FRIDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2020

FG: Payment of New Electricity Tariffs Resumes Next Week Targets 30m consumers as nationwide distribution of free meters commences Emmanuel Addeh and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The federal government has approved the resumption of the collection of Service-Based electricity Tariffs (SBT) from

next week, after sealing a deal with organised labour, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

The government was forced to suspend the implementation of the new electricity tariff regime in September, following

a threat of industrial unrest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), its affiliates and allies.

However, the federal government and organised labour have resolved that the tariffs for certain categories of

power consumers should be reviewed downward.

While the tariffs for customers in A and B bands were reduced by 10 per cent, the tariff for C band customers was reduced by 30 per cent.

For customers in the D and E bands, their tariffs remain frozen, which implies that there is no increment.

The Special Adviser on Infrastructure to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr

Ahmad Zakari, who confirmed this yesterday during the 51st virtual Power Dialogue organised by Nigeria Electricity Hub in Abuja, noted that since Continued on page 8

Insurance CEOs Commit to Compensation for #EndSARS Protests’ Victims... Page 6 Friday 30 October, 2020 Vol 25. No 9335. Price: N250

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Tambuwal: Devolution of Power, Solution to Nigeria’s Challenges Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has said that a constitution amendment that addresses devolution of power may be the panacea to the challenges facing Nigeria.

He described the difficulties facing the country as not insurmountable, adding that they can be addressed within the framework of "one Nigeria."

The governor spoke yesterday in Abuja at the

commencement national campaign for the registration of 20 million Nigerians under ‘Project 20 Million.’

Tambuwal, represented by his Special Adviser on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Hon. Akibu Dalhatu, said the

country's founding fathers were conscious of the complex nature of the country and tried to build an inclusive and egalitarian society where people would have a sense of belonging and enjoy freedom.

According to him, in the

First Republic, the different regions developed at their pace and made remarkable achievements.

But he lamented that the inability to manage political differences cut short the democratic journey and led

to a civil war.

The governor said the military intervention in politics reversed the gains of the democratic journey, leading to decades of authoritarianism as Continued on page 8

FG Promises to Back Okonjo-Iweala to Victory in Contest for WTO DG Nigeria’s candidate confident to win Has support of most members, insists organisation Obinna Chima in Lagos, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja The federal government yesterday committed itself again to the emergence of Nigeria's nominee, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the directorgeneral of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigeria would continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that Okonjo-Iweala emerges the successor to Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo, who stepped down on August 31, a year ahead of the completion of his four-year second term in office.

But for the opposition of the United States, Okonjo-Iweala

would have been announced on Wednesday as the first female and African to lead the global trade body.

In the race for the post, she had garnered the votes of 163 of the 164 members of the trade organisation, to be named the preferred candidate for the job compared to her challenger, Ms. Yoo Myunghee of South Korea, backed by the US.

By WTO regulations, the director-general should emerge by consensus.

Commenting on the development yesterday, Okonjo-Iweala said a positive attitude would be maintained despite the hiccups.

She tweeted: “Happy for the Continued on page 8

Banditry, Auto Crash Claim 50 Lives in Enugu, Katsina... Page 5

IN SOLIDARITY...

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left), and Member, representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency, Hon. Francis Waive, during a solidarity visit by members of Delta caucus in the House of Representatives to the governor in Asaba…recently

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NEWS

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Banditry, Auto Crash Claim 50 Lives in Enugu, Katsina

Christopher Isiguzo, Gideon Arinze in Enugu and Francis Sardauna in Katsina No fewer than 50 people have lost their lives to attacks by bandits and auto crash in Katsina and Enugu States, respectively.

While 29 villagers were reportedly killed by the marauding bandits in fresh onslaughts on communities in Dandume and Faskari Local Government Areas of Katsina State, 21 schoolchildren died in an auto crash in Mgbowo community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Katsina State Police Command, however, said the bandits killed 12 villagers and set some houses ablaze.

The bandits also killed four vigilantes and one security operative.

The separate attacks on the farming communities, according to residents, occurred yesterday when most of the victims were still sleeping.

While 25 people, mostly women, children and the aged, were massacred in Diskiru community of Dandume Local Government Area, four others were killed in Unguwar Baki community of Faskari Local Government Area, both in Katsina State.

THISDAY gathered that others were injured in the attacks while some women and children were abducted. Many others fled into the bush during the attacks.

In Diskiru community, THISDAY gathered that the over 100 bandits, who stormed the town around 4 am, riding on scores of motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons.

They were said to have been shooting sporadically, resulting in the death of 25 persons on the spot.

It was learnt that while some of the bandits held Diskiru community hostage, others operated in surrounding villages, moving from house to house, abducting residents and carting away cows, sheep and other valuables.

One of the survivors in Diskiru, Mr. Maipata Almustapha, told THISDAY on the phone that the bandits operated freely for about three hours without a response from security operatives before they withdrew into their hideouts in adjoining forests.

He said many residents of Diskiru and Unguwar Baki were still missing despite efforts of security personnel who arrived the scene "after the attacks" to rescue them.

He said: "The bandits attacked Diskiru community in Dandume Local Government and killed 25 people who are mostly children, women and our grandparents. They also slaughtered four people in Unguwar Baki community of Faskari Local Government Area.

"As I speak to you, many women and children are still missing in these communities.

We believe they have been kidnapped by the bandits.

We are appealing to security agencies and the government to rescue them and free us from bandits who had captured many villages in the state."

Almustapha called on the government at all levels to provide more facilities for the police and other security agents to enable them to tackle banditry, kidnapping, rape and other heinous crimes bedeviling the state.

However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gambo Isah, who confirmed the Diskiru attack to journalists yesterday, said the bandits killed 12 persons and set ablaze some

houses.

Isah, a Superintendent of Police, who described the rampage as a reprisal, said: "Yes, they attacked a village called Diskiru in Dandume Local Government Area, and it was a reprisal.

"Last week, the bandits came and they didn't find it easy with the villagers because about three of the bandits were killed. So they went and regrouped and came back. They came with over 200 of them on motorbikes, each carrying AK-47 rifle; they even came with a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

"They killed as many as they could; they killed 12 of the villagers and set many houses ablaze. The DPO learnt about the situation and he called for reinforcement from the military,

Operation Sahel Sanity.

"Based on the intelligence that we had, we learnt that the bandits were going to pass through a cattle route that went into Faskari LGA. So, we alerted the officers there and they laid siege, and, fortunately, they ran into the siege.

"But unfortunately, they came in numbers and got into a gun duel with our men, then forced themselves to pass through the ambush. As a result of that, one of our security personnel lost his life and four of the vigilantes were killed by the bandits.

"Reinforcement from the air force was sought and they came and followed after the bandits.

The report I have here with me was that so many of them were killed by the fighter jets."

FRSC Confirms 21 School Children Dead in Enugu The Enugu State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of 21 school children in the auto crash in Mgbowo community in Awgu LGA of the state.

The Sector Commander of FRSC in the state, Mr. Ogbonna Kalu, told journalists that the accident occurred on Wednesday evening.

According to him, the accident occurred when a trailer lost control and rammed into a school bus conveying the children from Presentation Nursery and Primary School, Awgu, owned by the Catholic

Diocese of Awgu.

He blamed the accident on the trailer, which has a mechanical fault, resulting in the loss of control while descending a sloppy and curved road at Nkwo Awgu junction.

He said many others, including roadside artisans, were critically injured.

Kalu said many parents had taken their children to different hospitals before officers of the command arrived at the scene of the accident, adding that the school bus had 51 school children, including primary and secondary, a driver and two teachers.

He commiserated with the parents of the children who lost their lives and the Catholic Diocese of Awgu.

STILL COUNTING LOSSES...

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Chief Executive Officer, Television Continental, Mr. Andrew Hanlon; and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the governor’s visit to TVC over its recent destruction by hoodlums in Lagos…yesterday

Buhari Won’t Order Parallel Probe into Lekki Shooting, Says Presidency Attributes looting to greed, criminality Ministers to submit reports on stakeholder engagements next week Yemi Ajayi The presidency yesterday said the federal government will not institute a parallel investigation into last Tuesday's shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers in Lekki, Lagos.

Presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, while fielding questions when he appeared on a programme on CHANNELS TV, said President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the constitutional power to probe the incident, which has attracted global outrage.

He explained that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) only empowers the president to probe incidents that happen within Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Already, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, has mandated a seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry, set up to probe allegations of brutality against the police in the state, especially those committed by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), to investigate the Lekki Tollgate shooting.

The commission, headed by Justice Doris Okuwobi (rtd), began sitting on Tuesday.

Speaking against the backdrop of the clamour for the president to probe the incident in the light of the assertion by Sanwo-Olu that the military doesn't take orders from him, Adesina said: "It depends on the understanding of the constitution by those who expect a judicial panel or anything like that from the federal government.

"The truth is that under the constitution, the federal government can't set up any judicial panel anywhere, except in Abuja. Only state governments can set up judicial panels in their jurisdiction. The federal government cannot."

According to him, the fact that a delegation of ministers from the South-west visited the shooting scene doesn't confer on the president powers to probe the incident.

He shed more light on the visit, saying: "At the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, nine days ago, the president directed all ministers to return to their states. He said

constitutionally, the ministers are the ones that represent their states in the cabinet and in the federal government and they should return to their respective states, engage with the governors and engage with the people so there can be a better understanding of what's happening in the country."

He stated that at Wednesday's FEC meeting, the president asked the ministers for briefs from the stakeholders' engagements, but only two of them had their reports ready by then while some others were still in their respective states carrying out the assignment.

"But the president said all of them should turn in their reports to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in the incoming week," he added.

Adesina explained that the reports will help the federal government to gain a better understanding of the incident and to clear cases of doubts arising from conflicting claims, "conjectures, outright falsehoods and fake news" about the Lekki Tollgate shooting.

Asked whether Buhari will be willing to sanction soldiers who might have been indicted by the Lagos probe panel, the presidential spokesman said it would amount to jumping the gun to speak on what the president would do.

He said comments could only be made after the truth had been established, adding that care has to be taken in reacting to the incident given the global attention it has generated.

On whether Buhari was aware of troop deployment to the Lekki Tollgate, Adesina said the military had addressed the issue and it was not within the remit of the presidency to do so.

When asked the government's reaction to the Amnesty International's statement on Wednesday, outlining the timeline of the Lekki shooting, Adesina said until the Judicial Commission of Inquiry panel, set up by the Lagos State government completes its job, it will be premature to react to the incident.

Besides, he also faulted Amnesty International on its narrative on the #EndSARS

protests.

He added that the federal government, and by extension the presidency, will be the last to speak on the incident as the buck stops at the president's table.

"If the presidency starts to make comments right now, it's prejudicial, it's premature," he stated.

Responding to a question on the looting that followed the protests in the aftermath of hoodlums seizing the demonstration, Adesina disagreed that it was borne out of the pervasive poverty in the country.

He attributed the looting of warehouses where COVID-19 palliatives were stored as well as the plundering of other public and private assets to greed and criminality.

He also differed that the pandemonium, which accompanied the #EndSARS protests reflects the people’s hunger and anger.

Adesina said: “I wouldn’t agree completely with that (that the looters are hungry) because criminality is criminality, would you justify armed robbery

because the man was poor?

“Just as you can’t justify armed robbery because a man was poor and then he took a gun to rob another person, you can’t also justify the lootings that are going on. It is pure criminality.

“It is not everybody engaged in that looting that is hungry, that is the truth. It is pure greed and criminality.”

According to him, the protests created a situation for anarchy in the country, which was exploited for criminality and looting.

“Criminality will always be criminality and mere anarchy promotes criminality. What has happened in the last two or three weeks led to what has happened now. If there was cohesion and tranquillity in society, this wouldn’t happen.

“Therefore, it was a corollary to the mere anarchic situation that came on the country because of the protests. If you didn’t have people burning police stations, killing policemen, burning private and public property, you wouldn’t have this spate of looting,” he said.

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Insurance CEOs Commit to Compensation for #EndSARS Protests’ Victims

Dike Onwuamaeze and Ebere Nwoji

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of insurance companies have assured businesses under their coverage that were destroyed by hoodlums last week of adequate compensation.

However, they said any victim who bought only basic cover without paying for extension would not get claims, adding that victims are expected to have extension to cover strike, riot, and civil commotion (SRCC), under which protest is categorised.

Speaking on the ‘Global Business Report,’ a programme monitored on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, the Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mr. Ganiyu Musa, said the thoughts of his members were with the families grieving and mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Musa, who is the Group Managing Director of Cornerstone Insurance Plc, said following the significant impact, in terms of loss of property and other dislocations in the past few days, “Insurance is at the centre of everything as it stands.”

He said insurance firms have sent out risk adjusters to various sites across the country to assess the level of damage.

Musa added: “Of course, a number of our members have

been receiving notification of claims both with respect to the damage to property and ancillary losses as a result of the losses.

“Clearly, insurance was built for times like these. That is essentially why people take insurance.”

He, however, said the development would have an immediate negative impact on the liquidity, balance sheet and cash flow of firms in the industry.

He said: “This is the whole essence of insurance. For all the folks affected, both individuals and businesses that have valid insurance policies that have been paid for, we would provide them with the necessary compensation in line with the terms of their policy.

“They don’t have anything to fear or worry. They should get in in touch with their insurers if they are in doubt and if they had used intermediaries such as brokers, they should also get in touch with their brokers to take them through how to file their claims.

“But those that have not taken insurance, this is the essence.

When things like these happen, our role as insurance underwriters is to provide you with peace of mind that we would be able to provide the necessary succour to enable you to pick up the pieces; rebuild your businesses and move on in life.

“This is the time to talk to your insurance once you had

purchased a valid policy and they would take you through the claims’ process. Our business was set up to handle an incidence of this nature.”

However, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, FBNInsurance, while responding to THISDAY's enquiry, said: "We are purely business operators and can only pay claims purely on

business ground.

"Insurers can only pay claims to those whose policy purchase covered the cause of the damage through extension."

He said anybody who did not buy the extension policy would have to wait for the government’s support.

He urged the government to come to the aid of those whose

businesses were damaged in order to sustain livelihoods and jobs.

On the capacity of insurers to pay the huge claims from the civil unrest, Ojumah said: “Any insurance underwriter who issues a policy has the capacity to cover the account. This is because such underwriter must have purchased adequate reinsurance cover for

the particular account.”

He said policies issued by insurers, affected by the protests, have reinsurance cover, therefore, there is capacity on the part of insurers to pay claims.

Also speaking, the Managing Director Consolidated Hallmark Insurance, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, assured clients of prompt claims’ payment.

JUSTICE FOR PROTESTS’ VICTIM...

L-R: Country Programme Director, Global Society for Anti-Corruption, Mrs. Amaka Nweke; Executive Director, Heroine Women Foundation, Ms. Onyinye Mamah; and Executive Director, Ada Oji Initiative, Ms. Adaeze Isamade, during a news conference on compensation for victims of #EndSARS protests in Enugu…yesterday

NNPC: Repairs, Security of Vandalised Pipelines Depleting Revenues Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday expressed concern about the cost of securing and repairing its over 5,000-kilometre stretch of pipelines across the country on its revenues.

Executive Director in charge of Storage at the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited,(NPSC), a subsidiary of the NNPC, Mr. Isa Ismaila, said yesterday that securing and maintaining the pipeline networks have become a drain on the oil corporation's resources.

Ismaila, speaking at the virtual Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Expo 2020, on the theme “The Future of Storage and Pipeline Assets,” stated that the organisation is now leveraging on technology to surmount the problem.

Describing the challenge as “enormous”, Ismaila noted that

the corporation has continued to lose huge revenues to vandals, despite all the efforts, including improving community relations, to ensure that a good atmosphere is created for business.

“We cover 80 to 90 per cent of the Nigerian states. It is really critical with pipelines of over 5,000 kilometres across the nation.

Then, we have 22 depots where we load products and 80 per cent of these depots are operational.

Their integrity is intact.

“We have eight stations to supply good products and we have eight LPG utilisation plants and they are at Apapa where over 4,000 tonnes can be stored.

“Our number one challenge is pipeline vandalism. So, we know how enormous the problem of vandalism is nationwide. The frequency, the damage and how much money we lose chasing the vandals, repairing the lines and facing these challenges every time across the value chain is

huge. They go and just cut it off,” he added.

He identified another problem facing the organisation as the age of the depots, saying that some of them have been there for a long time.

He said: “We have challenges when replacing parts. Some of the parts are outdated. It takes money and time to do this. We live in an open system. So, there's competition. The story before was that NNPC is there 100 per cent and that everyone comes to us, but the market has changed.

“This has been taken away by marketers, private depot owners etc and it's one challenge we are facing. Funding also is another one. We belong to the federal government and the government has plenty of other responsibilities.

“Sometimes, we get what we want and other times we don't get enough. We need to open up to private partnership so that

people with the financial muscle can come in and see how they can add value. And we are making lots of progress on that.”

According to him, while waiting for the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model to take off, the corporation is embarking on facilities' upgrade.

“But it's not something that will come immediately. It might come 2021-2022. We are doing a lot of automation of our loading systems. We want to free Apapa and move to other stations for gas storage. Kano is open already,” he stated.

In her comments, Chairman, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Winifred Akpani, urged the corporation to focus more on getting facilities for the storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), saying that therein lies the future of hydrocarbons in the country.

“LPG is rapidly expanding.

Right now we have over 80,000 metric tonnes of storage. The projection is that by 2022, we will have a consumption of over five million metric tonnes and that's a huge one.

“The average required days of storage is about 45 and when you do a simple calculation, that means you need about 625,000 metric tonnes of storage of LPG to satisfy local consumption need.

“Demand is outstripping supply and it will get more pertinent in the future and the good thing is because LPG is deregulated and that's why I always say deregulation does not always mean higher prices.

“In the short run, there will be an increase but it will come down over time. Technology is not cheap, so most of the technology requires a lot of money in terms of corrosion management etc.

“We need more requirements in gas storage and we need to

put the technology in place. There must also be local community relations because even if you see your pipeline being vandalised real-time, it still has to be prevented,” she explained.

Country Representative, PwC, Nigeria, Mr Uyi Akpata, in his intervention, noted that the dependence on crude oil is currently with certain risks, which must not be overlooked by operators.

“There are two major risks involved right now, low oil prices and near long term decarbonisation due to a shift to cleaner sources of energy.

“If you say money is being made, it's not sustainable because of the overall risk.

There's competition for scarce resources. For the sector, the pursuit of cost efficiency is very pertinent. We need digitalisation of operations although it's not the magic bullet but a key enabler for transformation,” he said.

Fresh Concerns as Crude Oil Price Slumps below $40 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency reports The price of Brent, the benchmark for Nigeria’s crude oil, fell below $40 per barrel to a four-month low of $37 yesterday, raising fresh fears of another price collapse as countries in Europe announced a new rash of lockdowns on the back of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brent dropped 3.5 per cent to $37.75 a barrel in London, being the lowest since May, while US crude dropped by 3.6 per cent, to $36 as supply continued to outstrip demand.

With the United States recently cutting its import of Nigeria’s crude oil, the country, which depends on it for a huge percentage of its foreign

exchange earnings, has been looking to Asia, mostly China and India, and a number of European countries to buy the commodity.

The falling prices will negatively impinge on the financial stability of the country's 36 states, which are heavily dependent on federal allocations to pay their bills.

Unless the drop in prices is halted, it will also hamper the implementation of the federal budget, even after the government at the centre recently reviewed it for the year.

The majority of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings come from oil and a crash in global oil prices would lead to a drop in the country's fiscal revenues putting pressure on its overall budgetary balance.

As the lockdown begins to take effect across Europe, particularly Germany and France, demand for oil weakened resulting in a deterioration of the price of white oil products.

Libya currently produces 680,000 bpd and expects production to rise to 1 million bpd in the coming weeks, a development that has created an additional headache for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.

The international oil cartel plans to reduce production in January 2021 from a recent 7.7 million barrels per day to about 5.7m barrels per day and is scheduled to meet on November 30 and December 1.

If the fall continues, it will

also negatively impact the 2021 budget, which is currently under consideration by the National Assembly and is based on a benchmark of $40 a barrel.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a nonpartisan group which provides legislative research and analysis for the United States Congress, has said crude oil accounted for 88 per cent of the country’s $4.4 billion imports from Nigeria in 2019.

In its updated research paper titled,” Nigeria: Current Issues and US Policy”, authored for the American lawmakers by an analyst in African Affairs, Tomas Husted, and specialist in African Affairs, Lauren Blanchard, the CRS said Nigeria had maintained its position as the United States’ second-largest

trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

The document is to help the country’s lawmakers make 'informed' decisions on key issues in the country.

“As of 2019, Nigeria was the United States’ second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa (after South Africa) and third-largest beneficiary of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region (after Mauritius and South Africa).

“Nigerian exports to the United States are dominated by crude oil, which at $4.4 billion, accounted for 88 per cent of U.S. imports from Nigeria in 2019.

According to U.S. International Trade Commission data, Nigeria consistently ranks as the top source of exports to the United States under the African Growth

and Opportunity Act,” it stated However, it noted that Nigeria also remains a major regional destination for U.S. exports of motor vehicles and refined petroleum products (e.g., gasoline), which are among the fastest-growing U.S. exports to Africa.

Agricultural products and machinery, the research group said, are other top U.S. exports to the country, adding that Nigeria's demand also has driven growing U.S. petroleum exports to nearby Togo, a regional transhipment hub.

On the U.S. foreign assistance globally, the document noted that the USAID allocated $451.4 million in bilateral aid for Nigeria in FY2020, nearly 90 per cent of which supported health programmes.

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PAGE EIGHT FG PROMISES TO BACK OKONJO-IWEALA TO VICTORY IN CONTEST FOR WTO DG success & continued progress of our @wto DG bid. Very humbled to be declared the candidate with the largest, broadest support among members & most likely to attract consensus.

“We move on to the next step on November 9, despite hiccups. We’re keeping the positivity going!”

The WTO, however, officially revealed yesterday what transpired at its Wednesday's meeting where it was expected to have concluded the selection process, saying that majority of its members indicated "strong preference for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as DG." A statement signed by the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ferdinand Nwonye, said Nigeria would continue to consult with stakeholders ahead of the WTO’s November 9 general council meeting.

It said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the third and final round of the selection process of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was concluded on

Tuesday, 27th October 2020, and the result was formally announced on Wednesday, 28th October 2020.

“The candidate from Nigeria, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, has secured the support of the majority of the member countries but is yet to be declared and returned the winner.

“This is because apart from winning the election, all 164 member states of WIO were expected to adopt the winner by consensus; in accordance with the rule of procedure of the WTO. “It is important to highlight that Dr. OkonjoIweala has secured crossregional backing with only the United States opposing the consensus.

“Nigeria will continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that the lofty aspiration of her candidate to lead the World Trade Organisation is realised.”

Members Have 'Strong Preference' for Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Insists The WTO yesterday officially

revealed what transpired at its Wednesday's meeting where it was expected to have concluded the selection process, saying majority of its members indicated "strong preference for Ngozi OkonjoIweala as DG." The Geneva-based organisation, in a statement posted on its website, quoted the WTO General Council Chair, Ambassador David Walker, as saying: “She (Okonjo-Iweala) clearly carried the largest support by members in the final round and she clearly enjoyed broad support from members from all levels of development and all geographic regions and has done so throughout the process."

Owing to this, Walker said he submitted the name of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the candidate most likely to attract consensus and recommended her appointment by the General Council as the next directorgeneral of the WTO until August 31, 2024.

Walker stated that at the Heads of Delegation meeting that his decision was the assessment of the "troika" of facilitators, adding that

a formal decision had to be taken by the members at a General Council meeting, which he has scheduled for November 9.

The General Council is the WTO's pre-eminent decisionmaking body, save for the Ministerial Conference, which normally meets every two years.

However, Walker said his assessment was challenged by the United States, which said it would continue to support Yoo and would not back Okonjo-Iweala.

Walker said members had expressed their views to him, Ambassador Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Ambassador Harald Aspelund (Iceland) during the third and final stage of consultations from October 19th to 27th.

The General Council chair explained that since the process to replace Azevêdo began, the ultimate objective of the measured and clearly defined selection process has been to secure a consensus decision by members.

He praised the membership for their adherence to the guidelines and for their robust participation in the exercise.

"The entire membership remained fully engaged in and committed to this process. The facilitators and I are grateful for this consistently very positive response.

"Throughout the process, it has been clear that all members have attached the greatest importance to this appointment," Walker said.

He paid tribute to all eight of the candidates who participated in the DG selection process and in particular to Yoo who had advanced to the third round in this process.

“Ms Yoo has vast experience, which she has acquired in a number of leading positions and her outstanding qualifications are highly valued by all members," he stated.

The General Council had agreed on July 31 that there would be three stages of consultations held over a two-month period commencing on September 7.

During the confidential consultations, the field of candidates was narrowed from eight to five and then two as Walker, Castillo, chair of the Dispute Settlement

Body, and Aspelund, chair of the Trade Policy Review Body, posed a single question to each delegation: "What are your preferences?"

The consultation process taken by facilitators was set by guidelines established by the General Council in a 2002 decision.

According to the guidelines, the key consideration in determining which candidate is best poised to achieve the consensus is the "breadth of support" each candidate receives from the members.

During the DG selection processes of 2005 and 2013, breadth of support was defined as "The distribution of preferences across geographic regions and among the categories of members generally recognised in WTO provisions: that is (least developed countries), developing countries and developed countries."

The chair said the team was guided by the practices established in these General Council proceedings and the decisions made clear that "breadth of support means the larger membership."

input gives legitimacy to whatever we are doing," he said.

Tambuwal said when he was the speaker, the

House of Representatives organised town hall meetings in all the federal

as Nationwide Distribution of Free Meters Commences

Metering Programme (NMMP) will tomorrow Friday, October 30, 2020, commence the distribution of free electricity meters to Nigerians with simultaneous launch events of the scheme in Kano, Kaduna, Eko and Ikeja DISCO franchise areas.

"Following Mr President’s directive on mass metering, the Central Bank of Nigeria, on October 18th, approved guidelines for funding the mass metering programme which entailed that all meters under the scheme would be locally sourced, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs through lead manufacturers such as MOMAS, MOJEC and others."

The presidency source added that key stakeholders to monitor the launch of the distribution include Kaduna, Kano and Lagos States governments’ representatives, chairmen of Senate and House Committees on Power as well as representatives of Organized Labour and Civil Society Organizations.

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, confirmed the story but added that more details would emerge as the distribution progresses across the country.

He added that current efforts by the federal government on improving power supply and mass metering was in line with some of the agreements recently reached between the government and organised labour recently.

The president had committed that Nigerians would be metered prior to the end of his administration and that estimated billing would be a thing of the past.

TAMBUWAL: DEVOLUTION OF POWER, SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S CHALLENGES well as regression in freedom and good governance.

He added that with the advent of the civil democratic dispensation

in 1999, good governance returned to centre-stage.

“But how well have we fared? I would say with all sense of responsibility

that it has been a mixed bag. The nation is yet to develop a framework for effective engagement of the citizenry in governance.

“This must never be done on an ad hoc basis. In the development of government policies, we must factor in citizen participation. Their

Continued on page 9

FG: PAYMENT OF NEW ELECTRICITY TARIFFS RESUMES NEXT WEEK labour has accepted the new terms, the implementation will begin next week.

Zakari said the electricity market in the country will collapse if the government allows it to continue the way it has always been run, adding that the intention of the government is to transit to a market-based regime, where the demand and supply will determine prices.

According to him, after negotiations with organised labour, all the parties agreed to a reduction of tariffs for certain bands while bands D and E remain frozen and C will continue to be subsidised in the short term to the tune of 30 per cent.

He added that there will henceforth be more transparency in the collection of electricity revenues by the Distribution Companies (Discos) since it is now being closely monitored by the government.

He added that Value Added Tax (VAT) and other deductions will now be removed from the funds before the rest will be remitted to the Discos.

“Remember that 55 per cent of on-grid consumers are still 100 per cent subsidised. The N31 on average per kilowatt per hours for band D and E were paying before SBT, they will continue to pay.

Only 45 per cent of the on-grid population was affected. And with the agreement with labour, we are now going on to take out an additional 30 per cent from band C in terms of what they were supposed to pay.

“That increase will be reduced by 30 per cent and then there will be a 10 per cent reduction in A and B. But I promise you

next week on the headlines if we resume service based tariff, what everyone will be saying is that government has increased tariff for everybody and that’s because there’s a vibrant urban population that consumes the headlines.

But we are committed to doing the right thing.

“Hard decisions are not always popular. But we are going back to SBT with the reduction agreement that we have with labour and we are going to make this market work,” he stated.

On whether he should be quoted on the next week resumption of SBT, since it was made in the public, Zakari stated that labour and the government already announced the agreement, adding that the take-off would have been two weeks ago, but for the fact that the government wanted to deploy some palliatives.

“That government/ labour agreement was two weeks ago, but the government actually had refused to implement it because it wanted to provide additional palliatives at this difficult time. You can quote me that this was supposed to have taken off two weeks ago,” he said.

He admitted that the government had been doing many things wrong, which had prevented it from making progress, but noted that from now, all the hard decisions to ensure the survival of the industry and supply of stable electricity to Nigerians will be taken.

He explained: “If you have a product that sells for N10, there’s no business that can survive selling for N5. Your working capital I’ll expire and you will be out of business. That’s the situation we found

ourselves and we have been focusing on the wrong things.

“We thought that magically that power should be N31, and then make all the Discos comply when power costs N50. We need to stop that. If the government wants prices to be low, it has to drive efficiency. The SIM card that was N50k, people now give it out for free.

“We cannot hold the Disco value chain down but what we can do is to find efficiencies in gas pricing and aggressive loss reduction through metering and long interest financing.

What you will find is that over time, prices will come down.

“There’s no way we are going to continue to live in an imaginary world where we think that we can make progress selling a product for less, whereas it costs more.

“It's unfortunate the government didn’t take action early and we are at a point right now where it’s no longer sustainable.”

He said the government could not have 60 per cent of subsidy going to the top 10 -20 per cent of the population when there are no medicines in hospitals and schools are struggling even as the country needs more security equipment.

According to him, “What we have done through the banking sector, all the Discos collections are being monitored and we will deduct VAT and taxes for the government and then the loans from the central bank and then pass down the balances to the Discos.

“There’s full transparency.

If there’s N5bn in the account, we are going to take the market money and

the debts and then give the Discos the balance.

They will have a facility that enables them to wrap up slowly and the 63 per cent minimum remittance.

There’s an Opex and Capex loan made available.”

In his remarks, Chief Compliance Officer, Kaduna Disco, Mr. Lawal Lawal, said metering constituted half of the problems in the industry, adding that if it is solved, other things will fall in place.

He said: “Metering is nothing short of 50 per cent of the problem. It doesn’t just give you more funds it also ensures that you have more data to work with to make informed decisions with.

“It’s unfortunate that a lot of focus has gone to other areas, but with the benefit of hindsight, if I was to look at the single biggest problem, I would focus on metering because if we are able to close the gap between the collection, the distributor and the transmitter will go all out to ensure that they get people to build more megawatts and get people to build more plants. That’s the next logical thing.”

He said in the last five years, Discos have been doing enumeration, adding that the enumerated number has been going down because they have been finding more customers.

“It used to be somewhere around five million around 2015/2016 and then went to seven million and last year when MAP started, it was about nine million. But now, the data as at July which we submitted to government is somewhere around 11.2 million,” he stated.

FG Targets 30 Million Consumers

Meanwhile, the federal government will today commence nationwide distribution of free metres, under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

The initiative would ensure distribution of free electricity metres to 30 million Nigerians with simultaneous launch events of the scheme in Kano, Kaduna, Eko and Ikeja DISCOs franchise areas.

The NMMP scheme would roll out six million meters for all connections points on the grid without meters over the next 18 to 24 months, estimated to impact 30 million consumers nationwide.

Presidency sources last night hinted that the launch of the NMMP would be part of a continuous effort where all Discos will go from location to location across the country with their respective Meter Asset Providers to install meters for all Nigerians.

A source, who pleaded anonymity revealed that the locations to receive meters include Bawo Road and environs in Kano metropolis (KEDCO), Governor Road/Tudun Wada in Kaduna (Kaduna Electric), Oshodi Business Unit in Ikeja (Ikeja Electric), and Yaba and Surulere (Eko DISCO).

The source said: "In fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to ensure mass metering in the country and in the process put an end to the problems of estimated billing in the electricity sector, the National Mass

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#EndSARS Protests: C’River N’Assembly Caucus Sues for Peace Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja Following the destruction of public and private property by hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protests in Cross River State, the state caucus in the National Assembly has called on the youths in the state to give peace a chance and be patient with the government.

The caucus, in a statement yesterday, noted that the voices of the youths had been heard loud and clear.

While sympathising with business owners and individuals who suffered losses when the peaceful #EndSARS protests turned violent in the state, the caucus expressed solidarity with the government as it restores law and order.

The 10-member caucus, comprising two senators and eight members of House of Representatives, extended its hand of solidarity to the #EndSARS cause, noting

that the protest and its objectives were warranted and justified.

The Cross River State federal legislators who signed the release include the caucus Chairman, Senator Gershom Bassey; Senator Sandy Onor; Hons Essien Ayi, Daniel Asuquo and Jaribe Agom.

Others are: Hons. Legor Idagbo, Chris Agibe, Mike Itaba, Ettah Mbora and Alex Egbona.

The lawmakers while condemning the destruction of property, commiserated with Senator Victor NdomaEgba, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Senator Bassey Edet, Hilliard Etta, Calabar Market Women’s Association and its members, some members of the Cross River National Assembly caucus and all other victims of the violence.

The statement read in part: ''We, the distinguished senators and honourable members of the National Assembly Cross River State

Caucus, lend our collective voices in appeal to your good conscience to stand by the government as it restores law and order and puts an end to the ugly incidents perpetrated against the government, private businesses and individuals by criminal elements last weekend.

It is clear to us that these criminal elements took advantage of the meaningful and peaceful #EndSARS protests, to unleash their nefarious acts against our dear state.

“The protest by Nigerian youths in different states across the country started out as a peaceful demonstration calling for the abolition of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force, which was accused of numerous cases of misconduct and abuse of human rights, specifically targeted at young Nigerians. ''The protesters also sought an end to police

brutality and a commitment to good governance by the Nigerian government. These among other legitimate and pressing concerns were succinctly elucidated by the protesters and were well within the rights of the Nigerian people in accordance with the stipulations of Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966, which guarantees the right of peaceful assembly, and abhor any restriction to freedom of exercising such rights by its member states.”

The lawmakers noted that at the regional level, Nigeria ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1981, adding that Article 11 recognises the right of every individual to assemble freely, subject to restrictions on activities that are contrary to interests of national security, the safety, health, ethics and rights and freedoms of others.

The caucus also stated

that Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution recognises the right of every Nigerian to assemble freely and associate with other persons.

The group, however, said the recent degeneration and commandeering of the protest by hoodlums and criminal elements, were regrettable and purported to taint an otherwise wellintended purpose.

“The characteristic trademark of Cross River State is as an oasis of peace and the people’s paradise, indigenous to a people known for tolerance and love for one another and as well as others. This is our heritage and our priceless gains that have earned us a unique identity, admired by other parts of the country.

We cannot give it up to the sheer exhilaration of the enemies of our state. We cannot allow those who do not wish us well, to destroy our coveted patrimony,” it said.

The lawmakers regretted

the looting, vandalism and destruction of government, private and individual's property in Calabar that occurred between October 23 and 25.

“The undertone of this negative occurrence sought to criminalise the good people of our state. But then, we know the industrious and good-natured people of Cross River State cannot be identified with this unholy trend. This is why we are calling on all well-meaning Cross Riverians to stand up henceforth to protect and defend Calabar and Cross River State from hoodlums who are on a rampage, in a hopeless attempt to give us a bad image.

“With broken hearts, we identify and sympathise with the government of Cross River State over the needless destruction of federal and state-owned properties, as well as private properties during the chaos last weekend,” the caucus stated.

FG Distributed Palliatives Through State Govts, Says Minister The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the release of 70,000 tonnes (2,333 trucks) of grains from the Strategic Grains Reserve for distribution to states at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agba stated that the distribution was carried out through the state governments and not through ministers or members of the National Assembly.

He made the clarifications during his on-going constituency engagements with diverse stakeholders across the three senatorial zones in Edo State.

The engagement, which started on Wednesday with a courtesy visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, was consequent upon President Muhammadu

Buhari’s directive to ministers to return home to assist state governments in achieving peace and harmony countrywide in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests.

Agba said that the peaceful protests by the #EndSARS movement were legitimate as attested to by President Buhari in his disbandment of SARS and acceptance of the five-point demands of the youth.

“However, due to the distrust between government and its citizens, which had grown over the past 40 years, this acceptance was met with skepticism and our youths understandably continued the peaceful #EndSRAS protests.

“Unfortunately, this presented an avenue for mischievous individuals to attempt to hijack the protests for selfish reasons, which led to destruction

and the loss of lives,” he stated.

The minister, in the course of his engagements, further clarified that the #EndSARS protesters were different from the individuals causing unrest and destruction, and as such “these acts (of destruction) should not be attributed to the peaceful protesters."

He also pointed out that the youths were not calling for an end to policing in Nigeria but rather for a reform that would see the general populace as beneficiaries, especially the “honourable men and women of the Police Force, by ensuring they are adequately compensated for protecting the lives and property of citizens.”

Agba took the opportunity of the occasion to express his “wholehearted grief for and sympathy with the friends and families of all those who have lost their

lives or have been victims of police brutality over the years.”

“I also commiserate with the peaceful protesters that lost their lives across the country, with bystanders and members of the law enforcement agency who also lost their lives, property, or have been injured during these past few historical weeks.

“The loss of any Nigerian life is a sad dent in the future of our country, regardless of the title attached to these lives, be it ‘ordinary citizen’, ‘military’, ‘police’, ‘thug’, or ‘hoodlum’. Every Nigerian life is equally important and as such the government is currently investigating the reported loss of lives and abuses; once all is fully uncovered, the findings of the investigation will be made public for all to know,” he stated.

The minister, who

noted that Nigeria was currently experiencing a moment of calm and peace, appreciated, on behalf of President Buhari, the governor of Edo State, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youth leaders, professional organisations, interest groups and youths alike, whose appeals for calm had helped in no small way in restoring peace to Edo State and Nigeria.

Agba assured all Nigerians, particularly, the youths of Edo State that “we have not forgotten your voices and sacrifices”, adding, “your frustrations have been seen and your demands accepted.”

He appealed to them: “Please, do not take this as defeat, because if the battle was lost, the loser would be Nigeria. As we forge ahead in reforming the police, be assured of a meticulous approach; this

is an important issue and the desired result cannot be achieved through ‘patchwork’. Although, this approach requires patience, much to our frustrations, it will yield a long-lasting solution we can all be proud of.

“To this end, the work on reform had already started even before the protest, as we signed into law, the Police Act 2020 in September; you will find that there are a lot of earlier raised issues addressed in it.

“I also encourage the youths to continue to engage with your Senators and Representatives to help further finetune this Act for the betterment of all Nigerians. We have to foster more engagement to promote mutual understanding so as to achieve the Nigeria we all desire; these are just the first important steps in that process.”

freedoms is condoned.

He also expressed worry at the sustained cries of exclusion in the governance of the country by some sections of the country, which he said has been going on for many years without any conscious or deliberate effort to assuage their feelings.

The governor said when people feel excluded and those who are supposed to address their concerns continue to treat them with contempt, certain forces alien to democracy and national unity may rise up in those areas and take control.

According to him, moderate voices will be driven underground, a situation he described as

a dangerous development for the country.

He said: "We must join forces to prevail on those in charge of federal authority to change their approach.

They must engage sections of the country who feel excluded from governance.

The country belongs to all of us. When elections are over, you must unify all Nigerians and proceed to deliver dividends of democracy."

Earlier, the DirectorGeneral of Project 20 million, Mr. Okechukwu Chukwunyere, said the project was aimed at raising 20 million Nigerians, who desire good governance and accountable leadership to make Nigeria great.

TAMBUWAL: DEVOLUTION OF POWER, SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S CHALLENGES constituencies to collate the inputs of Nigerians to the constitution amendment process, adding that was the first time the process was truly participatory and transparent.

He said the people embraced the process with enthusiasm because they felt that their voices were beginning to count in the affairs of government.

Tambuwal stated: "Our nation is at the crossroads.

There are different forces jostling for attention.

There are different forces battling for the soul of the country. Some of the forces are pro-people and pro-development. Some of the forces are pro-national unity.

"Unfortunately, some

of the forces are prodisintegration. They hide under the guise of certain agitations to set our people against each other in order to achieve a pre-determined devious goal. We must be vigilant.”

He said Nigeria is a potentially great country, adding that its difficulties and challenges are not insurmountable. “We can address them within the framework of one Nigeria.

Other countries envy us.

Why should we destroy our country simply because we want to create fiefdoms for ourselves? “ Tambuwal explained that a constitution amendment that critically addresses the issue of devolution of power may be the panacea

to the challenges the nation faces.

"But if we effectively follow our current constitution, which contains the major characteristics of good governance, the tension that has enveloped our country will subside and we shall place our dear nation firmly on the path to sustainable development,” he said.

He pointed out that the nation needs to address the issues of poverty and youth unemployment to achieve peace.

“The welfare and security of the people must be our major priority. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has rolled out many programmes aimed at

lifting millions of Nigeria out of poverty. This is quite commendable and the intention must, however, be matched with sustained action," he said.

Tambuwal explained that the rule of law and due process are a major characteristic of good governance, saying that all persons, institutions and entities are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated.

He said it was sad to note that the government has been following the rule of law and due process in the breach, regretting that court orders are being disobeyed with impunity, institutions of democracy are attacked, while steady erosion of fundamental

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South-east Govs Read Riot Act to Looters, Arsonists Christopher Isiguzo and Gideon Arinze in Enugu Governors of the South-east yesterday warned that they would no longer condone further destruction of public and private property by youths in the region.

The governors who rose from a seven-hour closed-door meeting at the Government House, Enugu, said anybody still hiding under the recent #EndSARS protests to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens in the zone will have himself to blame henceforth.

The governors also promised to set up a fund in order to assist victims of the EndSARS protests, including the police, army and other security agencies.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and governor

of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, said that the forum was ready to address the concerns of the young people.

He said the forum, in addition to engaging the federal government and their colleagues in addressing the issues, will also engage youths to ensure a sustainable peace in the zone and a glorious future for the children.

According to him, “the forum sympathises with families of the victims, including the police and other security agencies and those who lost loved ones as a result of the protest”.

He said the forum also directs Igbos, both in and outside Nigeria to go about their businesses and not participate in unlawful protests.

“The state governors are committed to addressing the concerns of our young people

that are peculiar to various states and will engage the federal government and their colleagues in other states to address the other issues that are national”.

The SEGF chairman disclosed that “each state in the South East zone will set up a fund to assist the victims of the crisis, including the Police, the Army and other security agencies as well as civilians”.

The South-east leaders advised the youths that “while our governors are working hard

to meet their demands, the destruction of public and private property and killing of security agents and civilians will never be allowed to continue”.

While offering to protect all ethnic groups living in the Southeast, the leaders thanked other parts of Nigeria for protecting Igbos in their areas too.

“We, therefore, direct all Igbos, both in and outside Nigeria, to go about their businesses and should not participate in any form of unlawful protest and

criminality,” they said.

The meeting had in attendance governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, while the governors of Anambra State, Mr. Willie Obiano and Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma were represented by their deputies, Dr. Nkem Okeke and Prof. Placid Njoku, respectively.

Others present at the meeting include: Minister of State for Environment, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazo, Senator representing

Anambra Central at the Senate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator Ike Ekweremmadu; Chairman South-east Traditional Rulers Forum and the Traditional Ruler of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; President of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo; former governor of old Anambra State Governor, Chief Jim Nwobodo; Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, among others.

Electricity Generation Hits New High of 5,459MW FG to power 5m homes with mini-grid technology Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Despite a huge deficit in power supply, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said yesterday that generation peaked at an all-time generation high of 5,459.50MW. This is coming as the Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman , yesterday reiterated the plan of the federal government to invest in the deployment of mini-grid systems that will provide power for five million Nigerian homes by 2021.

TCN stated that the power was again, “efficiently” transmitted through the nation’s transmission grid at a frequency of 50.26Hz by 8.15pm on the 28th of October, 2020.

“This milestone in generation is higher than any peak ever recorded in the nation’s power industry as at date. The new peak surpasses the 5,420.30MW achieved on 18th August, 2020 by 39.20MW,” the TCN said.

A statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs

of the TCN, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, in Abuja, quoted the Acting Managing Director of the organisation, Mr. Sule Abdulaziz, as commending all the players in the power sector value chain for the ‘feat’.

Abdulaziz attributed the gradual but steady improvement in the quantum of power delivery to collaboration by the sector players as well as the ‘unbridled effort’ by the federal government, through the ministry of power, in setting the right environment for seamless operations.

“Abdulaziz expressed optimism that stakeholders in the sector would continue to work together towards ensuring the continued increase in the quantum of power available to consumers nationwide.

“TCN, he noted, is committed to working with the generation and distribution companies to ensure sustained improvement in the sector for the benefit of the nation,” the statement concluded.

Auditor General Queries Foreign Ministry for Spending N248m in Berlin Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Auditor General of the Federation AuGF), Mr. Anthony Anyine, has queried the Foreign Affairs Ministry over N248 million alleged extra budgetary spending at the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin, Germany.

He accused the embassy officials of expending the said sum in 2014 without recourse to the National Assembly.

In its response to the query, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said some of the sub heads were under-provided for and this informed the decision its officials to spend outside the vote budgeted for the foreign mission in the fiscal year.

The Auditor General in the 2015 Audit Report, petitioned the Senate Committee on Public

Accounts headed by Senator Mathew Urhoghide, asking the committee to request for the source of extra budgetary spending by the officials of Ministry of foreign affairs in Germany.

The AuGF query read in part: “The Embassy (in Germany), over-spent its budget for 2014 in 16 subheads, totalling N248,025,564.88. This act of over expenditure by the embassy is a virement by the mission without approval from the National Assembly.

“The Mission through the Permanent Secretary has been advised to abide by the provisions of the financial regulations and extant circular which states that expenditure must be within the amount provided in the subheads.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP…

L-R: Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), Mr. Adekunle Amujo; Chief Executive of FBN, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan; Kwara State Governor, Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; newly nominated Chairman of National Pension Commission (PenCom) and Executive Director, Corporate Banking, FBN, Dr. Remi Oni; Akinrogun of Offa, Chief Segun Olawoyin ; and Team Leader, Public Sector Group, Kwara State, Mr. Faleye Shoal; during a courtesy visit by FBN management team to the Government House, Ilorin…yesterday

LASTMA Explains Delay in Resumption of Operations The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has said it is restructuring and re-strategising ahead of full resumption in the state.

The agency expressed displeasure that some LASTMA officials were attacked during the violence that erupted after the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll plaza.

LASTMA also said ensuring the safety of its officials is important before “full” resumption.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by

Assistant Director, Public Affairs of LASTMA, Filade Olumide.

The statement was titled, ‘LASTMA General Manager debunks fake news again and agency to resume operations fully due to partial lifting of curfew’.

The statement quoted the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olajide Oduyoye, as explaining that gridlock in the state is not caused only by the “partial” absence of LASTMA officials.

Among other reasons that the LASTMA boss stated are traffic light junctions and the absence

of Bus Rapid Transport bus operations. On the absence of LASTMA officials at some strategic spots in Lagos State, Oduyoye enjoined drivers to at all times adhere strictly to the traffic laws of Lagos State.

He said: “We must all have a change towards positive attitude of obeying the laws of the state which were made for the benefit of all, for orderliness and for fast-paced socio-economic improvement of individuals, corporate entities and generality of the people.

“Owing to the recent

#EndSARS protest violence which resulted in the looting, arson, and destruction of twelve LASTMA zonal offices, physical attacks of LASTMA officers, the events which have no less left unfortunate physical and psychological scars on our operational personnel.

“All the same, we are taking stock, restructuring, and restrategising and this is the reason why we have only about 60 per cent of our beats at some strategic intersections/junctions to eliminate frictions, reduce delays and ensure better flow of traffic.

Gunmen Kidnap Female Professor of Ojukwu Varsity David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Gunmen said to be numbering abit three and operating in a vehicle, on Wednesday abducted a female professor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, in Anambra.

A source said the incident happened around 6p.m at Enugwu Agidi -Nawgu road, while the professor was coming back from work.

Members of Enugwu-Agidi community where the incident happened said it was the second time a lecturer from the university would be kidnapped

at the same spot.

President-General of EnugwuAgidi Brotherly Union (EBU), Hon. Ndubuisi Obijiofor who confirmed the incident, said, “This is to inform the general public of the unfortunate kidnap incident that took place along Enugwu-Agidi/ Nawgu road on the 28th October 2020, by 6:25pm.

“The kidnap victim goes by the name Prof. Silvia Okonkwo of Uruokwe village, EnugwuUkwu, a lecturer with the Odumegwu Ojukwu University Anambra State. She left for Awka after having a Senate meeting with her collegues in the school,

but unfortunately, her movement was cut short by the activities of the kidnappers.

“This is the second time a lecturer would be falling victim to the notorious kidnappers on the same spot. The particular spot where the incident took place is highly deplorable, making the constant users of the road more vulnerable to their attack,” he said.

The leadership of the Enugwu-Agidi Community also warned users of the road to desist from plying the road as from 6:30p.m because of the security threats posed by the bad spot.

It also called on the state government to come to their aid by repairing the road to facilitate easy movement of vehicles along the road for security purposes.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed reacting to the incident said, “Although the alleged incident was not officially reported, the Commissioner of Police CP John Abang has ordered for discreet investigation to ascertain the veracity of the allegation, rescue the victim and fish out perpetrators in order to bring them to book.”

Lagos Approves Re-opening of Schools Funmi Ogundare The Lagos State Government has approved the re-opening of schools for all classes in public and private schools across the state beginning from Monday November 2, while boarders in public schools are to resume on November 1.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo in a statement made available to THISDAY, described 2020 as an unprecedented year with the recent happenings that have regrettably led to frequent closure of schools with attendant learning disruptions

faced by all children.

According to her, “we pray and hope that there will be no more disruptions in the academic calendar. However, the state government will always regard the safety of pupils/students, parents and all staff as a matter of priority.”

She expressed optimism that that when schools resume on Monday, teaching and learning will continue unhindered till the end of the term.

Adefisayo advised pupils/ students to take their studies more seriously in a bid to recover the lost period in order to succeed.

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Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

DEFEAT COVID-19, WITH THE ARTS Deploy music, dance, movies, not truncheons to fight the virus, writes Rajendra Aneja

“A

ye Mere Watan Ke Logo” (“Oh! people of my country”), crooned the Indian nightingale Lata Mangeshkar, at the Republic Day celebrations in 1963, with Prime Minister Nehru on the dais. She was honouring Indian soldiers martyred during the 1962 Indo-China war. The Prime Minister sobbed.

Indians yet choke, on hearing the poignant song. The song galvanised support for the soldiers who guard the borders.

Everyone knows that the threat of Covid-19 is diminished by washing hands, masking and distancing. Yet millions of citizens, in slums, villages and crowded markets, especially in developing countries, ignore these basic precautions. Countries have tried guidance, advisories, appeals, fines and even police caning to ensure behavioural changes. Yet, people flout the protocols.

Imagine the impact on the behaviour of the young across the world, if Justin Bieber, were to write and sing a song on the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distances. His song, “Sorry” gathered 3.3 billion views across the world.

The top musicians and mainstream stars of Africa like Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy, have kindled global interest in African music. If they sang songs underscoring the Covid-19 protocols, it would inspire people.

Sheebah Karungi of Uganda, Joeboy of Nigeria, Brian Nadra of Kenya, Sho Madjozi of South Africa, Innoss’B of Congo and Diamond Platnumz of Tanzania, are stars in their own countries, but even across shores. So, if they lent their voices and passions to fostering mask-usage through their songs, it could strengthen the fight against Covid-19.

Again, “Good Bye English Rose, Candle in the Wind” performed by Sir John Elton, at the funeral of Princess Diana, touched every heart in the world. The song enshrined the Princess, as the People’s Princess.

Simple, pithy songs can impact human behaviour. The best lyricists in the world should write songs, imploring people to use masks, practice distancing and wash hands. These songs, should be sung by the top singers of countries. The songs should be on radio, TV and social media.

The celebrated song of Indian superstar Raj Kapoor, “Awara hoon” (“Am a vagabond”), was played at Moscow airport to welcome him in 1954. This most famous Hindi song globally, was played at official banquets of the USSR. Decades later, the Russian President Boris Yeltsin often hummed the tune.

“Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought,” wrote the poet Percy Shelley. So, a few melodious songs describing the joyous times before Covid-19 and how we can return to the happier times expeditiously, by wearing masks can impact behaviour.

Dance to fight Covid-19: “Gangnam Style” by South Korean musician Psy, the 2012 dance and pop song, had a beguiling beat and vibrant dance moves. It became a global rage and changed dance styles. The song garnered 3.4 billion views globally.

Shakira, Madonna, Ricky Martin, Psy, could shake a leg again, to sing the preventive measures to fight Covid-19. They could revolutionise the Covid-19 fight.

Films by Celebrities: It is time to deploy celebrities like

THE ARTS HAVE GARGANTUAN POWERS. ART HAS NO COUNTRY. IT BELONGS TO EVERYONE. IT IS FREE. THE MUSICIAN’S BATON OR THE WRITERS PEN MAY DELIVER, WHERE THE POLICE TRUNCHEON HAS FAILED IN MANY COUNTRIES. THE CARROT MAY WORK, WHERE THE STICK HAS FAILED

movie stars, singers and famous writers to appeal to people to observe Covid-19 protocols, to save lives. Top performers like Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Meryl Streep, Scarlett Johansson, Beyoncé, Whoopi Goldberg, should make short two-minute films, educating people on fighting Covid-19.

These films can be shown across TV channels. The actors and TV channels should not charge for airing these educative clips.

Poetry Power: Great poetry touches the human heart and stays engraved forever. Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If you Can” is evergreen. Robert Frost’s poem, “I took the road, less travelled by, and that has made all the difference,” has inspired millions across the world, in following their destinies.

So, the poets of the world can galvanise to pour out poetry in local languages, to motivate people to fight Covid-19 by washing, masking and distancing. Poetry is often inspired by love for a person; poems on Covid-19, can be inspired by the love of saving the lives of fellow human beings. And we know, “he who saves one life saves the world entire.”

Covid-19 novels, short stories and essay competitions: All winners of the Nobel Prize for literature could attempt books, essays or poems around Covid-19 protocols. Gabriel Garcia Marquis did weave an epic love story, culminating during an epidemic, entitled “Love in the Time of Cholera”. The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2020 has gone to American poet, Ms. Louise Glück. It will take her a few minutes to write a stunning sonnet imploring people to mask, wash and distance.

Will she? Please.

Literary societies could initiate competitions for writing novels, short stories and essays on Covid-19 protocols, focussing on how to prevent its spread in slums, villages, schools, etc. The best entries could garner prestige and prizes. This would spread awareness and inspire writers and even college students to defeat Covid-19.

Painting Contests: Children love painting in every country, at any age. Give a child a sheet of paper, a pencil or some crayons. The child will draw a tree, a house, a cloud. So, governments and schools could initiate drawing competitions, for all school children to show masks being used or maintaining distancing. The children would paint images, but more important, they will understand the precautions to fight Covid-19. Their parents will guide them and they themselves will become more alert to the disease. Schools and the governments could give prizes to the best paintings in every school, and city. The best drawings could be printed as a book.

The arts have gargantuan powers. Art has no country. It belongs to everyone. It is free. The musician’s baton or the writers pen may deliver, where the police truncheon has failed in many countries. The carrot may work, where the stick has failed.

This is thus an appeal to global darlings like John Elton, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Davido, Psy of Gangnam, Justin Bieber, to write, sing and create simple songs to convey the importance of hand washing, masking and social distancing.

Are you listening?

Aneja, former Managing Director of Unilever Tanzania, is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and has authored a book, “Rural Marketing Across Countries”

FREE EFCC FROM POLICE CUSTODY

Usman Danasabe argues the need to review the appointment of police officers as heads of the anti-graft agency

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he furious focus on the SARS unit of the Nigeria Police by the now dormant #ENDSARS protesters provided an irresistible impulse to take a long overdue action to redress unspeakable abuses of an otherwise potent anti-robbery squad. It was immensely advantageous that the agitation resulted in the government commitment to go beyond the SARS issue and subject the entire police force to a reformative review. There are numerous flaws, abuses and missing links bedevilling the police which require urgent redress and the sooner there is a clean sweep of all anomalies the better.

This is also an ideal time to check the unintended impact of the ills of the police force on some agencies whose schedule of duties border on investigative functions.

The EFCC is a typical example of such an organisation and it is not a mere coincidence that it is currently also under an investigative process triggered by the alleged shortcomings and excesses of its acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, a police officer who was subsequently removed from office after a controversial five years during which the Senate declined to confirm him twice due to unfavourable security reports.

Nuhu Ribadu was the pioneer Chairperson of the EFCC, starting his tenure in 2003.

Ribadu was sacked in 2007. His successor, Farida Waziri’s appointment lasted from 2008 to 2011. Ibrahim Lamorde replaced Waziri and was sacked in 2015. Ibrahim Magu was first appointed as acting chairman of the commission in 2015.

Invariably, these chairmen left office in controversial circumstances dragging the EFCC into numerous crises of cred-

ibility and public criticism of its image and performance marred by unwholesome practices such as selective targeting of suspects, sloppy investigations and prosecutions, recurring allegations of corruption and highhandedness in treatment of suspects and enforcement of sanctions. As a result, the agency was regarded as just another extension of the police, citing the continued deployment of police officers as chairmen, alluding to the entrenchment of such ills in the police.

The EFCC’s peculiar reliance on the Nigeria Police for sourcing its chairmen was traced to the law establishing the commission. The Establishment Act stipulates that the commission shall be headed by a chairman, who shall be the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer and be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent. This does not categorically earmark the police as exclusive source of appointing a chairman for the commission, but the referencing of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police as the lowest equivalent rank of candidates was conveniently (mis)interpreted to the benefit of police officers.

This police hijacking of the qualifying parameters for chairmanship of the EFCC was initiated with the appointment of Nuhu Ribadu, a serving officer, as its first chairman and entrenched thereafter even to the benefit of retired AIG Farida Waziri. It was further exploited to the extent of populating the top positions in the commission with police officers, chosen arbitrarily by the police hierarchy, thereby infesting the commission with “police culture” and effectively

reducing it to an outpost of sorts.

This opportunistic misinterpretation of the EFCC Act negated the essence of the creation of the agency as a specialized bureau, with a distinct schedule focusing on emergent economic, financial and cybercrimes, clearly outside the training and competence of our conventional police force and officers. For avoidance doubt, the EFCC Act also charges it with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crimes perceived to have been bungled by business as usual police tendencies.

Moreover, a specialized research and training facility was also integrated into the establishment of the EFCC, underscoring its pioneer status and the imperative of developing a new crop of professionals and relevant data base for tackling what was then an emerging form of criminality. The EFCC Academy was established in 2005 to develop and deliver training and research for the staff of the commission and needs of various departments and sections of the commission and offer courses at Certificate, Diploma, Post-Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degrees in Anti-corruption Studies, Cybercrimes and Digital Forensics and Forensic Accounting.

Unfortunately, due to the systematic police colonization of the EFCC, all these comprehensive facilities for specialization have been rendered redundant and objectives frustrated, especially by the undue domination of its chairmanship and other top departmental positions by police officers. It explains why the chairman became a self-motivated “czar” with arbitrary dictatorial powers over his clique of hand-picked

police subordinates. It explains why cases were abandoned or frivolously prosecuted and why pecuniary and political influence overwhelmed professionalism.

The most disturbing dimension of the police subjugation of the EFCC must be the colossal waste and utter frustration of the comprehensive investments devoted to regular emergence of the new crop of specialized skills and personnel for effective deterrence of the increasing rate of economic, financial and cybercrimes in Nigeria. The situation demands urgent correction by immediate termination of the unholy subordination of the EFCC to the whimsical and capricious indiscretions of police control.

By now there must be substantial turnout of the specialized graduates of the EFCC Academy qualified and competent with the right orientation to take up all command positions in the commission and restore its founding vision and mission while sanitizing the system. With hindsight, the police should not have been considered a suitable “government security or law enforcement agency” as the act states, to produce any staff for the EFCC given its entrenched excesses and shortcomings. The on-going high-powered comprehensive reform of the police is a golden opportunity to withdraw police personnel from such extra-curricular misadventures. This will release the full specialized professional and operational potential of the EFCC to make the envisaged effective impact on the emergent economic, financial and cyber-crimes that fuel corruption. The #ENDSARS reforms of the police must also curb this case of infringement of operational limitation.

Comrade Danasabe wrote from Gombe

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍąÍŽËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

EDITORIAL

ABATTOIRS AND PUBLIC HEALTH Abattoirs should be regulated

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he findings from different studies keep pointing to one fact: the increasing health hazards in consuming the beef prepared in many parts of the country. This is because most abattoirs are in an unacceptable condition, with the beef mostly dumped on unhygienic spaces which attract all kinds of contamination. This phenomenon poses a clear and present danger to the health of Nigerians.

On several occasions, we have had course to express serious concerns over the manner of producing, handling and transporting beef from abattoirs to the different points of sale because they are inimical to the health of the final consumers. And there appears to be no credible step by the authorities to arrest the problem.

This may also explain why members of the Nigerian business THE ABATTOIRS ARE and political elite, GENERALLY OPERATED as studies have shown, prefer UNDER UNHYGIENIC CONDITIONS, DUE MAINLY imported, frozen poultry products, TO LACK OF CERTAIN BASIC even when no one AMENITIES can guarantee their safety.

Against the background that statistics indicate that Nigerians consume over 300 million kilogrammes of beef a year, the authorities should be more serious about hygiene by establishing modern abattoirs in every state of the federation. The health of every citizen should concern every responsible and responsive government, especially when it comes to what they daily consume. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many parts of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Except Lagos and few states, which have made remarkable efforts towards ensuring a healthy and hygienic abattoirs by upgrading some of their slaughter houses over the years to suit their laws, in several states of the country, such facilities stink. In many of these states, some butchers are still killing cows and prepar-

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THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH

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here is a great temptation for me to challenge the widely held notion that the United States of America is the greatest country on earth. I actually think that title should be for Nigeria. Somewhere I hear laughter and looks of incredulity at my statement, but I have no apologies for saying so.

I am not going to go into drawing comparisons to prove my statement, but I know that what makes a people great is not its leaders, but it is actually its people. There is a commonly held belief in Nigeria that if you go anywhere in Nigeria, no matter how remote the place, and you do not find anyone of Igbo extraction in the area, it is not a place you should stay. I daresay therefore, that if you go to any country in the world, no matter the continent, and you do not find any Nigerian there, then it is not going to be worth your while being in that country. With about 300 ethnic tribes and over 520 languages spoken, Nigeria is the most diverse nation in modern Africa and its people have learnt to live together albeit with great effort. The Nigerian spirit is seen in the doggedness of the average Nigerian to succeed in whatever task he undertakes to eke out a living. Innovation is our name. Our music shows it, our food elucidates it, our fashion flaunts it, our lifestyle tells it. We are a proud people, proud in that heritage. As the most populous black nation on earth, you cannot dismiss us. We have sat at every table in the world, no matter how lofty, in science, in literature, in sports, in industry, in entertainment, in

ing carcasses of their meats on the wet, dirty, muddy floor. In many of these abattoirs, the vicinity is littered with heaps of waste materials.

In fact, in most cases, it is almost as if the abattoir is synonymous with waste. The abattoirs in Suleja, Niger State, and Dei-Dei on the outskirts of Abuja, are prime examples.

Meanwhile, after these animals are slaughtered, the fur is burnt off in the open, using firewood and tyres, each producing smoke continuously on daily basis. These tyres constitute the greater part of the fuel. Apart from the hazard it poses to the health of consumers, the practice also produces lots of smoke that pollute the area. The environmental implication of such practice is better imagined. In all, the abattoirs are generally operated under unhygienic conditions, due mainly to lack of certain basic amenities.

We therefore reinstate our position that the manner in which animal carcasses are handled during slaughter, loading and transportation from the abattoir to various points of sale must change. Indeed, almost as a matter of routine, majority of the butchers convey their meat on bicycles, motorbikes, motorised tricycles and sometimes on some rickety meat vans, under very unhygienic conditions. The beef is simply packed and transported without regard to safety measures. It may not be obvious but there are serious health consequences for the consumers of such exposed beef.

Although medical experts differ somewhat as to the exact causes of the cancer scourge in our country, there is some agreement that the habit of the people contributes greatly. Increased awareness campaigns, improvements in public health are all likely to lead to a decrease in the incidence of this killer disease. The general public as well as the critical stakeholders in the business should be adequately enlightened on how to handle beef. This should be the responsibility of the health and environment authorities at both the federal and state levels.

By so doing, we will be able to save our people from cheap deaths.

politics, and though regrettably most noted, in crime.

Nigeria and Nigerians always seek to be respected whenever they appear, and it is a genuine demand because of what we often bring to the table. However, Nigeria’s greatest undoing has been leadership.

Recently, someone made a very funny comment to me and said, “see, since Nigeria has been so blessed

by God not to suffer devastating natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, etc., like some great countries we know, He gave us our own natural disasters in the form of our leaders.� It left me reeling in laughter. “Dem no dey know finish� like the average Nigerian will say, was my reply to him. So in spite of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnappings, corruption, police brutality, great stories abound of Nigeria and Nigerians every day and everywhere that are never told. I come back to my earlier position; Nigeria is the greatest nation on earth, snigger all you want. What nation exists with so much contradiction but yet is still standing?

What people have been so often traumatised, yet so proud? What nation has been so plundered, yet still brimming with potential? It can be considered a paradox, difficult to comprehend. Still it blooms.

I choose to celebrate Nigeria. The labours of our heroes’ past shall never be in vain. So, no matter what the Americans say or what the world believes, I believe that Nigeria is the greatest nation on the planet. The ayes have it! Hahaha!!

Dodeye Arikpo, Abuja

GOVERNORS AND COVID-19 PALLIATIVES

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he effect of Coronavirus pandemic on Nigeria and Nigerians economically cannot be measured. Hence the federal government and international foundations, and well to do individuals in the society had deemed it imperative to provide citizens with palliatives in order to cushion the effects of the virus.

Despite receiving these palliatives, most of the governors have decided not to distribute them to their people who were nearly killed by hunger in recent times. However, three of the Nigerian governors from the Northeast: Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, Borno; Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, Bauchi and Muhammad Inuwa Yahya, Gombe, who have their people at heart, were able to live above board. Reports have it that they have distributed the palliatives long before now. These governors must be commended.

Surprisingly, on the other hand, the Kano’s Commissioner of Police, Habu Sani had revealed that between July 23 and September 8, the police in the state were able to recover diverted Benue State palliatives. The commissioner said 1,958 out of the 3,850 cartons of Dangote branded indomie noodles meant for Benue State palliative valued at N4,111,800 were recovered out of 3,850 cartons diverted and sold out. Other recovered palliatives also include 150 expired Coca Cola drinks worth N150,000.

Reports from Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Osun, Kwara, Plateau, Lagos, Adamawa, Cross River, Taraba, Kaduna among others indicated that hoodlums using the EndSARS protests broke and/or burnt down warehouses. Palliatives worth billions of naira were vandalized. In my state, Adamawa, the hoodlums also ransacked some government-owned schools, agencies and private companies. I condemn not only the hoodlums’ ungodly acts but the wickedness of the governors who intentionally refused to distribute the palliatives long before now in order to avert such occurrences. I am still wondering how on earth a governor will keep these palliatives in stores leaving his people in extreme hunger. Where are their conscience, empathy and sympathy? The saddest side of the story is that some of the looted consumable items have since expired.

Bilyaminu Gambo Kong-kol, Mass Communication Department, Bayero University, Kano

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

EndSARS Protest: NBA Accuses Police of Violating Rights of Suspects Ejiofor Alike

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has accused the police of violating the fundamental

human rights of citizens arrested on the suspicion that they took part in looting and arson during the recent EndSARS protests.

Ignore Attempts to Politicise Amnesty Office, Evah Tells Buhari Foremost Ijaw activist and Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Comrade Joseph Evah, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to discountenance calls by mischief makers to politicise the Presidential Amnesty Office.

Evah, a former National Publicity Secretary òf the Ijaw National Congress, stressed that any society that is keen on making progress would give priority attention to available first-class brains with superlative record of performance and competence to occupy sensitive offices in the interest of the society.

He stated that President Buhari retained the services of the Governor òf Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and backed Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina for the leadership òf the Africa Development Bank, and recently, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the position of the Director General òf the World Trade Organisation even though they served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, in appreciation of the pertinence òf engaging first class brains for national development irrespective of party affiliation.

He also called on the Interim Administrator of the PAP to take a cue from President Buhari by making it a policy to go for first class brains with proven capacity to do the job in the interest of the region and Nigeria.

The former Publicity Secretary òf the Ijaw National Congress said that those who call for the engagement of only APC members do not mean well for the region and the country.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for the appointment of Col Milland Dikio, (retd), as the Interim Administrator òf the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The prominent activist also thanked the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno, for recommending Col Dikio to the President for the sensitive Amnesty job.

Evah advised the President to ignore those he described as mischief makers and political jobbers who are desperately struggling to taint the image of the new Amnesty boss with unacceptable political sentiments inimical to peace in the region.

President of the association, Mr. Olumide Akpata, said in a statement last night that by detaining these suspects for more than 24 hours and not allowing them access to their families and lawyers were strong indications that the police hierarchy was paying lip service to police reforms.

“It beggars belief that this conduct by the Nigerian Police is coming on the heels of the #EndSARS protests, which were precipitated by the historical abuse of citizens by men and officers of the Nigerian Police especially those of the now defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and the aftermath of which is yet to fully die down.

“It is highly regrettable that the Police in particular continue to carry on business as usual despite being in the

eye of the storm in recent times and in disregard of the wide outpouring of condemnation by Nigerians at home and abroad as well as foreign nationals and international organisations about the misconduct of some of their officers. This gives the indication that the Police hierarchy has failed to get the message and/or is paying lip service to the calls for holistic Police reforms,” Akpata explained.

Akpata said he had received several calls and complaints from lawyers and Nigerians generally, about the recent public parade of hundreds of persons arrested and detained by the Nigerian Police on the suspicion of taking part in the looting and destruction of public buildings and private businesses and/or for contravening the curfew

declared by various state governors in the aftermath of the protests that unfortunately turned violent.

He reiterated that the NBA was completely opposed to any act of arson, vandalism, destruction of public or private assets, or other forms of force or violence.

He however, insisted that the legal rights of citizens who are arrested on account of such allegations must be respected, especially their right to the presumption of innocence.

“In many, if not most of these cases, these people, who it must be noted are first and foremost Nigerian citizens, have been held incommunicado for days without access to their families or legal practitioners of their choice and under inhumane

or deplorable conditions in brazen breach of the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which presumes all suspects and defendants innocent until proven guilty; prohibit the detention of citizens beyond 24-48 hours; forbid the subjection of Nigerian citizens to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; and mandates the Police and other law enforcement agencies to bring such persons to court within 24-48 hours”.

He called on the Nigerian Police and the Attorneys General of the various states to immediately charge the suspects before courts of competent jurisdiction in accordance with contemporary requirements of the law, or to release them unconditionally.

Unemployment: Okowa Calls for Resuscitation of Warri Port WORK-IN-PROGRESS… L-R: Traditional ruler of Awo-Omamma, Eze Christian Amukamara; Imo State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ralph Nwosu; Governor of Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has called on the federal government to quickly resuscitate the Warri Port, saying it is key to curbing unemployment in the state and the nation.

The governor made the call yesterday in Warri at a Town Hall meeting with Youths, including #ENDSARS protesters, civil society groups, students, social groups, community leaders and stakeholders across Delta South and Delta Central Senatorial Districts.

He said that with the congestion of the ports in Lagos, federal government should revive Warri Port and other seaports in Delta to boost the nation’s economy and create employment for the youths.

He stated that the rate of unemployment was very high, but could not be immediately reversed, stressing that checking unemployment was not just about employing people into public service as not more than five per cent of the population would benefit from it.

Okowa disclosed that to tackle the unemployment trend, his administration adopted skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes to empower them.

“We will try to improve our processes of helping our youths to acquire skills and provide

them with starter packs.

“The more active ports we have the better for the nation; our economy isn’t working the way it ought to work because Lagos is congested.

“The Warri channel needed to be dredged and the Federal Government has awarded phase one of the dredging but until phase two is awarded we will not be able to achieve any success story on that,” he said.

He thanked the youths for peacefully coordinating themselves and assured that his administration would address some of the issues raised, noting that town hall meetings were an opportunity to hear from the people directly and provide solutions to issues bordering them.

The governor said that the state government was building multi-billion naira Storm Water drainages in Warri to address the perennial flooding in the city.

“Water channel in Warri is built up, so we set up a committee of those who knew what Warri was in those days and I am glad that today we are now at the operationalisation stage of the report.

“The Warri Stadium will be rehabilitated after we have succesfully addressed the flooding challenges in the area.

Imo State, Senate Hope Uzodimma; Speaker, state House of Assembly, Hon. Chiji Collins; and state Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Doris Akubuo, during the cutting of tape to flag-off the construction of Awo-Omamma-Okwudor road…yesterday

FG Frustrating Negotiation, ASUU Alleges Ejiofor Alike The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the federal government of refusing to take necessary steps to resolve the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the lecturers.

Speaking yesterday on a live TV programme, the National President of Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, explained that the federal government is frustrating the negotiation between it and the union.

He cited the delay in adopting ASUU’s preferred platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), describing the delay as one of the major reasons why the strike has not been suspended.

“The strike is still on as a result of the FG not taking the necessary steps. We gave them two weeks to address our five points demands.

“We engaged the government but they were not forthcoming.

They had a whole year to address those issues. They gave us positions that were not acceptable to our members.

“During our first meeting, we thought they were almost resolving the issues.

“What compounded the problem is the issue of IPPIS. We have said that it is a distraction. There is no university in the world that IPPIS is being used.

“We have done three presentations of UTAS to the Minister of Education

and his team, the leadership of Senate and Office of the Accountant-General. They only agreed that UTAS is accepted in principles.

“We are almost getting UTAS approved but govt is saying that our members should first migrate to IPPIS before returning to UTAS. That makes no economic sense. The government has made it difficult for smooth negotiation. They said our members will be paid when they move to IPPIS.”

Osun Govt Returns Looted Items to Owners Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Osun State Government yesterday returned looted materials to the owners in the state who have identified their properties.

The 72-hour amnesty granted the looters to return the stolen items ended last Wednesday, and some of the looted materials have been returned.

Some of the owners have identified their properties at the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital, where the recovered

loots were deposited.

The Executive Secretary of Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS), Dr. Adeniyi Oginni, told journalists that he had identified 15 percent of the stolen properties of OHIS. He expressed sadness that many properties of the scheme were also vandalised during the attack last Saturday.

Oginni described the 72-hour amnesty as a very critical factor in the recovery of the stolen items.

“It was like a malicious attack

on the agency. Apart from the things that were carted away, many things were vandalised.

“About 15 percent have been recovered. Though, some of the electronics like televisions have been destroyed, there is a very critical aspect of our properties that have not been recovered.

Our server, all our computers (both desktops and laptops), have not be seen.

“We are appealing to the residents of the state to quickly notify the law enforcement agents

whenever they see anybody trying to sell electronic equipment.

Also, speaking on behalf of the Senator representing Osun Central, Dr. Ajibola Bashiru, one of his aides, Mr. Bisi Babalola, confirmed that some of the properties carted away in the senator’s house have been identified.

He said about 45 percent of the motorcycles, deep freezers and sewing machines looted have been identified among the returned loots.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Buhari Congratulates Afe Babalola at 91 President, Gbajabiamila eulogise Oba of Lagos at 77 Adedayo Akinwale and Adaora Orizu in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated a legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Afe Babalola, on

his 91st birthday.

This is coming as the President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila have also eulogised the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu as he marks his

Yoruba World Congress Gets Interim Governing Council Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Assembly of Yoruba Groups Worldwide yesterday announced new leadership for the Yoruba World Congress (YWC) following the exit of Prof. Banji Akintoye.

The Assembly, in a communique issued at the end of its second convergence held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday, said Akintoye ceased to be the leader of the Yoruba ethnic nationality with his recent exit from YWC for another group, Ilana Oduduwa.

The communique was signed

by Dr. Taye Ayorinde, Sheikh Abdulraheem Aduramigba, Victor Taiwo, George Akinola, Bishop George Adegbolagun and Prince Eric Oluwole.

Others are Papa Olalere Ayalu, Comrade Abereoran, Mr. Bayo Sangotikun, and Taiwo Otitolaye.

The Assembly in the six-point communique also announced that the YWC would now be known as Yoruba World

Congress International under 11-man Interim Governing Council members with Dr. Ayorinde, as Chairman.

Other members are Dr. Amos Akingba, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Dr. Tunde Amusat, Sheikh Abdul-Raheem Aduranigba, Prof. Oluwakayode Ogundoro, Otunba Deji Osibogun, Mrs. Dupe AjayiGbadebo, Laoye Sanda, Mr. Tajudeen Raimi (ProTem Diaspora Central Coordinator) and Victor Taiwo.

It added that several necessary committees would be constituted, stating that all the leaders of the various organisations would be carried along to form the General Assembly such that everybody would have a sense of belonging.

The communique read in part: “It has been proposed that the members of the General Assembly shall have to institute a body to make the constitution and structures available for the body.”

77 birthday.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement issued yesterday said, the President salutes the educationist for his high sense of patriotism, visionary leadership and penchant for always channelling his energy and resources into projects that directly impact the lives of Nigerians, and providing wise counsels to leaders in both the private and public sectors on best ways to move the country forward.

“President Buhari congratulates Aare Babalola for another year

added to his life, and more opportunities to give and show that sharing brings more joy than acquisition, while commending his antecedents in health, education and legal career, training more than 2,500 lawyers in the country, with 15 already recognized as Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

“As the renowned lawyer and philanthropist turns 91, President Buhari prays that the almighty God will bless him and his family, and grant him longer life to keep serving the nation and humanity,” the statement said.

According to a separate

statement by presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, the president has also called the Oba of Lagos on the telephone to rejoice with him on his 77th birthday.

He said the President also seized the opportunity to commiserate with the traditional ruler on the recent attack on his palace.

In a related development, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila has also eulogised the Oba of Lagos as he marks his 77 birthday.

The Speaker, in a statement issued by his special adviser on

media and publicity, Mr. Lanre Lasisi, said at 77, Akiolu remains a symbol of peace and unity not only in Lagos but in the entire country.

Gbajabiamila noted that since becoming the Oba of Lagos in 2003, Akiolu has become a blessing, a pillar and is a lover of his people.

He said, “Kabiyesi, today marks a commemorative day in your life as you clock 77. I join millions of our citizens to wish you a happy 77th birthday and God’s continuous guidance, blessing and wisdom.’’

IMPLEMENTING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION…

L-R: Head of Administration, Baywood Foundation (BF), Ms Juliet Ude; Country Director, Baywood Foundation, Mr. Ojielo Chukwudi; and Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Enugu State, Mr. Paschal Ugwu, during a press conference on 30% affirmative action for Nigerian youths in Enugu…yesterday

Abia Gives Looters Police Personnel in Oyo Decry Non-payment of Ultimatum to Return Ondo Election Allowances police officers in Oyo State election allowance affected the The officer said that some not the command that was Medical Equipment, Drugs Some deployed for the October 10 officers who were posted to colleagues deployed to Owo handling the payment but the Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia Abia State Government yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to hoodlums (looters) to return all medical equipment and consumables looted from the state health facilities in the commercial city of Aba during the #EndSARS protest.

The state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, who conveyed the ultimatum in a statement he issued in Umuahia, the state capital, said the government was dismayed at the destruction and looting of the affected health facilities in Aba. According to him, the Abia State Dental Centre in Aba, and Primary Health Authority Office

in Aba South Local Government Area were “destroyed by hoodlums who hijacked the otherwise peaceful #EndSARS protests with vaccines, X-ray machines, sterilizers, air conditioners, fans and other equipment as well as disposables and consumables carted away.

“We wish to appeal to those who looted the items to return them within seven days to the relevant offices or call the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Mr. Joe Chinwendu, on 0803 764 9306 with information on the location of the items.”

The commissioner reminded those in possession of the looted medical items that there is no hiding place for them and the items in their possession.

Looting, Arson Alien to Ekiti Culture, Elders Tell Youths Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State Council of Elders has condemned the act of looting and arson carried out by some hoodlums in the state during the #EndSARS protest, describing the ‘criminal’ acts as alien to the people’s culture.

The Council also appealed to the protesting youths under the banner of #EndSARS to sheathe their swords and allow the government to fashion out ways to meet their demands.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Council’s President, Prof Joseph Oluwasanmi, and made available to journalists

in Ado Ekiti yesterday.

Oluwasanmi said: “As elders, we are therefore appealing to our youths to sheath their swords and give room for dialogue because nothing worthwhile can be achieved in a state of chaos and near anarchy.

“It is very unfortunate that at a time that all hands should have been on deck in recuperating from the COVID-19 pandemic that grounded the country for the past months, we have to face the consequences of massive loss of lives and destruction of public and private properties which might set us back by decades.

Ondo State governorship election have decried non-payment of their allowances, 19 days after the poll.

Some of the officers spoke yesterday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity, in Ibadan.

One of the officers said the Police Headquarters, Abuja sent a signal that they would be paid before deployment, but failed to do so till now. ”The non-payment of the

Ese-Odo Local Government area of Ondo State,” the aggrieved officer said.

Another officer said that the personnel deployed for election duty in Ondo State used their personal money throughout the election with the expectations that the money would be refunded.

The officer called on the police authority to come to their aid and ensure that their election allowances were paid and not to give room for any foul play.

Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State. during the election had been paid.

“No single officer among the 300 people deployed to Ese-Odo LGA area of Ondo State have been paid.

“We are calling on the police authority to pay our allowances and let it not be promise and fail as usual,” the officers said However, the Police Public Relations Officers in Oyo State, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said it was

headquarters.

Fadeyi urged the officers to channel their grievances to the appropriate authority.

The PPRO said that none of the officers had complained to him and that he did not have any details about payment of their allowances.

The PPRO urged them to be patient, promising that they would be paid by the headquarters at the appropriate time.

Bauchi Govt Loses over N1.062bn to Ghost Workers, Pensioners

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has lamented the loss of N1.062 billion in the state through ghost workers and pensioners in the last four years.

The state government said the regrettable financial loss which occurred between June 2016 and January 2020 was the outcome of the fraudulent activities of civil servants in its employment.

This was, however, the findings of a memorandum of the committee on the issue to cleanse the state and local governments payrolls as well as the issue of ghost workers from June 2016 to January 2020 involving 259 ghost workers.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Umar Sanda Ahmed, who disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the Bauchi State Executive Council meeting held yesterday at the

Government House, explained that in the state payroll, a total of 193 people were involved in perpetrating the fraud with over N270 million lost in the fraud, while in the local government payroll, there were 66 people who have collected over N792 million using fictitious names.

According to him, “The total amount of fraud for both the state and local government payrolls is N1.062 billion. Those employees in

the pre-service scheme, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and other medical staff were bonded based on the amount they spent by the time they finished.

“Instead of them to come back and work because they are still in the employment of the state government, they ran away and took appointment elsewhere, yet they were still drawing monthly salaries and other allowances from the coffers of the state government.

Adamawa Govt Relaxes Curfew Daji Sani in Yola The Adamawa State Government has relaxed the current curfew imposed on the state from 8a.m. to 6p.m. starting from October 30, 2020.

The state Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, made the declaration in a state broadcast yesterday evening, noting that the state government shall review the timing of the curfew as the situation warrants.

He said checkpoints would be mounted at all the entry and exit points of the state.

According to the governor, “This, for the moment, is a measure taken to stop any attempt by thieves to escape with the looted items out of the state.

“Fellow citizens, you must bear with us as these measures are in our collective interests. They are noted to be the best way to prevent further attempts by recalcitrant hoodlums to railroad us into

anarchy.

“We have resolved to review the implementation strategy of the Executive Order which I signed yesterday.

“Part of this review is the fact that the house-to-house search will no longer necessarily be in the form initially envisaged.”

Finitri said so far, over 50 percent of the looted items have been recovered, and that more are being surrendered, and that there was still need for the house-to-house

search.

“We encourage landlords to talk to their tenants; neighbours to talk to one another, and parents to talk to their children in case there is any remnant of the loots in any of the households. Whistle blowers are doing their best in the recovery process, and I encourage them to do more.

“Finally, let me appeal for calm and assure our citizens that together, we shall overcome this misfortune,” he added.

T H I S D AY Ëž FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020

18

POLITICS

Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG Email: nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY

We Don’t Need Youths to Salvage Nigeria Writing from Langley Berkshire in the United Kingdom, Ignatius’Nat Muotoh argues that a good number of Nigeria’s leaders have been in power since they were younger

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y thanks to Prof Wale Soyinka and others who have asked the same question over and over. Do we need protests by our youths to deserve a better country? The answer to this question is a resounding No. We all know that most of our current leaders started leading us in their youths.

Let’s take a moment and check the respective ages of some of our current leaders, subtracting the last 20 years of our so called democracy from their current ages. The results are quite astonishing indeed.

Being a youth is not a prerequisite for good good governance as the following illustration show. t .S 3PUJNJ "NBFDIJ Rotimi Amarachi is 55 years old now. He has been a minister in the present Buhari led APC Government for the past five years. That means he became Minister at 48 years old. Prior to becoming a minister, he was the Governor of Rivers State for a whole eight years. Again, that means he became a Governor at the age of 40 years.

And again, before becoming a governor at the age of 40 years, he was the Speaker for the River State House of Assembly for eight long years. That means he was a Speaker and a leader at the young age of 33 years. You wouldn’t call him an elder.

Would you? Now, when you do the Maths for the majority of our political leaders today, they are the same side of of the same coin. Proving yet again that youth has brought us nothing. t .S #BCBUVOEF 'BTIPMB He is 57 years. Mr. Fashola was in Governor Tinubu’s cabinet for four years as the Chief of Staff, and later became the Governor of Lagos State for eight years.

He is currently, the Federal Minister for Works and Housing; a position he has held for the past five years. This brings it to a total of eighteen years in a leadership position. When you now deduct the 18 years that he’s been in both State and Federal Governments from his current age of fifty-seven (57) years, you’ll see that he was only years old and of course a youth when he got into the leadership position. t 4FOBUPS #PMB 5JOVCV Mr. Bola Tinubu, who is 68 years, was the Governor of Lagos State over 21 years ago.

Prior to that, he was a Senator for five years. When you deduct twenty-one years from his current age of 68 years, and deduct another five years he sat as a Senator in the Senate, it then means he was only 41 years when he took over leadership. That’s a hair breath from the age of a youth. t (PWFSOPS &[FOXP /ZFTPN 8JLF Mr. Wike is 53 years. He has been in government for the last 20 years. He was first appointed the Minister of State for Education on the 14th July 2011. He first started as the Chief of Staff to Governor Amechi. Following that, he was a Minister before becoming a governor.

This means he was just 33 years old when he became a leader. Again, he was a youth. t .S %JNFKJ #BOLPMF Mr. Dimeji Bankole was 37 years as Speaker in the House of Representatives.

A leadership position of course. t.S "INFE -BXBO This gentleman is 61 years, has been in the Federal Legislature since 1999. That was 21 years ago at the age of 40. Another youth in leadership. t %S 0MVCVLPMB 4BSBLJ

He is 57 years. He was elected as the Governor of Kwara State in 2003 and re-elected again in 2007. He served as the governor for eight years before becoming the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chair of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. Again, he was just 41 years of age at the helm of leadership. If he wasn’t a youth then, I don’t know who is the youth.

These few individuals mentioned above were in my definition youths, and have been in leadership position at one time, and yet did absolutely nothing positive

for the youths of today. The youths have always been in leadership positions; and so many have been in that positions until they become old. They are the youths that have continually, impoverished the youths and the people of this nation as a whole.

They have proved beyond all reasonable doubts, that the problem of Nigeria is not the absence of youths in governance, but as as a result of other factors such as; Corruption, the absence of the Rule of Law, Acts of impunity, and others too many to enumerate.

As I had mentioned earlier on, being

EndSARS Provides Opportunity for National Reconciliation Noah Dallaji, Founder, African Children Talent Discovery Foundation condemns the massive destruction and looting of both private and public properties that followed the #EndSARS protests across the country

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he challenge of nation building as falouts of the recent protests across the country has necesditated a holistic healing and national reconciliation.

This is the position of call a nongovernmental organisation, the African Children Talent Discovery Foundation (ACTDF) amidst apoeals to the youths to give peace a chance as basis for addresding their comcerns.

Founder of the oorganisation, Engr.

Noah Dallaji noted the deaths and masdive looting and destruction which followed the #EndSARS protest and implication for developmrnt which he described as regrettable.

The statement read in parts:�Folllowing the regrettable deaths, massive destruction and looting of both private and public properties as fallouts of the #EndSARS protest across the country, we are persuaded to make this statement as a public spirited organization to call for an end to further destructive actions by the youths. “We urgently want them to embrace peace towards a true healing of the wounds and national reconciliation. “As a non-governmental organization (NGO), the African Children Talent Discovery Foundation is very much concerned about the spate and extent of

the recent destructions with threats to national peace, cohesion and stability. “We speak as genuine patriots with track record of service to humanity to urgently intervene as independent body routing for national reconciliation because we can no longer afford further negative actions threatening disintegration, chaos and breakdown of law and order in the country�.

Dallaji said the ACTDF would also be undergoing fact-finding in the affected areas as part of its efforts towards the healing process. He disclosed that his organisation’s actibities were humanitarian but with collaboration with Niigerian NGOs in the Diadpora.

He further stated:�However, the situation as we can see transcends the call for cessation of horrendous looting, maiming and burning of national assets. We need to do more. For the sake of our dear nation and collective wellbeing and to avoid further damage to lives and property, we, as an independent NGO, would be embarking on physical visitation to the various affected places to interact with our fellow citizens who are adversely affected by the crisis. We need to be better informed beyond the reported cases.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

a youth is not a prerequisite for good governance. However, the Rule Of Law in particular is a necessary condition for good governance.

The question now is how do we entrench and uphold the Rule of Law, and at the same time, increase our efforts in fighting corruption. Those are the moral minimum requirements necessary in achieving good governance and a better Nigeria for all.

The answer I believe, lies in the collective efforts by all and the youths in particular.

With such in mind, the #EndSARS protesters must include in their demands, the total Rstrestructuring and the Reorganisation of the Nigeria Police Force, starting with but not limiting it to; A total and complete ban on the use of LIlife bullets by the Police in all civil and armless protests.; A total ban on the deployment of the army against civilian protests; A complete ban on the deployment of the police to protect individuals except for the following; the President, the Vice President, the State Governors and Deputy Governors, the Federal High Court Judges and others whose official functions may demand some sort of protection from the people.

Currently the police though established to “Protect and Serve� is not serving the people who it was established in the first instance to serve. For now, the police is not serving the poor.

5IF $VSSFOU 5SFOE JO 1PMJDJOH What we see today is what I call ‘A Cash And Carry Police Force’ where for a payment of cash to the DPO or other superior officers, an individual can be assigned a police officer to provide security service and other ancillary services for an individual. Amounts vary from say N20,000 to N50,000 for two or 3 police officers. There may be an additional daily payment of say N2,000-N5,000 for the personal welfare of the officers assigned to provide security for the individual. Note that the hirer can retain the services of the police officer for as long as he or she requires.

All at the expense of the people who the police is meant to serve and protect in the first place.

It is a common practice as we speak for rich individuals to hire the services of the police from the DPO or other superior officers for personal needs or for various ceremonies such as: Weddings, marriages, engagements, burials, business premises Escorts and other pleasures etc.

Such is the current situation of the Nigeria Police Force. Therefore, I suggest that the youths must include in their demand, the seizure of this practice in their demands for the total restructure of the police amongst other demands. The use of the police services by individuals and the political class especially, is the ‘oxygen required in keeping the flame of corruption’ and by extension the bloodline that feeds bad governance.

These absurdities and anomaly can easily be fixed by taking certain necessary measures in the restructuring of the police force.

As an example; a public servant or political office holder who has no police assigned to him for his personal protection, will have a second thought before shortchanging those that elected him. He will be conscious of the fact that the people who elected him into office, demand and expect accountability of his stewardship.

It is a fact that a public officer, who has served the people who elected him diligently and honestly is never scared of his safety, and earns the trust and respect of the people.

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020

19

PERSPECTIVE

Interrogating Ahmad Lawan’s Culture of Intervention Why I Voted for America Legislative Mon-Charles Egbo, Print Media Aide to Senate

Chido Nwangwu, Founder, USAfricaonline.com, proudly identifies himself as a Nigerian-American President, Dr Ahmad Lawan highlights several and explains his commitment to the United States intervention credited to Lawan, which would have made a difference and perhaps prevent the of America and the Democratic Party horrendous outcome of the EndSARS campaigns

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his Tuesday, November 3, 2020, a substantial number of eligible Americans will go to the polls to vote for the presidential, congressional and local elections. The majesty of the American electoral system is that this has gone on every four years — since 1789, at the time of the founding of this country, the greatest country known to human civilization.

This tradition has been sustained no matter the weather conditions, no matter the state of the economy and no matter the political contentions of the day! It is not left to the whim, convenience or capris of any American leader or the most competent president to pick and choose what day he prefers.

No. There are no exceptions not even for the self-styled “stable genius”, and irreverent divider-in-chief Donald J Trump,, the 45th President of the United States.

I am among the 56 million who voted early, almost two weeks ago. I did. Yes, with a sense of civic responsibility and faith in the future and promise of a better day for the United States, I voted for America!

Part of the beauty of America is that it is a nation of laws. In some of the developing countries of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic would’ve been a good excuse for any of popular or unpopular ruler to postpone national elections in order to entrench himself or herself. Thankfully, after all the partisan fulmination and divisive, diversionary tactics, the schedule and consistent majesty of the ballot box in America continued.

The 2020 presidential elections and congressional competition are important. They are important because what happens in Washington DC generally affects most of the world.

For me and for millions of other recent immigrants, it is a choice of realistic, productive and equitable engagement with the President who will offer opportunities to all without regard to race, religion and preexisting conditions. In fact, one of the greatest Presidents of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), underscored it with these timeless words: “Americanism is a question of principle, of purpose, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace or creed or line of descent.”

I voted for America because of the words that were spoken on Wednesday June 3, 2020, regarding the insensitive, divisive and unworthy handling of the brutal, installment murder of

another non-confrontational Black man, George Floyd : “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try.

Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society.

This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

James Norman Mattis, a distinguished embodiment of America’s highest dedication to its armed forces, said those words. He put in 44 years in the Marine Corps and retired as a USMC General. The man whose combination of sheer, unflappable courage and intelligence earned him the triple nicknames of “The Warrior”, “Mad Dog” and “Monk”, came from retirement to serve as the 26th US Secretary of Defense from January 2017 to January 2019.

An overwhelming majority of the members of the African Diaspora community especially across the United States of America, share the same concerns and hopes for a competitive access to opportunities as opposed to handouts. I know because since 1993, I have been to all the major cities in the United States and have spoken to many community organizations. I interviewed hundreds of African professionals — in the execution of my work at the USAfrica multimedia networks and public policy organization.

Their message and practical agenda are consistent, progressive and predominantly similar; some people will say fundamentally the same.

I count among the binary demographics of recent immigrants known as Nigerian Americans. It is the same set of immigrants famously ranked at the top by the research on Academic qualifications by the respected Rice University, located in Houston, Texas.

I voted for America! the world’s most diverse, most creative and competitive market. Regardless of your adversity, ethnicity, race, religion, gender or orientation, it offers immigrants endless opportunities; almost.

Yes; almost. Almost, because the existential realties of America’s “original sin” of slavery in the 17th century are seen, oppressively, in police brutality, financial red-lining and assorted but subtle institutionalization of racism.

Almost, because the coarse apostles of the swine gospel of White supremacy and the inheritors of the fruits of the inhumane labor and brutal exploitation and bloody sacrifices made by the enslaved Africans in America, are still demanding all the advantages taken by their slave-owning families.

Beyond all of its material successes, America’s real strength rests on the prudent balance of the constitutional assignment of roles and the moral clarity to execute your obligations with a certain sense of fairness and decency.

All, elements of character.

I voted for America. I voted for Joe Biden. God bless America.

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marting from an agonizing era of health system and socio-economic decline that threatened humanity and occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria was confronted with yet another war-like situation that shook the nation to its foundations. What started as a peaceful protest demanding the disbandment of a unit of the police, called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, over brutality and sundry impunities, suddenly metamorphosed to an uncontrollable scenario where lives were lost, businesses attacked with also properties and infrastructures vandalized and burnt randomly.

Although, government was swift to disband the outfit and replaced it with what is known as the Special Weapons and Tactics team, SWAT, it did not in any way assuage the feelings and dispositions of the protesters. It rather assumed a horrific dimension of massive expression of accumulated anger and frustration, resulting in those unpalatable outcomes such that people were left wondering whether the demonstration was truly about SARS. Across the country and in a geometric proportion, there were palpable fears and heightened anxieties in the land which grew by day. And sadly, it got worsened by the silence of the federal government. There were loud and persistent clamours, both from within and outside the country, for President Muhammadu Buhari to speak up at least to the youth on the streets. This sign-posted yet another systemic failure, reflecting a sense of disconnect between the government and the governed, especially the youth in this instance. The ship of the Nigerian state was literally sinking as genocide was at sight.

But to Ahmad Lawan, that was yet another call to duty. The President of the 9th senate at every contact point leaves an impression that indeed, legislature is the conscience of the nation. This has he variously and repeatedly demonstrated both in words and deeds. Another defining attribute of Lawan’s leadership of the legislature is his commitment to collaboration with the other arms of government, particularly the executive. Though a section of the elite view it otherwise, given his deep sense of history, requisite experience in legislative practice and excellence as well as vast knowledge in policy and governance, Lawan advocates that it is only by productive partnership and cooperation amongst the branches of government that the masses can have a fair deal in governance which translates to national development.

Driven by sense of responsiveness and empathy Lawan has distinguished himself as a true voice of the masses relative to good governance through regular legislative interventions. Verifiably, he has always stood to be counted on the side of the people whenever it becomes necessary.

At the peak of the #EndSARS protest, Lawan, in the company of the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, took the case to President Buhari’s bosom. Shortly after their closed door meeting, there was a presidential broadcast. Lawan did not stop there. He openly assured “our youths that the NASS will collaborate with the Executives to ensure justice for victims of misconduct and rights abuses by personnel of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police. In the same

vein, to discourage impunity, we will insist that the perpetrators of the alleged abuses be prosecuted and sanctioned as appropriate”. He however regretted that “in the unfortunate hijack of the protests, hoodlums unleashed horrifying violence, arson, looting and wanton destruction of public and private property in the country”.

It would be recalled that at a time national insecurity was getting precarious, Ahmad Lawan lamented to the executive that “the security situation in our country requires serious attention and due consideration by the senate and indeed the national assembly. Recently the security in the country had deteriorated and the attendant loss of lives is not acceptable. We need to secure the lives and property of our citizens, as enshrined in our constitution. We all are witnesses to how our economy is also affected by the inclement security situation. Therefore, we need to speedily seek for solutions to fix the security problem bedeviling our dear country. There is urgent need for paradigm shift and reform of the architecture and structure of our security systems”.

Similarly when the outbreak of the Coronavirus elicited adverse actions from the government, Ahmad Lawan was on his toes to ensure the best for the masses.

Aside other numerous interventions, including meeting President Bihari on the urgent need to talk to Nigerians; he warned the government against locking down the country without adequate provision for palliatives for the people.

According to him, “if we have to eventually shut down our country, then as a government we must be prepared to have some relief for the most ordinary people.

As a government, we must find our own money to fund something for our people, because the United States of America that is talked about or the British Parliament is because this involves public funds. I’m not seeing anything at the moment targeted at providing some relief. If we lock up Nigeria today, then we will wake-up trouble, because the majority of our citizens go to the market every day before they can get something to eat. So, you lock them up in their houses with a threat of disease and without food. We need to have something, a plan of some sorts, in addition to making sure we don’t lock up the farmers market for example, where people can easily go and buy something, and of course pharmacies. We need to have some kind of supplies to people”.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Medicago to Supply 76m Doses of its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate to Canada Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, has announced that it reached an agreement with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to supply up to 76 million doses of its vaccine candidate for COVID-19, subject to Health Canada approval.

The biopharmaceutical company has reached an agreement with two departments of the Canadian government to accelerate its COVID-19 vaccine candidate efforts.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), another department of the Canadian federal government, will contribute C$173 million (or approximately $131 million) to Medicago to support its ongoing vaccine development and clinical trials, and for the construction of its Quebec City manufacturing facility.

Since 2008, Philip Morris Investments B.V. (PMIBV), a subsidiary of Philip Morris International (PMI) has been a shareholder of Medicago, in which it currently holds an approximately one-third equity stake.

It has also supported Medicago’s innovative plant-derived research and development focused on vaccines.

The investment is consistent with PMI’s own efforts to leverage science and innovation.

Japan-based Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) is the majority shareholder and PMIBV’s partner in Medicago.

Among other things, PMIBV and MTPC will contribute additional funding to support Medicago’s efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The Canada-headquartered biopharmaceutical company is using a virus-like particle (VLP) grown in Nicotiana Benthamiana, a close relative of the tobacco plant, to develop its coronavirus vaccine candidate.

PMI’s Chief Executive Officer, André Calantzopoulos said: “We welcome the collaboration announced between two departments of the Canadian government and Medicago to accelerate its efforts against COVID-19.

“Better outcomes can be achieved when governments and companies join efforts to promote shared objectives for the greater good. We are pleased to be able to support Medicago’s work to develop, substantiate, manufacture, and make available a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. We all hope they will be successful.”

Rather than working with animal products or live viruses, Medicago is disrupting the

traditional approach to vaccines and therapeutics by using VLPs to develop protein-based vaccines.

These products mimic viruses, enabling the body’s immune system to recognise them and create an immune response.

But they don’t have the core genetic material of a virus, meaning they’re not infectious and can’t replicate.

Medicago’s technology requires only the genetic sequence of a viral strain, not the live virus itself—so

a candidate vaccine can be produced soon after identifying the gene, allowing a quicker path to scaling up to combat a pandemic such as COVID-19.

Traditional vaccine development in chicken eggs, on the other hand, typically takes six to nine months. This is an expensive, time-consuming process—and one that is far from perfect. Mutations can result in vaccines that fail to shut down the virus.

Although the plant-based approach is relatively new, it

has advanced rapidly in the past decade.

The process is undertaken by inserting a genetic sequence into agrobacterium (a soil-based bacterium) which is drawn up by plants—in Medicago’s case, a close relative of a tobacco plant.

The plant begins to produce the protein that can then be used as a vaccine.

If the virus mutates, as scientists expect will be the case for COVID-19, they can update the production using new plants.

The Quebec City company has been “doing things differently since 1999,” according to its website, adding that “With 20 years of experience and wisdom behind us, we are ready to disrupt the traditional approach to vaccines and therapeutics.”

Medicago began Phase 1 testing on volunteers in July and is anticipating that Phase 2 trials will begin in early November 2020. If Phase 2 trials are successful, Phase 3 trials are expected to begin in December 2020.

NCC Generates N344.71bn Revenue in Five Years Emma Okonji The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said the commission generated and remitted N344.71 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federal government in the last five years, to drive government’s projects across the country.

Danbatta gave the information to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Telecommunications, while briefing the committee members, led by their Chairman, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi, during a legislative oversight function on the commission in Abuja

on Wednesday.

He also attributed the successes of the commission in the last five years to the harmonious relationship between it and the National Assembly.

According to Danbatta, such relationship, the diligent oversight by the lawmakers and the necessary legislative support, have brought forth a lot of dividend for the industry.

“Through the support of the lawmakers, especially the House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications, which the NCC leadership has worked with in the last five years, the commission has been able to generate and remit N344.71 billion to federal government

Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) from spectrum fees and operating surplus,” Danbatta said.

He stated that telecoms sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 8.5 per cent in 2015 to 14.30 per cent as of the second quarter of 2020, adding that in financial value, the 14.30 per cent translates to N2.272 trillion in Q2.

He also said that telecoms investment grew from around $38 billion in 2015 to over $70 billion currently.

Danbatta further said the NCC would continue to promote financial inclusion by encouraging the Mobile Network

Operators (MNOs) to actively participate in providing financial services towards actualising the federal government’s 80 per cent financial inclusion target by 2020.

According to him, through the collaboration of critical stakeholders at the National Assembly, the NCC was able to increase broadband penetration from six per cent in 2015 to 45.43 per cent as of September, 2020 while basic active internet subscription grew from 90 million to 143.7 million.

“Between 2015 and September, 2020, active voice subscription has increased from 151 million to 205.25 million with a teledensity standing at 107.53 per cent as at end of September, 2020.”

21

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 30, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

O C T O B E R

REPO 9% 9.75 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

8% 9% 12 %

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

2 3 , 2 0 2 0

793.85 % 1.57 % 18.06 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE 18.06 % YEAR TO DATE 53.76 %

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes FAAN Disrupts Airlines’ Operations

PROMOTING FINANCIAL LITERACY

L-R: Director, Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange (LCFE), Mr. Sam Onukwe; Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Akin AkeredoluAle; President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe; Second Vice President, CIS, Mr. Oluropo Dada, and Company Secretary, LCFE, Mrs. Fatima Lawal, during the ringing of financial literacy bell by LCFE in Lagos...recently

Labour Decries Imposition of State-owned Airports on FAAN Chinedu Eze Members of the organised labour have expressed dissatisfaction with the handing over of state-owned airports to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) without additional budgetary allocation by the federal government.

The President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ben Nnabue said FAAN workers were peeved that no additional money was given to FAAN but the federal government.

“That is exactly what we are saying. In the budget of FAAN we didn’t make any provision for acquiring more airports but the Ministry of Aviation imposes airports on us without additional budget allocation. It means that they want to kill

AVIATION FAAN. They said FAAN does not have the capacity to manage airports; yet you are adding more airports for the agency to manage. This is a paradox,” NUATE President said.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika confirmed recently that the federal government had taken over the airports in Kebbi, Osubi, Dutse and handed them over to FAAN, saying discussion was ongoing between the federal government and the state government for the handing over of the Gombe airport to FAAN. Industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, told THISDAY that the states that handed over the airports to FAAN saw it

as national patrimony, so that FAAN would be bringing money to run the airports. He noted that by handing the facilities to FAAN, their expectation would be that money would be flowing in from the centre to run the airports.

“The burden on FAAN is heavy and the states that build the airports don’t contribute anything. Up till now no palliatives have been given to FAAN or any of the agencies, but I don’t see how states should build airports and hand them over to FAAN. “They know that they are white elephant projects and they have made money from the airports but now they don’t want to fund their maintenance but hand them over to FAAN,” Aligbe said.

Some FAAN workers decried

the fact that all the airports handed over to FAAN do not generate revenues that can sustain their maintenance and payment of salary of personnel; so it means that the same budget FAAN uses to maintain other airports it would use to maintain the additional ones.

Aligbe suggested that FAAN should become more innovative and think out of the box in order to find ways to make the airports profitable and viable.

“FAAN should think ahead to find innovative ways to make each airport viable. FAAN should draw a strategy and evolve a model for each airport to make them generate revenue beyond aeronautical sources and states should give out part of the ownership of the airports Continued on page 22

Export: FG Harps on Adoption of NXP

by Shipping Firms, Operators Eromosele Abiodun In a bid to ensure speedy attention to export cargo and smoothen export transaction, the federal government has admonished port terminal operators and shipping companies to adopt the Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) number.

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, stated this when he visited some port terminals in Lagos and a shipping company.

The terminals visited are: APM Terminal (APMT), the Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT) and Maersk Nigeria, a leading shipping company.

Bello said the federal government would always encourage investors in the maritime industry with incen-

MARITIME tives and called on shipping companies to take advantage of the 90-day transaction period offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enhance their operations.

Bello said he appreciated the terminal operators for the removal of demurrage charges on cargoes last week covering the period of the #EndSARS protest.

“We are visiting to see the challenges confronting terminal operators after the disruption of operation during the protest. We also want to ensure that there are no spillovers that will affect the nation’s economy, as it will have adverse consequences.

Shippers were not able to remove their cargoes so there is need to think about it and

come up with incentives so that they can do so,” he said.

The nation’s port economic regulator added: “To also aid transactions at the port, government is investing in infrastructure to tackle problems of transportation, institute an electronic call-up system and by March, 2021, link the terminals by rail.”

He noted that the NSC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are working to ensure tax incentives and for terminal operators to have 98 per cent independent power supply.

He urged the management of the Tincan Island Container Terminal to come up with solutions to ensure the decongestion of people operating at the port by ensuring that operations are done digitally.

The Customer Experience Manager, Maersk Nigeria, Mr. Yemi Adenaike, while responding to Bello lamented their inability to validate the NXP numbers, urging the executive secretary to find a temporary solution until the portal is up and doing.

Specifically, he said: “We anticipated the rush due to the disruption of last week and we have extended the dues of customers till the end of the month. Due to our inability to validate the NXP number, we have stopped loading exports and this is not good as it will impact negativity on the terminal, road and others and so we seek your help.”

On his part, the Operations Manager, TICT, Mr. Greg Sipe, disclosed that TICT has sent notices on its removal of rent Continued on page 22

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) recently disrupted the operations of airlines indebted to the agency by delaying the operations of two airlines at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. FAAN officials closed the counters of the two airlines during check in and it was afterprolongedpleadingbythedomesticcarriersthattheagencyallowed them to airlift their passengers for the flight.

SpokesmanforFAAN,Mrs.HenriettaYakubuwhoconfirmedthedevelopment said,theagencywasonarevenuedriveattheAbujaairport.AFAANofficial said the agency had to recover its debts in order to sustain its operations, payitsworkersinordertocontinuetoprovideservicestoairlinesandother airport users.

THISDAYlearnt that the agency intends to extend the disruption to other airports until it is able to recover the debts owed it by the operators.

AnindustryobservertoldTHISDAYthattheairlinesshouldhaveenvisaged thattheagencymustseekfortheirrevenueandshouldhavemadeprovision for that in their financials but also noted that FAAN and the airlines should havenegotiatedforthepaymentpartofthedebts,knowingthatithasnot beeneasyfortheairlinesandtheairportmanagersduetoeconomicdownturn occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown and the aftermath.

WMO, IATA Strengthen Partnership

TheInternationalAirTransportAssociation(IATA)andtheWorldMeteorological Organisationhavesignedanagreementtoincreaseandimprovetheautomated reporting of meteorological data by commercial aircraft.

Thenewinitiative,calledtheWMOandIATACollaborativeAMDARProgramme (WICAP), aims to expand the existingWMO Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) system to ensure coverage over data-sparse areas. It is expectedtobringmanyadditionalandnewpartnerairlinesintotheprogram, whichisalreadysupportedbyapproximately40airlinesandcoversseveral thousand passenger and cargo aircraft.

“OneofthemanyunfortunateaspectsoftheCOVID-19crisishasbeenthe severeloss–ofupto90percent-ofaircraft-derivedmeteoroidalasaresult ofthesteepdeclineinairlineoperationsandpassengerflightssinceMarch 2020,” saidWMO Secretary-General Professor PetteriTaalas.

“Meteorologicalservicesandotherdataprovidershavetriedtooffsetthis loss, but there has been a measurable negative impact on the accuracy of weather forecasts as a result of AMDAR data reductions,” said Professor Taalas.

“Safety is aviation’s highest priority and ensuring airlines and other safety stakeholdershaveaccesstothemostcomprehensiveandreliableweather forecastdataisvitaltoachievingthis,”saidIATA’sDirectorGeneralandCEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

“Itisimportantthatinrebuildingandre-establishingtheiroperations,airlines areabletotakeadvantageofallavailablecostandoperationalefficiencies.

Onesuchefficiencycanbederivedfromtheenhanceduseofbetter-quality weatherforecastsandothermeteorologicalinformationthatresultsfrom the improved availability of AMDAR data,” said de Juniac.

Emirates SkyCargo Sets Up Cargo Hub

EmiratesSkyCargosaiditissteppingupitsreadinesstohandlethelogistical complexitiesofdistributingapotentialCOVID-19vaccinegloballybycreating theworld’sfirstdedicatedairsidecargohubforthevaccineinDubai.Theair cargocarrieristakingagloballeadershippositionbyannouncingthatitwill bere-openingitsEmiratesSkyCentralDWCcargoterminalinDubaiSouth to serve as a dedicated anchor hub for cold chain storage and distribution of the vaccine.

ThefreightdivisionofEmirateshasalsosetupadedicatedrapidresponse team to coordinate requests from the various partners involved in the internationalvaccinedistributionecosystemandtostreamlinethecarrier’s response to vaccine transportation requests.

SheikhAhmedbinSaeedAlMaktoum,EmiratesChairmanandChiefExecutive said, “Dubai is well positioned to serve as a gateway and distribution hub for COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world.We have the infrastructure and logistics connections, and a geographic location that puts markets representing more than two-thirds of the world’s population within an 8-hour flying radius.

“Over the years, through our continuous investment in capabilities and processes for the transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, EmiratesSkyCargohasmanagedtopositionDubaiamongstmajorglobal pharmaceutical customers as the year-round preferred point of transit for their valuable cargo.

“Setting up a dedicated airside hub for COVID-19 vaccines is a keystone project harnessing our network, reach and competencies to positively impact the lives of people around the world.”

“From the roadmap we developed when we came in, we have seen aviation grow in 2018 to become the second-fastestgrowing sector of the economy” Minister of Aviation,

Senator Hadi Sirika

22

T H I S D AY Ëž OCTOBER 30, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD LABOUR DECRIES IMPOSITION OF STATEOWNED AIRPORTS ON FAAN to investors to use part of the facilities for other businesses in order to make them viable,�

Aligbe said.

But the Managing Director of Overland Airways, Captain Edward Boyo, said FAAN must not run all the airports. “Why does the federal government continue to hold airports in Schedule 1?

Government should only be interested in having FAAN run the airports of entry and profitably too. What is too much in an airport for a management company to run? What is too much in an airport for even a state to run? Every state should be encouraged to establish an airport of not more than 2000 meters runway length excluding clearway length. “Where are all the prematurely retired FAAN staff? Are they unable to utilise their experience at state airport companies? FAAN is suffering the yoke of the weight of its greed. The rules and standards to run airports are clearly spelt by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) annexes. Airports are licensed and subject to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and state security regulations. “Airports are meant to be state infrastructure like schools and hospitals. They do not need to make profit but are to complement social growth. But as usual, Nigeria case is different. Airport wants to compete with banks to declare territory and profit.

To summarise, we are just too blinded by greed and continue to sponsor obsolete laws that regard our society,� Boyo said.

EXPORT: FG HARPS ON ADOPTION OF NXP

BY SHIPPING FIRMS, OPERATORS on cargoes for the said period.

He noted that they are having issues with customers as they do not want to patronise their online services, adding that the issue of taking people’s cargoes to bonded terminals has been addressed.

This is however despite protests by clearing agents who accused the company of instigating over time cargo and transferring their consignment to bonded terminals without their consent.

Terminal Operators Condemn Burning of NPA Building by Hoodlums Stories by Eromosele Abiodun The Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Vicky Haastrup, has condemned the looting and burning of the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Haastrup also conveyed the sympathy of all STOAN members to the board, management and staff of the Authority over the incident.

The NPA building, which is located on Marina Street, Lagos, was last week torched by suspected hoodlums, following the shooting of unarmed protesters at the Lekki tollgate.

The hoodlums also set many official and private vehicles parked within the vast NPA premises on fire.

Speaking on the unfortunate incidence, Haastrup said: “Setting a national asset like the NPA headquarters building, which belongs to all Nigerians, on fire is an ignoble action. We urge the government to bring the perpetrators of this evil act to justice. These are trying times for the country and it is the responsibility of all Nigerians to protect, not destroy, critical national infrastructure.�

The STOAN chairman said while it was within the rights of the youth and other Nigerians to express their grievances through protests, such expressions must be done in a non-violent manner and must also be carried out within the ambits of the law.

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

She added, “It is rather unfortunate that hoodlums hijacked the otherwise peaceful #ENDSARS protest that received global commendation for its campaign against police brutality in the country. Those who destroyed the NPA building, public assets and private businesses, cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be termed #ENDSARS protesters. They are criminal elements who decided to hide under the guise of an otherwise noble cause, to steal and destroy public property. “This must not be condoned

by any means and we do hope that the relevant security arms of government will secure what is left of the NPA building and other national assets across the country so as to prevent another round of destruction. We also do hope that an investigation will be promptly launched into the incident to unravel the perpetrators.�

Haastrup also asked government to beef up security at all the seaports in various parts of the country, while protecting port workers against attacks. “The seaports are critical to

the economic well-being of Nigeria and Nigerians. Port workers are also essential service workers, so I wish to use this opportunity to urge governments at all levels to ensure that hoodlums are not allowed to gain access into the ports or launch attacks on pork workers. “The country cannot afford prolonged interruption of port operations though we have seen severe interruptions of services at the Apapa, Tin Can and Onne Ports over the past few days. “Trucks have been unable

to go in and out of the port and many perishable items are rotting away. “We therefore urge government to make it possible for port workers to return to work immediately so as to minimise the impact of prolonged closures,� Haastrup said.

She also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, and prayed God to comfort the families of those whose lives were lost in various parts of the country.

In a related development, the leadership of Maritime

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello; Executive Director, SIFAX O Dock, Ibraheem Olugbade; Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, John Jenkins and Executive Governor, Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, during an assessment tour of Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group at the Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos‌recently

FG Pledges Support for SIFAX’s New Container Terminal The federal government has promised to support the vision and investment drive by SIFAX Group applauding it for the newly opened container terminal in Lagos.

Speaking during the assessment visit of the Ministry of Transportation’s Ministerial Implementation Committee to the new terminal in Lagos, the leader of the delegation and Director, Maritime Services, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Auwalu Suleiman, expressed the committee’s satisfaction

with the facilities provided and lauded the company for the huge vision it has set for the inland container depot.

According to him, “We are here at the instance of the Minister of Transportation to inspect the terminal and make sure that it conforms to all the relevant requirements stipulated by law in setting up an inland container terminal. So far, we are impressed with the standards you have set in terms of space, equipment, facilities, your vision and future plan.

“It is also our intention to recommend to the government that this terminal should be adopted as a model for all future off docks that would be sited in Nigeria. We have compiled all your needs and complaints and they will be forwarded to all the relevant authorities for proper and immediate action.�

Earlier in his welcome address, Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, informed the government officials that the terminal’s concept and design

are in line with existing SIFAX Group business plan of continuous expansion, proffering solutions, growing improvements in the maritime sector and the logistics value chain, meeting customers’ expectations and complying with government’s regulations.

Afolabi, who was represented by the Executive Director, SIFAX Off Dock, Capt. Ibraheem Olugbade, also appealed for government’s support in achieving the vision of the terminal, especially the dredging of the

waterways so barges could access the terminal. “SIFAX Container Terminal located at Ijora, Lagos was established to address the challenge of traffic congestion around the Lagos ports. Its vantage position, which is on the fringes of the port environment, will allow it to receive consignments from both Apapa and Tin Can Island ports through barges, without the complications of traffic congestion that has adversely affected businesses and port activities, “he said.

SMEDAN, Zamfara Promote Arts, Crafts Nume Ekeghe

Group Business Editor

NEWS

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has collaborated with the Zamfara State Government to host youths, women and those with disabilities in a talent hunt programme on fashion, arts and craft skills.

The Director General of

SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, in a statement made available to THISDAY stated that the agency would be collaborating with the Zamfara State, Zakat and Endowment Board to organise this year’s talent hunt competition which is expected to generate employment among the youth of Zamfara state.

Radda stated: “It is a complete handholding project from

identification, selection, to start-up with enterprise support opportunity and linkage to innovation hubs, facilitating necessary linkages and visibility.�

The Talent Hunt Programme for young Nigerians in Fashion, Arts & Craft was designed as a veritable platform to identify and showcase innovative talents that will create social and economic impact. This will bring about

employment generation and poverty reduction.

In the SMEDAN Talent Hunt, brilliant and innovative ideas in fashion, arts and craft will be shortlisted by seasoned panel of judges during the pitching/ demonstration event in Gusau Zamfara state.

The 150 participants would be reduced to 90 through a combination of judges’ decision.

The selected 90 participants would be treated to Business Development Services (BDS) support and visibility.

The programme is scheduled to hold in two locations namely UBEC Head Quarters in Gusau, Zamfara state in North-West Geo-political zone, between the 26th - 30th October, 2020 and a yet to named state from the south east geopolitical zone.

ago, I graduated from a Federal University as the best graduating student in my department and one of the two best graduating students in my faculty. What a feat! However, few weeks after my graduation, I had my first interview and it was a disaster! I could not connect what was being said to what I learnt in school.�

“Hence, I realised there was a huge gap between what I learnt in school and the expectations in the job market; four years later, myself and other graduates decided to fill the gap, making it easier for students to transit to life after school. For six years, we have trained over 300 students in preparation for life after school for free.�

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă– ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ă’ (Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (ICT) Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

Foundation Empowers Students Nume Ekeghe BeyondaDegree, a foundation focused on helping students’ transit to life after school has trained and empowered over 200 students from an array of polytechnics and universities across Nigeria to attain employability.

Commenting on the events of this year, the Foundation founder, Mrs. Esther Adegunle, in a statement made available to THISDAY, said the foundation was able to train over 100 students on technical skills in Microsoft suite, data analytics and financial analysis, equipped over 80 students on soft skills on emotional intelligence, problem

solving and communication.

Also, they were able to connect over 50 students to industry professional in various sectors FMCG, Management Consulting, public service excellence, oil & gas and tax and supported candidates in clarifying Human Resources matters.

She said; “About 10 years

23

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąÍŽËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

UNN, ABX Agro-Allied Services Sign MoU Stories by Chinedu Eze The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and the ABX Agro-Allied Services Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost the export of Nigeria’s agricultural produce.

Under the MoU, signed recently, the UNN would support the ABX and the federal government achieve the terms of reference of the committee that works on the development of agriculture as an alternative to oil in revenue generation and foreign exchange earnings.

The federal government through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) recently inaugurated a 28-member Nigeria Agro Set-Up Committee with a mandate to reinvigorate broad national agricultural activities across the country.

With the federal government’s intent on diversifying the economy away from oil, there has been renewed interest in the agricultural sector as a critical sector to lead the charge and target $250B in export income for Nigeria by 2040.

To this end, duo – UNN

and ABX - would work vigorously to assist the country and farmers obtain International Standard Organisation (ISO) and GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) products certifications respectively for different agroallied crops and products and partner with other stakeholders to improve the competence and capacity of rural farmers and agro-allied SMES. The Vice Chancellor of the premier University in Nigeria, Prof. Charles Igwe, said that the university has as one of its principal objectives to provide singularly or in collaboration with other institutions of higher learning and other public or private organisations facilities for teaching and research in various disciplines including agriculture and participate in the discovery and transmission of knowledge.

Igwe, stated the preparedness of the institution to provide facilities such as land, buildings, electricity and training equipment like ICT gadgets and others; and the pooling of intellectual content and resource persons for capacity building, for the success of the Nigeria agro-export programme.

On his part, Chief Executive Officer of ABX Agro-Allied Services Limited, Captain John Okakpu, described the partnership as a giant step towards facilitating an agro-export friendly system for the country and entrench international acceptance standards. “As you are aware, we are pursuing the mandate of formulating and implementing policies and programmes to attract investment, boost industrialization, increase trade and exports and develop enterprise.

So, with UNN on board, things will get a lot easier for us. “We are resolute to source for funds to support this project; facilitate ISO and GAP certifications of products for export and provide technical experts for capacity building exercises/ sessions,� Okakpu said.

The agreement shall be tenable for five years in the first instance and may be renewable thereafter as long as the objectives and goals are achieved and the university and the partner, ABX Ltd, mutually benefits from the patriotic and national goal of sustainable agricultural development of non-oil economy for Nigeria.

NDLEA Nabs Cyprus-bound Student with 13.55 kg Cannabis The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Special Area Command has foiled an attempt by an intending student to smuggle hard drugs to Cyprus.

The suspected drug trafficker named Sunday Solomon Odi was intercepted at the departure hall while attempting to board a Turkish airline to Northern Cyprus en-route Istanbul, Turkey.

During a search of his luggage, some dried weeds, which tested positive for Cannabis sativa weigheing 13.55 kilograms were found concealed in dried hibiscus flower and stuffed in empty bottle water. The drugs were wrapped in little quantities in the bottles, which were cut apart for the wraps to enter and sealed back with a brand

label Wonder Bitter Root. The bottles were submerged in the bags with food condiments and provisions.

Odi, aged 23 and an indigene of Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was offered admission to read Tourism and Hotel Management at the Near East University, Cyprus.

Emmanuel Onyedika Ihebekwe, a Nigerian resident in Cyprus who was instrumental to the University admission had asked Odi to come along with some food stuff and malaria drugs contained in the two “Ghana-must-go� bags.

Odi denied knowledge of the content of the bags. “Emmanuel has been my friend of many years before he travelled to Cyprus. He directed somebody from Lagos to bring to me at my base in Nnewi

these two bags for me to carry along to meet him in Cyprus. “The bags were handed to me in Nnewi, firmly padlocked and I was told they contained foodstuff and malaria drugs�, Odi said, adding “little did I know he has the intention of finishing my life�.

According to Commander, NDLEA NAIA Command, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, “the mode of concealment of the illicit substances is intriguing,� adding “We have always known the nefarious human beings for going to any extent to execute their evil plan. Our youths need to be wary of the gimmickry of being lured to study or work abroad. It is either they are being made to carry drugs from here in Nigeria or they will be used for drug trade abroad. Either way is regrettable�, the Commander said.

Airlines Unable to Cut Costs, Save Jobs The International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented new analysis showing that the airline industry cannot slash costs sufficiently to neutralise severe cash burn to avoid bankruptcies and preserve jobs in 2021.

IATA reiterated its call for government relief measures to sustain airlines financially and avoid massive employment terminations. IATA also called for pre-flight COVID-19 testing to open borders and enable travel without quarantine.

Total industry revenues in 2021 was expected to be down 46 per cent compared to the 2019 figure of $838 billion. The previous analysis was for 2021 revenues to be down around

29 per cent compared to 2019.

This was based on expectations for a demand recovery commencing in the fourth quarter of 2020. Recovery has been delayed however, owing to new COVID-19 outbreaks, and government mandated travel restrictions including border closings and quarantine measures. IATA expects full year 2020 traffic to be down 66 per cent compared to 2019, with December demand down 68 per cent. “The fourth quarter of 2020 will be extremely difficult and there is little indication the first half of 2021 will be significantly better, so long as borders remain closed and/ or arrival quarantines remain in place. Without additional

government financial relief, the median airline has just 8.5 months of cash remaining at current burn rates. And we can’t cut costs fast enough to catch up with shrunken revenues,� said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

Although airlines have taken drastic steps to reduce costs, around 50 per cent of airlines’ costs are fixed or semi-fixed, at least in the short-term. The result is that costs have not fallen as fast as revenues. For example, the year-on-year decline in operating costs for the second quarter was 48 per cent compared with a 73 per cent decline in operating revenues, based on a sample of 76 airlines.

Rising against Extortion at Airport Chinedu Eze A Nigerian who recently arrived the country from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja has petitioned Nigerian Customs Service over alleged imposition of tax and extortion by officials of the agency.

The passenger (name withheld) narrated how he arrived at the airport and going through the Customs checkpoint, he was requested to step aside by officers of the agency for his luggage to be searched.

The passenger who spoke to THISDAY, said in his possession were several personal effects purchased during his trip, including but not limited to shoes, perfumes and electronic gadgets.

According to him, the position of the Customs officers conducting the search was that passengers were not allowed to bring in items with value of more than N50, 000 on aggregate, even as they claimed that any items above the threshold were subject to import duty tax. They further noted that any disagreements with this levy should be communicated to the National Assembly, which is responsible for enacting the law, which they enforce.

The passenger also told THISDAY that the officials insisted that the he must pay the imposed tax in cash; when the passenger demanded for a Treasury Single Account (TSA) into which the tax could be paid if indeed it is legal tax, but all requests for a TSA account to be provided or for POS services to be utilized, were allegedly rebuffed by the Customs officials.

Rather, they provided a slip detailing the amounts to be paid and insisted that the passenger should walk into the First Bank Plc branch at the airport to make payment.

He also alleged that the Customs officials were so desperate to collect cash for the transaction that they offered the passenger the option of paying the levy in dollars at a rate of N430 as opposed to the prevalent rate of N460 to the dollar.

The passenger said he was held back at the airport for over five hours before finally being coerced into parting with funds for the illegal tax payment after he refused to part with cash. “Ultimately, I was forced to pay close to N1 million as duty on the personal items in my baggage when it was apparent that I would be continually detained at the airport,� he alleged.

The passenger in his petition demanded one; that the above events, as narrated, were ab-initio an illegality and transpired in contravention of the rightful procedures for the remission of taxes, duties and levies to the Federal Government Treasury Single Account and two, that the above incident was a contravention of the law as well as legal precedent as pronounced in the recent ruling of the Federal High Court sitting

Ultimately, I was forced to pay close to N1 million as duty on the personal items in my baggage when it was apparent that I would be continually detained at the airport

Bandede in Abuja which has ordered the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to desist from collecting import duties or related charges from passengers in respect of goods or personal effects in a passenger’s bag not meant for sale, barter or exchange, describing such charges as unlawful. “The Chief Judge of the Abuja Federal High Court, Justice J.T Tsoho, gave the order while delivering judgment in a case between Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN) v. Nigerian Customs Service Board & Anor in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1113/2019. “That there is immense suspicion (requiring further investigation and probe), that the account into which the imposed tax amount was paid, is a fraudulent and unauthorized one used by the Customs officers at the Abuja International Airport to perpetrate fraud and extort innocent members of the public into forcefully parting with their hard earned funds.�

However, THISDAY spoke to an official of Customs who was a former spokesman at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), who didn’t wish his name mentioned because he was not on duty at the time he spoke.

He threw light on the issues concerning what passengers should pay for and what they should not pay for in terms of personal effects. “On the issue of the personal effects, there are conditions. Personal effects means that you have paid for them abroad at least nine months before your return; so if you are coming back to Nigeria you are free to identify everything you have bought as personal effects. “Even if you bought a car and your documents indicates that it is your car, you won’t pay anything. But most passengers don’t understand that. When they go there they just buy what they want to buy in the name of personal effect. “Now if you buy something abroad and you are coming back with it, there is a condition attached. If you buy a pair of shoes it I s okay but some people will buy four pairs of same shoes because they want to give them out and they still call them personal effects. But Customs will allow you one and charge you for the other three. “Then if you buy anything that is less than N50, 000 you won’t pay duties but if it is N50, 000 or more you will be asked to pay duty. But Customs does not collect cash. You go to the bank and make your payment. You go and pay into Customs account and collect teller and come. Nobody collects cash. If anybody demands cash you raise an alarm on the person,� the Customs official told THISDAY.

24

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 30, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Will Nigerian Airlines Survive?

Chinedu Eze writes on the likely impact of the recent civil unrest in some states on Nigerian carriers which came few weeks after the COVID-19 lockdown

S

ince July 8, 2020 when the nation’s airspace was reopened for domestic flight operations, Nigerian airlines have been brainstorming on how to survive when after over three months of lockdown they did not earn revenues, they still had to meet their financial obligations.

Realising that the palliatives which they critically needed was not going to come from government, the operators adjusted to the new reality and restrategised for survival, but still under threat and some of them still literally in comatose, when the airlines were hoping to increase load factor to 50 per cent, the #Endsars protest started. But hoping that it would come to an end peacefully, it was overtaken by riots, destructions and killings.

Many entrepreneurs have lost their businesses and this obviously would affect their purchasing power and industry operators say that airlines would experience less patronage because the middle class, who constitute majority of those who travel by air, have lost their businesses and the current situation breeds uncertainty that it is not known when things would return to normal and those whose businesses were destroyed by hoodlums would need time to rebuild their businesses.

Restrategising Aviation economist and the lead consultant at ETIMFRI Group, Amos Akpan, said what has happened would keep the airlines management on their toes for them to survive, noting that Nigerian carriers have been facing economic problems before the #Endsars crises but they were about to launch their strategy after the COVID-19 lockdown when the protest and its attendant destruction started.

“Airlines did so many things to ensure their survival when they realised that the palliatives earlier hinted by government was not going to come. They realigned their aircraft to their routes, seeking the aircraft size that would break even at low load factor; they rationalised their routes, renegotiated loan agreements and reached agreements with staff on downsizing and salary adjustment.

“Then the protest came and its outcome was not anticipated. Its effect on the economy will be devastating and it has depleted the income of the middle class, these are the people who can afford to travel, but it is only those who can still manage their business that will be able to afford airfares.

“Luxury travel was killed by COVID-19; now we are talking of essential and business travel and these have been seriously hampered,” Akpan said.

He noted that currently, business is yet to start because there is insecurity; so nowhere is safe to operate business and there is no chance now for business owners to calculate their losses occasioned by the crisis.

Akpan also said entrepreneurs would have to know what they have lost in the mayhem before they would start making plans to restart their businesses and this situation would adversely affect the purchasing power of prospective air travellers; so the airlines would record low load factor for a long time.

“By this month of October, airlines have started making plan for December, but how many people would be able to purchase ticket and travel in December when their businesses are destroyed in October? So the airlines’ revenue will continue to deplete.

“They restrategised to have 40 per cent to 60 per cent load factor by bringing the aircraft type that can break even at 50 per cent load factor, but with the latest crisis, they will have to renegotiate between

Aero Contractors cabin crew

20 per cent to 40 per cent load factor.

“How can the airlines get aeroplanes that can break even at 20 percent to 40 per cent load factor? So now the airlines face the problem of the right aircraft and finance,” he said.

Finance and Corporate Governance Akpan said the basic thing that will choke an operator right now is finance because it is finance that will enable him to remain in operation; so it is the airline that has finance and good corporate governance that would survive; adding that adjusting to the reality of the time is very critical. He also called for urgent government intervention in the form of bailout, insisting that this is not the time for policy statements but for actions.

“This scenario does not permit policy statements and protocols. It requires urgent action otherwise domestic airlines will go under. You don’t make policy statements about health insurance and infrastructures when a sick man on sick bed needs oxygen; just plug in the oxygen on the man otherwise he dies. We have heard various statements about bail out for domestic operators. The domestic operators should come out to tell Nigerians if they have collected any form of bail out this year.

“The #Endsars crisis further constricts the number of people with capacity to buy airline products and services. Operators had worked out plan to adjust to the effects of COVID--19 and started to implement it. Now they have to go back to the drawing table to work out another strategy to combat the further reduction in purchasing power of likely customers.

“There is a lot of constriction and contraction in one year. Airlines that will survive need finances to pay compulsory operational bills; corporate governance systems that recognize innovation and flexibility; government assistance and these factors must be added to a restrategization.

They have to trim and optimize utilization of resources,” Akpan added.

Laying Solid Foundation The Founder and CEO of Jet West Partners, Dikko Nwachukwu speaking on Arise TV on Wednesday said that the COVID-19 lockdown and the #Endsars crisis have put Nigerian carriers in financially deleterious situation and they are making short term efforts to survive but considering the pivotal role of aviation in unlocking any nation’s economy,

government should take urgent efforts to revamp the industry by laying a solid foundation for long term sustenance of the sector.

He reiterated that air travel is not luxury but essential service and government and stakeholders should recognise its significant contribution to the economy and then make efforts to prioritise the sector with policies that would facilitate its growth.

“The aviation industry provides essential services and the airlines need the palliative to survive. There is also the need to lay a solid foundation for long-term survival of the industry.

“The industry has been in a downward spiral since 2015, but we have to recognise that aviation contributes 04 per cent to the nation’s GDP. COVID-19 and #Endsars have dealt deathblow on the airlines so there is a need to think outside the box.”

Nwachukwu said although the airlines are waiting for federal government’s bail out of N27 billion, which is very little, but he suggested that airlines should think out of the box by finding ways to raise capital by looking inwards.

He noted that airlines own 90 per cent of their aircraft; they did not lease them; so they could find a constructive way of using the aircraft to raise funds through leasing in order to revamp their operations.

“They should sell their assets and leverage on the funds. Airlines should look inwards because the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that the industry would make full recovery from the COVID-19 lockdown from 2023.

“That may be the year of recovery.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, many passengers are no more confident to travel.

So there should be a strong foundation that should serve as foothold to grow the aviation sector in the next 10 to 20 years,” Nwachukwu said.

After Effect of COVID-19 Before the #Endsars crisis, domestic operators have lamented that it would be difficult to recover from the effects of Coronavirus pandemic lockdown, but the seemingly hopeless satiation has been exacerbated by the #Endsars crisis.

The Chief Accountable Manager of Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo, who explained recently that domestic airlines are not likely going to recover these losses incurred by the COVID-19 lockdown said, “I don’t

think airlines can recover the losses they incurred in a year because it wasn’t just the fact that we were shut down, airlines still had to pay for several things.

“Some of the airplanes are leased and we have to pay for them, even the airplanes that were not being flown had to be looked after on a schedule.

Whether we fly or not, the engineers do some checks daily. Some engineers have to go in there, start up the engines, check major parts and fix what needed to be fixed. So, there was still money being spent even though we were not flying,” he said.

Mbanuzuo said even now, due to low passenger traffic, the airlines are still incurring cost and not making profits and expressed the fear being entertained in the industry that some airlines would go under.

“Now that we are flying it is even worse because we are not making profit, but we are paying for fuel, spare parts, landing charges and several other charges. So, the palliative we expected was to get us through.

“What I see is that some airlines may go down. It is not something we wish for but it will happen if these airlines don’t get support. Now we are flying, we are paying operational costs of flying these airplanes.

“We are just trying our best to conserve cash and keep jobs. Without the airlines, the airports will be shut down; the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) won’t do anything. The aviation industry contributes a big chunk to the economy, to development and travel and tourism amongst others.

“We just have to get urgent support or else thousands of people may lose their jobs,” the Chief Accountable Manager of Dana Air said.

Low Purchasing Power As explained by Amos Akpan above, airlines may not even have a choice to increase airfares because there is a general economic turn now worsened by the #Endsars crisis, which obviously would keep many hitherto prospective air travellers our of the airports.

This means that the load factor would further be depleted, as most entrepreneurs who operate small and medium scale businesses who were victims of destruction of their businesses by the hoodlums, would count their losses first.

The Dana Air Accountable Manager, Obi, has earlier explained why the airline has not significantly increased fares since it resumed operation after the lockdown.

“When we wanted to start flight operations, we sat down and looked at the dynamics and we knew that fares were going to go up, especially as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) said they would increase Passenger Service Charge (PSC).

“So we were thinking whether to absorb these internally or pass it to the passengers.

We knew that somehow fares would go up. However, we are in a competitive market and some have decided that they can survive at a lower price, which drives the market down. So, we are trying to be intelligent at what we are doing.

“We are trying to increase our average fares as we have a department that is focused on that. If you buy your tickets, you can still get some cheap prices but we have on average increased the fares,” he said.

This may also be the thinking of other airlines but THISDAY investigation revealed that airlines take advantage of the route where they dominate or operate along to introduce exploitative fares to make up to the fares in the competitive routes.

25

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 30, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

Resurgence of Piracy Eromosele Abiodun writes that the report by the International Maritime Bureau that piracy increased in the Gulf of Guinea by 40 per cent in months means Nigeria has to double its effort to end the menace

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n January this year when Nigeria was rated number one in pirates attack in the Gulf of Guinea by the International Maritime bureau (IMB), Nigeria stepped up its fight against pirates, a move that yielding the desired results, albeit temporarily.

A few weeks after the report, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) handed over 10 pirates arrested by the Nigerian Navy for prosecution.

The 10 pirates had on May 15 attacked and boarded a Chinese vessel, MV HAILUFANG II, off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire and directed it towards Nigerian waters.

They were arrested by the Nigerian Navy, which dispatched a ship to intercept the vessel after it got an alert.

The prosecution of the pirates would be the first trial of bandits arrested in international waters under the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act signed into law in June last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The law made Nigeria the first in West and Central Africa to have a distinct antipiracy legislation.

Speaking at the occasion, the DirectorGeneral of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, attributed the successful operation that led to the arrest of the pirates and rescue of the ship and its crew to collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy.

He said the agency would continue to work with relevant security agencies in order to achieve its goal of eradicating piracy and all forms of illegality on the Nigerian waters.

“We have just witnessed the hand-over of pirates. This is as a result of the robust collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. There has been a lot of synergy between NIMASA and the Navy with regard to the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act. “I also want to seize the opportunity to thank Mr. President for signing the anti-piracy law, which would facilitate sufficient prosecution of these pirates.”

Jamoh, who was represented by the agency’s Head of Legal Services, Mr. Victor Egejuru, assured stakeholders that with the anti-piracy law, there was ample legal framework to prosecute pirates and other perpetrators of maritime offences in the country to bring the menace to the barest minimum.

Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, who gave details of the naval operation, said the vessel had 18 crewmembers comprising Chinese, Ghanaians, and Ivorians.

Shettima said: “On interception of the vessel about 140nm south of Lagos Fairway Buoy, the pirates had refused to comply with the orders of the Navy ship, hence the Nigerian Navy had to conduct an opposed boarding of the vessel. All ship crew were safely rescued, while the 10 pirates were also arrested.”

He stressed the need for increased regional cooperation and information sharing, disclosing that the arrest of the pirates was due to a tip-off by the Beninoise Navy. Shettima warned criminal elements to stay away from Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, saying the Navy has the capability to deal with such threats.

Jamoh has said the current management of NIMASA will focus on three main areas, namely, Maritime Security, Safety, and Shipping Development, in pursuit of a robust maritime domain for the country.

Pirates attack increase However, despite the relentless war against piracy and maritime crimes by Nigeria and countries in the Gulf of Guinea, last week’s report by the IMB has revealed a 40 per cent increase in the number of kidnappings reported in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2020, compared with the same period

in 2019.

Three weeks ago, Jamoh had disclosed that the agency’s investigation had revealed that Somali pirates were now active in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

The latest report by the IMB showed that the pirates armed with guns and knives had abducted bigger groups of seafarers off the West African coast.

The IMB said there have been 132 attacks reported since the beginning of 2020, up from 119 incidents in the same period last year.

It added: “Of the 85 seafarers kidnapped from their vessels and held for ransom, 80 were taken in the Gulf of Guinea, in 14 attacks reported off Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana. By the end of the third quarter (Q3), seafarers reported 134 cases of assault, injury, and threats, including 85 crewmembers being kidnapped, and 31 held hostage onboard their ships. A total of 112 vessels were boarded, and six were fired upon, while 12 reported attempted attacks.”

IMB warned that pirate gangs in the area are well organised and targeting all vessel types over a wide range.

It added that the furthest attack from shore also involved the most crew kidnapped from a single vessel in 2020.

“On 17 July 2020, eight pirates armed with machine guns boarded a product tanker underway around 196 nautical miles southwest of Bayelsa, Nigeria. They held all 19 crewmembers hostage, stole the ship’s documents and valuable items, and escaped with 13-kidnapped crew. The tanker was left drifting with limited and unqualified navigational and engine crew onboard. A nearby merchant vessel later helped the tanker to sail to a safe port.

The 13 kidnapped crew members were released safely one month after, “IMB said.

Meanwhile, the NIMASA boss had expressed worry over the activities of the Somali pirates on Nigerian waters, while reiterating the determination to curb criminal attacks in the nation’s waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

He said the pirates often navigated through Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, and sometimes came through the land borders, adding that the recently-established, Maritime Intelligence Unit, to help nip sea crimes in the bud through the identification of early warning signs, had revealed a relationship between crimes in the Nigerian maritime domain and the Somali pirates.

He said: “We discovered a correlation between crimes in our waters and the activities of the Somali pirates. They have a means of navigating from the coast of Somalia to Nigeria, through the waters of our West African neighbours. In some cases, they enter through the land borders and commission boats to carry out their activities.”

He said Nigeria had developed an action plan to monitor the progress of its National Maritime Security Strategy, saying, “Our goal is to achieve a sustainable end to criminal attacks in our territorial waters.”

Jamoh said the Nigerian government placed a high premium on the safety and security of shipping on its waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

To confront the menace of maritime criminality head-on, he said: “Nigeria has made huge investments in the establishment of a comprehensive maritime security infrastructure. The Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also called the Deep Blue

We have just witnessed the hand-over of pirates. This is as a result of the robust collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. There has been a lot of synergy between NIMASA and the Navy with regard to the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act. I also want to seize the opportunity to thank Mr. President for signing the anti-piracy law, which would facilitate sufficient prosecution of these pirates

Project, is designed to secure our waters, up to the Gulf of Guinea.

“The project is nearing completion, with more than 80 per cent of the assets, comprising Special Mission Vessels, Fast Intervention Boats, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Armoured Vehicles, already in the country.”

IMO commends Nigeria Following the successful prosecution of the 10 pirates, the specialised shipping regulatory agency of the United Nations, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), had praised Nigeria’s effort to stem piracy in its waters and the Gulf of Guinea stressing that the country is sending a “strong and valuable message” to the global community.

The Secretary-General of the IMO, Kitack Lim, made this known in a letter addressed to Jamoh.

Lim said he was impressed by Nigeria’s efforts, “to address maritime security threats in the region,” adding that Jamoh’s “leadership and proactive response” to maritime security issues were laudable.

Jamoh had told the IMO Secretary-General at a previous virtual meeting following the arrest of some pirates by the Nigerian Navy, in partnership with NIMASA, that piracy in the region was being sustained by powerful foreign collaboration. He appealed for support from the international community to complement the steps being taken by Nigeria towards ridding the country’s waters of maritime crimes.

“I would also like to reiterate my congratulations to the Nigerian Navy on the successful capture and arrest of pirates from the fishing trawler Hailufeng II, and more recently on the rescue of the crewmembers of the containership Tommi Ritscher, ”Lim stated in the letter.

“Those actions, together with all the other initiatives you highlighted in our meeting, including progress with the Deep Blue Project, send a strong and valuable message to the international community with respect to the considerable efforts your Government is making to curb piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Gulf of Guinea,” he added.

The IMO SG reiterated the organisation’s readiness to assist NIMASA in the training of personnel and technical assistance, and also declared his willingness to talk to other member countries to assist in that respect.

He said IMO would help to deal with the issue of synergy in laws regarding piracy with other neighbouring countries.

26

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Time to ‘End SARS’ in Africa Yomi Badejo-Okusanya

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lot has been said and written about the #Endsars protests recently ignited in Nigeria and a lot more is still being expected. On the face of it, the protests are about the long term brutality of a tactical arm of the Nigeria Police, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which had more than a penchant for harassing the youth, maiming them and often carrying out extra-judicial killings.

In response, the youth of Nigeria started the protests which within a noticeably short time not only engulfed the whole of Nigeria but received significant international attention courtesy of technology, celebrities, political figures, and the social media platforms.

It is extremely easy for the #endsars campaign to be seen only in the context of Nigeria but that will be a fundamental mistake. #endsars may have started as a protest against police brutality, but it goes much deeper than that. It is symbolic of all the societal ills of poor governance and the determination of the youth to reverse the trend and take their country back. The remarkable thing is the organisational prowess exhibited by these youth including logistics, medical services, social and philanthropic work.

They also raised a significant amount of money which they accounted for in a most transparent manner. On a micro scale, they provided succor many governments have not been able to do.

For two weeks they held the country in a vice like grip which forced the governments of the day to quickly accede to their initial demands of disbanding SARS and bringing its rouge officers to book. Suddenly, they discovered ‘Youth Power’ a latent but very formidable force that can change our political landscape forever.

No longer are the youth willing to put up with poor unaccountable governance.

They are pressing for changes in all ramifications of governance that eschews vices like corruption, avarice, greed, intolerance, ineffective leadership, and dictatorship.

Undoubtedly, this fever will sooner or later spread across Africa since the challenges faced in the Nigerian situation are prevalent across the continent in varying degrees. Most governments in Africa practice some form of gerontocracy which inputs wisdom to the older genera-

#endsars-lekki protesters tion with extraordinarily little room for the youth. It is sad that even positions reserved for the youth in political parties and governments are unfairly occupied by this same older generation.

Yet Africa’s greatest assets is in its youthful population. Three quarters of the continent’s population is made up of youth under thirty-five years of age according to a recent United Nations population survey. Even when some youth find their way into office, they are usually handpicked by relatives and friends already in office, denying others the opportunity to compete effectively.

Little wonder the quality of leadership in Africa is often poor and lacking in creativity.

The pent-up frustration of these youth led to the protests in Nigeria, the violence unleashed directly led to aftermath riots which left many businesses, investments and state assets destroyed. The damage caused can and will run into trillions of Naira and in an already depressed economy with serious infrastructure deficit, this can only make matters worse.

With the power of social and global media, it is likely that this ‘revolution’ can and will cross the very porous state

borders of Africa. Therefore, governments across the continent who do not want their states engulfed, must pay attention to the power of the youth or this ticking time bomb will explode. As in the case in Nigeria, no amount of suppression and engagement of state security apparatus can and will hold back the youth unleashing their phenomenal power.

African leaders must ‘wake up and smell this coffee’ before it is too late for them.

Africa cannot and will not achieve its full potentials if our youth are fleeing legally and illegally to western countries where they perceive and know that the opportunities are far better for them.

Africa cannot continue to stifle the chances of her youths with the elders holding on to offices for life.

As much as the wisdom of the older generation is valued, it must be blended with the creativity and ingenuity of the youth for the continent to achieve its goals and originality. African leaders must do more to guarantee inclusion for the youth who after all are the future.

Leaders in government must make themselves more accountable promoting justice and equity in pursuit of an egalitarian society.

The African Union has a role to play in

driving Youth Inclusion on the continent.

The body must develop or fine tune if it already exists, a dynamic and impactful Youth Development Policy that clearly maps out how the youth on the continent can leverage opportunities and compete effectively with their peers in other climes, otherwise its Agenda 2063 will return hollow.

Many organisations such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Access Bank and the African Development Bank have initiated programmes to uplift the youth of Africa. As commendable as these efforts are, it is like a drop in the ocean. We need more corporate organisations working within and outside Africa, to place in much larger quantum, opportunities, and resources for the African Youth to be the best he or she can be.

The Nigerian government like others in Africa must embrace dialogue and strategic engagement to get the best out of the youth. It must find areas of common ground for their development. The temptation to break their ranks through unwholesome practices like financial inducement, must stop. In particular, the Buhari Administration must set up or fully support an impartial panel of enquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the endsars protest especially the Lekki Shootings On the part of the youth, they must resolve that nothing will break their spirit in the birth of a new Africa. They must be ready to take power legitimately through the ballot box. They have the numbers. Their hitherto nonchalant attitude to local, state, and national politics must stop. Rather than some of them being used to ferment trouble, they must understand that they have the power and must no longer remain content to receive handouts from the unscrupulous politician in exchange for their future.

In this wise, the very educated ones must carry along the less educated.

The privileged must look out for the underprivileged, ensuring no one is left behind. Afterall it is a collective battle.

The journey be will be long and likely torturous, with few quick wins. But with great resolve the youth can and will make it.

This is a clarion call on all governments, to immediately #endsars in Africa!

-Badejo-Okusanya is the current President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and he is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Profitable Investment in Napkins, Diaper Producing Plant Godwin Uba

T

he only way to reduce unemployment in this country is to embark on establishment of small, medium and large-scale industries. The Federal Government of Nigeria at present is putting every effort to see that enabling environment for setting up and running of industries in the country is achieved.

The major problem of manufacturing industries today is power. Once power problem of Nigeria is resolved and enabling environment put in place the Nigerian industries will start doing very well. Another basic challenge is funds for investment.

The cost of obtaining credit facilities from the banks is very high in Nigeria in comparison to other parts of the world. Nigeria banks find it very difficult to support start-ups.

However, the market is in Nigeria. The population of Nigeria is huge and the demand for goods is always very high.

Having said so, there are some manufacturing investment projects which one can set up in small scale and medium scale level with the intention to expand in the near future. The writer is readily available to guide prospective investors in this regard.

One of them is Napkins and Diapers production. This is a project that can ensure regular provision of daily cash for you and your family.

This is a project that you can introduce after related products like serviettes, toilets rolls, facial tissues, face towels etc.

In this write up brief information is provided on how to set up and run the project. For further, detailed information please contact the writer.

Project Concept The envisaged project will be able to produce quality napkins and diapers to be well accepted in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

Marketing Potentials and Strategies Napkins & Diapers are consumed on daily basis by all and sundry irrespective of age, social class or religious. Napkins and Diapers are device for sanitary and cleansing purposes. They enjoy high aggregate demand in places like households, schools, hospitals. Others are maternity homes, shopping centres.

The arsenals of any mother/lady are not complete and properly assembled without a napkins and diapers. Consider the number of new born babies and children under the age of 6 in the country. The number is also rising every day.

Napkins and Diapers have a high repeat sales tendency which is fuelled by such factors as increasing sanitary awareness of the need for hygienic and good quality living standard, geometrically exploding population, continued drift from the rural to the urban centres in search of the better things of life and job opportunities, after ability of the product price etc. The markets for napkins and diapers have been well established and developed. It is large, expanding and sustainable.

My recent research findings revealed that supply is inadequate to meet up with the increase in demand, thus creating a large gap yearning to be filled.

This enormous demand supply gap translates into a viable venture for Nigerians.

Raw Materials The essential raw materials needed for this

project are the jumbo reels and cotton lint and packaging materials like the wrapping with the producer’s name logo, address and brand name conspicuously printed.

Each of these is obtained locally from suppliers and producers. Details will be given to prospective investors.

Plants & Machinery The machines for the project are not locally available. They are all imported machines. The writer has reputable producers and suppliers of quality machines from South Africa, China, Taiwan and Germany.

Details will be given to prospective investors.

Packaging Machines The project can be located in any part of the country particularly where the market lies and nearness to the source of raw materials. The writer will discuss this issue with prospective investors.

Accommodation The project does not need much space.

It can be comfortably set up in a rented building of three bedroom flats. This will take care of the production room, the storage and raw material rooms as well as the administration/accounting rooms Financial Implications The project will take an estimated sum of about N23.0 million to set up. This amount many change depending on the capacity level the prospective investor intends to embark upon.

The breakdown of this amount on a small-scale level is as follows Financial Estimates (take off) Accommodation (rented) N1, 500, 000

Plants & machinery N15, 500,000 Utilities N 2, 500,000 Working capital N3, 000,000 Preliminary Expenses (including feasibility studies/Bus plan) N500, 000 Total N23, 000,000 If the project is going to be on medium or large scale, the cost will be higher than the above. Details will be presented via a feasibility studies reports.

Investment Analysis The payback period based on our preliminary projections will be about two years.

The return on investment is about 52% and there is positive NPV. Details will be discussed with the prospective investors.

The project is very profitable with about Gross Profit of N16million in the first year, N24million in the 2nd year, N38million in the 3rd year and N62million in the 5th year of operation. The turnover is also very impressive.

Conclusion This project is very profitable. The market is wide and the supply demand positions keep on elongating. This is need for Nigeria to set up small medium and large-scale industries to reduce the level of unemployment in the country.

Think out of any manufacturing industry of your interest and discuss with us today.

You will not regret your actions.

For details on any project in the area of comprehensive & bankable feasibility studies, investment advisory services, sourcing of project funds, procurement & installation of your manufacturing project machines & equipment, training of your manpower, please contact the writer.

-Uba can be reached via 08034494437

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Chronicles of #EndSARS Movement

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COVER

Chronicles of #EndSARS Movement Chiemelie Ezeobi, Mary Nnah, Rebecca Ejifoma, Chiamaka Ozulumba and Oluwabunmi Fache chronicle the #EndSARS protest that snowballed into a movement not just against police brutality but also bad governance in Nigeria

President Buhari

Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila

A

lthough the sobriquet #EndSARS did not start this year, it gained momentum during the recent nationwide protests against the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) and police brutality in general. Often attributed to Mr. Segun Awosanya, popularly known as Segalink since 2017, a human rights activist and advocate, the hashtag became a rallying point to kick against acts of brutality, harassment and even extra judicial killing by operatives of the now disbanded SARS. According to Amnesty International, from its investigations, acts of extra-judicial killings

by SARS claimed 82 people in three years, but many argue that the figure could be higher.

Trigger Over the years, cases of such assaults and brutality perpetrated by SARS have been tackled by successive governments without any result. This year was however different.

Just this October, the movement that snowballed into a global protest was triggered by a video of alleged SARS operatives shooting an unarmed young man.

In the video, the victim was shot and brought down from his car before the operatives made away with it. The sheer brutality in public glare triggered off series of online protests against the police squad.

Soon, the hashtag, #EndSARS resurfaced.

But this time around, something was different; the young people were fed up of being pushed to the wall even in their innocence. As gory stories of victims and even the dead began to pop up, so did their anger. With no other way to let out their outburst, Twitter first became a pool from where their voices rose against police brutality.

As their outburst raged, it eventually morphed into what became the #EndSARS protest. Although unplanned, it soon became a global movement, going down the annals of history as one of the most organised and unified protests by youths.

Initial Move by Police When the clamour would not die down, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu banned SARS operatives and other Tactical Squads like the IRT, STS, anti cultism and anti kidnapping units from carrying out routine patrols, stop and search, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks and traffic checks with immediate effect.

When the operatives continued unabated despite the IG’s order, the Commissioner of Police, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Imohimi Edgal, said firearms would henceforth only be issued to operatives on guard duty or those responding to violent crimes.

When the touted reforms didn’t reflect on

General Gabriel Olonisakin, CDS

Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, COAS

Mohammed Adamu, IG

the actions of the operatives, youths took to the streets of Lagos to register their grouse against the incessant acts of brutality, extortion and even extra-judicial killing.

Ikechukwu Ani, PSC spokesman, said a presidential panel set up on the reform of SARS received 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country.

Also, the panel indicted 16 SARS operatives for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Lagos, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Kaduna while 35 others in 12 states including Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, Ogun, and Rivers.

The federal government however charged state governments to set up a judicial panel of inquiry as a follow up to dissolving SARS, just as each state government is to set up a Victims’ Support Fund, which the federal government will support.

From SARS TO SWAT As the ranks of the protesters swelled, so did their zeal despite police harassment and brutality during the protests. Thus, on October 13, the IG disbanded SARS nationwide but in its place, they set up the new Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team that will fill the gaps arising from the dissolution of the defunct SARS. According to the police, members of this new team will also undergo psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment. They have since commenced training at the different police tactical training institutions nationwide.

justice for victims of police brutality. He said the legislature will collaborate with the executive to ensure that rights abuses by personnel of the disbanded SARS are probed.

Also, Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila said the House will draft new legislation to establish a system of accountability for the Nigerian police. The speaker urged the protesters to suspend the protest. This was echoed by the senate president.

The speaker also vowed that he will not sign off the 2021 Appropriation Bill presently before the National Assembly if adequate provisions are not made for the compensation of the families of the victims of police brutality.

The Protest The #EndSARS movement started off as a quest to get the presidency and the police hierarchy to dissolve the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) nationwide. The protest, which started on October 7, 2020, kicked off in Lagos in trickles but gained momentum in the next two days. It soon became a nationwide and global protest.

First tagged “Three Days Protest Calling for the Outright Disbandment of SARS”, the protesters visited the Lagos State Police Command and the State House of Assembly as focal points. After the three days, it snowballed into nationwide protests as a culmination of weeks of anger and unattended complaints by Nigerians over the pernicious actions of SARS operatives, who had either forcefully abducted, shot or even harassed youths across board.

With placards bearing inscriptions like “Am I the next to die”, “Stop Police Brutality”, “Why shoot bullets at us”, “I am not a criminal #EndSARS”, “Our lives matter”, “Stop criminalising innocent citizens”, “Stop extorting and killing us”, the protesters took to the streets of Lagos.

Demands Their demands were quite simple- they charged the presidency and police hierarchy to not just #EndSARS but to also end police brutality and then institute police reforms from lower cadre policemen to the highest cadre.

They also called for transparent prosecution of all the officers involved in the menace, both past and present, as well as ensure compensation of victims of police brutality.

Concessions by FG Some of the demands made have been fulfilled by the federal government but some others have not been fully met like the total overhaul of the police fulfilled and prosecution of killer cops.

Already, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has marked 37 operatives of SARS for dismissal.

Skepticism But the announcement didn’t do down well with the protesters. According to them, it was just a case of old wine in new skin. Their disillusionment stemmed from the fact that the unit has been ‘disbanded’ about six times within the last five years.

In 2015, the unit was ‘reformed’; in 2016, it was ‘restructured’; in 2017, it was ‘reorganised’; in n2018, it was ‘reformed’; in 2019, it was ‘disbanded’; and in 2020, it was dissolved with SWAT taking its place. The protest continued.

Assurance by Legislature The National Assembly also tried to mediate. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan had assured that the National Assembly will get

Intervention of Ministers From the Minister of Police Affairs to Minister of Youth and Sports, they all tried to intervene.

Expressing concern over the incessant report of infractions against personnel of SARS, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi said such infractions will be thoroughly investigated.

Also, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare called for stronger collaboration and mutual understanding between the police, the youth and the citizens.

Stance by NGF The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) was unequivocal when they demanded that all the police officers who participated in actions that led to injury or death of Nigerians be brought to justice.

After a meeting with the IG, the Ekiti State Governor and NGF Chairman, Kayode Fayemi, also insisted that Nigerians who have been adversely affected by police brutality or other actions that were injurious to them or their loved ones, should be compensated.

Efforts by Lagos State Government One of the states that showed commitment in acceding to the wishes of the protesters is Lagos. Apart from the initial skirmish by the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem OduCONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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COVER CHRONICLES OF #ENDSARS MOVEMENT Army Finally Admits to Presence at Lekki Tollgate After repeatedly denying their presence at Lekki Tollgate the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army finally responded to the allegations, stating that they were invited by the state government to enforce the curfew. They however maintained that they did not shoot any protester.

Their new stance was perhaps due to the statement attributed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, when he finally admitted on CNN that the CCTV captured the military at the scene.

Governor Sanwo-Olu who joined the protesters

mosu, where he harassed protesters at Lagos House, the state government and the House of Assembly were hands on.

According to the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the government was committed to meeting the requests of the youths. One of the first demands they met was to set up N200 million fund for residents in the state who have been victims of police brutality.

The government also set about releasing all protesters that were arrested during the initial brutality unleashed by the police. Already, some persons died in that violence. Also, the government listed 20 policemen facing prosecution for charges ranges from murder to other minor offences.

Violence But the movement soon turned violent after hoodlums hijacked it. It snowballed into an ethnic and cult war in some parts of the country.

At the end of the attack, scores of protesters sustained varying degree of injuries while some cars were also vandalised.

The protests which was hijacked by hoodlums in various states across Nigeria, witnessed uprising, looting and destruction in Lagos, Gombe, Abia, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Abuja, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Enugu, Kaduna, Abuja, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Kwara, Cross River, Ado Ekiti, Enugu, Jos, and Ogun.

Curfew Given the volatile situation, some state governors decided to impose curfew. In Lagos, the governor was forced to declare a 24-hour curfew last Tuesday afternoon, effective from 4pm. Although the curfew was extended to 9pm, the harm was already done.

With the announcement of the curfew, officials of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) were seen removing what was initially believed to be CCTV cameras. Also, Loatsad, was said to have switched off their billboard, which was a source of light for protesters at the tollgate.

Both companies have since come out to clarify the situation. LCC said it wasn’t a CCTV that they uninstalled, rather, laser camera for vehicles for fear of vandalism. The advert company on the other hand said they switched off the billboard because of the curfew, noting that they did same during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Also lending credence to their statement, the governor said the CCTV wasn’t tampered with, adding that the video footage of the shooting at Lekki tollgate will besubmittedtothejudicialpanel on police brutality, which has already began sitting.

Lekki Shooting The defining moment of the protest was on Tuesday, October 20, when soldiers from 81 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army shot at unarmed protesters.

They were supposed to be safe because clutched in their hands were the National Flag, symbolising naturalwealthandunity,whilsttheysangtheNational Anthem- two things supposedly held sacred by the military. That fateful Tuesday, nothing prepared the #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate for the magnitude of devastation that would rock their world.

Aplatoonofsoldierskittedinmilitarycamouflage stormed the protest ground in their patrol vehicles andorderedthemtoleave.Accordingtothesoldiers, they were there to enforce the curfew imposed by the Lagos State government.

Looting of stored palliatives

Butsomethingwaswrongwiththeirdemands-the curfew which was earlier stipulated for 4pm had beenshiftedto9pm.Theprotestershadatleastthree hours to go before they can be deemed to have flouted the curfew.

The soldiers were seen on camera ordering the protesters to leave the tollgate. Minutes after, gunshots were heard as they allegedly fired into the teeming crowd. As people ducked or scampered to safety, the bullets hit several protesters. When the buzz died down, the protesters began to attend to the injured persons while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Casualties In his first address after the shooting, the governor blamed it on forces beyond his direct control. “This is the toughest night of our lives as forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history, but we will face it and come out stronger”, he said after he visited victims of the incident.

It was the governor who pegged the casualty at 28. Giving a breakdown, he said there were 10 patients at the General Hospital, 11 at Reddington and four at Vedic; with mild to moderate levels of injuries while two are receiving intensive medical care.

He also disclosed that three patients have been discharged, but he made no mention of casualties that were rushed to Grandville Medical Laser.

Controversy over Fatality It was also the governor that was the first person to refute claims that there were fatalities in the shooting. He would later tweet that two of the survivors died in the hospital from gunshot wounds.

This was contrary to initial figures from protesters that put fatality to over 10. Also, Human rights group, Amnesty International said it had obtained credible reports of deaths.

One of the documented pieces of that night was shot live on Instagram by Obianuju Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch. But for her, people would have remained in the dark of what happened that fateful night.

In her live video, more than 130,000 people from all over the world watched as the injured were administered first aid to. On one occasion, the protesters used local gin and pliers to remove a bullet from the thigh of a fellow protestor, as attempts to get an ambulance proved a Herculean task. Also on the live video, she displayed spent bullets that were recovered after the shooting.

Superimposed images But reacting days after the shooting, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) maintained that the reports that its operatives shot some unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate plaza on Tuesday remained mere allegations.

Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, reiterated that the alleged role of the military in the incident was nothing, but pure speculations. He urged all to wait for the outcome of investigations.

Using the operative word ‘if’ in addressing the allegations of shooting, he said they called in analysts who analysed videos and declared they were photoshopped and put together.

Vandalism, Looting Meanwhile, the curfew, which was meant

to restore order, seemed to have restricted everybody except hoodlums, who had a field day looting and burning in different parts states.

Jailbreaks Some states also experienced jail break. It was reported that over 2,000 inmates escaped from the Nigerian prisons in various states.

First were the two Nigerian Correctional Service centres in Benin City, Edo State, and the other in Ondo. So far, a total of 2,051 inmates escaped after the jailbreaks in Edo and Ondo States.

In Edo State, it was reported that 1,993 inmates were freed after nearly three hours of almost unhindered operation by armed hoodlums.

Also on the same day at the facility in Oko, also known as the Oko Prison, another jail break happened.

Meanwhile, Comptroller of Correction, Edo State Command, Babayo Maisanda, disclosed that 1,818 escaped inmates were still at large, while 163 have either been recaptured or secured.

In Okitipupa LGA of Ondo State, some thugs broke into the Nigerian Correctional Service and released no fewer than 58 inmates while they burnt vehicles, destroyed properties belonging to the prison and injured the staff found on the premises.

In Lagos, there was a foiled attempt by inmates to jail break the Ikoyi Correctional Centre but it came at a price, some inmates were reportedly shot.

COVID-19 Palliative Looting The coordinated looting across the state also unearthed different locations where COVID-19 palliatives were stored. The palliatives numbering in thousands were found with the contents of the branded COVID-19 bags still in good shape.

Some of the states affected were Taraba, Osuji, Kwara, Plateau, Ekiti, Kogi, Kaduna, Adamawa, Bauchi and Lagos.

Probe of Lekki Shooting In Lagos, the probe into the Lekki shooting has begun. Led by Justice Doris Okuwobi, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution was initially set up to investigate human rights violations by SARS operatives, but now has its terms of reference expanded to also investigate the circumstances that led to the shooting of protesters. But the panel even before it started sitting lamented the supposed discovery of a camcorder by former Lagos Governor and Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, during an on-the-spot assessment.

Leading the FG delegation at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, Fashola handed over the discovered camera to the governor for forensic analysis and further investigation. Also reacting to the Lekki incident, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) demanded that the military high command should immediately identify those involved in the shooting of defenceless protesters.

NBA President Olumide Akpata also said the association would commence a legal action against the government for the act of brutality on innocent protesters, adding that the military would be joined both in local and at international forum on the violation of the rules of engagement.

Presidency’s Stance on Protest In the aftermath of the Lekki shooting, President Muhammadu addressed the nation but shockingly made no mention of the Lekki shooting in his 10 minutes address, rather he said government will not allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of the nation.

He stressed that they listened to the genuine concerns and agitations of members of the public by evaluating and accepting the fivepoint agenda of the protesters by scrapping SARS, and putting measures in place to address the other demands, with plans to implement extensive police reforms.

But he added that the promptness with which they acted seemed to have been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and twisted by some for their selfish unpatriotic interests.

With regard to the welfare of police personnel, he said the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite action on the finalisation of the new salary structure of members of the Nigeria Police. The emoluments of other paramilitary services are also being reviewed upwards.

To the international community who responded swiftly to the shootings, Buhari said they must to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or rushing to judgment and making hasty pronouncements.

At the end of the address, Nigerians who were at least looking for some sort of closure were left hanging in the loop as they described the speech as not just lacking in empathy, but, also came across as a thinly coated-threat.

Ethnic Colouration In another development, there were moves to bring in ethnic colouration into the protest. In a back and forth that has drawn out till date, some Northerners on Twitter alluded that the protest was a coordinated attack by the East and West to remove President Muhammadu Buhari from power.

Also, following the looting and vandalism that rocked different parts of Lagos, the West accused the East of teeming up with the North to destroy their region.

These counter accusations, which divided the protesters into ethnic divide was however met with stiff resistance by most youths, who urged their comrades to remember they fought against police brutality together.

The fracas started off with comm e n t s f r o m f o r m e r P r e s i d ential candidate, Adamu Garba, who released series of videos in Hausa language, urging the North to see the #EndSARS scheme as a plot by southerners to seize power from the North.

Soon afterwards, another video from the self acclaimed leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, surfaced, urging Igbo youths to protect themselves and destroy infrastructure.

Further inciting the polity, the Apapo O’odua Koya, AOKOYA, a PAN Yoruba group, alleged secret plots to destroy critical economic assets in Yorubaland by a combination of forces alien to the South-west.

Sustained Online Campaign The power of social media was one of the major factors that gave the protest a boost.

With the protest off the streets in Nigeria, the protesters continued their online warfare against police brutality and bad governance with different hashtags trending daily.

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International Celebrities Who Condemned the #EndSARS Lekki Shootings VANESSA OBIOHAchroniclessomeoftheinternationalcelebritieswhoshowedsupportforthe#EndSARSmovementandcondemnedtheLekkiShooting

T

o a large extent, #EndSARS protesters utilised social media platforms, particularly Twitter to garner support for their campaign. Their tweets placed Nigeria on a global spotlight, attracting international celebrities from politics, entertainment and sports sectors. Following the Lekki shootings, more celebrities joined in condemning the attack and pledging support for protesters. They include: John Boyega

Naomi Campbell

Alicia Keys

Rio Ferdinand

Hillary Clinton

Beyoncé.

Hillary Clinton: Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton voiced concerns about the violence that accompanied the protest on the night of the widely reported Lekki shootings. She tweeted: “I’m calling on @mbuhari and the @hqnigerianarmy to stop killing young #EndSARS protesters. #StopNigeriaGovernment.”

That tweet marked the first time Clinton showed support for the movement.

Joe Biden: The Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden in the upcoming US elections in a statement on his website, urged the president, Muhammadu Buhari to put an end to the violent attack on peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate.

“I urge President Buhari and the Nigerian military to cease the violent crackdown on protesters in Nigeria, which has already resulted in several deaths. My heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one in the violence.” He added that “the United States must stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy. I encourage the government to engage in a good-faith dialogue with civil society to address these long-standing grievances and work together for a more just and inclusive Nigeria.”

Beyoncé: After several calls by her Nigerian fans and music artistes to support the EndSARS protest, American singer Beyoncé took to her Instagram page on Wednesday, October 21 to pledge her support to the campaign. In a post on Instagram, the ‘Brown Skin Girl’ singer wrote that she is heartbroken about the turnout of events in the campaign to end police brutality in Nigeria.

“I am heartbroken to see the senseless brutality taking place in Nigeria. There has to be an end to SARS.” She added that she has been working on partnerships with youth organisations “to support those protesting for change. We are collaborating with coalitions to provide emergency healthcare, food and shelter.

To our Nigerian sisters and brothers, we stand with you.” Beyoncé ended her post by directing fans to her website to see the list of organisations to show support.

Rihanna: As news of the Lekki shootings went viral on Twitter that faithful Tuesday, Rihanna was among the first celebrities to sympathise with Nigeria. She shared a photo collage of a bloodied Nigerian flag and a clean flag with words of encouragement.

“I can’t bear (sic) to see the torture and brutalisation that is continuing to affect nations across our planet. It’s such a betrayal to the citizens, the very people put in place to protect are the one we are most afraid of being murdered by! My heart is broken for Nigeria man! It is unbearable to watch. I am so proud of your strength and not letting up

Kerry Washington

Nicki Minaj Joe Biden

on the fight for what’s right.#EndSARS.” Alicia Keys: Sharing the viral iconic photo of Aisha Yesufu, American singer Alicia Keys tweeted her support to the #EndSARS protest.

“My love goes out to #Nigeria #America and everywhere in the world that is fighting to change the systems designed to oppress! #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality #BlackLivesMatter “Don’t give up, Stay hopeful, We are needed, You light is needed, Your love is needed, We are who we need…”

Kerry Washington: The star actress of the critically acclaimed American TV series, ‘Scandal’ Kerry Washington while sending loving thoughts to Nigeria, shared a link on her Twitter account for people to help the protesters.

She tweeted: “#EndSARS my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nigeria.

Here is how you can help.”

Chance the Rapper: In a tweet, American rapper, Chance the Rapper called for the world to engage with the #EndSARS protest.

He wrote: “There is a massacre happening in Lekki. Firing squads mass murdering young people in Nigeria. The world needs to engage #endSARS” Nicki Minaj: Popular American female rapper Nicki Minaj was among the celebrities who condemned the violent attack on peaceful protesters at Lekki. She tweeted: “Standing with & praying for the brave young people of Nigeria who are on the front

lines of this senseless violence. Your voice is being heard. #EndSARS.” Cassper Nyovest: South African rapper Cassper Nyovest took to Twitter to call on awareness and support for the #EndSARS campaign as well as other protests in other African countries, including South Africa.

“Please create awareness and pray for Nigeria with the fight to #EndSARS , South Africa for the #AmINext movement for women and children are not safe & Congo for #CongoIsBleeding . Africa is a bloodbath. It is really scary and our leaders have failed us.”

Jada Pinkett-Smith: Actress, TV host and wife of Hollywood actor Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith shared a photo of an African map painted in Nigerian flag colours and a silhouette of a raised black fist on her official Twitter account. She accompanied the photo with the following words: “The senseless brutality in Nigeria has me completely heartbroken. There has to change. #EndSARS #PrayForNigeria” Bow Wow: In support of the protest, an American rapper Shad Moss (Lil Bow Wow) who was popular in Nigeria during the early 2000s used a photo to convey his message.

The photo showed a group of boys with their backs turned to the camera and flags of African countries draped on their backs in a solidarity pose. He simply wrote, “#Nigeria Stay Strong we are with you #peaceandlove.”

Tye Tribbett: American gospel artiste Tye Tribbett showed his solidarity with the protest by tweeting: “I stand with my brothers and sisters in Nigeria! You gave me the

name #Oluseyi and you are my family. We are many members but ONE BODY! May the God who balances all scales bring justice and peace to #Nigeria #ENDsars #ENDpolicebrutality #liVe #GodHealOurLand” Rio Ferdinand: Retweeting the viral video of Nigerian football star Odion Ighalo, the former English professional footballer Rio Ferdinand who visited the country early this year, wrote on his Twitter page: “Sending my love to everyone in Nigeria...

Naomi Campbell: Supermodel Naomi Campbell who is a great supporter of Arise Fashion Week, took to her Instagram page to call on the President to stop the violence.

She wrote: ‘President @muhammadubuhari, please stop the violence that is killing the Bright and promising future of Nigeria.

Our youths and young generation are our leaders of the future. Show the world who are watching… BE THE HEAD OF STATE THAT SETS AN EXAMPLE! #STOP POLICE BRUTALITY!! # STOP THE SPECIAL ANIT ROBBERY SQUAD (sic). #ENDSARS NOW.” John Boyega: The Nigerian-British actor who has been quite vocal since the EndSARS protest began wrote an emotional message on Instagram “I don’t know what to say. To wage such war on your own people…They must pay.”

Anthony Joshua: Heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua made a video on Instagram where he preached peace and positivity to the protesters. He also stated that he and his family are offering care packages for the injured protesters.

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GlobalVoices at #EndSARS Protest Chiemelie Ezeobi, Mary Nnah, Rebecca Ejifoma, and Chiamaka Ozulumba write that the #EndSARS movement drew

global and local support while the subsequent violence and deaths garnered condemnation

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rom Switzerland to Auckland, United Kingdom, Australia, France, England, United States, South Africa, Canada, Berlin, Toronto, New York, Geneva, London, Houston, Paris, Dublin, Germany, Finland, Czech, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, India, and several others, the global support for the #EndSARS movement was momentous.

Aside from political figures, nations and unions, the aftermath of the protest which was occasioned by disproportionate use of force on protesters, also drew global condemnation from renowned figures including Pop stars Beyonce, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, Treyz Song, Kanye West, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Hamilton, and Noami Campbell.

Also, other well known global entertainment figures like Diddy, Chance the Rapper, Lil Baby, Damson Idris, City Girls, and even Nigeria’s own international figure, John Boyega, lent their voices to the cause with most of them using the #EndSARS. Nigeria’s Manchester United player, Jude Ighodalo also lent his voice which afterwards led to his colleagues, Manchester United striker, Marcus Rashford and Arsenal forward Mesut Ozil joining the campaign.

In their reaction to the incident, the African Union (AU) called on Nigerians to choose dialogue over violence in the ongoing #EndSARS impasse in the country.

The AU commission chairperson, Moussa Mahamat, also condemned the violence that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries in Lekki.

Also, while suing for peace, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) appealed to FG, youths and the civil society to urgently pursue dialogue for an early and amicable resolution of this social unrest, thus “maintain the Nigerian image as a bastion of law and order�.

The European Union (EU) in a statement by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell’ said it was looking forward to seeing the sort of reforms that would be put in place to ensure police reforms, while noting that it was alarmed to learn that several people have been killed and injured, adding that it is crucial that those responsible for abuses be brought to justice and held accountable.

The United States government in a statement issued by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, condemned the use of excessive force by military forces.

Calling for an immediate investigation, he said those involved should be held to account in accordance with Nigerian law, adding that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential human rights and core democratic principles.

Also, the Swedish Government through its embassy said the use of disproportionate force by security forces at the #LekkiTollgate seemingly resulting in deaths of some #EndSARS protesters was of concern.

Emphasising on the respect for HumanRights and peaceful demonstrations, they urged security forces to exercise restraint, just as they tasked the government to urgently investigate the incident.

Also, US Presidential Candidate and former Vice President, Joe Biden, urged the US to stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy, just as he charged President Buhari and the military to cease the violent crackdown on protesters in Nigeria, which has already resulted in several deaths.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation of violence in Lagos, Nigeria, adding that demonstrations must be peaceful, just as there was need for an end to reported police brutality and abuses. He added that authorities must investigate these incidents and hold perpetrators accountable.

Former US Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton also joined the world to condemn the attack on unarmed protesters

and charged the president and army to stop killing young protesters.

Deputy Secretary-general of the UN Amina Mohammed stressed the importance of respect for peaceful protests and freedom of assembly and call on the security forces to exercise maximum restraint.

Lending its voice, the Canadian Government stated that those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable, adding that it was concerned about the excessive use of force on protesters.

Also the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing encouraged the authorities to restore calm and act to ensure accountability for acts of violence, particularly any involving security forces.

The African Bar Association said it would file criminal complaints against the federal government before international bodies over the shooting of peaceful protesters in Lagos.

The association said this in a statement by its President, Hannibal Uwaifo.

According to the statement: “This devilish action which has resulted in the killings and maiming of unarmed peaceful protesters in Lagos is not only a violation of international law but constitutes criminal acts for which those responsible will be held accountable in due course. “The African Bar Association is totally disappointed in the government of Nigeria who instead of wholly addressing the germane issues raised by the protesting youths chose to adopt Gestapo tactics infiltrating the ranks of peaceful protesters with hired mercenaries and thugs who attacked the protesters in order to create a scene of chaos. “The African Bar Association will im-

mediately file formal Criminal complaints before appropriate international bodies to open an international inquiry into the irresponsible behaviour of the Nigerian government masquerading as a democracy.�

Also, the International Criminal Court said it has received reports of crimes during the #EndSARS protests and are monitoring developments from the events in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by ICC Court Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, in a statement shared via its Twitter handle which read: “Any loss of life and injury is concerning. We have received information alleging crimes and are keeping a close eye on developments, in case violence escalates and any indications arise that Rome Statute crimes may have been committed.�

The court was acting on a petition sent by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). They urged Bensouda to push for those suspected to be responsible for these crimes, mostly security officials, soldiers, some politicians and other actors who directly or indirectly have individually and/or collectively contributed to the attacks, deaths and injuries, and are therefore complicit in the crimes, to be tried by the ICC. Lending its voice to the clamour, Amnesty International lamented that police torture is a stain on Nigerian society that must be addressed with clear orders to law enforcement officers not to inflict torture or other ill-treatment on detainees under any circumstances.

In series of tweets they said: “There is

much compelling public evidence of human rights violations committed by SARS, some of it directly documented by Amnesty International, and this should be used to aid an effective investigation into the unit’s crimes. “ All the Nigerian authorities promises of ‘reforming’ SARS have, so far, proven to be empty and ineffective. Restructuring SARS is not enough unless the government takes concrete steps to protect Nigerians. “Because of the corruption in Nigerian police @PoliceNG all Nigerian government’s previous attempts at stamping out torture have proven completely ineffective and clearly impossible.�

They were also vocal about the killings during and after the protests, with repeated calls for justice and punishment for defaulting security operatives.

On the Lekki shooting, they recently released a new timeline investigating the atrocity. “The timeline collates photographs and video footage to confirm that Nigerian Army vehicles left Bonny Camp, a military base approximately a seven-minute drive from the toll gate, at 6:29pm local time on 20 October. “Footage then tracks the vehicles to the toll gate. At approximately 6:45pm, the Nigerian military opened fire on the #EndSars protesters who were peacefully calling for an end to police brutality. “What happened at Lekki Toll Gate has all the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings�, said Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International.

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Digital Comedy’s Fight against Police Brutality, Looting On the heels of the End SARS protests, the recurring message against police brutality and mass looting in digital comedy content by Nigerian creatives has become very hard to ignore, writes Yinka Olatunbosun

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whole new chapter is born with the influx of digital comedy into the Nigerian cinema culture of the 21st century. History is being rewritten by a new generation of screenwriters, video directors, producers, editors and other creative thinkers in evolving a socially-conscious body of digital content that tackles front-burner issues in Nigeria.

A quick point of reference is the #EndSARS movement that generated a lot ofnoise as well as creative content online. From photography manipulation to lampooning, the creatives have a no-holds barred approach to projecting their messages through the new media platforms.

Mostly available on social media platforms, digital comedy has become even more popular in the era of restrictions on social gatherings owing to the regulations set to contain Covid-19 pandemic.

Most of these digital comedy videos are usually less than 10 minutes using simple plot with characters that are societal archetypes.

Characters are mostly predictable. And the production is of a low-budget with less spent on costumes, props and location.

One of the popular skits are produced by Broda Shaggy, Falz,Officer Woos, Mr Macaroni and many established stand-up comedians have adopted the tradition of digital comedy skits.Bovi, AY, Warri Pikin and many more have explored this medium to showcase their artistry as many live audiences are staying safe at home.

Long before the outrage against police brutality erupted into street protests, the digital comedy had become a disruptive phenomenon in film content production.The content became more relevant to societal issues when the artists behind them found their voices. Asides the rich rewards of brand endorsements and adverts, these internet stars have enjoyed so

A scene from Mr Macaroni’s digital comedy skit

much followership online that some of their cast have attempted to make their own independent productions.

Undoubtedly, the duo of Broda Shaggy and Officer Woos had blazed the trail in this aspect.

For one, they had mimicked the Nigeria police’s often crude methods of fishing out criminals from innocent drivers or taxi passengers. Though ludicrous, their portrayals are truthful and sometimes, the stories end in a humiliation of the unprofessional police officer or imposter.

With Mr Macaroni, comedy is a very serious business. His scripts, whether written or unwritten are crisp, ending with the right climax. Mr Macaroni, in the comedy skit titled, “E Fit Be

You” loses his son to brutality by SARS operatives, while stating that the same situation could happen to anyone else.

In another skit by Shaggy Studios with the same title, Broda Shaggy accosts a neighbour who had taken part in mass looting of a warehouse.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a call- the neighbour’s mother has fainted after receiving the news that her shop had been looted. The message of caution for the citizenry was loud and clear.

Mr Macaroni’s digital comedy, as well as those of others, also morphed into a tool for civil engagement. Not only did thevideos teach civil responsibilities, they also serve as a means

of national reorientation. Perhaps, the best that can happen to this development in digital video production is to set up grants, workshops and organise international exchange programmes.

These digital content creatives may also be the part of the solution to police brutality if they engage real police officers to act or be part of the production as crew members. This can be the best therapy for them instead of committing them into psychiatric homes or disguising them as new recruits into other para-military units. In the end, the widening gap between the police and the public that they are trained to protect can be bridged using the least suspected art form- digital comedy.

WE MOVE: Music against Police Brutality Yinka Olatunbosun Music makes us move, mend broken hearts and heal emotional wounds. But then, history preserves the memory of a massive portfolio of works across the music genres that had become artistic statements against police brutality. Across the globe, protests against police brutality had been marked by chants and songs from conscious artists whose voices had become iconic in uniting the people against any form of oppression of the human spirit.

From hip-hop to reggae, protest songs had become global anthems, travelling acrossvarious music notations. In fact, one of the most renowned romantic singer-songwriters, Marvin Gaye lent his voice to police brutality in the 1971 classic, “What’s Going on” which is markedly different from his later bedroom-igniting songs like “Let’s Get it on” and “Sexual Healing.”

Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” underpins the theme of mental slavery and is listed as number 66 in the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Its easy flow has made it a toast of other artists who made cover versions including Nigeria’s Majek Fashek.

But nothing compares to the lyrics found in Tracy Chapman’s “Talkin’bout A Revolution” as it paints the picture of what many witnessed in major cities across Nigeria in the past two weeks.American rapper, Chamillionaire became famous for his song “Riding” which indicted the police. The rapper of Nigerian descent born Hakeem Temidayo Seriki. raised the roof withthe song, “Riding” which pokes hard against racial profiling and police brutality.

Many EndSARS protesters in Nigeria had claimed that most unlawful arrests, extortion and killings by the police originated from the error of profiling.

It’s a sin to forget the place of hip hop matyr,

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

Tupac Shakur in the struggle against police brutality. The reality is dauntingthat Tupac never met SARS yet his lyrics in verse three of the song “Changes” were very graphic truths about the operation of the police:” You got to learn to hold ya own/they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone/ But tell the cops you can’t touch this/ I don’t trust this/ when they try to rush and bust this.” Changes, released in October 1998, is one of the post-humous hits

for Tupac.

Still, Tupac’s Changes is not as graphic as Wyclef Jean’s “Diallo” -based on true life story of an African immigrant, Amadou Diallo who was shot 41 times by four undercover police. Wyclef asks questions that some Nigerian young men would likely answer in the affirmative in this song: “Have you ever been held against your will?/ Taken to a dark place/where not even scientists can reveal?/ So what is for Ceasar/

let it be for Ceasar/ Cause we don’t want no peace/ We want equal rights and justice.”

Rapper and actor, Childish Gambino swept the Grammys in 2019 with the song, “This is America” who treats gun violence alongside other issues such as police brutality. The song generated a lot of covers and controversies around the world because the themes resonated in other climes. In Nigeria, rapper Falz did his own version of the song titled, “This is Nigeria” where he made a comical interpretation of police brutality, corruption and bad leadership.

2Baba and Sound Sultan’s collaborative track titled “Ole”raises alarm over the mass extortion and torture of Nigerian citizens by the police and warns that a revolution may take place, with the lyrics, “One day bush meat go catch the hunter.” That song enjoyed some airplay, was never taken seriously by those in authority and it fizzled out of airplay to give way to club bangers. Through the medley of club bangers shot came this track, “Oga Police” by Psquare where the duo sang about police oppression and extortion.

The global catalogue of music against police brutality will be incomplete without the mention of the Abami Eda, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who spent his entire life on and off-stage fighting not just police brutality but its enablers such as corruption, bad governance, religious bigotry and other vices. Songs like “Sorrow, Tears and Blood,” “Unknown Soldiers”, “Zombie” and “Beasts of No Nation” are some of his songs that referenced brutality by police and soldiers including his personal account of the destruction of his Kalakuta Republic in February 18, 1977 which remained in the books of unsolved crimes in Nigeria.

Music preserves the memory of man’s inhumanity to man and no matter the attempt to whitewash the truth, the music never stops- to remind us.

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Counting the Cost Chiemelie Ezeobi, Mary Nnah, Rebecca Ejifoma, Chiamaka Ozulumba and Oluwabunmi Fache

writethat thedevastationleftinthewakeofthewidespreadviolenceafterthe#EndSARS protest range from loss of lives to looting and destruction of public and public properties

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looting of some warehouses and offices. Some looted items recovered from the suspects include water pumping machines, agro-chemicals, cartons of surgical gloves and a kit containing spanners and screwdrivers. Also recovered were different types/models of motorcycles, tricycles, two sacks containing forcefully-dismembered air conditioners, computers and electronic gadgets.

henthe#EndSARS protests started, the protesters, mostly youths, were unequivocal about their objectivesending police brutality.

This was supposed to be a violence-free protest, but different factors marred it. At the end of the two-week nationwide protests, violence, loss of lives (both civilians and security operatives), looting and vandalism were the order of the day.

Death Toll It was President Muhammad Buhari that first gave an insight into the total fatality and casualty figures nationwide. According to the president, 69 people were killed during the protest nationwide. Giving a breakdown, he said those who died include 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers among several unknown.

Demotivated Police With the stand down order by the police hierarchy during the protest, most of them were incapacitated to defend their lives and divisions.

The aftermath is a gravely demotivated police who could care less about the looming anarchy given that they watched their police stations and personal effect burnt down and were powerless to fight back.

For the good cops, it was particularly demoralising when they were punished alongside the bad eggs in the force.

But the Lagos Governor recently led members of his cabinet to the Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja to restore confidence in the system. Promising scholarships for the children of slain cops as well as compensation for their families, he also pledged that the state would fund the burial of the murdered cops, as well as foot medical bills of injured police officers in the protest.

He also said government will consider insurance for serving police officers of Lagos Command, adding that all burnt stations would be remodeled and two new generators provided to power the command.

The Oyingbo Bus Terminal

Hackers The endless cyberattacks on government and security portals also exposed the underbelly of its weak technology. During the protest, some anonymous hackers sustained coordinated cyberattacks on websites owned by the state government, health and financial institutions, as well as security agencies.

Attack on the Media During the protest, so many journalists and media houses were targeted and attacked. Reporters and cameramen from African Independent Television (AIT), Silverbird Media, Arise TV, Channels and TVC were attacked in Lagos and Abuja. Some others suffered severe bodily injuries with their cameras damaged by the hoodlums and also security operatives.

In series of attacks on the media, the irate youths stormed Television Continental (TVC) and set it ablaze with the staff on duty. Again, it took concerted efforts from the deployment of anti-riot policemen before the staff could escape to safety.

Hours later, the mob turned on The Nation Newspaper, possibly over its affiliation with Bola Ahmed Tinubu and set it on fire. LTV was also not left out.

Widespread Violence Across the nation, widespread violence rocked different states, resulting to break down of law and order.

In Calabar, all hell was let loose as multiple public and private infrastructure were either looted or vandalised.

In Lagos, the family house of Governor Sanwo-Olu in Surulere, BRT buses in Berger and Oyingbo Terminal; NPA Headquarters in Marina, Lagos City Mall, Igbosere Magistrate Court and Ibeju-lekki Local Government Secretariat, Television Continental (TVC), The Nation Newspaper; Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) building and vehicles, LASEMA trucks in Ikotun and Alausa, Bella’s place owned by Mike Adenuga, Shoprite Mall in Sangotedo, Spar, Circle Mall in Jakande, Iga Idugaran, the official palace of the Oba of Lagos; Ajeromi Ifelodun Secretariat, Lagoon Hospital, Liverpool Apapa and many others were either razed or vandalised.

In Akwa Ibom, Zenith, Access, and FCMB bank buildings were among the facilities vandalised by hoodlums in Uyo. Also, an electronics shop and a popular store, De Choice Mall, in Uyo, were also vandalised and looted.

Banks Count Losses In the aftermath of the violence, affected banks took stock of their losses. At the last count, 67 bank branches were destroyed and many automated teller machines (ATMs) damaged.While the hoodlums torched some bank branches, they broke into others in a bid to access their vaults.

A breakdown of the number of branches affected across the country as earlier compiled by THISDAY showed that 10 branches of FirstBank Nigeria Limited were damaged; Union Bank of Nigeria- 10; Guaranty Trust Bank – nine; Access Bank Plc – eight; Fidelity Bank – seven; and six branches of First City Monument Bank(FCMB) were destroyed.

Also, three branches each of Wema Bank and Sterling Bank were damaged; two of the branches

Some of the arrested suspects

each belong to Stanbic IBTC and Unity Bank respectively while Heritage Bank, Ecobank and Polaris Bank lost a branch each respectively.

Sweeping Devastation in Police Formations Across the country, there were coordinated attacks against police formations. While some were burnt, others were vandalised with police uniforms, weapons and accoutrements looted.

The Lagos State Police Command seemed to have borne the brunt of the violence. From loss of lives and injuries to destruction and vandalism of its police stations, patrol vehicles and even Armoured Patrol Carrier (APC).

At the last count, the command said six policemen were killed, while 38 others were injured with some still in critical condition.

The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who made this disclosure at the command headquarters in Ikeja, also revealed that 29 formations were either burnt or vandalised by hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful protests across the state.

According to Odumosu, the six policemen killed were ASP Yard Edward, attached to Denton Police Station; Inspector Olayinka Erinfolami of defunct Anti Kidnapping Unit (AKU); Inspector Adegbenro Aderibigbe attached to Meiran Division, Sergeant Abejide Abiodun of Department of Operations (DOPs), State Headquarters and two others attached to Orile Division.

He said 58 police vehicles were burnt,13 vandalised, while 62 vehicles belonging to individuals and those connected with some pending cases (exhibits) were burnt, in addition to nine other vehicles which were vandalised by the hoodlums.

Odumosu also disclosed that 15 motorcycles and tricycles were torched and 65 vandalised at various locations across the state.

The stations burnt in Lagos were Orile, Amukoko, Layeni, Ilasamaja, Ikotun, Ajah, Igando, Elemoro, Makinde, Onipanu, Ebute Ero, Pen-Cinema, Isokoko, Alade, Cele, Igbo Elerin, Shibiri, Gbagada, Onilekere, Makoko, Daleko, Asahun, Makinyo, Amuwo-Odofin, Anti-Kidnapping, Surulere. Other police stations that were vandalised but not burnt were Ojo, Ojodu, Mowo, PPL and Morogbo.

Other loss accrued by the police were the burnt case files, computer sets, personal and vehicle exhibits, personal cars and uniforms of policemen, and most importantly, their weapons, which was looted from the armoury.

In the armoury, the hoodlums made away with an unknown number of AK47 guns and pistols, from each of the police stations they visited and

overpowered. Although the police are yet to come up with a total number of weapons that were stolen, THISDAY can report that about 18 have been recovered across the state.

In Anambra, the DPO in Osumenyi in Nnewi South local government area of Imo State and the station officer in the division were killed. Also Amichi, Osumeyi, Ezinifite-Nnewi and Ukpor Divisions all under Nnewi South LGA, and Oraifite Area Command/Division were vandalised and set the facilities ablaze, with exhibits carted away.

In Calabar, Atakpa Police Station at Watt Market was burnt down while Mbukpa Police Station, Mbukpa was razed.

Arrests, Prosecution In affected states, the police swung into action to ensure that those hijacked the EndSARS protest to unleash havoc on society, especially by vandalising and looting both government and private properties, were arrested and prosecuted.

In Anambra, six suspects were arrested after the incident, while in Kano, the police command arrested 59 suspects accused of looting. Out of the 59 suspects arrested, 31 suspects were for looting, vandalism and malicious damage properties while the 28 other suspects were arrested for other crimes.

The Lagos Police Command arrested 520 suspects for various offences ranging from arson, robbery, murder, rioting, malicious damage, and unlawful possession of firearms.

However, most of the suspects denied involvement in the violence alleging that they were picked up randomly during raids.

Also in Lagos, the state government said it will be prosecuting all suspected hoodlums arrested in connection with the mayhem unleashed on the state.

The state Ministry of Justice said their case files were being evaluated preparatory to prosecution on charges of arson, murder, stealing, malicious damage of properties, assault among others.

In Adamawa State, the police arrested 120 suspected hoodlums who allegedly looted items from government and private warehouses under the guise of EndSARS protest.

They recovered many stolen items including tractors, cars and farm implements.

In Kaduna, no fewer than 25 suspects were arrested for allegedly looting private and public property while in Kwara State, the police command arrested 144 hoodlums who looted government and private property in the state.

In Kogi State, 56 suspects were arrested for

Economic Loss From loss of livelihoods to cancelled flights, the widespread loss of revenue was crippling.

Although no concrete figure has been put out about the summary of loss accrued during and after the protests, the take of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) was that Nigeria lost more than N700 billion in economic value within the two weeks the #EndSARS protest lasted.

This figure might have sky rocketed in the aftermath of the violence which saw public and private businesses and facilities facilitated and looted.

Stock Market Takes a Hit Perhaps more alarming was the loss accrued by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at close of trading on Wednesday. The stock went down from N14.983 trillion to N14.870 trillion, shedding N113 billion.

According to analysts, the market reacted to the security situation arising from the hijacked protests in Lagos, which resulted to the loss of lives and vandalism of private and public owned properties. So instead of investing, investors were more drawn to the safety of their investments.

Burden of Rebuilding Having taken stock of the extent of damage across the nation, it would be a Herculean task to rebuild, especially with the paucity of funds and the fact that the repairs wasn’t captured in the 2021 budget.

In Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu after an inspection of the assets destroyed by the arsonists, described the attack in Lagos as “coordinated wanton destruction”, saying it would take the state many decades to recover from the devastation.

From the latest estimate by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after a rough assessment of destroyed properties, it would cost over N1 trillion to rebuild public and private property destroyed by hoodlums in Lagos.

This was corroborated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who said the figure was needed for the reconstruction and repair of the properties and infrastructure that was vandalised and destroyed by hoodlums.

Meanwhile, one of the first measures put in place by the state government was to announce support for store owners. As announced by the state Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, the state government’s plan Is to support owners of stores that were vandalised or looted by hoodlums.

With the support from the state government and other organisations, this no doubt will help alleviate and stimulate economic activities, as well as produce many positive multiplier effects on the already dampened economy.

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When Humanity Showed up at #EndSARS Protest Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that despite how the curtains closed on the nationwide #EndSARS protest, there were so many beautiful stories that emerged from the twoweek long movement, as humanity indeed showed up in words and in action

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like Davido offered to foot the medical bills, however, although the state government afterwards stepped in to address the bills, the hospitals showed humanity at its peak.

Some of the hospitals include First Cardiology in Ikoyi, Premier Specialist in Lekki, VICHS in Victoria Island, St. Nicholas Hospital, George’s Memorial Medical Center Off Admiralty Way, Lagoon Hospitals in VI, Ikeja and Ikoyi, and Reddington Hospital in Lekki, Marigold Hospital in Surulere, and Grandville Surgery.

Others include Dr Cik, AVON Medical Practice (Clinic) in Lekki, Brittanio Hospital, Lekki First City Diagnosis LTD, Budo Specialist Hospital, St Edward Specialist Hospital and Cardiac Centre, Lifeline Children’s Hospital, Executive Cardiovascular Clinic, Vedic Lifecore Hospital, Olive Multi-Specialist Hospital, and Preston Hospital.

or a nation that lives on ethnic and religious lines, a factor politicians manipulate each time to cause division, the unity and empathy that #EndSARS protesters exhibited across the nation was quite commendable.

From offering pro bono legal services to engaging private security for protesters, financial donations providing data, food, water, entertainment, sanitation, medical services, logistics and so many others- all carried out by youths, the protest has shown that indeed, a value-bound Nigeria is very much possible.

The aftermath of the unprovoked shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate, also saw humanity show up. After social media went agog with the shooting, Nigerians across the divide shunned all ethnic and religious biases by opening up their hearts and pockets to the injured and stranded.

Unity Ashow of unimaginable unity was on display at the protests. The protesters buried their agelong political, religious, social and cultural feud and campaigned with one voice. As shocking as it might seem, members of opposition parties who never saw eye to eye were in this instance in agreement to end police brutality and bad governance Religious Tolerance Unlike what was obtainable in the past, the two major religions in Nigeria- Christianity and Islam, showed tolerance while protesting.

At the protest grounds, it was not out of place for gospel songs to be sang and those of the Islamic faith did not object.

On Friday, during the congregational prayers held by Muslims, the protesters showed solidarity as all protests were put on hold for them to observe their Jumu’ah prayers. Whilst their Muslim counterparts prayed, the Christian faithfuls formed a human barricade around them to ensure they were not attacked.

Also witnessed was an amplified voice of religious leaders across the Pentecostal and Protestant divide and even the Muslim faith.

Religious figures like Pastor Enoch and Mrs FoluAdeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor David Oyedepo of Living Faith Mission, Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar, Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo of Davids Christian Centre, Pastor Poju Oyemade of Covenant Christian Centre, Pastor Tunde Bakare of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Daniel Olukoga of Mountain of Fire Ministries, Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock, Pastor Akin Alabi, Apostle Suleiman Johnson Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministries, Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Victor Adeyemi of Global Harvest, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House, Pastor Emmanuel Iren of Celebration Church International, and several others also provided succor like a shepherd to the flock irrespective of denomination. They were also vocal in supporting the reforms put out by the protesters.

While some marched with them, others prayed and even sent out support.

Empathy If the protest scene was a river, the empathy of protesters would have over run it. From one corner of the nation to the other, stories of strangers looking out for themselves abound.

From making financial contribution to helping the weak and even less privileged persons.

In Lagos, a youngster, Damola won the hearts of protesters after he gave his snacks for free.

We they begged him to collect money he said “ bawa e kín lè l ile iwe” (loosely translated to mean ‘Do it for us so that I can go to school’).

As posted by one @Animolenikun, the youngster sells Cheeseball, a snack, to make a living. Moved by those words, they took his picture and shared the experience on Twitter. It soon went viral with several people reaching out to sponsor him to school.

At the Lekki protest ground, an aged groundnut seller went home with over N2,350,000

Protesters led by Aisha Yesufu taking a knee during the protests in Abuja

contributed by Nigerian youths.

According to one @Sama_on-Point, over N500,000 was raised first raised for her with a hefty donation from John Ogu, Nigeria’s midfielder. The money raised was finally pegged at over N2million with a charge to desist from such a trade at her age.

Abuja, protesters came across some destitutes living under the bridge and showed them love. Without taking any joint agreement, the protesters released different sums of money to the mothers and their children.

Also in Abuja, a traffic warden made to flee when he saw the crowd approaching, but they calmed his nerves and donated money, drinks and snacks to him. He wept as the Nigerian youths commended him for his diligence to duty despite the meager salary.

Another aged woman, who joined up in cleaning the protest grounds as part of her contribution, was also bombarded with money by protesters as she looked in bemusement.

Meanwhile, the viral picture of a young girl, one Jane Obiene, who has her left leg amputated, but still joined the protest with the aid of her crutches, attracted goodwill to her.

Championed by Dr Chinonso Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor, the fundraiser was to help get her a prosthetic leg since she has not been gainfully employed since 2013 when her leg was amputated.

Although the funding goal was initially N500,000, it was later increased to N1.5million to cover the cost of other expenses. But barely hours after the portal went open, 961 persons crashed the funding goal and raised over N5million for her.

With the overflow, the doctor also intends to help out another male amputee who was at the National Stadium in Surulere to march despite his disabilities.

Funds for Victims, Bereaved Families One of the things that stood out was how Nigerians rallied round the victims of police brutality and bereaved families. Although the government set up its own Victim Support Fund, notwithstanding, that did not deter Nigerians from donating to their own cause to compensate for the losses.

Healthcare Health is wealth and who better to understand this than doctors. Several doctors including Aproko Doctor sacrificed their time, intellect and even resources to take care of the wounded.

Backing them, health companies like Avon Medical supplied ambulances free of charge to help treat and convey the injured to the hospital.

Some other medical brands that stood in the gap were Medplus and other brands that supplied medical supplies.

Free Rides One thing that stood out during the protest

was how Nigerians were so open to giving protesters free rides. Even some cab hailing companies soon joined. In Ibadan, a bike startup company @SafeBoda_NGA provided free rides for all protestors to commute for the #IbadanProtests.

Entertainment Meanwhile, to keep the pulse in the protests, some light entertainment was held at intervals.

From artists singing to talks and presentations, the entertainment can be said to have gingered the protesters to keep going despite the elements and stress.

Food and Drinks One thing that was in surplus was the food and drinks shared. Most amazing was the quality of dishes as people fell over themselves to contribute to the feeding of protesters. From local dishes to intercontinental and even snacks and confectionaries, the protesters certainly had their fill.

The Place of Prayer Meanwhile young members of the Christian community went spiritual. Exercising their spiritual authority, the young Christians led by one @Limboblaze began the movement in Lagos with over 600 youths in Alausa. The movement doubled in size with caucuses springing up in cities like Ilorin, Abuja, Kaduna, Abeokuta, among others.

The prayer walks soon went viral and it featured prayers for peace in the country, an end to police brutality and for good governance.

In Nigeria, the prayer walks were staged in states like Lagos, Niger, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Kaduna, Niger, Rivers, Kwara, Delta and has even spread globally.

Also, there were several prayers groups by pastors, churches, gospel musicians and even mothers, all targeted at praying for the nation. For Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, founder of Halleluyah Challenge, the crisis started off another 21-day session where Nigerians all over the world tunes in at midnight to pray and worship on social media. The first day had over 41,000 people tune in to seek for God’s face.

Magnanimity after Lekki Shooting In the aftermath of the shooting in Lekki by soldiers, many churches, hospitals, individuals and even organisations threw its doors open to the wounded, and stranded.

Churches like The Dome (This Present House), the Elevation Church, Daystar, Covenant Lekki Chapel, opened up their churches to accommodate stranded protesters Some individuals also paid for rooms at Sabitex Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton and other hotels with no hidden agenda.

Treatment for the Injured In the chaos that erupted after the shooting, many hospitals opened up its beds pro bono with surgeons on standby. Also individuals

Succor for Entrepreneurs Once again, the humanity in Nigerians showed off in the aftermath of the widespread destruction. Organisations, individuals, banks and even governments including the Lagos State government pulled up with support.

The Beer Sectoral Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, made up of a coalition of Nigerian Breweries, Guinness, and International Breweries created a N50million fund to affect victims and families affected by the crises.

Others include The Phoenix Fund by AGS Tribe and Diatom Impact Requirements, which can be accessed by a CAC Registration, proof of residence, financial documents, business owner identity and evidence of damage. It can be accessed via https://www.agstribe.org/phoenixfund/ Also, Oak and Teak Interiors proposed to help five affected businesses in repainting.

The support can be accessed through bit. ly/OakandTeakSupport Not left out were Diary of a Naija Girl SME Support Funds which can be accessed by mailing Ietsrebuildlagos@gmail.com ; Style Me Africa SME Support for Lagosbased fashion or beauty business and can be accessed via @stylemeafrica; Linda Ikeji SME Funds for females and Lagos-based business to be applied through lindaikeji1980@ gmail.com ; as well as Naijabrandchick entrepreneurial funding link https://naijabrandchick.typeform.com/to/u4JVWbjN Banks who also jumped into the loop for SMEs include First Bank Nigeria and can be applied through https://forms.office.com/ Pages/ResponsePage ; Stanbic Bank SME Support Fund through https://standard bank.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ ; as well as Access Bank’s N50 billion support in form of interest-free loans and grants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to support the rebuilding of businesses affected.

Brands that Supported There were so many brands that supported with food, drinks, products and services without being cajoled. Organisations like Gatefield Impact provided accommodation and grants for journalists covering the protests. They also provided data support to citizen reporters to enable them stream the protests.

Others brands that stood out were Prince Nduka Ogbaigbena - owned Arise News Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper (led by Ijeoma Nwogwugwu) who alongside the team covered the protests without prejudice, a move that recently earned them a N3million fine from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Other brands include Spar Shopping Complex, Flutter Wave, Cowry-wise, Piggyvest, Bigi/Fearless Drink, Chicken Republic, Coca Cola (who donated N20million to cover the medical costs of victims of the protests in hospitals), banks who provided protesters with raincoat and umbrella when the rain came, Sweet Sensation, Royal Hugs and Surprises, Dooney’s Kitchen and so many other caterers.

In all, there was a huge display of humanity that won more hearts to the cause than the protests did.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱͮ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

35

METRO

…Your city life in print

Shedding the Toga of ‘Lazy Nigerian Youths’ Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that for an unplanned protest, the organisational strategy of the #EndSARS protesters ranging from logistics to funding, emotional support and legal representation, helped shed the toga of ‘Lazy Nigerian Youths’

“I

s this the birth of a New Nigeria? Can our youths sustain this show of accountability and organisational strategy?” Those were some of the burning questions that emanated from the two-week long #EndSARS protest against police brutality and bad governance. The reason for those questions was because of the top notch organisation of the youth, even though the protest was not pre-planned.

Birth of Soro Soke Generation Soro Soke is a Yoruba language which means “Speak Louder”. It was mostly used among Nigerian youths on social media to speak up about police brutality and bad governance.

Suffice to say the slang has come to stay as they have been outspoken against the ills in the society.

Resilience The protest was streamlined as peaceful but the process wasn’t. When the police and military were not shooting live bullets, tear gas or water at protesters, thugs were allegedly hired to disrupt the peaceful gathering.

While so many were harassed, injured and brutalised by security operatives, some also died while some were arrested and even charged to court for murder.

Despite this, the resilience of the protesters merely doubled. With each hurdle, they crossed it with grace and soldiered on. Even with the curfew in some states, those protesters have taken solace in the power of the social media.

Power of Social Media The power of social media was one of the major factors that gave the protest a boost.

With the way the protest has been sustained both online and offline, it was bound to make impressions on data analytics.

One of the core strengths of the protests was the seamless transition between online and offline campaigns. Those who could not protest physically used the social media to pass across the message while those who could, shared content for the online warriors to use.

With social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Whatsapp being the spring board of these campaigns, the #EndSARS repeatedly trended worldwide at number one spot on Twitter. Also, the #EndSARS hashtag has had over 10 billion impressions.

Twitter also showed unequivocal support to the cause by launching an emoji in support of the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria. The emoji is a raised fist designed in the colours of the Nigerian flag; green, white and green. In a tweet, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter, Jack Dorsey used the #EndSARS hashtag with the new emoji.

Although Instagram and Facebook were once accused of flagging the hashtag, they later issued a statement, apologising that it was a computer glitch.

No Recognised Leadership Perhaps one factor that sustained the protests was the fact that there was seemingly no structure, yet it worked perfectly. None of those at the forefront of championing the cause are leaders of the protests, which has made it quite difficult for the government to penetrate their flanks. But many people have argued that the no leadership structure became an albatross after the government made some concessions and the protesters refused to meet them halfway.

traumatised in any way during the protest.

Other groups like the Mentally Aware were also on board in assuaging they emotional and psychological needs of protesters.

Legal Representation At least 600 lawyers were drafted to provide free legal services to Nigerians under detention for protesting against brutality and extra-judicial killings. Already, they have built an efficient legal aid/support structure operating in 36 states and they have been achieving results in this regard even with the protest no longer on the streets in some states.

AmplifiedVoices of Influencers, Celebrities, Activists More than ever, the amplified voices of influencers, celebrities and activists were loud; from the ones that started off the protests, to those that braved the elements to camp out, to those who defied threats and veiled messages to stand firm, these crop of influencers, celebrities and activists, too numerous to mention all, have written their names in the sands of time.

Funding and Accountability In this regard, it seemed to have been centralised, albeit, not be design. From the funds raised under the Convener of OperationSanitize, Savvy Rinu to that of the Feminist Coalition, a group of young Nigerian feminists formed in July 2020 with a mission to champion equality for women in Nigerian society with a core focus on education, financial freedom and representation in public office, has raised millions in support of the campaign.

To coordinate funds for the logistics of the protests, the Feminist Coalition raised a total of 147,855,788.28 (including donations in USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, GHS, KES, and BTC) and disbursed 60,403,235.00 with a balance of 87,452,553.28.

Updating Nigerians about the rest of the funds, they said it would go towards funding medical emergencies, legal aid for wrongfully detained citizens, and relief for victims of police brutality and families of the deceased, a “memorial for the fallen” and mental health support.

The accountability was also thrilling as it cut across board except for a few cases when people couldn’t defend the money dispensed to them.

Logistics Although they seemed to be in different camps, one thing that stood out was the coordination from each group. From providing free charging points to feeding, releasing arrested protesters, gifting data, transportation and even healthcare, the logistics and organisation were topnotch.

Unified against Sexual Abuse Unlike what was obtainable in large crowds, the protesters looked out for the female among them to prevent cases of sexual harassment and abuse.

Continuously on different social media platforms, they kept harping on the need for men to respect the females, with stern warning to tackle the perpetrator. In the long run, it seemed to have worked as no further case of abuse seem to have been recorded.

Healthcare The protesters went a step further to provide

healthcare and safety procedures at each of the protest grounds. There were volunteer doctors as well as donated ambulances and medical supplies. Nigerians were also quick to donate money for medical supplies.

Also, given the numerous times injuries were recorded with some quite severe enough to receive blood transfusion, it became imperative for a drive to donate blood.

Championed by LifeBankCares-led Temie Giwa-Tubosun, the group called for blood donation for injured victims of police brutality during the protests.

Sanitation The youths again outdid themselves as they ensured the protest grounds were also cleaned up and the garbage disposed off after each day.

Whether in Lagos or Abuja, the story was same. The protesters put aside their class and did the dirty work.

Fixing Damages The youths also took it upon themselves to repair the damages earlier caused by hoodlums. In Abuja, some hoodlums set on cars stuck in traffic and destroyed about 10 of them.

In an unexpected show of unity, several pledges began to come in towards fixing the damaged cars. At the end, the organisers of the protest ensured those affected had their cars fixed.

For the damaged phones as a result of the stampede, one of those that pledged to repair them was a mobile phone dealer, Dabz Global Gadgets, at 80 per cent discount, adding that repairs from N5,000 and below will be done free of charge.

Empathy for Hoodlums The protesters practiced a rare kind of empathy for same hoodlums that tried to disrupt the movement. On several occasions, the hoodlums attacked them at the protest grounds and each time, the protesters banded together and repelled them. Those that they caught were first treated by medical volunteers and fed with food before they handed over to the police.

Returned Properties At the protest grounds, countless stories abound of people’s lost properties that were returned. According to many, this is the birth of a new Nigeria where everything good is possible Emotional Support Meanwhile, asides the medical treatments given by doctors across the state, some psychologists also joined the loop by offering free therapy. According to Emotions Doctor, the free therapy was for those that have been

Private Security After some thugs attacked the protesters in Alausa, the coordinators of the protest quickly organised private security to safeguard lives and properties.

In Abuja, some of the protesters saved the day with their pit bulls and bull dogs. When the thugs returned the second day to attack them, the fearsome sight of the dogs made them to retreat.

Helpline To ensure a coordinated protest nationwide devoid of hitches, the protesters created a helpline on 01 700 1755. According to FK Abudu, one of the organisers, the call sign one was for medical, two for legal, three for food and supplies, four, five and six for mental health emergencies and seven for security.

Credit for this was given to @EbyAkhigbe and @funmioyatogun.

Support Unit To provide resource and information support for the protesters, the End SARS Response was created. Under this wing was the Protest Mobilisation Support Form where requests for funds to support protest resources (including food, printing placards, transportation and other mobilisation needs) are handled.

Although their job was not to raise funds or collect donations, they connected protesters across the nation to the resources available.

They also had the medical wing which connected those in need of the medical supplies to the resource centre. The response team also had the legal aid support wing and even the volunteer response.

Candlelight Service Another beautiful, yet somber moment was the candle light service held last two Fridays in honour of all those innocent persons who have been killed by the police. At the different locations where the candlelight event held, prayers were said after which the demonstrators sang the National Anthem in respect of the country before they began to reel out the names of the deceased.

Clean Up after Widespread Looting

by Vandals Across the nation where widespread looting and vandalism took place, the youths and even some elderly persons took up the task to clean up voluntarily. From Lagos Island to Mainland and even some others states, the clean up was carried out before the state appointed agency stepped in.

Although the physical protest might have been restricted in some states because of the imposition of curfew, the lessons inherent in the protest abound- the youths are not lazy after all as they were once described by the Nigerian president.

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱͮ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

POLSCOPE #EndSARS Bruises: Booting for Looting áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ

ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

D

uring the week, most Radio stations in Lagos ran a debate on the morality of the lootings that took place in the last one week.

The question was whether those who broke into several warehouses across the country to cart away stored-up palliatives committed

any offence.

Expectedly, opinions were sharply divided.

While many explained that the looters acted rightly by “possessing their possessions”, others argued that what the looters did was pure crime, as long as they broke into warehouses without the permission or approval of the custodians or keepers of the warehouse.

But those who justified the looting asked why the food items were hoarded since April/May by those who were meant to distribute them to the people. So the question that kept ringing out is why did the government not share or distribute the palliatives during the lockdown?

‘For a fact some of the food items in some warehouses were already expired or going bad.

Nigerians were shocked at the level of deprivation that the government across board had inflicted on the Nigerians people. It s recalled that some of these palliatives were donated by private corporate organisations like CACOVID and co.

So it is shocking to see those same items hidden away in several warehouses in the country.

Many contended that it amounted to wickedness on part of the government to have stored up the food items while hunger and lack was wreaking havoc among the people during the fierce bite of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the governors, smarting from the embarrassment the discovery caused them, explained lousily, that the said food-items were being stored to be given to the masses when the second phase of the Corona virus infection comes.

It was a vexatious excuse. Why hide away what can save me today? And plan to give it to me tomorrow, whereas I need today to be able to access tomorrow. You keep palliatives for the future. What if the prospective beneficiary does not survive today? It is a great folly, if not executive deception.

With the breakage and looting of several warehouses in Lagos, Kwara, Osun, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Edo, Adamawa, Jigawa etc., it is certain that most governments at sub-national level are very detached from the pains and desires of the people.

However, if the looting had ended with the raid of the warehouses for palliatives, perhaps the argument could be strongly made that they were acts necessitated by hunger and the physiological need to satisfy the pangs of hunger.

But how do we explain the looting of private homes of individuals? How do we explain the looting of tractors (in Adamawa), looting of school buses and computers in Jigawa, pulling out of ‘Jalingo’ signpost, or the removal of Ekiti House ofAssembly signpost.

Yes, the anger triggered by the Lekki shooting had resulted in some crass damages like the destruction and burning of NPA Building, BRT Terminal at Oyingbo, Ikotun etc, as well as the burning of TVC The Nation newspaper.

If the burning of TVC and The Nation Newspapers is based on the suspicion that the owner of the two media houses, Senator Bola Tinubu was behind the invitation of the Nigerian Army to the Lekki shooting saga, (even though the truth about it is now coming clearer), so what explains the burning down of the Igbosere High Court and almost all the documents thereof?

The fact that crass criminals hijacked the protests is no longer in doubt. The raw brigandage that followed and still reverberating in some states bespeaks of the danger in the land. It all indicates that there are so many criminals out there in town, that are only being contained and reined in by the law enforcement agencies.

From all indications, the legitimate protest served as the booting process for the unchecked looting that eventually took place. And once the chance came, criminals in their thousands, across the country, swooped on society, raiding and wrecking everything on their way.

The spate of lootings have thrown up a number of issues. One of which is the degree of hunger in the land. The fact that the people were first very excited in ‘discovering’ many warehouses containing food items which were supposed to serve as palliatives, means that the issue of feeding is still key among the people.

The volume of youths who trooped (and still trooping) out in each city/state to raid and loot speaks to the huge number of unemployed youths in the country.

Yes, unemployment is high. Hosting such raw energy and sitting idle all year long, the idle youths are like a keg of gunpowder, waiting to

Sanwo-Olu

explode with the slightest spark. That spark was the Lekki killings.

Another fall out of the #EndSARS protest is the widening gulf between government and the governed. The character of the aftermath of the crisis has further shown that beyond the core issue of trust, there is some hatred of government by the people.

It is not for nothing. The government has several times in the past, failed the credibility test among the people. The fierceness and depth of the damage to government property and assets is an indication of the deep-seated anger and hatred against government.

Bad and despicable as it is, the attack on private properties and investments may be interpreted in some quarters as the rise of the “oppressed” against those perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be their oppressors. In Ibadan, the looters swooped on the home of Senator Teslim Folarin and raided the home, carting away over 300 motor-cycles that were supposed to be distributed to the youths of his constituents, as constituency project.

In Jos, the hoodlums had also raided a warehouse, some breaking into the warehouse from the roof.

Such was the desperation. They went on to sweep clean the private home of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, carting away practically everything in the house including electronics etc.

In Calabar, the hoodlums raided the homes of Senator Gershom Bassey and former Senate Leader, Senator Ndoma Egba, and later set them ablaze.

Across board, the looting of private homes of those perceived as “Big men” was common.

The manner of the looting, sometimes reflects the criminal tendencies in the people, and not necessarily a quest to quench hunger. For instance, those who raided the NYSC camp in Abuja, carting away mattresses and uniforms meant for corps members, are not looking for what to eat. Same way, those who wanted to swoop on the Customs armoury in Adamawa, leading to the death of one looter, were certainly not doing so because of hunger. They are just criminals. And sadly, there were some parents who went with their children on those looting expeditions. It speaks to how social morals have collapsed in the country.

In kaduna, the hoodlums had raided a warehouse containing treated seedlings meant to be distributed to farmers for the next planting season. It had to take NAFDAC announcing that the seedlings were not fit for consumption having been treated with chemicals. It is instructive that in all the cases of these mindless lootings, the police seemed to have gone on long holidays. It was only few days ago, after the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, that the Police have started arresting the situation.

In Lagos over alleged 520 hoodlums have been arrested. In Lagos, six policemen were killed, over, 22 police stations were burnt, 37 police vehicles were burnt, 80 BRT buses were burnt, innumerable private cars and vehicles were either burnt, raided or destroyed.

Shops and major Departmental stores in SuruLere area of Lagos were raided by fierce hoodlums,

whom the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has said ,”are not Suru-Lere children”. So, Mr Speaker, where did those hoodlums come from? Is the Speaker saying or implying that “Suru-Lere children” are so disciplined and holy that they cannot engage in looting?

By last Tuesday, another set of hoodlums continued the attacks on Mile 12 market, raiding and robbing traders. Trucks carrying food stuffs were burnt. Chaos and pandemonium had seized various neighbourhoods. Great was the damage.

The Lagos State government has estimated the cost of rebuilding the state at N1 trillion It is interesting to hear that the 72-hour deadline given by Osun State governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, for hoodlums to return all the items they looted, has started yielding fruits as many hoodlums have started returning what they stole.

In Lagos, the traditionalists were relieved when they heard that the Staff of office of the Oba of Lagos which was also carted away when the palace was raided, has been returned.

The consequences of these lootings and destruction are far too grave for the people.

Yet, they will be borne by the people—Looters and non-looters alike.

The first noticeable consequence is the inflation that the chaos has triggered. Cost of food items especially, have jumped high, ostensibly because of the shortage of food stuff supply, what with all the curfews announced by several state governments across board. The people are already groaning.

Transportation will become more difficult in densely-populated cities like Lagos, where over 80 BRT buses have been burnt.

Ironically, it is the ordinary citizens who will bear the brunt of the arising hardship. Primero, the operators of the Blue BRT buses in Lagos have already announced the suspension of their service.

Already traffic flow has been chaotic since the crisis also chased away the LASTMA officials out of the roads. Many filling stations have long closed their stations with the few selling, besieged by long queues of motorists.

On a larger scale, the damage to the economy is huge. Not only has the destruction caused the loss of jobs---imagine the drivers and other ancillary staff of those burnt 80 BRT buses, the owners of the many shops that were looted and destroyed. How would they recover their individual economies?

Such chaos and social upheavals are bound to scare local and foreign investors. Which investor would knowingly plough huge sums of investment into an unstable economy and society?

One other fallout of the crisis is the avalanche of Fake News. It was just everywhere, no thanks to the abuse of the Social Media. Old and photoshopped video clips were being circulated.

At the onset of the crisis, they had claimed Bola Tinubu had fled to France, supporting the claim with an old video of a Tinubu walking very fast to catch a flight. That his son, Seyi had been flown in a private jet to London. A fake tweet was also circulated where Tinubu was said to be begging the mob not to kill his son as he was not the one who invited the military to Lekki tollgate.

There was another video that claimed the soldiers

were arming Fulani youths in Badagry preparatory to attacking southerners. It was an old video of surrendered arms during the amnesty offer to Niger Delta youths. The fake news purveyors changed the narrative.

But the worst of them all was in claiming that Prof Wole Soyinka had ordered that all Igbos should leave Yoruba Land.

Clearly, there was nothing farther from the truth. It was all meant by the IPOB campaigners and other enemies of state to cause divisive and huge tribal disaffection that could trigger ethnic unrest. Thankfully, the plot failed.

Perhaps one of the gravest fallouts of the crises is the credibility concern for Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu over the invitation of the soldiers who eventually shot and killed some protesters.

On his Wednesday, October 21 broadcast, Gov Sanwo-Olu had given the impression that he was not aware of how the military invaded the Lekki tollgate. He said the authority that brought the soldiers to the tollgate was clearly beyond him.

He had claimed that he had complained about how the military invaded the protest ground at Lekki tollgate. As he put it: “for clarity, it is imperative to explain that no sitting governor controls the rules of engagement of the military.

I have nonetheless ordered an investigation into the rules of engagement adopted by the men of the Nigerian army that were deployed to the Lekki tollgate last night…”

The above gives the impression that the governor was not aware of how the soldiers got into the arena.

But by last Tuesday, the Nigerian Army had issued a statement that they were invited to the scene by Gov Sanwo-Olu to maintain civil order.

One of his media aides had gone ahead to claim that the governor had never denied inviting the soldiers. That was not the narrative in the public domain. If the governor was indeed the one who invited the soldiers, why was all the shenanigans on the issue of not knowing the “rules of engagement” in his broadcast? Didn’t the governor claim that he had called on Mr President twice when he heard that soldiers were at the tollgate, but that the President was not available for talks, thus giving the impression that he was helpless? If he had invited the soldiers, so why was he calling on the President? Why was the governor feigning ignorance about the coming of the soldiers? He claimed, in an ARISE TV interview that it was his wife and cabinet members that told him that soldiers were shooting at the protest venue. If he had knowingly invited soldiers, why was he surprised they were shooting? No wonder he was reluctant to admit that there were fatalities. He had earlier claimed there were no fatalities. Four hours after his broadcast, he tweeted to admit one person died. A day after, he admitted that another person had died from bullet wounds. Yet soldiers did not shoot at protesters!.

He had admitted that many were injured and some had undergone surgery. Yet, they claim solider did not shoot at unarmed protesters. That they shot into the sky. So those who were killed or injured were living in the skies? It is things like this that breach the trust quotient between leaders and the led. Now we understand why his mother’s house in Suru-Lere was also burnt in the ensuing rage.

This has surely dented the credibility of Mr Governor, and it will be a cross he’d have to carry for a long time to come I think we should not bother asking who ordered the soldiers to shoot. Soldiers are not policemen.

When you invite armed soldiers to a place , what other “shooting instruction” would they need?

But hey, why did it take the military almost a week to admit that they were the ones who shot protesters at Lekki tollgate?

Were the soldiers merely gaslighting Nigerians?

Didn’t the soldiers claim that the story about their shooting protesters at the tollgate was fake? Didn’t they claim they were not behind the shootings?

How can such a major national institution like the Nigerian Army engage in petty lies with all the videographic evidences that belie their claims?

Needless to say it was the shooting and killings that triggered the spate of attacks and lootings that has seized the country. If the soldiers did not shoot and kill protesters, the protests would have most likely ended peacefully.

Already sitting, is the judicial panel of enquiry into the shooting and killings at the tollgate. Nigerians look forward to what they will report back, provided its findings are not doctored. I say this because of the stories that participants have been asked to sign oaths of secrecy at the panel. Evil breeds in secrecy. It is ironical that a panel that is supposed to unravel all that were foggy in the crisis is already taking oath of secrecy. How can those sworn to secrecy be willing to reveal dirty dealings?

37

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

EID-EL-MAULUD...

EID-EL-MAULUD...

Govs Others Felicitate with Muslim Faithful Our Correspondents

EndSARS Protests, Setback, Says Fintiri The Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has described the unfortunate #EndSARS protest as a great setback to the nation and regretted the loss of lives and wanton destruction of both public and private property that accompanied the protest.

Fintiri disclosed this yesterday in a press statement that was signed by his Press Secretary, Mr. Humwashi Wonosikou, to felicitate with the Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-El-Maulud celebration He also urged the residents of the state to show patriotism and commitment to the growth and development of the state.

The governor said: “This time calls for fervent prayers for Allah to intervene towards the sustenance of the peace Adamawa is known for.”

He also called for understanding amongst the people and appealed to all to use the celebration for supplication to Allah for guidance in the way they respond to situations.

Fintiri said: “As we rejoice in the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed, let us be mindful of the need to pray for peace and unity amongst the citizens, which form the fulcrum for the progress of our dear state and nation.

“I have searched myself, and I’m asking all that feel I have offended them to please find a place in their hearts to forgive me for Allah to accept our prayers as a people.”

The governor also used this opportunity to appeal to the Muslim Ummah to rededicate themselves to the virtues of charity, selflessness, fairness and good neighbourliness that Prophet Mohammed represents.

Gombe Gov Preaches Tolerance, Modesty The Governor of Gombe State, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has called on all Muslims in the state to imbibe the spirit of tolerance, humility, modesty and generosity that were exemplified by the life and times of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as they celebrate this year’s Eid-El-Maulud.

Yahaya, in his goodwill message to mark the celebration, also admonished both leaders and the led to use the occasion to draw lessons and inspiration from the virtues of service, peaceful co-existence and exemplary leadership of the Holy Prophet and give their best for the overall peace, unity, development and prosperity of the society.

He also sued for continued prayers for the peace, wellbeing and prosperity of the state and the nation at large.

The governor emphasised the need for tolerance among the diverse people of the state, regardless of their differences and urged them to continue to be law abiding and guard jealously the relative peace and tranquility the state has been enjoying by shunning all acts capable that could jeopardise it.

Obaseki Preaches Love, Peace, Tolerance The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged Muslims to emulate the virtue and the teaching of tolerance and peace of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W).

Obaseki noted that the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) is a time for thorough soul-searching ,so as to fall back on the prophet’s teachings of good neighbourliness, which is needed more than ever during this era of COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged Muslims to show love and tolerance as espoused in Islam.

Obaseki said: “I felicitate with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Edo State and across Nigeria, as we mark the celebration of the birthday of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W).

“On this day, we are once again reminded of the need to show love and be at peace with one another for the development and progress of our state and country.”

The governor encouraged Muslims to work for unity and progress in society, just as the Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) would, urging them to be good neighbours and enviable ambassadors of change.

AbdulRazaq Tasks Muslims on Peace, Unity

The Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has felicitated with the Muslim community on the commemoration of the epochal birth of Prophet Muhammed.

AbdulRazaq said that the occasion called for deeper reflections within the human race.

CELEBRATION MOOD…

Muslim faithful during Maulud celebration at Kaduna Township Stadium in Kaduna …yesterday A statement issued in Ilorin yesterday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “The birth of Prophet Muhammed and his rise to prophet-hood some 40 years after changed the course of human history and civilisation.

The statement said: “The commemoration of the day serves as another reminder to everyone about how best to lead an impactful life for the good of humanity.

“As the Muslim community commemorates the birth of the prophet, it is important that we take full advantage of what the noble messenger of God bequeathed to humanity in law, ethics, manners and relationships with fellow human beings. As remarkably said by one of the virtuous predecessors, successful indeed are those who make the Prophet their life coach.”

Bauchi Gov Urges Residents to Pray for Peace

The Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has called on the people of the state to bury their religious, ethnic, regional and political differences and pray for the peace of the nation in the wake of the #EndSARS protest.

Mohammed made the call yesterday in his goodwill message to mark the Eid-El-Maulud celebration in the state while appealing for sober reflection and self-evaluation by all in order to know how best to relate with the creator and fellow human beings and make amends where necessary.

He said: “As you are aware, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) lived a simple but exemplary life. Besides the divine revelations which he received and passed on to his followers, he also preached peace, honesty, patience, generosity, humility, sincerely, love for one another and the fear of God. “It is these virtues that people irrespective of their religious inclinations are enjoined to imbibe and to put into practice,” adding that Bauchi State and the country need peace more than ever before.

Bala stated that the present demonstration and youth restiveness across the country against the excesses of the now disbanded Special AntiRobbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force has caused tension add appealed to the youths to eschew violence and contribute to the development of the nation.

He said: “The protest was hijacked by the hoodlums, which escalated into outright violence. Unsuspecting members of the public were needlessly attacked, shops were looted and public properties vandalised.

“At a time like this, I urge all Muslims to pray for peace to prevail. I would, therefore, like to call on the good people of Bauchi State to bury their ethnic, religious or political differences and continue to live in peace and harmony with one another.

“I would also like to appeal to you all to offer special prayers for peace in our state in particular and the nation in general in the face of the current security challenges in different parts of the country.”

Buni Calls for Reflection on Unity of Nigeria

The Yobe State Governor, Mr. Mai-Mala Buni, has said that the celebration of the birth of Holy Prophet Mohammed (Eid-El-Maulud) should be used as a period to reflect on the unity of Nigeria, peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness.

Buni, in a statement that was issued yesterday by his Spokesman, Mr. Mamman Mohammed, said that Prophet Mohammed was a prophet of peace and light to the world and “this occasion of his birthday should therefore be a period to preach peace, forgiveness, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”

He, however, observed that this year’s Maulud came at a time when the nation is undergoing some challenges arising from the #Endsars protests, which has claimed some lives and led to destruction and looting of properties.

The governor said: “The recent events that bedeviled the country are both regrettable and condemnable when lawlessness was exhibited with impunity.

“Unfortunately this is happening when the global economy, including Nigeria, is adversely affected by the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Buni, therefore, urged Nigerians to guard the existence and corporate unity of the country jealousy, noting that “there is no alternative to peace and we have no other country than Nigeria.”

He also called on the people to pray for the peace of Yobe State and the country as he wished everyone a happy and peaceful celebration.

Uzodimma Urges Prayers for Nigeria

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has admonished the Muslim faithful to use the occasion of this year’s Eid -El- Maulud to pray for the peace and unity of Nigeria.

Uzodimma, in his Eid-El-Maulud message to Muslims who are commemorating the birth of Prophet Mohammed, told Muslims that Nigeria required their prayers for peace, unity, love and understanding now than ever.

He regretted that the country is going through very difficult times that have challenged the leadership, noting that at times like this prayer plays key role in smoothening rough edges.

The governor encouraged the Muslims to exhibit those rare qualities of Prophet Mohammed such as patience, sincerity, honesty, kindness, generosity etc. in their relationship with fellow mankind and to resist every attempt to be dragged into acts that are inimical to the tenets of their faith.

He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and the entire Muslim community for another Eid-El-Maulud celebration and advised the Muslim youths to shun all criminal tendencies like the recent looting of government and private person’s property by those who hid under the #EndSARS protests to perpetrate criminal activities.

Kwara Speaker Preaches Virtues of Muhammad The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, has enjoined the youths and people of the state to

emulate the character and virtues of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

A statement issued in Ilorin by the Special Assistant, Media to the Speaker, Mr. Ibrahim Sheriff said that “the time to reflect on our character is now; we must exhibit good deeds and be morally upright if we must attain sustainable peace and progress in our personal and public lives.

“The ugly incidences that occurred in our dear state recently is to say the least, alien to any religious ideal and indeed, contravenes the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), informing the need for renewed call on us all to live by the virtues and values of the Holy Prophet.”

He, therefore, congratulated Muslim Ummah for the grace of witnessing yet another Maolid Nabbiy while praying for the blessings and teachings of the important celebration.

The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, has called on the Muslim Ummah to use the occasion of Maould Nabby to shun any act that may hinder the unity and peace of the country.

Bolarinwa, in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday, said: “Islam is a religion of peace and all hands must be on deck to stay away from any violence that may impede the united nation.

The APC chieftain advised Muslims to allow the teachings of Prophet Muhammed to reflect on their day to day activities so as to move the nation forward.

Diri Celebrates Eid-el-Maulud With Bayelsa Muslim Community

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, yesterday marked the Eid-el-Maulud festival with the Muslim community in the state even as he sued for an indivisible and peaceful Nigeria where all tribes and religions would co-exist in love.

Governor Diri, who hosted the adherents of Islam at the Government House in Yenagoa, said with religious tolerance, the country can forge ahead as a people with one destiny to make Nigeria richer and greater.

The governor’s spokesman, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as expressing delight with the peaceful disposition of the Muslim community in the state.

He said Bayelsa is predominantly Christian but his government will continue to encourage good neighborliness between the two religions.

He said: “We want a united Nigeria. We want a Nigeria of love, of equity, of justice and where we can live together and respect each other’s right and religion. We want a country where we can remove the sentiments of tribe and religion.

“We have always been talking about one Nigeria; a Nigeria that will exude love, that is united and that wherever you find yourself, you can it make a home. I am very sure that our Muslim brothers and sisters have a home in Bayelsa.

“Here you are not non-indigenes. You can only say you are non-natives of Bayelsa. You are indigenes of Nigeria and you are welcome to Bayelsa. Every right that the indigenes here enjoy, we extend it to you.

“May I seize this opportunity to invite all of you to join your hands with us in the development of Bayelsa and our country, Nigeria.”

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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24 HOURS...

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Military Used Training Bullets at Lekki Tollgate, Says ex-Army Spokesman Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe A former Director of the Nigerian Army Public Relations, BrigadierGeneral Sani Usman (rtd)

yesterday in Lagos claimed that the bullets used by the soldiers at the Leki Tollgate shooting were those used for training and not live ammunition.

Usman also denied claims that

Rice Millers to Shut down Plants over Looting James Emejo in Abuja Rice millers have resolved to shut down some of their plants in some parts of the country following the destruction of some of their mills by protesters during the widespread #EndSARS protests.

Dealers under the aegis of Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) said they were taken aback at the devastating destruction and looting carried out against members of RIMAN. “RIMAN is shocked and sad at the level of havoc that was carried out on these rice mills and other government and private properties within the country,” the association’s National President, Peter Dama, said.

He added, “The resultant impact

on these rice mills will create some deficits in our members’ contribution to national food security and rice value chain, as the affected rice mills will be shut down for a while at this critical period with huge debts to pay.”

Dama, who disclosed this in statement issued in Abuja by RIMAN and signed by its president, stated that some of the affected mills included Shamad Rice Mill, Yola; Glams Foods, Lagos.

He said, “This act is condemnable, highly regrettable and insensitive.

“Regrettably, during these attacks, tonnes of milled rice, paddy, furniture, machines, equipment and operational vehicles were destroyed and looted, while some parts of buildings were set ablaze.”

Buhari Commiserates with Burkinabe President over His Father’s Death Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the President of Burkina Faso, Marc Christian Kabore and his country, following the demise of his father, Bila Charles Kabore, who died at the age of 90 years.

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, in a statement issued yesterday said, the President on Thursday evening spoke with Kabore to commiserated with him.

Buhari said: “I am deeply pained and saddened to hear of the death of your beloved and respected father. He was an outstanding

leader who cared for all. His life was devoted towards the progress of the Burkinabe nation and its people. May God give you, the family and the entire country the fortitude to bear the loss.

“On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Nigeria, please accept our heartfelt condolences. May God repose his soul,” said the President.

The President added that deceased was a distinguished Burkinabe, who served as Minister of Finance in the 60s, board member of the country’s Central Bank and at one time, the Vice Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).

the military removed bodies of dead protesters from the shooting scene, stressing that the possibility of that occurring is remote.

Usman stated this yesterday when he appeared on the Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise News channel, a sister broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers.

He said the military men are being called to intervene in civil matters if things take a different turn, where even family members cannot resolve their differences peacefully.

According to him, “When

you look at this issue, you are forced to ask what the military is supposed to do in a security situation when called upon.

Remember that the military are armed, and by nature of their training, they are trained to kill. There are procedures of taking over and handing over. But over time, given the peculiarity of the Nigerian society, where we have negated the time tested and trusted complex resolution mechanism that even among families, people are now throwing arms against brothers and sisters, what can you do in

that situation?

“But most times, the military is called upon because we cannot afford destructions and killings of lives and property, and I think the military in its wisdom, instead of using live ammunition, decided to use blank armor which is meant for training, and I think they should be commended for that otherwise there could have been serious collateral damage.”

He added: “I don’t want to go into details because the Judicial Panel of Inquiry is working hard to unravel all these things, but there are clear procedures of

when the police are overwhelmed and when the military is being called upon.”

On reports on gunshot wounds contradicting the blank armor claim, the retired general said: “We should allow the commission of enquiry to do its job, but at the same time, let me also look at it that there were a lot of key actors at that particular point in time, and instance that include well known celebrities and so-called big boys, and we know that some of them had body guards that are well armed and a lot of things happened.

MERCHANTS OF DEATH…

Arms recovered from suspected looters and rearrested inmates, by the Edo State Police Command in Benin City…recently ADIBE EMENYONU

Troops Kill 22 Terrorists in North-east Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Following the attack by terrorist groups, Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) on the Army Super Camp in Damboa, Borno State, troops of Operation Fire Ball under Operation Lafiya Dole and the Air Task Force have pounded terrorist positions, killing 22 insurgents.

A military update on the

war against insurgency issued yesterday by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO) said troops pounded the insurgents with superior fire power and additional fire support from the Air Task Force.

“The criminals withdrew in rout as they could not withstand the well organised and determined soldiers during the encounter.

“The Boko Haram terrorists

suffered severe casualties as 22 terrorists were neutralised while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds”, it said.

The update signed by the Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko, said two gun trucks, one NSV Anti- aircraft gun, two rocket propelled grenade tubes and four PKT machine guns were recovered.

Other recovered weapons include; one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one browning machine gun, 12Ak47rifles and one AK-74 rifle.

Troops also recovered one RPG 7 bomb, 116 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and two hand grenades from the terrorists.

The update said the few soldiers wounded in action and were evacuated and were receiving medical treatment.

Nigerians Condemn Trump’s Opposition to Calabar Looters Not from Our Okonjo-Iweala’s Bid for WTO Job State, Says Akwa Ibom Govt Chiemelie Ezeobi vote for Trump’s opponent at and first African to lead the is throwing a tantrum over Okon Bassey inUyo Akwa Ibom State Government has refuted the allegation by the Cross River State Police Command that perpetrators of the looting

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as BOBBY GBOLADE OTUYELU, now wish to be known and addressed as BOBBY MICHAEL UCHECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The General public, Immigration and banks should please take note.

I, formally known and addressed as GRILLO KEHINDE BUSOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as FATUNBI KEHINDE GRILLO BUSOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formally known and addressed as MUSA HAPPINESS OMOLELUME, now wish to be known and addressed as OFOBIKE +$33,1(66 202/(/80( . All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

and arson in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, during the #EndSARS protests were indigenes of Akwa Ibom State.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River Police State Command, Irene Ugbo, had alleged that the looters during the #EndSARS protests in Calabar came from Akwa Ibom State.

While reacting to the allegation, the Akwa Ibom State Government argued that the position of the Cross River State Police Command was untrue and misleading.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Emmemobong, yesterday stated that the “state government’s position was arrived at after a comprehensive review of existing evidence by security agencies in our state.

“It became clear that the attacks on public and private properties in Calabar was not and could not have been carried out by people who were transported from our state for that purpose, as there was no such transportation of hoodlums by water from our state to Cross River State as claimed by some fake reports.

Following the United States Government’s opposition to the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Nigerians have taken to the social media to blast the President Donald Trump-led administration.

While expressing their dismay at the development, given that Okonjo-Iweala had the consensus backing of almost all the nations comprising the WTO, they also charged Nigerians in the US to

the presidential polls, Mr. Joe Biden.

Though some Nigerians have already lost hope given that the US is a power bloc, others enthused that the outcome would turn out just like that of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, who got tenure renewal at the African Development Bank, despite severe opposition from the US government.

While some Nigerians expressed reservations, majority consensus Okonjo-Iweala would emerge first woman

WTO despite opposition from the US government, which is critical of the WTO’s handling of global trade. @CChukwudebelu wrote, “Whatever happens, Dr. OkonjoIweala has demonstrated that she is brilliant, smart and has out of this world international networking skills.

“It is not just her CV, but her understanding of international politics and international political actors.”

Banjo Damilola @RealBanjo wrote, “ love that the US

Okonjo-Iweala’s win. Makes her win even more remarkable.

We love to see it!! @EneyoFenomenon wrote, “@ NOIweala has all the requisite skills to reform the WTO, so if the U.S. argument in favour of Yoo Myung-hee is about trade expertise then it falls short clearly.

Okonjo meets that.” @Felix wrote, “ America should not be so self-centered in everything, they should not reject majority’s decision just for their selfish, greedy sentiment.”

Ohanaeze, Arewa Youths Laud Re-appointment of INEC Chairman Udora OrizuinAbuja The apex socio-cultural youth organisation in Igbo land, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, and Arewa Youth Consultative Movement (AYCM) have commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the reappointment of Prof. Mahmud Yakubu as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The groups in separate

statements issued yesterday by their President-Generals, Uchenna Nnadi and Kabiru Yusuf respectively, said Buhari did what no other president before him was able to do by reposing confidence in the sitting chairman of INEC. The groups urged Yakubu to ensure that ongoing electoral reforms and e-voting are achieved before 2023.

According to the statement, “In the last five years, there is no doubt that the quality of our elections

have improved tremendously, and this reappointment will only lead to a consolidation of the efforts thus far. The INEC chairman will not have excuses to render to Nigerians if he fails to deliver credible polls in 2023. The youth group, therefore, calls for both local and international support from partners, donors and other stakeholders to reform our entire electoral process. There cannot be a better time for this support as we have implicit confidence in

the integrity and ability of Prof.

Yakubu to deliver on the job. ‘’The performance of the commission in the most recent governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States clearly shows that INEC is reforming our electoral processes, and that votes in Nigeria have now started counting and the voice of the voters clearly restored. We note that in the outstanding parliamentary elections, Nigerians expect to see a steady progress in improvement.”

39

˜ ͻ͸˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

AFCON 2022 QUALIFIER

Osimhen, Etebo, Akpeyi, Others Back for Battle with Sierra Leone Duro Ikhazuagbe

Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen; Oghenekaro Etebo of Galatasaray of Turkey and Kaizer Chiefs’ Daniel Akpeyi were among the list of 24 Super Eagles players Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, called up for next month’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone.

While Osimhen missed early this month’s friendlies with African champions Algeria and Tunisia in Austria due to Covid-19 scare in Napoli camp, Etebo and Akpeyi have been sidelined as Rohr continues his experimentation with new players.

Also recalled to the team is Glasgow Rangers’ Joe Ayodele-Aribo. The young lad signaled his new form with a brilliant goal for the Scottish Premiership team at the weekend.

Akpeyi’s return is also expected to spark rivalry for the number one shirt with Sparta Rotterdam safe hands, Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho who is listed as one of the seven players on stand by list. Uzoho is just returning to action after one year on the sideline due to injury.

In place of Uzoho in the 24-man list, Rohr invited Switzerland–based goalkeeper, Sebastian Osigwe for his first cap with Nigeria.

Usual suspected like Captain Ahmed Musa, defender William TroostEkong, Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun and Chidozie Awaziem are al in the team for the battle with the Leone

Stars.

New boys like defenders Kevin Akpoguma and Zaidu Sanusi, who impressed in the friendlies in Austria, were also handed opportunities to add to their caps.

Alex Iwobi and forwards Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze and Chidera Ejuke were listed in the 24-man team for the trip to Benin City.

Rohr also listed seven players on standby. They including; defender Abdullahi Shehu, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, midfielders Ramon Azeez and Samson Tijani, and forward Paul Onuachu.

The Super Eagles will take on the Leone Stars at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Friday, 13th November before flying to Freetown for the return game on Tuesday, 17th November at the Siaka Stevens Stadium.

According to NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, all the Invited players are expected to report at the Protea Hotel Emotan in Benin City on Monday, 9th November.

Victories in both encounters will all but guarantee Nigeria a slot at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals holding in Cameroon.

Meanwhile, Uzoho is thrilled to be back in action again after spending over a year on the sidelines due to injury.

Uzoho copped an injury in Nigeria’s 1-1 friendly draw against the Selecao of Brazil in October 2019.

The Nigeria international

CAF Champions League Deciders Postponed The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the postponement of this year’s African Champions League final and the semifinal second legbetween Egypt’s Zamalek and Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

Raja’s trip to Cairo for Sunday’s contest against Zamalek was in doubt afteran outbreak of Covid-19 at the club in the run-up to the fixture.

CAF had already postponed the match from last weekendafter eight Raja players tested positive for coronavirus.

That number rose to 14 following another round of testing. Raja were set to carry out more tests on Thursday and were scheduled to leave for Egypt on Friday.

The final itself, which was set to take place in Egypt on Friday 6 November, has now also been moved after Egyptian authorities

separately expressed concerns about the timing of both the semi-final and final because of parliamentary elections in Egypt.

CAF insisted that no new dates have yet been decided for either of the games, with “official discussions” underway between stakeholders.

The Moroccan champions lost 1-0 to Zamalekin the first leg in Casablanca earlier this month and are battling to meet another Egyptian side, Al Ahly, in the final.

Fulfilling the 2019-2020 Champions League season has proven extremely challenging for CAF because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The final was originally scheduled to be played in May, before being moved back to October and then to November.

CAF will be hoping that the fourth rescheduling will be the last.

made his first appearance of the season as APOEL defeated PAEEK 4-0 in a Cypriot Cup game on Wednesday night.

The 22-year-old took to the social media to celebrate the important victory and his return to action. “After 380 days here I’m back stronger IN CHRIST ALONE.” Uzoho will look to make his league debut for APOEL against Apollon on Saturday.

THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers:

Daniel

Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Sebastian Osigwe (FC Lugano, Switzerland); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands) Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Zaidu

Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany) Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray, Turkey); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, Netherlands); Frank Onyeka (FC Midtjylland, Denmark); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure (Club Brugge, Belgium); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel

Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia) Standby: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); Samson Tijani (TSV Hartberg, Austria); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosia, Cyprus); Ramon Azeez (Granada CF, Spain); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium)

L-R: Osimhen, Akpeyi, Etebo have been recalled to Super Eagles for clash with Sierra Leone

ITTF WORLD CUP

Aruna Quadri Pledges to be Good Ambassador in China Aruna Quadri who will travel to China next month to play in the ITTF World Cup Tournament has pledged to be Nigeria’s good ambassador.

The African tap table tennis star has been leading TTC RhönSprudel Maberzell Fulda in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) since his switch early this year.

Quadri is scheduled to play in the World Cup tournament scheduled to hold between November 13 and 15in Weihai and the ITTF finals also listed for November 19 and 22in Zheng.

“My goals are always the same: I want to improve my performance and be a good ambassador for my country, my sponsors and my club,” observed the Oyo-State born table tennis player.

On the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which have been postponed by a year, Quadri who will be playing at his third Olympiad in Japan stressed that IOC did the

do that very soon.

“The Bundesliga is really strong and challenging. I think the chance of winning is always around 50:50.

“One shortcoming was certainly having to play some games without spectators, like in Bad Königshofen and Düsseldorf. That is not satisfactory for me; the morale was not the same as in having fans at games to cheer you on. Spectators are very important to me, which is an additional incentives that ginger me to greater Aruna Quadri has pledged to be good Nigerian ambassador in China heights.”

Quadri who holds dual during the ITTF World Cup citizenship having his home in Lisbon, Portugal, admitted it right thing by pushing the appears secondary for now. is not really easy to be away games forward as health of “I hope to continue playing from his family. athletes and officials remain for a few more years. I will “I am a family person and paramount. continue to play table tennis always enjoy being with my “In the current situation, as long as my body allows wife and children. When I’m hardly anything can be it and my performance is out and about, I keep in planned. Of course, the good,” he revealed. touch with them everyday Olympic Games are something He however admitted that via the Internet. Even when special,but the health and settling into the German I’m in Lisbon, the focus is on safety of athletes and officials League has not been a piece training. Table tennis is my come first,” reasoned the 2014 of cake. job and my life. It is very ITTF Star player.

“It is still very difficult for important to me that I can At 32 years, Quadri does me to adapt to the level of take good care of my family not feel any pressure yet play in Germany. But I firmly through my work,” concludes and retiring from the game believe that I will be able to the African Star.

Friday October 30, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Wike to IPOB “This is clearly a terrorist group whose existence, creed, mission, and activities are strongly denounced even by the government and peoples of the Southeastern states of the country” – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, signing an executive order to ban the activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.

AKINOSUNTOKUN The SARS in All Nigerian Governance DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

“The situation was fast degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that LASG (Lagos State governor) requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy”– The Nigerian Army “The army does not report to me, I have reported the matter to the highest command in the military. It’s not something we are going to gloss over. A judicial panel will be set up to investigate it. I have escalated it to the highest level of the military.”–Governor Babajide SanwoOlu

T

hirty years ago, I handed over my car to the mechanic who regularly attended to the machine. Not hearing from him for two days, I went looking for him in his workshop and learnt he had literally vamoosed with two vehicles entrusted in his care, including mine. I went through the motion of lodging a report at the police station and thereafter retired to lick my wounds. Two years later, two guys showed up at my office to give me a pleasant surprise.

The robber mechanic had been apprehended in far away Kano with my car in his possession.

They went with me to retrieve the car in Kagara where it had been abandoned after developing a disabling mechanical fault on the return journey to Lagos. This was my first and only encounter with the Special Anti Robbery Squad, commonly known as SARS and it had since receded into oblivion in my consciousness.

After a one year research fellowship at the University of Oxford, I returned to Nigeria a fortnight ago and was confronted with the novelty of a potential Nigerian equivalence of the Arab spring with the hashtag ##endsars#. In response to the endemic security crisis (that had plagued Nigeria for many years now) particularly in the aspect of violent armed robbery, the SARS had been repeatedly constituted, disbanded and reconstituted. The novelty, for me, this time around was the heightened notoriety of the squad, significant enough to merit becoming the agent provocateur of widespread reformist uprising. Behind the ##endsars# protest banner lies an overflowing cup of governance and political iniquities threatening to provoke a major political blowout.

The truth is that Nigeria has reached a tipping point bereft of any meaningful capacity to spare for the containment or accommodation of routine demands for national renewal. As we speak, a low intensity civil war is escalating in the North-east region and the latest intelligence from the war front is that Boko Haram now claims and controls all territory beyond two kilometres of Maiduguri. Regardless of the falsity of so-called American prognosis to the effect that Nigeria may start unravelling from 2015 onwards, the reality of Nigeria today under the stewardship of Muhammadu Buhari has proven to be a veritable instance of reality imitating the fiction of the American dire projection. The serial mismanagement of conflict and crisis situations, often precipitated by the government itself, has turned Nigeria into a grim reaper of cyclical degeneration of crisis into avoidable tragedies. Between the Nigeria Army and Sanwo-Olu, just how did a peaceful and civil protest of Nigerian youths degenerate into the rampant shootings of this

Buhari demographic at the hands of the Nigeria army?

Not to talk of the nationwide spiral into an orgy of burning and looting; and the divide and rule manipulation into a contrived ethnic conflict between Igbo and Yoruba and other similar replications. As evidence of governance dysfunction and failure the #endsars## crisis can be generalised across the inclusive spectrum of public institutions in Nigeria. Or what some characterise a deeper and wide ranging political affliction. Is it possible to isolate any governmental unit that has not suffered a similar institutional decay and collapse? In essence, how is the SARS crisis different from what we learnt of the institutional abuse and degradation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? Does anyone know what has become of the seismic proportions scandal of the orgiastic corruption carnival at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC)? For that matter, what about the open sore of the National Assembly where legislators pay themselves one to two million per day as emoluments- which of course is chicken feed compared to several allegations of collusion in bogus and padded contract scams in annual budgetary spending of the ministries and departments and agencies (MDAs)? What about the sadistic insensitivity of committing N35 billion ($100 million) for so-called rehabilitation of the National Assembly complex- made worse by the lie that there has been no major renovation of the National Assembly building for 20 years and many parts of the property had become dilapidated.

Contrary to this lie, in 2013, the Federal Executive Council approved a contract of N40.2

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

billion for the “construction of Phase III, Part III of the National Assembly complex and the upgrading of the assembly’s two chambers.

And aside a sum of N250 million paid to DCN Nigeria Ltd for “general renovation of the main building”, the newspaper also found that the National Assembly spent N578 million on the refurbishing of meetings and committee rooms. And your guess is as good as mine on what might be responsible for the chronic and pathetic incapacity of the Nigerian military to square against the Boko Haram.

Let us not forget that the signature tune of the Buhari Presidency is the sustained and ferocious assault on Nigerian unity by the governance disposition of Buhari. According to The Guardian editorial, “On the watch of the president, the National Security Adviser, the Defence Minister, the Director General, State Security Service, Director General National Intelligence Agency, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Police Affairs, the Chief of Air Staff, the Comptrollers-General of Customs, Immigration and Prisons, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, etc all hail from the North where the president hails from. The fact that public-spirited persons, including former presidents have called Buhari’s attention to the risk of his action and he has consistently ignored them, says a lot about his own scanty respect for national unity and stability.”

Did this President and National Assembly bother to enlighten us on the merits of the utilisation of Nigeria’s borrowed money for the construction of railways to Niger Republic? Remember that the transportation infrastructure into the Niger Delta region from where Nigeria derive its life saving revenue is in worse than deplorable condition. How is this violent exploitation and expropriation worse than the criminal brigandage of SARS? How is the condonation of the chronic Middle Belt killing fields at the hands of Fulani militia less a crime than police brutality?

In sum the SARS criminal enterprise is a microcosm of the Nigeria macrocosm. The truth is that Nigeria is in a free fall and it would amount to a cruel mockery of what ails the country to believe that police reform begins to scratch the surface of what is required to arrest the trend of a self-destructive implosion.

The utility of the black Tuesday is the attention and consciousness it has drawn from a lethargic Nigerian public and an otherwise distracted international community. The internal

The problem of Nigeria is a systemic crisis and collapse which postulates that until and unless Nigeria addresses the problem as such, all attempts at isolating the sporadic and episodic manifestations for remedial initiatives will end up in self-defeating smokes and mirrors

contradiction of Nigeria’s pseudo federalism was again laid bare in the conflict of accountability between the Lagos State government and the Nigerian president. All of which is to say that SARS is not Nigeria’s problem. The problem of Nigeria is a systemic crisis and collapse which postulates that until and unless Nigeria addresses the problem as such, all attempts at isolating the sporadic and episodic manifestations for remedial initiatives will end up in self-defeating smokes and mirrors. There is the saying that all politics is local and by dint of the same logic, one can validly argue that all development challenges are local. For development to take root, it has to be localised and owned by the beneficiary local population especially in a polity that is defined by large scale diversities and origins. This self-prescriptive local decentralisation and devolution of powers and development is the philosophy behind the Nigerian federalism. It was true in 1960 as it is true today. It can get perplexing when the obstructionist question is repeatedly raised, as to what constitutes restructuring. Well, we will not tire of clarifications. Restructuring is no more and no less than the restructuring of power relations between the federalism prescribed two tiers of government, the central (federal government) and the coordinate units (the state governments). Such restructuring amounts to a redistribution of powers between these two tiers of government. Restructuring was what consecutive Nigerian military rule did when they incrementally broke the four regions inherited in 1966 into the prevailing dysfunctional 36 states and simultaneously expropriated their powers to reinforce centralisation of powers at the centre. The powers are described and listed as exclusive, concurrent and residual powers.

For instance, in generic instances of federalism, the exclusive powers are exclusive to the federal government and they consist of such items as foreign policy, defence, currency.

The concurrent powers are those that are concurrently exercised by both tiers such as education, health, agriculture while residual often refers to those powers that do not fall under the exclusive and concurrent. In a typical federation, such residual powers are credited to the states.

Federalism is distorted with negative consequences where, as in the case of Nigeria, the federal government appropriate powers and functions that federalism prescribes as the preserve of the second tier. It is the imperative and process of realigning and restoring the balance to the states that we now call restructuring. Here, it is relevant to recall the admonition of Alexander Pope to the effect that ‘let fools contend, whatever is best administered is best’. In other words and regardless of fidelity to federalism, if the pseudo- federalism that presently governs Nigeria is working well, there would have been no pressure to suggest that if we do not know where we are going, let us return to the certainty and propriety of where we are coming from.

In the experience of Nigeria and given that the country has trended towards failure commensurate with its deviation from (true) federalism, we have both theoretical and empirical evidence to know what works and what doesn’t. The question then what is stopping us from choosing the right option?

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