Past Council Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Pastor Benjamin Akanji Omonayajo; Vice President, CITN, Barr. Samuel Olushola Agbeluyi; Treasurer, Mowe/Arepo & District Society CITN, Mrs. Utere Iniobong; Immediate Past President, CITN, Dame Gladys Olajumoke Simplice; Pioneer Chairman, CITN Mowe/Arepo & District Society, Mr. Akindele Akinola Seun; Chairman of the occasion, Sir, Gbenga Badejo; Vice Chairman, CITN Mowe/Arepo & District Society, Mrs. Ajiboye Olayemi Esther; Registrar/Chief Executive, CITN, Mr. Adefisayo Awogbade; and General Secretary, CITN Mowe/Arepo & District Society, Mrs. Mensah Caroline at the inauguration of Mowe/Arepo & District Society of the CITN… recently

‘Nigeria Can Generate N29tr Extra New Year Starts at Rotary Revenue in Post-COVID-19 Era’ Club of Akowonjo

Nigeria can generate N29 trillion extra revenue if the Federal Government of Nigeria do the right thing by amending the tax laws to streamline the number of taxes collectible by the three tiers of governments; drive long term Foreign Direct Investment by providing incentive to foreign investors; utilise the policy landscape to support the private sector and enforce population; provide regular education and sensitisation to the citizens to improve the level of understanding and by implication and compliance.

This was the submission of Sir Gbenga Badejo in his paper titled “Taxation: AVeritable Tool For Revenue Generation In The Post Covid-19 Era” delivered as the Chairman of the Investiture of the Pioneer Chairman of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) Mowe/Arepo District Society Mr. Akin Akindele recently.

In his address, Sir Badejo who

is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) noted that the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service increased its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from tax by 200% just by using technology to collect its taxes adding that private sector innovativeness and talent should be fostered in ways that creates new opportunities for young people.

He however on a sad note, revealed that data from the World Bank Poverty and Shared Prosperity report shows that Nigeria’s poverty level has further increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic noting more specifically that 79 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, accounting for 20 percent of the people living in poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the investiture chairman and Managing Partner, Chief Executive Officer GBC Professional Services, the COVID-19 pandemic

and its associated economic crisis are enabling factors of the high poverty headcount adding that data from World Bank survey in Nigeria suggests that about 85 percent of households experienced higher food prices, with half reducing their food consumption as a coping strategy.

Sir Badejo said the upward trend in poverty is expected to continue owing to the difficulty in generating adequate broad-based economic growth, inability to create jobs and high population growth rate. The Taxation expert stated that in the year 2020, the country’s N2.64 trillion oil revenue target declined by 40 per cent as a result of twin shocks of COVID-19 and low crude oil price. By April 2020, the price of oil he added dropped by 80% to about US$5 and before the outbreak of the virus, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was at 23.1%, while underemployment data was

at 16%, according to a 2018 report by the National Bureau of Statistics.

He wondered why in the first or second quarter of last year, 99.2 per cent of government revenue was spent in debt servicing noting that “if we can raise our revenue to about 15 to 20 per cent of GDP, our debt would be very small because, by debt to GDP, we have one of the lowest in the world”.

Sir Gbenga Badejo revealed that two factors responsible for Nigeria’s economic problem are low revenue and high rate of borrowing insisting also that the challenges of digitizing filing of returns regularly – VAT, Income Tax, WHT, current inefficiency of the FIRS’s Tax Pro Max web portal, remittance of tax and difficulty in processing tax refunds and utilization of tax refund by tax payers have not helped the country maximize it’s full tax potentials in spite of its huge population.

CSR-in-Action Raises Hope for Women in New Radio Show Sub-Saharan Africa’s foremost sustainability advocacy and consulting outfit, CSR-in-Action has pledged its support for women’s empowerment, just as it launched a new radio programme for the purpose.

The firm which recently concluded a workshop for women in Badagry area of Lagos also vowed to support initiatives and moves that will put an end to different challenges faced by women in the society.

Tagged, ‘Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment,’ Chief Executive of CSR-in-Action, Bekeme Masade Olowola stated that the workshop sought to analyse issues that have limited women’s terms of

participation in the society, such as gender-based violence and gender inequality.

The workshop also outlined strategies by which women can rise to overcome identified challenges.

A major highlight of the event was the launch of a new radio drama series that sought to raise awareness on the problems faced by women and raise hope for affected ones.

Tagged, ‘Things Dey Happen,’ the radio drama series which premiered during the event has thirteen episodes that will air on select radio stations across the country.

The workshop and the radio series are part of the Sustainability in The Extractive Industries Initiative

(SITEI) -Women project, a series of initiatives targeted at empowering women, especially those impacted by the extractive industries in Nigeria.

Olowola stated that SITEI-Woman is an extension of SITEI which has served as a veritable platform for charting sustainable paths to more fairness and inclusion in Nigeria’s volatile and complex extractive industries sector for a decade.

She said, “In Nigeria, women have been largely excluded from the growth and the development opportunities given by extractive industries in communities, while being at the same time disproportionately vulnerable to many of the risks associated with them.

“SITEI woman is aimed at tactfully questioning and reversing norms that have culturally and systematically hampered women’s progress, with especially focus on equity, inclusion, justice and gender-based violence in host communities in Nigeria.”

Also speaking at the programme,Permanent Secretary, Sustainable Development Goals and Investments, Mrs Abosede Oluwakemi George lamented that women often suffer severe difficulties in silence.

She said, “It is time for them to rise and speak up about those challenges threatening to limit their progress, as well as their active contribution to society.”

Amidst pomp and pageantry, the new Rotary year commenced at the Rotary Club of Akowonjo as the baton of leadership exchanged hands from the immediate Past President Rotarian Olamide Abegunde to Victor Amaraegbu the new president of the club.

At a well-attended handover ceremony which took place recently at the Lagos Airport Hotel, reminiscence of the Rotary tradition of transition at the close of a Rotary year every June and the commencement of a new one, the event was witnessed

by Rotary dignitaries from the Rotary International District 9110, Rotarians from other clubs, guests and friends of Rotary who added colour to the occasion.

In his welcome speech, the outgoing president of the club Rotarian Olamide Abegunde gave account of his twelve months stewardship reeling out the various projects executed with the support of his board of directors under Rotary’s seven areas of focus including: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic and Community Development and the Environment.

President Abegunde particularly referenced the renovation and commissioning of a two classrooms building at State Senior High School Alimosho, in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State which the new president, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu promised to continue with in the new Rotary year. This, President Abegunde said was in addition to the formation of two additional Rotary clubs and two Interact clubs.

In his acceptance speech as the new president of Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu said “it was with great delight on behalf of myself and the entire board of directors of Rotary Club of Akowonjo, that I welcome you all to the new Rotary year full of happiness and success in our personal and professional lives”.

According to him, “having reviewed RC Akowonjo’s performance and achievements in the past six years, we are compelled to set new objectives and priorities for the future of the club and it is a collective responsibilities to commit ourselves to implementing them” noting that “to this end, I shall be inaugurating an implementation committee that will be assigned specific roles and tasks to evaluate our goals on monthly basis in this Rotary year and draw up a five year roadmap that will see us lead in the district once again”.

Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu who is the 36th president of the club, stated that “you will agree with me that we have a lot to do in our society and we can only achieve that much with a good number of members like they say “the more the merrier”.

With this, I challenge us to join in singing the new mantra Each 1 Bring 1.” In addition, he said “let’s begin this Rotary year by re-committing ourselves to the values of respect, openness and compassion that defines us as Rotarians by coming together as friends, brothers, sisters and putting community first, to build a brighter tomorrow for everyone” He used the occasion of the handover event to solicit for support and continued understanding as “we serve to change lives.

WFA Unveils Platforms to Improve Brands Productivity OCPTrains Agro Entrepreneurs to Impove Access to Local Food The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has launched three new forums that aimed to assist global and regional marketers to distribute peer-to-peer learning on relevant issues such as: marketing capabilities, agency management and in-housing.

The federation announced that the forum will be chaired by senior marketers from AB InBev, Reckitt and Unilever.

“The Agency Management Forum will be headed up by Tammy Hourigan, Global Agency Relations Director at Unilever; The In-house Forum will be led by Tracy Stallard, Global VP, Experiential & In House

Agency (draftLine) at AB InBev while the Marketing Capability Forum will be chaired by Becky Verano, Global Director of Marketing Operations and Capabilities at Reckitt,” it stated.

Providing more detail, Chief Executive O΀cer of WFA, Stephan Loerke said, “We are delighted to expand our range of specialist groups addressing major challenges that many regional and global companies can struggle with.

In bringing our best-in-class peer-to-peer learning environments to these increasingly critical areas, we hope to equip our members with the knowledge they need to tackle their individual challenges.”

Also speaking, Global Director of Marketing Operations and Capabilities at Reckitt, Becky Verano, added, “Recent tumultuous events have highlighted areas where brands need greater skills, notably around purpose and D&I as well as the digital ecosystem and particularly ecommerce.

“The Marketing Capability Forum will look to share learnings around how you drive the data driven marketing agenda and enable a marketing culture for embracing diversity and inclusion as well as measuring the performance of engaging capability building programmes.”

OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Limited (OCP Africa), a leader in the production of phosphate-based fertilizers, has empowered agro entrepreneurs on how to use its hubs to boost farmers productivity, improve food security and nutrition. To ensure that farmers in underserved markets have seamless access to fertilizers and other quality inputs, OCP Africa is establishing 36 one-stop-shop Farm & Fortune Hubs across 13 states.

Speaking during the training of agro promoters on the operations of its Farm& Fortune hub model,the Country Manager. OCP Africa Fertilisers Nigeria, Mr Caleb Usoh, said it was a milestone in the company’s

effort to contribute to productivity and food security across the country.

Usoh said the Farm& Fortune hubs was set up in accordance to cater for the needs of the population by providing effective service-delivery, in accordance with its policy of proximity.

He explained that Farm& Fortune hubs were designed to offer knowledgeto increase in crop yield and productivity that would lead to improved food security and increased income for smallholder farm families.

In this regard, he added the operators of hubs will support the national extension service,

through provision of timely and effective support to farmers and rural communities so that they can adopt and promote good agronomic practices.

He explained that the hubs will be equipped with agritech solutions to enable farmers optimise yields, boost farm productivity and increase their profitability.

By harnessing agri-tech, Usoh reiterated that OCP Fertilisers was confident of solving the pressing issues around food security being mindful of the challenges local farmers face, such as using the hubs to help them aggregate and preserve their produce.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 10, 2021

FEATURES

With Sungbo Eredo Heritage, Ilara-Epe to Become Nigeria’s Tourism Hub With support from French and American governments, and proposed global recognition from UNESCO, Sungbo-Eredo Heritage, the largest monument in Africa, spanning 160 kilometers, which has been in existence since 13th century in Ilara-Epe, Lagos State, is set to become Nigeria’s tourism hub. Funke Olaode reports

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lara-Epe, the ancient kingdom situated in Eredo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State was agog on Wednesday June 30th, 2021 as it played host to the French Ambassador to Nigeria/ ECOWAS, Mr. Jerome Pasquier.

It was historic as the French envoy was the Àrst Ambassador to pay homage to the ancient town of Ilara-Epe. As early as 8am, the high chiefs, women and community leaders converged on the expansive palace of Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, Telade 1V, a highly educated, versatile, innovative and action royal king whose tenure has begun to attract development to his domain less than one year as a royal king. Supported by his amiable and beautiful Olori Bolanle, the traditional ruler welcomed his August visitor and his entourage to his domain.

Feeling at home among Ilara indigenes, Amb. Pasquier’s visit to the ancient Ilara Kingdom is in two folds: to strengthen bilateral ties between both countries and to further develop the immense tourism potentials of the division, particularly the ongoing project, Sungbo Eredo, which is tailored at turning the famous UNESCO world heritage site into a world-class tourism hub. The project is being carried out in conjunction with educational institutions such as Obafemi Awolowo University OAU, University of Ibadan (UI) and Augustine University, Ilara (AUI). The Sungbo Eredo is a system of defensive walls and ditched built in the 800 AD in honour of the Ijebu noblewoman, Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo. The location is on Nigeria’s tentative list of potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites. L-R: Prof. Adisa Ogunfolakan; Amb. Jerome Pasquier; Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, wife, Olori Bolanle and Prof. Gerard Chouin at the event Dignitaries at the gathering included Chairman, Eredo LCDA, Hon Adeniyi Saliu; the Queen of Ilara Kingdom, Olori Bolanle “historic and unprecedented in the annals Ogunsanwo went down memory lane. “The place within Ilara Kingdom, like farming, Sungbo Eredo is a monument that has been cottage industries, hospitality business, Ogunsanwo; Prince Segun Osifeko; Dr of our history.”

Oba Ogunsanwo highlighted the long- in existence since the 13th century. It is the real estate, educational institutions, and Taiwo Olufemi Salaam, former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transport, standing relationship between Nigeria and wall that extends to Ijebu Ode; that is the so on and so forth. We believe that, that Local Government and Community AͿairs, France, noting that France has the largest foot path that people used in the olden days will open the whole of this kingdom up so Others were High Chief Badru, the Seriki trade relationship with Nigeria in Sub- to move from one place to the other. Even much so that we will be able to galvanise of Epe Kingdom, and High Chief Charles Saharan Africa with over 100 successful within our own Eredo here, there are some all these into economic prosperity. toll gates, there are still some cowry shells “I feel highly elated and I want to thank Keshinro, the OdoÀn of Ilara, as well as industries in the country.

Alara also lauded the French Government, that people used to pay for toll when they God for making it possible during my own members of the Alara-in-Council, Baales and Chiefs and other tourism enthusiasts. who, according to him, was the Àrst country are moving their goods and services from time that the French Ambassador had to come and see things for himself today.”

Addressing the excited gathering, Am- to invest in the Sungbo-Eredo monument one place to the other.

“And it has been a very, very important Enumerating the beneÀts of the project to bassador Jerome regretted that COVID-19 project as far back as 2015 before the United project that the French government and Ilara, Lagos and Nigeria in general, one of States. pandemic had prevented him from visiting The traditional ruler commended the the United States government have been the co-directors of the archaeological project a year ago, as planned. He expressed his fascination for the archaeological projects eͿorts of France and the United States in sponsoring the archaeological research and and Director, National History Museum, in Eredo LCDA, which, according to him, ensuring that the monument is preserved the excavation to expose what the monu- Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adisa and accredited as one of the United Nations ment looks like. UNESCO is planning to Ogunfolakan said the idea was muted by informed his visit. name it one of the world heritage centers. Prof. Gerard Chouin and they have been The Ambassador said: “I am very happy (UN) world heritage sites.

“For us here, the signiÀcance of that is that So, all these activities are geared towards working on it since 2015. “Sungbo Eredo to be here. I came to see the archeological Heritage is a fantastic one. It is a classical project tagged Sugbon Eredo Heritage being we will have a world-class tourist centre; ensuring that the project is aligned. one such that in West Africa or in Africa, the that the monument would be the largest in “We are planning, in conjunction with supported by both the French and United States governments. It is a monument which Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa by extension. the Lagos State government, the National type is not seen. Because they span almost is a proof that this part Nigeria has been in The pandemic has made it important for Commission for Museum and Monument, about 160 kilometers and we need to us to develop our tourist centres.” the National Tourism Development Corpora- research into it, to let the world know existence before the colonial era.

While thanking the drivers of the proj- tion as well as the Ogun State government, about it so that eventually it will become “My President, Emmanuel Macron has a strong interest in Nigeria and he received ect in the persons of Prof. Gerard Chouin the University of Ibadan and the National a world heritage site. By the time we several businessmen some days ago from from University of Virginia, United States History Museum of the Obafemi Awolowo open it to the outside world then the Nigeria and he wants to push for more and Director, National History Museum, University. They are all on this project and tourists will be coming and then it is projects. Agriculture is one of the priorities; Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adisa they have all been working together on going to change the economic, social we know how important it is for Nigeria. Ogunfolakan and other members of the team this project. And also the Augustine Uni- and political status of Ilara,” he said Coroborating Oba Ogunsanswo, We really consider agriculture as important working on the project for their dedication versity, apparently part of the Sugbon wall and we the French people have a good and resilience, Oba Ogunsanwo seized the which extends to their campus. So we are Hon Adeniyi Saliu praised the French knowledge of agriculture, even tropical opportunity to request French companies to enthusiastic and we are looking forward Government for its immense contriagriculture. We are ready to work with you invest in other sectors of the community’s to making it a world tourism center where butions towards the development of on any project, any request, any demand, economy whose major occupation are people can come and see for themselves. tourism and the agricultural potentials “It is even a monument for the whole of in the kingdom and the significance of we shall be happy and proud to accom- farming, Àshing and hunting as well as cottage industries.

Africa, so that people can come and see the establishing robust ties between Eredo modate you.”

He said; “Our tropical weather gives room elaborate plans by the state government and other economically viable entities The diplomat thanked Oba Ogunsanwo for the warm reception and hospitality, not- for products and farm produce to thrive. The to provide all the basic amenities, and we across the international community. He ing that his government has the utmost environment is serene.” This he believed plan to have a resort, hotel, canteen, we implored the French emissary to intimate respect for traditional institutions, particu- will bring economic development and job will provide walk ways, car parks, and so its government on the mutual benefits larly in view of its role in preserving culture. opportunities for the youths in the area. He many other facilities that will make people that could result from investing in hi-tech, Oba Ogunsanwo, appreciated the diplo- also enjoined the French Government to to come. For us we believe the coming of robot-assisted farming.

Oba Ogunsanwo later presented the diplomat for creating time out of his busy schedule extend her hands of fellowship towards bril- that project will sell Ilara Kingdom to the whole world.

When people come as tourmat with a portrait artwork that symbolises liant but disadvantaged indigent students to visit the ancient kingdom of Ilara, and ists they can also appreciate some other the three occupations of the Ilara indigenes; for identifying with them which he said is for academic scholarship consideration.

Throwing more light on the project, Oba things that can happen or that can take Àshing, farming and hunting.

SATURDAY JULY 10, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸˜ ͺͮͰͯ

AUTO WORLD

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

TIPS OF THE WEEK 5 Reasons Why Your Vehicle’s AC Leaks Water The car air conditioning system is one of the most important components of your vehicle. It keeps the air temperature of your vehicle’s interior cool and comfortable during those warm summer months. When you notice that your car’s AC doesn’t provide as much cool air as it should, then it’s time to consider having it checked by the professionals .

One common sign that your vehicle’s air conditioning system needs special attention is when you notice that water is leaking from under the front of the car or inside the cabin near the passenger side. There are numerous reasons why this happens. Let us explore five of the most common reasons why a vehicle’s air conditioner leaks water.

L-R: GM, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Mr. Abiona Babarinde; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; DGM, Ford Sales, Coscharis Motors Plc., Mr. Justin Ngini at the presentation of ‘Appreciation Plaque’ to Coscharis Group as one of the sponsors for this year’s Lagos State Public Service Week at the award luncheon with the governor in Lagos… recently

Coscharis Motors Flaunts Locally Assembled Renault at Lagos Fair

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oscharis Motors Plc, a subsidiary of Coscharis Group recently showcased two locally assembled Renault automobile models amongst others during the 15th Lagos Motor Fair held at the Federal Palace Hotel,

Lagos.

Speaking at the Fair with various stakeholders in attendance, the Coscharis Group General Manager, Marketing and Communications, Abiona Babarinde said “if you recall in July 2019 we formally announced our partnership with the Renault Group to represent their auto brands in Nigeria. We equally showcased our ultra-modern Semi-Knocked-Down Assembly Plant located at our Group Head office in Awoyaya, Lagos. As at today, we are excited to say that Coscharis Motors has since been rolling out two name plates of the Renault Brand, namely Renault Logan and Renault Duster, from the assembly plant. These

two locally assembled nameplates are among the five models that include Renault Kwid, Renault Koleos and Renault Oroch respectively on display here today under the Renault brand.”

Commenting on the locally assembled vehicles, an obviously elated Director General of Nigeria Automotive Design and Development Council, Dr. Jelani Aliyu said, “I am excited to see that Coscharis Motors has assembled these vehicles in Nigeria. The NADDC and other relevant agencies of government are willing to support you to do more in this regard. I commend and congratulate the leadership and entire Coscharis team and their Renault partners for this great feat and assure the Company of government support towards the growth of local assembling of more Renault models in your plant” Coscharis Motors equally used the Fair to further remind the market on the ongoing ‘Giveaway’ promotion for any purchase of the Renault Kwid and Renault Koleos that attracts a free Abro Generator,

5% discount, free insurance, free vehicle registration and free vehicle service for the 1st two service. This is coupled with the ease of purchase through flexible finance schemes from Coscharis Mobility, Polaris Bank and other upcoming finance institutions that are finance partners to Coscharis Motors.

The Koleos The Koleos is designed with a sense of detail and personality enhanced by its sleek appearance and athletic curves.

Behind its chic urban styling, Koleos has the DNA of a true 4X4. The ALL MODE 4x4-i technology allows you to select the transmission mode that your vehicle will need to be equally at home on dirt, mud or sand as it is on tarmac.

Koleos comes with a range of driver assistance technologies including active emergency braking, blind spot detection system, easy trunk access and R-Link 2 media system.

Autochek Brings Berger Auto Market closer to Prospective Buyers

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s part of Autochek’s digitisation partnership with the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), the frontline online automobile marketing and auto finance company has now extended its activities to Nigeria’s most popular used car market, known as the Berger Market.

The Berger automobile market, which houses over 10,000 different brands and models of vehicles, is the largest used car market in Nigeria, and is situated in the heart of Apapa, Lagos.

Through the Autochek app, prospective users can now view all cars sold in the Berger market, empowering them to make buying decisions from the convenience of their mobile phones and avoid all the major hassles of travelling to the depot.

For car buyers who face the incredibly daunting traffic of hundreds of trucks and tankers blocking entry to the Berger market, it marks a major breakthrough in terms of boosting accessibility to one of the most desired destinations for vehicle purchases in Africa.

“Similar to every vehicle listed on the Autochek platform, all the cars from the Berger market listed on the app have undergone our usual 150-point check inspection process to remove all the ambiguities of purchasing a vehicle and equip our users with the information they need to make an informed decision. However, Autochek is well-aware a car purchase is still one of the most expensive outlays for most people in their lifetimes and as such, we also recommend in-person inspections before making such a large commitment.

According to Dr. Mayokun Fadeyibi, Vice President, Commercial for Autochek, “The Berger partnership is not just about increased visibility for the cars in Berger Car Depot. It is more about empowering buyers across Nigeria through auto-

financing with seamless and convenient access to these cars.”

In his own reaction to the partnership, Don Meche, Chairman of Berger auto market, said, “Over the years, we have constantly experienced low sales due to the difficulty accessing our car lots. On the other hand, our partnership with Autochek has come as a relief for the Berger market dealers.

Our customers can now access our cars with car loan and without stress. We are happy and our customers are happy.”

This is why, as part of the partnership with the

Berger market, the team is delivering personal tours to the depot for customers who want to get up close and personal with their future vehicles and ensure everything is in order.

According to Adebiyi, one of the numerous Autochek customers who shared his experience after recently taking part in a tour, “When my wife and I were looking for a very good Toyota Corolla to buy, I gave the staff at Autochek my specifications regarding the vehicle we wanted and they were wonderful in giving us options to select from.

L-R: CFO, Autochek, Jide Adamolekun; VP Business Compliance, Mandela Oniemola; VP Commercial, Mayokun Fadeyibi; and VP Operations, John Egwu

1. Blockage in the Condensate Drain Pipe A warning sign that your car’s condensate drain might be blocked is when you notice the water leaking inside your vehicle. If you find your car’s floor getting wet with water whenever you turn your car’s air conditioner on, then it’s time to check your condensate drain. A blocked condensate drain keeps the water from draining outside your vehicle, causing the water to overflow inside the car instead.

How to solve this?

Unblocking a condensate drain is usually easy to do, as long as you are familiar with your car’s parts and engine. First, you need to find the condensate drain hose, which is usually located at the rear of the engine on the passenger side.

When you’ve located it, squeeze or bend the hose to release any debris inside. You may also carefully insert a screwdriver to clear the hose. Be very careful when doing this to avoid any damage inside the ventilation system.

If you’re not confident in doing this on your own, it’s better to consult an auto air conditioning professional, just to be safe.

2. The Condensate Drain is Not Properly Attached to the Ventilation System Another possible reason why your car’s air conditioner is leaking water inside your vehicle is because the condensate drain is not properly attached to the ventilation system.

This prevents the drain from doing its job of draining the water outside, under the car.

How to solve this?

If you are familiar with your vehicle’s parts and if you’re okay to get your hands dirty, you may try to solve this on your own.

First, you need to locate the condensate drain, which can be found under the evaporator (the evaporator is usually located inside the passenger compartment) and at the lowest point in your vehicle’s ventilation system.

Attach the condensate drain properly to the ventilation system and check if it runs outside your vehicle.

If you’re in doubt, it’s best to consult a professional technician.(Source: Sandgate Auto Electrics & Air Conditioning)

NADDC DG to Discuss Nigeria’s EV, Gas-powered vehicle Future at NAJA Seminar As the global automotive industry looks towards electric and gas as alternative source to petrol to run vehicles on the road, Nigeria is not left out in the new migration efforts by different countries with the National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC) as the chief driver.

It is against this backdrop that, the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), the umbrella body for journalists covering the automobile sector, is throwing its weight behind the current trend during at this year’s annual training and capacity building workshop for members to aid their skills on reporting in the country.

The event which is slated for July 29 with the theme ‘Migration from Petrol to Electric & Gas-Powered Vehicles; Opportunities & Challenges for Nigeria’ will be held at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja Lagos, with Jelani Aliyu, MFR, who has been at the forefront of this scheme invited as the guest speaker. In a statement signed by Mike Ochonma, chairman of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), the annual event is aimed at providing a robust refresher course for auto journalists to enhance their performances and efficiency in automotive journalism especially in view of the new electric car technology that is gradually being accepted by many countries.

According to the NAJA chairman, “The need for training and retraining cannot be over emphasized especially in the 21st century which is largely driven by the knowledge economy.

SATURDAY JULY 10, 2021 • T H I S D AY

35

˜ ˾ JULY 10, 2021

36

TRIBUTE

Husseini Sankara

‘Sojaman’ Husseini Sankara Buried

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he remains of Colonel Husseini Samaila Sankara, who died from injury sustained, when he and his team stepped on an explosive device planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State, were laid to rest last Thursday in Abuja. Sankara, who was Commanding Officer, Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion Operation, under the ongoing Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East, was buried at the Guards Brigade Cemetery. Seven soldiers died instantly after the incident while four others, including the late Colonel, were severely injured.

The late Commander died on July 1, 2021, at an hospital in Abuja.

The late Sankara was on his way from Marte, a town in Borno State, to Maiduguri, when their gun truck ran into the explosive.

Family members, colleagues and friends, who attended the funeral service of the late officer at the Military Church in Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, before proceeding to the cemetery, recalled the last moments with Sankara and paid him glowing tributes.

Shehu Jafiya (Turakin Uba), the elder brother of the deceased, said the senior officer had told his family that his mission was accomplished, ”not knowing he was talking about his mission on planet Earth.”

According to him, the late senior officer would be happy in heaven if he sees an end to insurgency, ethnic agitation and enthronement of a united Nigeria, while recalling that Sankara was flown into Abuja on June 4, 2021.

Recalling his last moments with Sankara, Jafiya said: “After the blast in Borno State around Dikwa and Marte. He was first flown in an helicopter to Maiduguri where he was stabilized at the military facility, then they moved him to Cedar Crest Hospital in Abuja.

“I was at the airport to receive him and we had very extensive discussions not only one day but progressively over a week. He kept assuring us that we should not cry or be too worried that he was going to be fine.

We didn’t know he just wanted to console us by saying we should not be too worried and not cry for him. My last moments with him we’re indeed emotional and painful to us.

“We thought he was referring to the mission in Borno. He was being very prophetic

so, we didn’t understand him then. He was very committed to his family. I mean his wife, children and we the brothers. He was easy-going and he had a very deep passion for the military job. He was so proud of it and that was why in the house, we christened him ‘Sojaman’.

“One other thing he always he treasured was his love for this nation. Whenever we sat to discuss, you will hear him saying that he will do anything for this country. All these while, we didn’t understand what he was talking about. That doing everything, he was ready to die for this country and it eventually manifested. So it happened eventually so that is it.

“Looking at things in the country, the first thing that will give him joy in heaven is for us to defeat this insurgency. He will want to see his family settling down as quickly as

possible, so that they won’t feel the pain of his exit too much just as the preacher said in the church.

“He’ll want to see them move on and all agitations in the country today for Sankara who is a deep and passionate lover of Nigeria, he’ll want nothing but unity.”

Reading his citation at the grave yard, Colonel Adebayo Lawal described him as an “articulate, dedicated, loyal and hardworking officer.

“He was calm, firm but fair with a good sense of purpose and responsibility. He was a forthright gentleman and a professional intelligence officer who was genuinely committed to his duty. He had a remarkable conduct and overwhelming moral standard.”

Colonel Lawal said the senior officer, who was of the Nigerian Army intelligence corps,

Sankara’s wife and children receiving visitors after the burial

rose to the rank of colonel on September 3, 2020.

“Before his demise, he was the Psychological Operator at the Theatre Command Operation Hadin Kai. He was until his demise the Commanding Officer, Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion Operation” Col Adebayo added.

On his part, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri condoled with the family of Shehu Ijafiya over the loss of his brother.

Governor Fintiri described the late Colonel Samaila as a brave soldier who sacrificed his life for the peace of Nigeria and will be remembered as a peace advocate.

The Governor urged the family to take solace in God knowing that their son died serving the nation. He said Colonel Samaila will be greatly missed.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸˜ ͺͮͰͯ

37

AUTO WORLD

Toyota Boosts Style, Safety for LandCruiser Prado

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oyota has improved the safety and styling of its best-selling LandCruiser Prado large SUV range, introducing new active safety technology on lower variants while boosting the visual appeal of the family off-roader.

Following a comprehensive update in August 2020, the Prado has been further upgraded, with additional advanced safety features that were previously reserved for higher-grade variants, according to a statement by the automaker.

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the safety of all Toyota customers was of utmost importance.

“We are committed to ensuring our customers benefit from the peace of mind that comes with the latest advanced safety features,” Hanley said.

“These safety updates, along with the range of visual enhancements, ensure there has never been a better time to explore Australia’s vast backyard in a Prado,” he said.

The safety of entry-level GX and GXL variants has been bolstered with the addition of blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert1 as standard, joining existing Toyota Safety Sense1 features such as high-speed active cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assistance, and the pre-collision safety system with day/night pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection.

GX grades also feature more premium exterior appointments with a chrome-accented grille and puddle lamps.

VX and Kakadu variants have been upgraded with larger new design 19-inch alloy wheels with an ‘Active’ design for the VX and ‘Prestige’ design for the Kakadu.

All Prado grades are powered by a strong, efficient 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing maximum outputs of150kW and 500Nm, and mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Combined cycle fuel economy is listed at 7.9 litres/100km2, with CO2 emissions of 209 g/km3.

The Prado is designed for extended journeys with a total of up to 150-litre fuel capacity offered through the SUV’s 87-litre main tank and 63-litre sub tank on versions that have the full-size spare wheel mounted on the tailgate.

The Prado remains an ideal vehicle for family adventure, with a braked towing capacity of 3000kg4 and strong off-road capability.

Complementing its interior flexibility, all variants bar the GX can be specified with the flat tailgate option pack, which moves the full-size spare tyre from the tailgate to under the body of the vehicle.

The Prado has become a staple in Australian homes, being the most popular vehicle in its segment for 11 of the last 13 years - an achievement it is on track to replicate in 2021.

Toyota Prado

The all-new BMW 2 Series Coupé

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triking looks, exceptional handling, classical rear-wheel drive and a Goodwood Festival of Speed world premiere, will leave potential customers of the new BMW 2 Series Coupé in no doubt that this is a car set to excite and inspire.

The new edition of the two-door model incorporates the new BMW design language to highlight a fresh, youthful feel with meticulously engineered and perfectly balanced driving attributes.

Reaffirming its sector-leading status, the BMW 2 Series Coupé boasts rear-wheel drive, a six-cylinder in-line engine option and new equipment features that combine to underscore its standout sporting characteristics.

The advances made over the predecessor model are also reflected in a far broader range of driver assistance systems and the latest connectivity innovations.

The standalone vehicle concept of the BMW 2 Series Coupé puts clear water between it and the BMW 1 Series models (which are based on an advanced frontwheel-drive architecture) and borrows extensively from the technology used in the BMW 3 Series and BMW 4 Series. As a result, the new BMW 2 Series Coupé occupies a defiantly niche position in both the brand’s model portfolio and among its rivals.

World premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed The new BMW 2 Series Coupé will celebrate its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 8 July 2021. It will also be one of the new models presented

by BMW at the IAA MOBILITY 2021 show in Munich in September 2021.

The market launch will get underway at the beginning of 2022 with three model variants initially available.

Topping the range will be the all-wheel-drive BMW M240i xDrive Coupé, which is powered by a 374hp six-cylinder in-line engine, while customers will also be able to choose from four-cylinder petrol and diesel versions in the standard M Sport specification.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé will be built at the BMW Group’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico.

Individual proportions, optimised aerodynamics The exterior dimensions provide the ideal starting point for excellent driving dynamics. A length of 4,537mm and width of 1,838mm represent increases over the predecessor model of 105mm and 64mm respectively.

The new car is 28mm lower, however, with a vehicle height of 1,390mm. Its wheelbase is also 51mm longer at 2,741mm. Wider track widths of 1,575mm (an increase of 54mm) at the front axle and 1,587mm (an increase of 31mm) at the rear axle (BMW M240i xDrive Coupé: +63mm at the front, +35mm at the rear) are ideal for excellent cornering dynamics.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé’s boot offers load capacity of 390 litres – a 20-litre increase in primary capacity over its predecessor – and the height of the loading edge is 35mm lower.

The concept for the new BMW 2 Series Coupé body also includes targeted measures for optimising

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé its aerodynamics. An active air flap control system for the BMW kidney grille – adjustable through ten stages according to need – and the lower intake in the front apron, plus air curtains, flush-fitting door handles, aerodynamically optimised light-alloy wheels and an

Are You a Defensive Driver Did you know that it was projected that by 2015, road traffic crashes will be the leading health burden for children over the age of five in developing countries?

Did you also know that presently, road traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for young people worldwide? As a parent, I must confess that these are scary facts. But while you ponder over these, kindly share with me this material on defensive driving sourced from the web. I do hope that as you read through, I can count on your changed driving habits in our effort to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities in the country.

Defensive Driving (DD) is a marketing nickname for a reasonable and responsible vehicle operating techniques. I actively do not like the term. It implies that someone is on offensive, and driver is on defensive.

Normally there is nobody offending the driver, but himself. And we don’t talk about a tactical driving, do we? I prefer to get away from defense and use the term “responsible” or prudent instead of “defense”.

It conducts the intended message without implying enemy-enemy relationship, and therefore, lose-lose approach. Running a website on car driving safety tips, I don’t have much choice. However, almost nobody is going to search for responsible or reasonable driving.

Very few people are searching for the safe one. Hence, I am going to use the officially accepted term throughout “fun and safe” as much as I would prefer to avoid it.

Defensive Driving is not a rocket science. Basically, it is all about minimizing the odds of accident happening.

As with many things in life there is a science part and an art to this. Things like checking tyre pressure

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa Assistant Corps Marshal Zonal Commanding Officer Federal Road Safety Corps.

or consulting a map in advance definitely go to the science part and can be taught and reproduced easily in no time. On the other hand anticipating other drivers’ moves cannot be digitized, and depends heavily on your experience. Still, this is a skill that one can acquire.

It just takes some time and dedication, and the time is in the order of years rather than weeks or months.

You cannot just attend a Houston defensive driving courses and promptly become a safe driver. Or “Defensive driving Texas”, or any other DMV or court mandated course for this matter – such online courses in Texas major cities like Dallas, Austin, or Houston are just the most popular on the internet for some reason. If anything, such a course just gives you some information.

Providing this information is correct, it still has to be internalized through years of putting it to use. Only when checking the mirrors every now and then, keeping the right distance depending on internal and external factors, and most other basic and advanced vehicle operating

techniques become driver’s second nature, he matures and becomes a safe one.

The major part of defensive driving is anticipating other driver’s moves. Master driver does not need to react to dangerous traffic situation at the last moment.

He constantly assesses all what is happening on the road. He anticipates how things are unfolding, and acts to avoid the danger way before it becomes evident to novice drivers. You can easily tell master driver from the average one by watching them braking. Master driver is never forced to apply the brakes in emergency. Slight touch of brake pedal or even just a drop of gas takes him out of dangerous situation well before it develops.

For the novice, almost any braking is an emergency one.

Another important part of defensive driving is clearly communicating your existence and intensions to other drivers. I always drive with my low beam on, night or day, (I switch to high bean during night if needed of course). This way, I am sure fellow drivers see me. I always try to buy light colored cars for the same reason.

Using your blinkers is not an option; it is a way of communicating your intentions when you travel on the road. And your stop light should always be in order.

If your action or existence takes surrounding drivers by surprise, your odds of getting into an accident are extremely high.

Adhering to speed limits is not the only part of real world driving. Inside neighborhoods, though, speed limits are usually too high to be safe which is why the current campaign is to limit it to 30kilometre per hour in built up areas. One often overlooked part of defensive

almost completely sealed underbody, serve to channel the airflow effectively. The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé also has turning vanes and splitters at the front of the underbody which deflect the air precisely as required to reduce lift.

driving is proactively managing “Atmosphere” on the road. Courtesy goes a long way in reducing the level of anxiety around you, thus reducing the odds of an accident. On the other hand, attempts to teach fellow drivers a lesson or punish or offend them and in general behavior without regard to others significantly increase psychological tension around you. Other drivers become annoyed, and annoyance leads to impaired judgment, increasing the odds of you getting into an accident.

An important concept in real life Defensive Driving is leaving yourself room for error. An experienced driver maintains enough distance on all four sides of his car to allow him to safely react to the changes on the road.

And to compensate for any imperfection his reactions can suffer, depending on his current shape, level of concentration, and environment. If master driver has to drive when tired or otherwise impaired (nervous, sick, drunk etc.), he will maintain much bigger distances than when he feels fresh and fit.

If satisfactory room for error cannot be maintained for any reason, master driver lowers the speed until safe distances can be achieved. This happens for example when heavy rain significantly reduces visibility, reducing possible room for error due to reduced visibility, another example will be road work leaving one narrow lane with tightly installed concrete blocks on the sides. Defensive driving calls for reducing the speed until safe distances can be maintained in both cases.

Driver who mastered real world defensive driving does not depend on other drivers for his and his passengers’ safety. He actively managers what is happening on the road, increasing his and others safety many times over.

He does not fear driving. He enjoys it for all it has to offer, not just for ability to floor his car or squeal his tires.

38

˜ ˾ JULY 10, 2021

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION

BY

Go the Rounds, Not ‘Round’

“T

HE management of Fidelity Bank Plc (PLC) yesterday, (otiose comma) refuted rumours making the round (sic) that the Board of Directors has (had)….” Three variants: do the rounds (British informal); make the rounds (American version); and go the rounds (British formal expression)—the choice is yours!

“According to the President, war against drug abuse is more deadly (is deadlier) than the insurgency in the North East….”

“APGA chieftain urges aggrieved aspirants to sheath (sheathe) swords” “Call for self defence (self-defence) invitation to anarchy” “The constitutional role of government is to protect its people. Transferring that responsibility to the individual is an abdication of their (its) responsibility.”

“FG has no grouse with Ondo electorate” (THE PUNCH, May 18) FG has no grouse about (not with)….

“Buhari issues marching order to cement producers” (THISDAY Headline, May 17) Truth and Reason: marching orders.

“Salute to a great leader and distinguish political icon @ 78” For the sake of lexical exactitude: distinguished political icon.

“LASAA’s double standards” (DAILY INDEPENDENT Headline, May 16) Fixed expression: double standard.

From last week’s Saturday edition of Independent comes this caption disaster: “Chief Justice of…at the burial of his late wife…yesterday.” Please, dear reader, tell me, what is “late” doing here? This is inexcusable! Could he have buried his wife alive?

“This is crucial because our steps have been faulty from the onset (outset).” (DAILY TRUST Back Page, May 12) The next four blunders are from

SATURDAY TRIBUNE of July 3: “…the noise pollution that accompany (accompanies) the use and subsequent rise in the level of stress.”

“I am usually on (in) my farm and I don’t think you….”

“He spoke on Supersports about his achievements and experiences on the saddle of CAF Champions League second round….” SATURDAY Sports: in the saddle. “…Idoko has commended the board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) over (for) the successful organization of the first round of the 2020/2021 league season.”

“Bill Gates: The billionaire with unparallel love for the less privileged” (National News Banner, May 12) Exceptional philanthropy: unparalleled love “UNIBEN alumni commends INEC” Get it right: UNIBEN alumni commend, but UNIBEN alumni association commends. No muddle, gentlemen of the Press!

“Man condoles ex-wife” I thought we had conquered this level of scholarship: condole with or simply console.

“Sometimes (sometime) ago, twenty-three wise men met at the Federal Secretariat….”

“As police beams (beam) searchlight on some formal groups, associations and organizations….”

“In his critical sermon at the occasion.…”

Get it right: on the occasion.

“In 1996, ASUU, apart from demanding for the review employment conditions…”

PMB and varsity education: delete ‘for’ in the interest of grammatical sanity.

“The Yorubas like I said on this platform last Friday.…” This way: The Yoruba, as (not like) I said, on this platform last Friday…. “…the good foundation laid for take-off and hopefully with what we have read and saw (seen) in the media….”

“He sacked the Shonekan administration and assumed the reign of power as Head

of State.” This is the way to go: reins of government.

“They like parading themselves in stateof-the-art cars, leaving (living) in mansions and dictating the economy (how?) of the country with their loots (loot).” Do we resort to vernacular, in the light of the foregoing morphological tragedies?

“Thrown into panic, the driver of my vehicle managed to find a save (safe) haven from the portion of the road lawfully meant for Abuja-bound motorist (motorists).” “… talkless of (let alone) those actually chased into them by the escorts of the ‘big’ men.”

The next outrageous error is from Vanguard of May 19: “We urge that investigations be launched into the circumstances that led to the embarrassment and ask that those involved be brought to book to forestall a re-occurrence.” Let us foreclose a recurrence of ‘Eze-Goes-to-School’ blunders.

“The last but not the least is….” An extra: the last but not least. That is the correct expression.

“She is an alumnus of the most popular secondary school in Lagos….” Standard style: alumna.

The next six blunders are from the sports pages of the Saturday Newspaper: “Flying Eagles (Eagles’) sloppy play bothered (bordered) on the fact that.…”

“I seized (took, preferably) the opportunity to congratulate him for (on or upon) the very great successes at the recent polls.…” “…the smallish player was the life wire (sic) of the Flying Eagles….” Nigeria ’99: livewire.

“The screening of the prospective footballers continued with the captain playing the role of the ball boy, perhaps with the believe that.…” Change ‘believe’ to ‘belief’ in the interest of grammatical sanity.

“President Muhammudu Buhari has

Weaponising Banditry: Indulgence and Complicity

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nsecurity is the greatest bane of the Nigerian state as we stand today; followed closely by its twin sister, food scarcity, or what we vaguely call famine - occasioned by the fear of, and despair about the level of killings, abductions, and all sorts of violence assailing us all over the place. What heightens the sense of doom on the tail of insecurity is the perceived poor handling by civilian governance at almost all levels.

To be fair, the confusing and dangerous signals that seem to portray our leaders as incompetent or indulgent of the activities and atrocities of criminal elements endangering the well being of the nation, are not peculiar to the elites. Ordinary folks, and different strata of the Nigerian populace, engage in actions and narratives that oil and fatten the greed, grip and guts of these miscreants who go by all manners of tags: bandits, kidnappers, cultists, thugs, terrorists, insurgents, and the latest fad, secessionists.

When you profit through ignorance or brazen profiteering instincts by supplying foodstuff, ammunition, and whatnots to bandits, forest-loving killer herdsmen and notorious kidnappers, you are weaponising them...providing them the strength and stamina to surge ahead in their depravity. Like the case of Hassan Magaji of Galadimawa village in Kaduna State who was arrested last month, June, alongside his workers for selling loaves of bread to kidnappers and bandits terrorising the people of Birnin Gwari and Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Magaji was lulled by the booming blood-money business, which was fetching him about N400,000 per month, before he was discovered and intercepted. One of the bread sellers was even aghast, and confessed that he didn’t know that providing food to bandits, most of whom were known to the communities, was illegal! The implications are sobering.

When you walk into the dens of bandits, hold meetings and prayers with them in order to appreciate and authenticate their notoriety... because you are convinced that the harshness of military action in reining them in had exacerbated the madness of the bandits, and therefore, a less threatening approach was necessary - you are ultimately weaponising the miscreants. Like Sheik Ahmad Gumi cavorting with criminals, and parroting their moronic campaign that bandits - ordinary criminals without any redeeming ethno-religious or socio-political causes beyond crass personal enrichment - needed amnesty so as to look for better means of livelihood, you wilfully expose millions of your compatriots, far and near, to danger, and existential threats from people who ought to be scourged in public arenas, and thrown

behind bars for the rest of their miserable lives.

We have heard and read, and sometimes watched unconfirmed reports of aircraft allegedly dropping supplies and unidentified objects in remote areas for the benefit of insurgents. Even when the military were advancing and pushing back the misguided terrorists called Boko Haram or ISWAP, the allegations of fifth columnists or criminal saboteurs chipping away at the successful counterterrorism efforts of our valiant soldiers kept coming up in both the social and traditional media. We continue to lose men and materials in this long-going war in which our lean resources are being frittered away - resources that would have been better deployed to life-giving ventures and employment-promoting programmes.

When the media, especially the social media, make viral and trending, poorly produced brutal videos promoted by insurgents, bandits and other criminals; and we daily poking fun at seeming setbacks of our military in skirmishes with the insurgents; we are invariably lionising the murderous escapades of lunatics without cause whose endgame is to frustrate the peace and prosperity of our country; we help in weaponising the criminals, and provide more recruitment statistics for them to validate their impact in transmitting terror and horror.

On the other hand, the actions, images and sentiments expressed publicly by our military top brasses can also inadvertently produce unusual psychological and physiological inducement for the criminal brigades. When a retiring chief of staff reportedly claimed the long-running combat with terrorists might take another 20 years before we could breathe easy, you’re weaponising the scallywags. When people in strategic positions infer in open fora the inferiority of our combat hardwares, the unsavoury troop morale as a result of bungled intelligence gathering mechanism; the sudden sackings and deployment of soldiers and officers; the exposure of disparaging videos of soldiers complaining about one act of neglect or the other...all these military leakages and over-information cumulatively weaponise the enemy combatants.

When Amotekun, the quasi-military community security organ of the southwest, are denied access to modern ammunition (I’m not sure if the Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force) of the Northeast are allowed to carry guns); the so-called ‘foreign’ Fulani herdsmen supposedly wield their AK-47 guns across the Nigerian landscape, which by the way have been outlawed. However, we have not read any report where an AK-47-wielding Fulani herder posse had been “shot at sight”. But we have read of arrested gun-wielding vagabonds captured by vigilantes after committing one atrocity or the other being allegedly set loose by law enforcement units, for want of

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

joined the bandwagon of progress.”

Progressive English: climb or jump (not join) on/aboard the bandwagon.

The next two blunders are from the DAILY TRUST of May 18: “Today, the Whiteman’s problem has been fully entrenched in the dark continent, especially south of the Sahara.” Standard expression: on the Dark Continent “Abia police warns (warn) on tinted windscreen” “3 state-own industries to begin production soon” This way: state-owned industries.

“Drivers of luxurious (luxury) buses are not so often stopped or extorted.”

“Such accusation levelled on (against/at) the FRSC is, however, an exception rather than the rule.” “...the commission was poised to enforce all road violations.” This is sheer linguistic monstrosity! Perhaps, it is only in Nigeria–where anything is plausible and possible–that violations (instead of laws and regulations) can be enforced.

“Adebanjo had been involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed the lives of over five people almost immediately along (on) the popular Ibadan-Lagos expressway.” When lives are lost in any vehicular mishap, it is a fatal (not ghastly) accident.

“Some few years later after I had almost forgotten about the Navy….” ‘Some‘and ‘few’ cannot co-function.

“So when this new uniform group was set up in 1988 by the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida administration, I have (had) no doubt in my mind (where else?) that this would certainly work because of the calibre of people behind it.”

“People in power in this country atimes (at times) amuse me by their….”

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

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

evidence! These acts of seeming complicity and insensitivity merely strengthen the capacity of criminal minds to enact more heinous crimes.

When the Nigerian police spend years investigating gruesome murders, carnage, reprisal attacks, sacking of villages, and all sorts of villainy, without reasonable conclusion on the side of justice; without perpetrators and their handlers brought to book; without fluid and full administration of criminal justice on identified assailants; without actions and punishments seen and believed to be fair, equitable or even-handed, we invariably weaponise the undesirable elements in their notoriety.

One of the major markers of underdevelopment in the management of human activities is the sluggish and lethargic response to emergencies and grave occurrences. When settlements are under attacks, and the security forces are caught pants down; or when communities have had suspicions of imminent attacks, and have notified law enforcers who then hold press conferences to assure “all to go about their legitimate businesses, for there is no cause for alarm”... only for the killers to come into those communities, unchallenged, and hold the hapless people hostage and hopeless for hours, in a destructive frenzy. When they walk away triumphant, leaving chaos, corpses and catastrophe behind...we officially weaponise and coronate our vicious enemies.

Gradually, the industry of kidnapping for ransom has transformed into a huge and horrendous economy of scale where “transactional terrorism” is conducted on wireless phones; cash exchanged on highways and open rendezvous; registered sim cards freely used; and hefty airtime extorted from unfortunate families of terrorised victims. And between our hard-working police force and the intelligence community, and the so-called sophisticated technology of our telecommunication companies, we have spectacularly failed to capture or frustrate the extortioners, or collapse their enterprise.

Many of the surviving victims have alleged collusion of law enforcers and law breakers. Public trust is shattered, perceptions of government are ugly.

Every instance where criminals take their loot home, where the police wring their hands in impotent frustration, where a family is deprived the joy of living, where a government sends out another futile and farcical condolence letter, is a password furtively released to weaponise the bandits and their nefarious counterparts.

39

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹͸, 2021

SPORTS XTRA

West Ham Fans Go Frenzy over Onuachu’s Impending Hammer’s Move

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ans of Premier League side, West Ham have taken to Twitter and in excitement in reaction that Nigeria international and Genk hit an Paul Onuachu will be

joining the club next season.

The Hammers have been told that it will cost €15 million plus €5 million in add-ons (£13 million + £4.3 million add-ons) to sign the Genk striker this summer West Ham’s need for a

Okonkwo Signs Arsenal New Vontract, Promoted to First Team Nigeria-eligible teenager Arthur Okonkwo has signed a new long-term contract with the club, bringing an end to speculation surrounding his future at the club. This much was revealed through the Premier League’s official website yesterday.

Okonkwo would have walked away from the Emirates Stadium as a free agent if his contract was not extended.

Though the length of the deal has not been disclosed, Okonkwo informed via Instagram that he has signed a new three-year contract.

His reward for agreeing to commithisfuturetotheGunners is that he has been promoted to the first team and starts the new season as third choice goalkeeper, behind Bernd Leno and

Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson.

Speaking after the deal was confirmed, Okonkwo said to Arsenal’s official webpage : “It’s just surreal. To be from the academy to be able to come up to Colney, train, play in the under-18s, train, play in the under-23s and then move up and train with the first team, and then hopefully, one day, make my first-team debut… it’s a great feeling to be here.

“I am very excited to be back, very excited to have signed this new deal and I can’t wait to get training again. I am very thankful for the opportunity the manager has given me and the trust from the staff to be promoted up to the first team.”

Nigeria-eligible Striker, Mebude Completes Watford Move Dapo Mebude has become the second Nigeria-eligible striker to join English Premier LeaguenewboysWatfordinthe summer transfer window,after SuperEaglesstarEmmanuelDennis whowasacquiredfromClubBrugge.

TheGoldenBoysinformedviatheir officialwebsiteyesterdaythatMebude has put pen to paper on a two-year contract,withafurthertwo-yearoption.

The 19-year-old arrives at Watford on a free transfer following his release by ScotCHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OLAYEMI AGNES ALO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OLAYENI AGNES ALO-EMORWODIA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS UZUM NKEMDILIM USUOAMAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. SAGOE NKEMDILIM USUOAMAKA. All former documents remain valid. KIZITO MARITIME AGENCIES LTD and the general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NKESI STEPHANIE CHINDA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. NKESI STEPHANIE OCHAI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

tish Premiership champions Glasgow Rangers.

Duringanine-yearassociation with The Light Blues, he made oneappearanceforthefirstteam, against Kilmarnock FC in May 2019, coming off the bench to replace Daniel Candeias in the 67thminute.

Mebudeprovedhisworthduring aloanspellatQueenoftheSouth in the second half of last season, scoring twice in twelve outings across all competitions.

Born in London, he is eligible torepresentthenationalteamsof Nigeria, England and Scotland, and has earned 23 caps across Scotland youth teams.

SuperEaglesstarsOghenekaro Etebo, William Troost-Ekong and Isaac Success, Nigeria U23 international Tom Dele-Bashiru, excitingwingerJosephHungbo, Mebude and Dennis are set to be registered by Watford for the Premier League.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EUYICHE FAITH NKEMAKOLAM, now wish to be known and addressed as UGIAGBE FAITH NKEMAKOLAM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AKINADE IFEDAYO ELIZABETH, now wish to be known and addressed as GOZ IFEDAYO ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as SUSAN U SAMUEL- HORSFALL, now wish to be known and addressed as SUSAN U AKEMHORSFALL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

new centre-forward has been well-documented already this summer.

David Moyes seems to be searching high and wide for the perfect striker to compete with and provide cover for Michail Antonio.

Onuachu is a name who has

been on the Hammers’ radar for quite some time now.

And it now seems as though West Ham can sign the 27-yearold for what could be an absolute bargain fee.

Own Goal Nigeria claims that a fee totalling around £17 million will be enough to prise

him away from Genk.

The Nigeria international seems to have all of the attributes needed to succeed at the London Stadium.

The Genk hitman was on fire last season racking up 29 goals in 33 League games.

The 13-capped Nigeria

international is an absolute giant. Standing at 6ft 7in tall, Paul Onuachu is understandably an absolute menace in the air. That aerial ability suits West Ham’s style of play perfectly what with the onus Moyes places upon set-pieces.

Arthur Okonkwo (m) signed new Arsenal deal yesterday

New Napoli Boss Praises Osimhen’s Qualities The former AS Roma manager was unveiled on Thursday in Naples, and he has revealed his high regard for the Nigerian international New Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has spoken highly of Victor Osimhen while highlighting the unique characteristics of the club’s record signing.

Osimhen has been under the focus of fans and lovers of Napoli after a debut season that left much to be desired.

The Nigerian forward scored 10 SerieAgoals after completing a multi-million euro move from

French side Lille.

Still, his output could have been considerably more if he had not been out of action for three months.

While Gennaro Gattuso did his bit to help Osimhen settle down in Italy, Spalletti is the man believed to possess the Midas touch that can turn him into a world-class attacker.

And the veteran tactician has revealed that he is impressed with the youngster’s strength, aggressiveness, pace, willingness to press opposing defenders, and ability to stick the ball

in the back of the net.

And at the press conference held for his unveiling, Spalletti expressed the confidence that Napoli will enjoy an excellent campaign with the Super Eagles star in the squad.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t do well with the current squad; Osimhen falls into this discourse,” Spalletti said as per Tutto Napoli.

“He attacks the depth; he has excellent qualities in the spaces.

“He knows how to score, helps the team, covers the

spaces, and does not leave them to others.

“He is a strong one like Mertens, Petagna.”

Osimhen continues to be linked with a move away from Napoli, with Tottenham reportedly eyeing him as a potential replacement for Harry Kane, should the English man leave the club.

But the 22-year-old is keen to remain in Italy, and Napoli are already looking to insert a hefty buyout clause in his contract to discourage admiring suitors.

Kayode Olarewaju Extends Loan Deal at Turkish Club, Sivasspor Nigeria international Kayode Olarenwaju has extended his loan deal at the Turkish club, Sivasspor. The former Flying Eagles forward signed a one-year deal with Sivasspor, which would see him stay at The Braves till the end of June 2022.

Sivasspor took to their website to announce the deal after

his successful medical. Also included in the deal is the option to buy. The fleet-footed forward is currently valued at €3.7m by transfermarket.

Kayode joined The Braves from Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk. The 28-year-old struggled to get game time in his first two seasons at his parent

club, featuring in just 24 games in two seasons.

He started his sojourn in Turkey at Gaziantep, which was his first loan spell. Following an impressive first season where he scored ten times in 27 games, he caught the eyes of Sivasspor.

The versatile forward, who can play as a wide man and

through the centre, played an integral role in Sivasspor’s campaign last season, netting eleven times and giving three assists in 40 appearances.

Kayode has featured for Nigeria at all levels, from the youth ranks to the senior team.

The last time he featured for the Super Eagles was in 2017.

Batik Takes Centre Stage as One of Chelsea Confirm Anjorin for Team Nigeria’s Casual Wear Pre-season Training Made in Nigeria’s Batik attires will be on display at the 2020 Olympics as one of the casual wears of Team Nigeria.

According to a statement by the Minister’s media office, “Team Nigeria will wear attires produced by Youth powered

by Ministry of Youth as one of their casual wears.

The fabric is produced in Oshogbo, Osun state which is home to original Batik that has passed on from one generation to another. Batik is one of

the causal wears approved for team Nigeria. This is to support local content and to patronize the youth who are involved in the production to grow their business. We want the world to appreciate not just our sporting talents, but to sign post one of our locally produced materials.”

Wrestler Odunayo Adekuoroye and Ese Brume will bear Team Nigeria’s flag during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Chelsea’s pre-season activities officially started yesterday morning, with the first team players returning to Cobham.

Chelsea have confirmed through their official website that England youth international of Nigerian descent Faustino Anjorin participated in the workout at their Surrey training base.

Anjorin arrived the training session with Chelsea’s new trivago training wear.

The 19-year-old was among the attacking trio, the others being Tammy Abraham and

Callum Hudson-Odoi, that worked in the gym before heading to the pitch for some light ball work.

Anjorin is expected to spend several days with the first team of the Blues as manager Thomas Tuchel has very few first team players to work with, with as many as seventeen of their players taking part in the 2020 European Championship.

Thiago Silva is still at the Copa America with Brazil, while Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy were on international duty with Morocco and Senegal respectively this summer.

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Ortom on Insecurity “Mr. President is the one creating insecurity in this country.

The day that he says let’s solve this insecurity problem; that problem will be solved” – Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of being responsible for insecurity in Nigeria.

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& R E A SO

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26 years

TOBYOKECHUKWU GUEST COLUMNIST

Halting Nigeria’s Quick Match to Somalia

T

he author, Chinua Achebe, in his 1983 book, “The Trouble with Nigeria”, depicts a nation where leadership is the most critical challenge in addressing the issues of underdevelopment, nepotism, institutional corruption, inept and mediocre personality cult, and injustice that have bedeviled the nation.

Nearly four decades after that publication, our national life is still plagued by these maladies, consequentially engendering an avoidable security malaise that is leading us to Somalia.

Without a central government for so many years, Somalia became a metaphor for a failed state. Although currently showing a flicker of hope, it is a nation in disarray and deep anarchy, where non-state actors like Al-Shabbab and warlords have held sway in their various “colonies”.

Today in Nigeria, insurgents are running riot in the North-East, while multiple criminal cartels are killing our citizens, raping our women, destroying agriculture and livelihoods, and even school children across the country without let or hindrance. The once serene northern Nigeria and once bubbling southern Nigeria have suddenly become a ghost of themselves as nowhere is safe again.

These mass abductions have become a lucrative industry, which Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, in distinguishing secessionist agitators and bandits in a rather unremarkable and uncanny manner, qualified the latter as people in the business of kidnapping for profit. From Kankara to Afaka, Kagara, Jangebe, Ohordua, and Effurun, more than 1,000 students of secondary and tertiary institutions have been abducted between December 2020 and June 2021. Yet this figure does not include the 136 students of Saliu Tanko Islamic School, Tegina, Niger State or the 152 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna State pupils, who are still held in captivity as these lines are written.

On March 15, 2021, Thisday Newspaper reported that over 618 schools had been shut down in the northern states of Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Yobe, and Niger in a region in dire need of booster shots in education enrolment. A few days ago, the Kaduna State Government also ordered a shutdown of 13 schools in the most vulnerable parts of the state. Meanwhile, the Senate, on June 1, 2021 observed a minute silence for a record eight times to mourn hundreds of Nigerians killed in different attacks in the country. Indeed, as W.B Yeats would put it, things have really fallen apart.

As we sit on the edge of the cliff, we must remind ourselves that modern states are erected on social contracts, for left in the original state of nature, societies ordinarily descend to a Hobbesian state where life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. To avert such endless state of anomie, citizens surrender some of their rights and subject themselves to sovereigns or authority of leaders elected by them, in exchange for their security and welfare. Consequently, in Nigeria’s case, Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) unequivocally provides that “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.

However, where the state fails to fulfil its part of the contract (as is fast becoming our case); where the application of this coercive

Buhari

or leviathan principle is not oiled with justice, fairness, and equity; where the state chases after bloody and unrelenting bandits with offers of amnesty; where security agents accompany clerics to freely parley with bandits only for such clerics to tell us that our schools will never know peace unless we negotiate with criminals, then such a nation is on a quick march to Somalia.

Nevertheless, I am still supremely confident that we can turn the page, but this must start with the task of managing our diversity with justice and equity to douse the simmering tensions in the land. When some Nigerians are treated as if they are less Nigerian, it will only dull their loyalty to their nation and worsen agitations across the country. Again, when we own or make excuses for criminals, we make it difficult to build a collective resolve to fight common enemies. A bandit is a bandit, an armed robber is an armed robber, a fraudster is a fraudster, a criminal herder is a criminal herder, and a terrorist is a terrorist. Period!

They must be dealt with according to the law irrespective of their tribal, religious or political backgrounds.

Likewise, treating criminal aliens and militias with kid gloves because of transborder relationships only emboldens them.

While not approving the degrading 1884 partitioning of Africa by European powers at the Berlin Conference, basic logic dictates that if the killer herders and militias are from Mauritania, Central African Republic, Mali or elsewhere as even President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted on several occasions, they should be hounded out of Nigeria. It will be imprudent of any leader to expect that any Nigerian, whatever his religion or ethnicity, will for the reason of African brotherhood, accept to cohabit with murderous criminals, who have no tinge of conscience in killing and plundering hapless Nigerians.

The striking effectiveness and efficiency of our security agencies in deploying forces against criminality and agitations in some parts of Nigeria is quite remarkable, but the absence of the same level of alertness and deployments in other parts of the country despite utter carnages wrought by bandits and insurgents is quite disconcerting. But what I know to be the eternal truth is that the insecurity of any part of the country is

insecurity of the whole country. Insecurity in the South-East, which has recently witnessed an upsurge in violent crimes, is also insecurity of the North West and North Central where bandits and militias are putting the country on edge.

My colleagues in the National Assembly affirm that most attacks take place after some forewarning intelligence, and sometimes by way of letters written by bandits. Yet they still invade schools and communities in an armada of motorbikes and operate for hours, unchallenged. The question is: how is it possible that our security agents are not equipped with air cover and ground forces to panic or neutralise the bandits or that over 100 students are repeatedly abducted, moved over miles, and held in captivity for months by over 100 bandits without traces and arrests?

Furthermore, a bandit in one part of the country is no better than a non-state actor in another part. The idea of romanticising or making excuses for criminals or building a narrative of “my criminals are less dangerous than yours” should not be part of our brief as leaders. When one listens to Governor El-Rufai and Sheikh Gumi, he is led to assert that if this is the temperament of our leadership, then our political and spiritual leaders need tutorials on Rwanda in the art of nation building. The Penal Code and Criminal Code are very clear on the description of crime and criminality.

They are equally clear on their punishments.

Moreover, while some arguments have been proffered for granting amnesty to some of these non-state actors holding us by the jugular, such a promissory note should be founded on good grounds and must have a framework for success. An overdrive for amnesty for sworn criminals without knowing their inherent loyalties and motivations, their structure and leadership, and without sufficiently intimidating and visibly primed coercive instruments of state on the ready, further presents the Nigerian state as weak and helpless. We should never create the impression that the bandits are invincible and can call the shots. Every effort should be made, as was recently done by the National Assembly in passing the 2021 supplementary budget, to sufficiently equip our security forces to dominate the environment.

Furthermore, it is increasingly becoming unfashionable to create the impression that governors are the chief security officers of their states. This paper tiger approach is unhelpful to the federation and makes it impossible to formulate and operate a meaningful internal security strategy. In this vein, the reference in a recent media interview by the President to two South West governors that visited him for intervention over security challenges, as chief security officers that should protect their people is to me a non sequitur. The governors can bark, but lack the capacity to bite as the constitution vests all security agencies in the federal government. There is, therefore, an urgent need for a one-stop approach where all tiers of government and critical stakeholders, which will comprise a joint technical committee, to work out modalities for the creation of state police. It is very unlikely that 36 different state police services will fail at the same time, hence the earlier this is done, the better for all of us.

Also, it is unfortunate and degrading that we

have needlessly weaponised animal husbandry.

It is disheartening that such a multi-billion dollar business in other climes has become a grave source of ethnic tensions, bigotry and political squabbles in Nigeria. My view is that the states, which are the custodians and administrators of land vide the Land Use Act, should take the lead in the modernisation of livestock and cattle rearing. The federal government has little or no business with this, except the incentivising the enterprise through infrastructure and agricultural loans.

This is the letter and spirit of our constitution.

On the need for Nigerians to defend themselves as variously canvassed by the Minister of Defence, Major Gen. Bashir Magaji (Rtd) as well as Governors Samuel Ortom, Bello Mohammed, Aminu Masari, and Dave Umahi, and some parliamentarians, including my humble self, this in simple terms presupposes the right of Nigerians to bear licensed arms. Whereas this proposition is not likely to get a fair assessment in our present circumstance, the truth is that Nigerians cannot defend themselves against AK47 and AK49-bearing invaders with their bare hands.

Therefore, this proposition has its merits and quality and is worthy of proper consideration.

The time has also come to creatively deploy modern technology and maximise its application in fighting insecurity in the country. We did not invest in space technology like the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) for the fun of it. We can also seek necessary international assistance and cooperation. Moreover, once we solve the identity problem, the domination of the scene by non-state actors will be over, for it is unthinkable that we still operate a vast federal state where majority of the citizens have neither identity nor address. This makes it very easy for criminals to rapidly mutate and become difficult to trace.

Meanwhile, the de facto situation is that our borders remain largely seamless and porous, no thanks to the iniquitous partitioning of Africa by European powers without regards to fraternal ties. This has manifestly worsened our border challenges and calls for a National Borders Protection Force to generally ramp up security at our borders. All the agencies will operate at the borders based on an integrated border management approach and with the capacity for surveillance, enforcement, deterrence, regulation, and regular interface.

This has become even more imperative as international pressure mounts on mercenary fighters to leave Libya. This was reinforced by the June 23, 2021 Berlin international conference brokered by Germany and the United Nations. We must, therefore, anticipate and prudently plan against an influx of more arms and fighters into the Sahel Region with vulnerable Nigeria being a magnetic and lucrative destination of choice.

Of course, all tiers of government must invest massively in social interventions and job creation to take more youths off the streets, for an idle mind is a devil’s workshop.

All said, it is my prayer that we summon the requisite patriotic spirit, ideas, and political will to do the needful and halt our quick march to Somalia. r0LFDIVLXV JT %FQVUZ .JOPSJUZ -FBEFS )PVTF PG 3FQSFTFOUBUJWFT

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