SATURDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2020

With N8.5tn Revenue Target, FIRS Moves to Block N3tn Tax Leakages N/Assembly, finance minister, development partners promise support The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami yesterday disclosed that the agency was targeting N8.5 trillion revenue for the country

in 2020.

He also said that the country was losing about $10 billion (about N3 trillion) of tax currently through illicit profit shifting by multinational

corporations, adding that the lost revenue would have helped to address critical infrastructure development by the three tiers of government.

Speaking at the opening of

the FIRS 2020 Management Retreat in Abuja, themed: “Repositioning FIRS for Efficient Service Delivery", Nami said since assuming office, he had launched a

comprehensive, ongoing tax collection reform process “anchored on four cardinal pillars of rebuilding FIRS’ institutional framework; robust collaboration with

stakeholders; building a customer or taxpayer-centric Institution as well as making the service data-centric Continued on page 5

Apex Court Declines to Unfreeze Foreign Accounts Belonging to Abacha Family…Page 8 Saturday 8 February, 2020 Vol 25. No 9070

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Two Killed, Houses Razed, Hundreds Displaced As Tivs, Jukuns Restart Fight Wole Ayodele in Jalingo Two persons were killed and several houses burnt when gunmen suspected to be Jukun militia attacked Ibua

village, a Tiv settlement, along Wukari-Ibi Road in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State late on Thursday night.

The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the

attack, a renewed communal clash between the Jukuns and Tivs, which has also left hundreds of people displaced.

This is coming just as what would have led to a religious

clash between Christians and Muslims in Wukari on Wednesday was averted by a combined team of security operatives.

One of the victims of the

Ibua attack, Orhembaga Laregh, said the attackers invaded the village about 7pm and shot indiscriminately before setting the village ablaze.

Another eyewitness, Terngu Deior, said he was sitting in front of his house when suddenly he saw armed men Continued on page 5

I Won’t Interfere in Ganduje-Sanusi Feud, Doing so is Unlawful, Says Buhari The Nigerian constitution did not assign any role to me in such a matter Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja said he would not interfere in the stand-off between the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, because the constitution did not assign any role to him in such matter.

The President, who made the remarks while receiving a group of newly elected lawmakers on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Ganduje in the State House, said the roles of the federal and state governments were clearly spelt out in the constitution, insisting that he would not interfere in any matter where he has no constitutional right to do so.

A statement by presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said Buhari observed however, that notwithstanding the distinct roles of the federal Continued on page 5

GOODNIGHT OLAITAN KUYORO...

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his wife, Ibijoke; wife of the Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Sherifat Hamzat; wife of the Ogun State Governor, Bamidele and the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the burial of Chief Mrs Olaitan Olayinka Kuyoro (nee Sanwo-Olu), held at the Christ Church Porogun, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State… Thursday

Kidnappers Free Kaduna Doctor’s Children after Killing Mother… Page 8

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ˜ ΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸

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Apex Court Declines to Unfreeze Foreign Accounts Belonging to Abacha Family Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË The Supreme Court, yesterday, declined a request by family members of the late Head of state, General Sani Abacha to unfreeze accounts belonging to him and other members of the family in foreign countries.

The accounts, which are in banks in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Jersey, Liechenstein and Luxembourg, were frozen following mutual judicial assistance agreements entered with the countries by the Nigerian government during the administration of the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999.

Dissatisfied with the government's action, the Abacha's family dragged the federal government to court to reverse the said directive.

Unfortunately their request

both at the trial court and Court of Appeal was turned down, forcing them to approach the final court in the country for justice.

Delivering judgement yesterday in the appeal filed by a son of the late dictator, Mohammed Abacha, a fiveman panel of the apex court led

by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, unanimously held that the suit, which was first initiated before the Federal High Court in Kano in January 2004, had become statute-barred.

According to Justice Chima Nweze, who prepared the lead judgment of the panel, it was too late for the Abacha family to query the decision taken by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1999, via a letter authored by the then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu

Agabi (SAN).

The court in the appeal marked: SC/68/2010, held among others, that in view of the evidence presented by parties, it was left with no other options than to uphold the earlier concurrent decisions of the two lower courts (the Federal High Court, Kano and the Court of Appeal, Kaduna division), to the effect that the action was statute barred.

In the judgment read by Justice Amina Augie, the apex court held that, “In all forms, with the eloquent submission of the respondents’ counsel, and submissions anchored on the admitted evidence, I have no hesitation in affirming the concurrent decisions of the lower courts.

“Accordingly, I hereby enter an order dismissing this appeal. I further affirm

the concurrent findings and decisions of the lower courts.

Appeal dismissed.”

According to court documents, Obasanjo, in December 1999, authorised the then AGF, Agabi to request the Swiss authorities to freeze all bank accounts held in its jurisdiction by the late Head of State, General Abacha, his children, servants, agents and any other individuals or companies linked to them between 1993 and 1998.

The Nigeria government was also said to have requested the Swiss authorities to seize and detain all banking and other documents relating to the affected accounts, charge and prosecute all holders of such accounts, in order to recover and pay over to the Federal Government of Nigeria all monies falsely and fraudulently

taken from the government and people of Nigeria.

Following these steps by the Federal Government, the accounts of the Abachas found in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Jersey, Liechenstein and Luxembourg were frozen, an action members of the late Head of State challenged by filing a suit, marked: FHC/ KN/CS/6/2004, on January 28, 2004 before the Federal High Court, Kano.

The suit filed on behalf of the Abachas by Mohammed Abacha, had the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation as respondents.

After hearing parties, the court rendered its judgment in 2006, in which it upheld the argument by the respondents to the effect that the case was

not only statute barred, the plaintiff could not relitigate the same case that had been decided by the court’s Abuja division in suit: FHC/ABJ/ CS/347/2001brought by Sulgrave Holdings Inc & 19 others against the FRN & three others.

Mohammed appealed the decision of the Federal High Court, Kano at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna. But in its judgment on December 15, 2009, the appellate court upheld the decision of the trail court and dismissed the appeal.

Other members of the Supreme Court’s five-man panel that heard the appeal, Justices Olukayode Ariwoola, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Augie and Paul Galumje, all agreed with the lead judgment as written by Justice Nweze.

S’Court Affirms 12-Year Jail Term for Taraba Ex-Gov Nyame Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË The Supreme Court yesterday affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which sentenced a former Governor of Taraba State, Reverend Jolly Nyame, to 12 years imprisonment for corruption.

A five man panel of the apex court presided over by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, however set aside all fines slammed on him by the appellate court.

In the lead judgment read by Justice Aminu Augie, the apex court while noting that the lower court was in order in reducing the

initial prison terms from 14 years to 12 years, however set aside all the fines imposed amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.

The Court of Appeal had on November 16, 2018, affirmed the conviction of the former governor by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an Abuja High Court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged the former governor with criminal breach of trust, abuse of public office and converting the sum of N1.6 billion belonging to the people and government of Taraba State into private usage.

Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Banjoko had in 2018 imposed the maximum sentence of 14 years on Nyame, after convicting him in 27 out of the 41 charges levied against him by the federal government.

However the Court of Appeal in its judgment on Nyame's

appeal reduced the sentence on the grounds that the trial court was wrong by imposing the maximum sentence on Nyame who was a first time offender and accordingly reduced the sentence to 12 years.

dualisation of Kano - Katsina highway as well as the construction and equipping of the new terminal wing of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

Ganduje informed the president about the efforts of his government to make life better for Kano citizens especially in terms of security and education.

“We have done a lot in the area of security, even installing CCTV cameras in black spots and all major routes into Kano state. We also have a multi-purpose vehicle for monitoring, which has helped in arresting kidnappers and Boko Haram terrorists. We have also established an army training

area," he was quoted as saying.

The governor was also said to have informed Buhari about efforts made by the state government to curtail herdsmen/farmers' clashes by establishing settlements as well as the steps taken to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

"We used to have one million out-of-school children but now we are down to about 400,000 on account of the new education policy, which now makes schooling free and compulsory from basic to secondary school, complemented with free feeding, free uniforms and free instructional materials," Ganduje added.

in a fight over the demolition of a building.

THISDAY gathered that trouble started when some Christian youths went and demolished a building erected

by Muslims on a land purported to belong to the government.

The two groups engaged each other in a free for all after the demolition and had resorted to use of arms before the situation

was brought under control by security operatives.

Governor Darius Ishaku had during a peace meeting in Abuja, convened by the federal government to end the crisis last September, noted that the crisis was an internal affair of Taraba and pledged to end it. However, the crisis has persisted despite the peace meeting.

Nami, however emphasised the need for the agency to aggressively work towards improving its revenue performance going forward.

He said: "In 2019, the Service achieved total tax revenue collection of N5.26 trillion against a target of N8.8 trillion which translated to about 60 per cent target achievement for the year.

The performance was slightly lower than the 2018 collection of N5.3 trillion by N 57 billion or 1.07 per cent.

"Oil tax collection for the year was N2.1 trillion which was 49 per cent achievement of its annual target of N4.3 trillion. This accounted for 40 per cent contribution to the total collection. On the other hand, non-oil taxes collection for the

year was N3.2 trillion which was 70 per cent achievement of the annual target of N4.5trillion.

This also accounted for 60 per cent contribution to the total collection."

He added: "Looking at our performance in the recent past, one may look at the 2020 target as ambitious, but I can assure you that it is achievable especially with the ongoing reforms and business process re-engineering that are taking place in the service.

"These reforms are aimed at improving both filing and payment compliance, reactivating dormant taxpayers through aggressive intelligence gathering and information sharing and blocking of leakages."

Continued on page 15

I WON’T INTERFERE IN GANDUJE-SANUSI FEUD, DOING SO IS UNLAWFUL, SAYS BUHARI and state governments as spelt out by the constitution, he would ensure that issues bordering on security of Nigerians as enshrined in the constitution were not compromised.

He said: “I know my role as the President of Nigeria.

By the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor of Kano State has his own roles. Once a matter is in the hands of the House of Assembly (like in Kano), the President has no constitutional right to interfere.

"I am here by the constitution, I swore by it, and I am going to stand by it. But let me tell you the bottom line of my understanding of the

constitutional role is that peace and security of all Nigerians must be guaranteed, where the people are threatened, then I will use my constitutional powers.”

Answering questions from journalists on the feud after the meeting, Ganduje described the rift as a constitutional matter, adding that himself and the emir are working in their own spheres of control, and the crisis would be resolved peacefully and in line with constitutional provisions in the end.

Ganduje said that a committee set up by the Northern Elders' Committee on the feud was handling the matter.

"Yes, there is the Northern Elders' Committee on the

misunderstanding between the Emir of Kano and Kano State government. We met with that committee and dialogue is still on. That is all I can say.

"It is a constitutional issue and the governor and the emir are working within our jurisdictions and the problem will be solved amicably and constitutionally," he said.

Buhari advised the elected officials to live up to the promises they made to their constituents and consequently justify the confidence reposed in them.

“I hope you are mindful of your promises to your constituencies. You went round and you promised

your constituencies. I hope the promises you made are within the resources of your state. If you made promises outside your resources, it will be your problem because you are going to stand again in four years’ time. This is very important and it is important for our party," he said.

According to the statement, Ganduje thanked the president for federal government's projects being executed in the state, listing such projects to include Kano - Abuja road reconstruction; modern Kaduna - Kano railway; Kano - Niger Republic rail line; gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and from Kaduna to Kano;

TWO KILLED, HOUSES RAZED, HUNDREDS DISPLACED AS TIVS, JUKUNS RESTART FIGHT trooping into the village from Wukari axis.

“I escaped through the back door and ran to the nearby police check point but there was nobody to report to,” he said.

Confirming the attack in Ibua village to THISDAY in a telephone interview, the Police Public Relations Officer, Taraba State Command, DSP David Misal said a detachment of

security personnel had been deployed to restore normalcy in the area.

He revealed that the attackers had stormed the community and set several houses ablaze as residents ran into nearby bushes to take refuge while the attackers immediately took to their heels after carrying out their dastardly act.

According to him, "The

attackers quickly fled the scene thereafter before the arrival of security operatives but security operatives have been duly mobilised to the area and normalcy has been restored in the area.

“The Divisional Police Officer of Ibi is leading a team of police officers on a manhunt of the attackers”, Misal said, adding that the gunmen are suspected

to be Jukun youths.

The crisis between the two ethnic nationalities seems to have defied solutions as it has continued to rage despite peace efforts by the state and federal governments.

Meanwhile, another bloody religious clash was averted at Wukari by security operatives on Wednesday as Christians and Muslims engaged each other

WITH N8.5TN REVENUE TARGET, FIRS MOVES TO BLOCK N3TN TAX LEAKAGES institution", in a determined approach to plug leakages and other identified tax avoidance schemes by individuals and corporate organisations.

Nami said, though, this year's revenue projection was slightly lower than the 2019 target by N300 billion, nevertheless, it hoped to generate N3.7 trillion from oil tax and N4.8 trillion from non-oil proceeds.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabilamila and development partners have pledged support for the FIRS management team towards improving revenue generation to bridge

fiscal deficit and contribute towards actualising President Muhammadu Buhari's vision to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

The minister, in her remarks said taxation remained the only way out of the present fiscal predicament as well as lifting Nigerians out of extreme poverty.

Represented by the Director, Technical, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Fatima Hayatu, the minister noted that the theme of the retreat was consistent with the government's diversification agenda and urged FIRS to help restrategise and implement the Finance Act to yield maximum outcomes.

The World Bank and other development partners also

stressed the importance of FIRS to the successes of the present administration's developmental programmes.

Also, the National Assembly has assured the FIRS that it would help to pass laws that would help to block revenue leakages and strengthen the agency, stressing that “the country really does not need to borrow to fund its deficit if tax revenues are properly harnessed.”

Nevertheless, the FIRS boss further disclosed that his board and management team had further set a target of improving the service’s performance over the next four years by a “minimum target of $5 million staff-to-revenue- ratio and a 10 per cent tax-to-GDP ratio".

Nami also stated that the country's non-oil taxes accounted for 60 per cent of total tax collections in 2019, a demonstration that the service is gradually weaning Nigeria off its dependence on oil revenue.

According to him, the revenue agency will play "strategic roles in the nation’s political economy, including supporting the actualisation of President Buhari’s administration’s commitment of moving the country up on the Ease of Doing Business Ranking and taking 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years and rebuilding Nigeria’s critical infrastructure.”

He described this year’s retreat as unique, being the first to be held with complete FIRS Board in place in the last seven years.

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News Editor Ă’Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ Ă‘ĂŒĂ&#x; ͸΀͚͚͞ͿͽΠ΀͚͸ Ě™sms only) Email Ă‹Ă’Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ë›Ă™Ă‘ĂŒĂ&#x;̜ÞÒÓĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

POWER SOLUTION...

L-R: Vice President, International Business, Schneider, Aditya Bhargava; Chairman, Bhojsons Plc, Deepak Dalamal; Ex-Big Brother Naija (BBN) housemate, Tobi Bakre; Group Managing Director, Bhojsons Plc, Vishant Dalamal and Business Unit Head, Bhojsons Powerhub, Rajneesh Gupta, during the launch of Amaze Power Back Up solution at the 2020 Dealers’ Meet held in Lagos‌yesterday

Insecurity: Stop Living in Denial, Self-praise, PDP Cautions Buhari Chuks Okocha Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to stop living in denial, selfpraise and making jokes out of the deteriorated security situation in the country, during his administration.

The party, in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, berated President Buhari for attempting to award himself an unearned pass mark despite his

abysmal failure to tackle acts of terrorism and violence, which have continued to worsen on his incompetent watch.

According to the PDP, "By resorting to self-praise, in the face of failure and escalated killings, President Buhari has exhibited a devastating betrayal of the fundamental responsibilities of his office and this further confirms that he is indeed not in touch with the reality on ground and, as such, has no solution to offer.

"It is indeed inexcusable that

instead of accepting failure, Mr. President, who recently confessed his surprise over the level of insecurity in our nation under his watch, is now resorting to self-praise spurred by his handlers to divert attention from the consensus by Nigerians and members of the international community that he had failed as Commander-in-Chief".

The PDP described as scandalous and self-indicting that President Buhari was claiming that his so-called

“successes� had restored the pride and honour of the nation, at the same time Nigeria was becoming a pariah nation; listed as number three in world terrorism index, while facing immigration bans and travel advisories from other nations of the world.

The party said it was awkward that President Buhari made his unsupported claims at the time both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as other credible organisations in the country

were also in unanimity in indicting his Presidency for failing to take steps to check acts of terrorism, banditry and violence.

Furthermore, PDP said that “while the President and his All Progressives Congress (APC) are busy with their failed publicity stunt on false performance claims, various sections of our nation are passing a vote of no confidence in their administration, by setting up various security outfits such as Amotekun in

the South-west and Shege Ka Fasa in the North, to protect their territories.�

According to the PDP, "The fact is that by resorting to self-praise in the face of failure, the Buhari Presidency has laid down its armour. No one is now left in doubt that the Buhari administration has reached the end of its capacity and should heed the call by Nigerians to take the exit door and allow more competent, patriotic and proactive hands to effectively tackle the situation at hand."

Bulkachuwa: I want to be Remembered as a Woman who Judged Right

Performance Report on Dickson's Administration Ready, Says Bayelsa Govt

tRoots for girl-child education for better society

Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹

Ernest Chinwo Ă“Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂž

The President, Court of Appeal, Justice ZainabAdamu Bulkachuwa, has said she wants to be remembered as a woman who loves her country, judged right and did the best she could in every situation.

She also stated that if a girl-child was properly nurtured, especially in education, her contributory impacts would make the society a better place to live in.

She spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt at a valedictory session in her honour, as she prepares to bow out of office on March 6.

She stated that “every girl has an opportunity to live and make the world a lively and happy place to be.�

Speaking on her retirement, Bulkachuwa noted that it was constitutional, as a civil servant, to handover at the age of 70, stressing that she has served the nation well in her capacity.

Recalling her experience in office she said: "I give thanks to

the Almighty Allah that on the 6th of March, 2020, I would have attained the age of 70 years and I will cease to hold the office of a judicial officer and President of the Court of Appeal by virtue of the provisions of section 291(1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"As I go into retirement from active service, the lessons of years passed are still with me. I will spend my next phase of life, giving myself to my society and to the world at large. I want to look back and smile in the knowledge that all I have done, learned and experienced will not be in vain.

"I go away with good cheers; I pray that life will continue to be good, in the midst of my bitter experiences. More than anything, I want to be remembered as that woman who judged right and did the best she could in every situation and who loves her country Nigeria.

'It has been a glorious, interesting and eventful period in which I participated in so many things,

in terms of policy, economy and governance in this country. “As a High Court judge, I remained focused on my job and catered for my six children, adopted children and I balanced my roles appropriately and even had time for my extended family members. “Between 2000 and 2003, I was the National President, Association of Women Judges, which gave me a chance to meet all the female judges in Nigeria and they remained my sisters since then. “I was also the initiator of the Jurisprudence of Equality Project, which lasted for about eight years, from 2001 to 2008. I was married twice to supportive men who encouraged me to be the best and contributed to my success both in my personal life and in the development of my carrier,�

Bulkachuwa narrated.

She praised her late father, late husband and her present husband for their very positive contributions to her successful career.

She said: "The death of my husband tore my world apart.

This tragedy hit me really bad.

I scaled through the moments of despair with the help of my extended family and friends. The deep scares of his death will follow me for the rest of my life.

"My life has been awesomely phenomenal. I was born at a time when it was difficult for girls to go to school and even when they did, they were not allowed to go beyond primary school level before being married off. I was lucky to have a father who had an interest that I be educated."

In his opening remarks, presiding Justice of Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, Justice Ali A. B. Gumel, lauded Bulkachuwa for the support she gave to the Division all the time she was in office.

He said that the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal was one of the most decorated and a very robust division, stressing that some of the best known legal practitioners in Nigeria, practiced in the division.

With less than a week to the end of the Seriake Dickson's administration, a document containing its performance across the various sectors is now ready for public consumption, the Bayelsa government said yesterday.

The document, the administration said, captures a vivid account of the sectoral performance of the government and how it impacted positively on the lives of the people.

Submitting the report to the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Performance Analysis Committee said it delivered on its mandate, despite the hiccups it encountered during the task.

Chairman of the committee, Dr. Matthew Ayibakuro, explained that the report, which was thoroughly put together, would give Bayelsans an insight into how well the outgoing government fared in its eight-

year term.

He said upon the inauguration of the committee in July 2019, it was saddled with the responsibility of garnering indices and statistics on the achievements of the outgoing administration.

According to him, the whole essence of its task was to give the government a proper perspective on all its achievements and bring to bear the need for Bayelsans to know the milestones achieved by the government.

Responding, the commissioner applauded the commitment of the committee in submitting the interim report, despite time constraints, emphasising that their work would be of immense benefit to the incoming administration.

Iworiso-Markson noted that the incoming administration would use the report to consolidate on the achievements of the outgoing government and make effective policies, as well as initiate crack programmes for the benefit of the state.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

In Brief Kidnappers Free Children of Kaduna Doctor After Killing Mother Buhari Departs for AU Meeting in Ethiopia Chuks Okocha in Abuja The two children of a medical doctor in Kaduna, Philip Ataga, kidnapped along with their mother in January have been released by the bandits, who killed their mother.

They were released after an alleged payment of N8 million ransom and dropped off at Ungwar Kati area along the Juji bypass, about 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night. They were said to have been picked up by their father’s relative.

The children and their mother were kidnapped from their home at Juji in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, but while negotiation for ransom was going on, Mrs. Ataga was murdered. According to the police, her bullet-ridden body was dumped inside a bush in the Kakau, along the Abuja- Kaduna highway.. As at press time, the Kaduna Police Command was yet to confirm the children’s release and the ransom paid.

Nigerians have been expressing concern about the spate of

kidnapping in Kaduna State.

Only recently, residents of Rigasa said they could no longer endure the pain being inflicted on them, taking their protest to the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

The leader of the protesters, Shehu Sanusi said over 50 persons, including a pregnant woman, have been deprived of their freedom. “Our people are being kidnapped on a daily basis; some of the residents have fled their homes for fear of being kidnapped. “About 10 of the victims

released are with us in this protest. None of these victims were released without a ransom, and we are tired. No member of the house of assembly has ever visited to commiserate with us. “We thank the governor for coming to visit, but no member of the assembly as our representatives visited to show concern or even speak about this problem in the media. “We voted you to represent us but you are sleeping at your homes comfortably. We are tired of this situation, you should please come to our aid.�

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday departed Abuja for a five-day trip to Ethiopia. He departed from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to attend the 33rd Ordinary Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˜Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? president is expected back in Abuja on Wednesday.

Benue Explains Outbreak of Disease

Benue State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday OngbabohassaidtheStateGovernmentwas investigatingwhatappeared to be a strange sickness and has discovered that those affected might haveconsumedcontaminatedwater.AccordingtoOngbabo,samplesofthe victims were taking for screening as initially there were suspecion of Lassa fever and other virus disease but the results came out negative. Ongbabo ,who spoke to THISDAY on Friday said investigation was pointing at the source of water the victims drank in the area . He said findings revealed that victims had consumed from a pond that was contaminatted with Gamaline by local fishermen. He also revealed that samples of water have been collected for analysis. “Yes, we are aware of the strange disease killing people in Obi local government area of the state. We have sent our focal person there to investigate the situation and ascertain the nature of the endemic.

Governor Hope Uzodinma

Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă™Ăœ ÙÚĂ? Ă¤Ă™ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă—Ă‹ Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă™ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă™Ă? ÒËÔÓ˚ EgbemaandOgutaLocalGovernmentAreasthattheeraofmarginalisation wasoverandthatanewdawnwithhugeprospectsawaitedthem.Hespoke when he received stakeholders of the area at the Government House, ad he expressed displeasure over the deplorable state of communities in the area despite the huge amount of money that goes to Imo State Oil Producing and Development Commission (ISOPADEC) monthly from the 13 percent derivation fund. He warned that the era when few people sit in their homes and share the money meant for development of the Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ùà Ă?ĂœË› Ă¤Ă™ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă—Ă‹ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă?Ăž up a monitoring and evaluation committee to ensure that projects are executed in line with contract specifications. He promised that the new board of ISOPADEC which will soon be constituted shall be made up of people of integrity and proven track record and ready to help drive the desired change and foster prosperity in the area.

Hackathon4Justice for Presentation

WORKING ON RESEARCHED DEVELOPMENT...

L-R: Senator Kabiru Gaya, Emir of Bichi, HRH Aminu Ado Bayero and President Muhammadu Buhari, , when newly elected APC Legislators from Kano State visited the President in Abuja ...yesterday.

Deregistered Parties: IPAC Threatens Court Action against INEC Chuks Okocha in Abuja The advisory body of registered political parties, the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), has described the deregistration of 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as unconditional and called on the electoral umpire to reverse its decision immediately.

The IPAC, in a statement issued by its National Legal Adviser, Ezeobika Chukwudi Esq, in Abuja, urged the INEC Chairman,

Professor Mahmood Yakubu to reverse the decision right away to avoid infringing on the rights of political parties as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended).

The statement read: “The Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC, views with serious concerns, the recent decision by the independent National Electoral Commission in deregistering 74 political parties without observing due process and provisions of the law.

“The Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria is aware of an action instituted at the Federal High Court by 33 political Parties, who are members of the Council in Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019 filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking amongst other things, an Order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from deregistering concerned political Parties pending the determination of the Suit. “The Federal High Court, upon hearing the Motion for an Interlocutory Injunction on the 23rd

of January, 2020, adjourned for Ruling on February 17, 2020. “It is however reprehensible on the part of INEC to take such decision which is an affront on the judiciary, an abuse of the Court Process and a conscious disregard for the Rule of law. “By the action purportedly taken

by INEC today, the Council is of a firm view that INEC as an institution no longer has regards or respect for the Rule of Law in Nigeria and has lost the confidence of political parties in the political affairs of the Nation."

Makinde Launches New Solid S' West APC Denies Endorsing Waste Management Initiative Ajimobi as National Deputy Chair Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, yesterday, launched the New Solid Waste Management Architecture in the State, tagged “Clean and Green Initiative.�

The governor declared at the launch that “the cleanliness of the state is a collective responsibility that must not be left in hands of Government only.�

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, further quoted the governor as telling the gathering at the event put together by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in conjunction with the Oyo State Waste Management Authority that the Clean and Green Initiative would empower many in the State.

He also stated that the initiative would be replicated in all the

nooks and crannies of the state so as to make Oyo State one of the cleanest in Nigeria within a short time.

Governor Makinde charged all the relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the State Government in its bid to make the State more habitable, adding that the government will soon sponsor the Commissioner of Environment and some top government officials to Kigali, Rwanda, which is reputed as the cleanest city in Africa, to understudy its solid waste management architecture so as to replicate same in Oyo State.

The governor said: “On the 26th of April, 2019, two reporters working with the Guardian Newspaper put together a report headlined 'Ibadan in the throes of refuse heaps.'

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Southwest caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied the information flying arounds that it has unanimously endorsed the former Oyo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the Deputy National Chairman south of the party.

Ajimobi's nomination had generated a lot of controversy with those from Ekiti chapter of the party, who had earlier nominated Senator Gbenga Aluko for the same position, opposed his nomination on the premise that the position ought to be retained for Ekiti.

The position became vacant following the appointment of former governor of Ekiti

State, Chief Niyi Adebayo as a Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The southwest party said: "The attention of the leadership of the south west Caucus was drawn to a misleading information published by Nigeria Tribune of Friday 7,2020, that the South west Caucus approved the appointment of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the Deputy National Chairman of APC at the Osogbo Meeting of the APC leadership".

A statement in Ado Ekiti by the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Karounwi Oladapo said: "We wish to say that the story was fabricated and it was a complete falsehood as nothing like that happened in the said meeting.

Ă?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ëž Ă?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ëž ΀͸ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞã Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˜ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ă?Ëž ͺ͸ Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ support staff from Andela will be in Lagos today and tomorrow for the Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă˜Íź Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÓĂ?Ă?Ë› Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂŁ ËŞĂ? Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ëœ ĂŁĂ–Ă Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ateresaidtheevent,whichholdsatAndelaoffice(AndelaEpicTower,235 Ikoroduroad,Ilupeju,Lagos,hasthetheme:SustainableDevelopmentGoal 16-Peace,JusticeandStronginstitutions.Itistoprepareparticipantsto educatetheirpeersonordevelopinnovativetechnology-basedsolutions tochallengesinthefollowingareas:Corruption,integrityandethics;Crime prevention and criminal justice; Cybercrime; Organised crime; Human trafficking and migrant smuggling; Firearms trafficking;Terrorism and à ÓÙÖĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă—Ë› Ă˜ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍ˝Ëœ Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ÞËÞĂ?Ă? ÑËÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ inDoha,Qatarforthe13thCongressonCrimePreventionandCriminal Justice. In the outcome document of the Congress, known as the Doha Declaration,MemberStatescommittedtointegratingcrimeprevention, criminaljusticeandotherruleoflawaspectsintoeducationsystems.To implement this decision, the Education for Justice (E4J) initiative was ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă? Ě™ ̚˛ E4Jhastheobjectiveofcreatinganddisseminatingeducationmaterials on the issues of crime prevention, criminal justice and other rule of law aspectsattheprimary,secondaryandtertiarylevelsworldwide.

ProtestinEkitiTownasDriverCrushesWoman

Residents of Aramoko in Ekiti West Local Government on Friday took to the streets to protest the killing of a yet -to- be identified woman in the ancient town by a reckless driver. The incident was coming less than a week after three staff of the special school, Ikoro Ekiti died in an accident on an allege invitation to a ceremony by the said principal. According to eyewitness accounts, the driver was on his way to Ikoro Ekiti when the incident happened. It was revealed that he was driving on a top speed when "he mistakenly rammed into a motorcycle thus killing the passenger on the spot while the bike man was rushed to the hospital." The people of the town, "who could not bear the pain of losing their loved one took to the street in anger to register their grievances." The people eere said to have barricaded the major road in the community thus making commuters and motorists stranded for several hours. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State command, Mr. Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident He added that the driver is currently in the police custody for further investigation. "The man is in our custody and the dead has been deposited at the morgue in one of the hospitals."

Boss Mustapha on Civil Service

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha has underscored the importance of the the civil service, as the most vital machinery through which government delivers its policies and programmes to the citizenry. Mustapha gave this charge when he declared open the induction workshop for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Kano yesterday. He tasked civil servants to continually evolve new ideas to solidify the service role and boost its capacity as the main bridge between government and the citizenry According to him, this is necessary to deliver public goods in the most efficient, transparent and acceptable manner.

The SGF emphasised that the development of the country’s economy and its competitiveness in the knowledge driven global system requires the professionalised and fully developed civil service that can support Government to drive the transformation vision to the next level. The acting Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi–Esan in her opening remarks, charged the permanent secretaries to resolve to restore the service to its original position of eminence and relevance.

She implored them to respond more to the challenges of governance and the present administration’s desire to diversify the economy and increase Nigeria’s revenue base.

9

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Statistics on Religion of Terror Victims Immaterial

S

cores of people are slaughtered daily by the evil Boko Haram sect in Nigeria and all we are suddenly getting is the government and religious leaders arguing about the creed of the victims. This week, apparently reacting to claims by CAN, President Muhammadu Buhari reeled out statistics to show that Boko Haram had killed more Muslims than Christians, insisting that 90 per cent of deaths from attacks by the terrorists were Muslims. Haba! The man that should be leading the war to tame the monster called Boko Haram is busy reeling out immaterial figures to show that more Muslims than Christians have been killed. Honestly, I don’t understand what Buhari is trying to prove. Victims of Boko Haram are first human beings before creed. The life of every human being matters. Leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria should also understand this. Yes, CAN has the right to speak out for Christians, but this debate about whether more Christians than Muslims have been killed

by Boko Haram is absolutely unnecessary. I am shocked that our President is involved in these shenanigans. Emphasis should be on how to destroy the bastards called Boko Haram. There should be no competition on the faith of the victims. The spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, was apt when he recalled that Buhari promised to ensure the protection of Nigerians when he was campaigning for office in 2015, adding: “How could the President, who was talking about competence some years back, who promised to secure Nigerians, now be telling us after five years that Boko Haram has killed more Muslims than Christians? How does that sound in the ear?”

The President has been rightfully receiving knocks over his heartless Boko Haram Statistics.

The President of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) who was a former member of the House of Representatives, Jonathan

Late Mrs Ataga and her kids

Nnadi Michael

Asake, remarked: “Buhari’s statement goes to confirm that Nigeria is indeed putting up with a President who does not have regard for the sensibilities of people of other faiths, other than his. It is incomprehensible, appalling and totally disgusting to hear such utterances from the lips of a man that is supposed to be the father of all, irrespective of one’s ethnicity or religion.”

My take away from the persistent criticism of Buhari by CAN is that Buhari should perform his constitutional duty of protecting lives. The

President of CAN, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, was very clear when he urged the President to rise up to his responsibility of protecting lives and property in the country.

By now, our President ought to have stopped this fiction that the terrorists had been degraded. He reiterated this in his recent article in “Christianity Today,” a United States-based magazine. Buhari wrote that since he assumed office in 2015, his regime had not relented in fighting the insurgents, adding that to a large degree, the insurgents had been weakened by the Nigerian Armed Forces. He said: “Boko Haram is no longer one, unified threat, but fractured into several rivals. These splinters are themselves degraded: reduced to criminal acts which target smaller and smaller numbers of the innocent. We owe thanks to the Nigerian defence forces, bolstered by our partnership with the British, American military and other countries that we are winning this struggle in the field.” Haba!

For how long must this trickery continue? Only, recently, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State drew attention to the fact that three local governments in the state are controlled by the terrorists. They roam freely in virtually all the local governments in the state. Daily, the terrorists kill and maim score of soldiers and civilians.

Military formations are not spared. Even the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, was recently attacked and his driver killed. So, why is our Chief Law Officer still saying that the terrorists had been degraded? The security agents are evidently not making progress with this scam.

On the flip side, the dispatch to the federal

That Awkward N238bn Budget Approved for Customs I still can’t understand why the Senate approved over N238 billion as expenditure for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for 2020 financial year, amid so much suffering in this country. If it meets its revenue target of N1.5 trillion, it simply means the NCS will spend almost 15 per cent of the revenue it collected. This is preposterous. The NCS ought to be a revenue generating agency, not revenue consuming one. Some of the things they plan to spend money on in 2020 are outrageous.

The NCS now has humongous N124 billion to spend on capital expenditure. I really can’t comprehend the capital expenditure the NCS is talking about. Yes, the NCS

will be spending so much on E-Customs project, the construction of new zonal offices, multipurpose theatres, warehouses, barracks and other accommodation across the headquarters, Zones and Area Commands.

But it should not be for N124 billion. This is money that should go into the Federation Account. Recall that Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, while objecting to some items in NCS budget, as contained in the Senate committee’s report, queried the allocation of over N120 million for the purchase of television units. The NCS is evidently milking the masses of this country. The borders they monitor remain very porous.

NCS officers are about the wealthiest civil servants in Nigeria.

Full Complement of S’Court Justices Pertinent As I pen this piece, there are only 13 Justices left in the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The 14th member, Justice Amiru Sanusi retired last Monday. The Constitution provides for a full complement of 21. It is not enough for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, to keep complaining that he and his colleagues at the Supreme Court are overworked. He has to swiftly initiate the process of appointing additional Justices for the apex court. President Buhari must also act quickly, as soon as Justice Muhammad does his own side of the job. Besides, the President is yet to act on the list of four Justices of the Court of Appeal already recommended by the National Judicial Council and sent to

him for appointment to the Supreme Court since October 2019. Those recommended then were Justices Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel Agim, C. Oseji, and Helen Ogunwumiju.

Buhari should please, do the needful in the interest of Justice by forwarding the names of the nominees to the Senate for confirmation. It’s over four months now and still nothing has been done. There is already a gap of eight Justices in the apex court, thus creating a harmful burden on the existing 13 Supreme Court Justices.

This is why appeal cases pile up for years at the nation’s apex court. The President and Justice Muhammad must save this country from this avoidable discomfiture.

government by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), calling for the adoption of stringent measures to tackle the deteriorating security situation in Kaduna State, deserves special attention. Kaduna can be conveniently described as the epicenter of abductions and banditry in Nigeria. At a point, traumatised residents of Rigasa, in Igabi Local Government Area of the state, had to go on the streets to protest the high rate of abductions in their community. Another Kaduna community persistently attacked by bandits and kidnappers is Kajuru.

I still remember how kidnappers walked into Engravers College, Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government Area and cherry-picked six female students and two staff of the college. The victims eventually secured freedom, largely based on the efforts of the parents, concerned indigenes of the state and a retired Army officer, who mobilised N13.6 million. Many will never forget late Jeremiah Omolewa, the resident pastor of Living Faith Church, Romi New Extension, in Kaduna, murdered by abductor. Pastor Elisha Numan of Nagarta Baptist Church in Angwan Makiri, near Udawa, was also slaughtered by his kidnappers.

SOKAPU wants security agencies to do everything possible to protect residents of this state. The union’s spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said: The situation in Kaduna State is frightening. It is impeding economic and social activities in the area.”

Kaduna State surely deserves special attention.

Just last week, the wife of a Kaduna-based doctor, Philip Ataga was found dead, barely seven days after she was kidnapped alongside her two kids. She was abducted after gunmen broke into their home at Juji community in Chikun Local Government and killed over the inability of her husband to pay a N50 million ransom.

The bandits slaughtered Mrs. Ataga, dumped her corpse, called her husband and directed him to pick the corpse at a particular location. The woman’s bullet-ridden body was found inside a bush in Kakau area along Abuja- Kaduna highway. Thereafter, the bandits made a demand of N20 million ransom for the release of the children. An undisclosed amount was paid before the two kids were freed.

Few weeks back, gunmen stormed the hostel of The Good Shepherd Major Catholic Seminary, Buwaya, Kaduna, and abducted four students. After an unrevealed ransom was paid, three of them were freed. The last victim, Nnadi Michael, was killed and dumped in the bush. Early in January, bandits attacked 10 Gbagyi communities in Chikun and Birnin Gwari council areas of the state and kidnapped 58 people. The bandits also attacked Gora-Gan village in the Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna on January 17, killing and maiming. The gunmen had invaded the village market square and opened fire on the youths, killing two of them on the spot. Governor Nasir El-rufai has to rise above religious sentiments and tackle the crisis in this state.

Deregistration of 74 Political Parties The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister 74 out of the 92 registered political parties in the country was good riddance to rubbish.

Giving justification for INEC’s action, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) under the fourth alterations vests in INEC the power to register and regulate the activities of political parties based on clearly laid down rules.

Yakubu has been aroused from his slumber.

The 74 deregistered parties have breached the rules. I have spent years, canvassing for the reduction of the number of political parties in this country, based on this law.

One of the biggest problems INEC created for itself in the 2019 elections was the large number of political parties it registered. It was the first time in the country’s history that ballot papers had 91 political parties,

which evidently created logistic glitches for the umpire. For the voters, it was horrendous, as they spent time sifting through the long list on the ballot papers clogged with all manner of political parties. Yes, it is part of democracy to allow as many political parties as possible, but for now, this country lacks the capacity to manage such a large number. Our election umpire does not even have the capacity to monitor the large number of political parties.

The constitution amendments carried out by the 8th National Assembly substantially addressed the problem of multiple unusable political parties in Nigeria. I am very happy that Yakubu and his men have decided to activate the amendments to Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution. For me, there should be further amendment of the constitution to reduce the number of political parties to not more than five.

10

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

SUPER SATURDAY Temi and Mr Eazy

Storm-free Lovebirds on a Mission Musician, Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, and his girlfriend/fashion entrepreneur, Temi, daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, are proving that some celebrities are capable of sustaining controversy-free relationships. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

T

hree years together in a romantic relationship is a long time in the present Nigerian entertainment industry. The reason for this assumption is very clear. The Nigerian industry, like America’s, is one that has seen many celebrity relationships fail within a short space of time due to one reason or the other which is best known to them. This has left many with the conclusion that celebrity relationships are ill-fated.

However, a particular relationship has been one of intense interest and not so private in the entertainment industry. That is the relationship between musician Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, and his girlfriend/fashion entrepreneur, Temi Otedola. From beautiful vacation photos to expensive gifts and surprise treats to each other, Mr Eazi and Temi, daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, are showing that celebrities are capable of having controversy-free relationships.

The duo have maintained a beautiful relationship and it is interesting to note that both are keeping track. For all the times, these two lovers share sweet photos of their love life on Insta stories. The two first met when Temi’s sister, DJ Cuppy, who is a friend to Eazi, 28, invited him to one of her shows in London.

Recently both lovers celebrated three years together on January 29, 2020. On that date, a post that first emanated from Temi’s Instagram handle @jtofashion revealed they have been dating for three years.

In Temi’s post, which she shared alongside a picture of herself and the singer, the fashion vlogger simply captioned it “3 years”, which seems more like an update to their fans about her relationship with Mr Eazi.

The shared photo shows the couple `loved-up’ in a lovey-dovey mood with Mr Eazi, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder while she stares at him. To which the singer commented “Ololufe Mi! My Queen!”

The post saw several A-list artistes and fans gush and lineup comments, including that of DJ Cuppy which made known her thoughts of a boyfriend. She wrote: “Okay, f*** this, I’m getting a boyfriend.” Ever since their relationship became a thing of public knowledge, it has elicited interest among Nigerians for the reason being that Temi, who would soon turn 24, is Otedola’s third daughter.

As with every celebrity relationship, people have always had one thing or the other to say about their romance – from their fans supporting their public display of affection to those who deride Temi for dating Eazi, because in their words “she can do better,” there’s been no shortage of opinion on this popular couple.

An opinion of recent by a friend even followed that Eazi’s career is neither here nor there.

Another even suggested that Eazi has been thriving on his relationship with Temi. And I’m like how?! Eazi is still in the frontline. Even legendary OAP and music entertainment mogul Olisa Adibua, recently acknowledged this on a different topic, saying, “The music industry now is structured in four categories now… you have the mainstream; people like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Mr Eazi!”

Mr Eazi gained international audience following the release of the

Mr Eazi withTemi

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

11

SUPERSATURDAY Storm-free Lovebirds on a Mission

Mr Eazi withTemi

Efya-assisted single “Skin Tight”.

Temi on her part has maintained her fame with her excellent designs and sense of clothing and wardrobe style.

This she recently capped with acting.

While some would love to see them get married already, it doesn’t seem so going by their separate career interests and focus which largely make it seem far from their thoughts. Not even to young lovers of their age, particularly Eazi.

On one occasion, Mr Eazi took to his Twitter page to share a picture of him holding a bouquet of flowers at a wedding party. However, Temi upon seeing the post gave a very interesting response, “Just passing”. Despite all of this, Mr Eazi and Temi have stayed strong in their commitment and love for each other. The adorable duo have continued to flaunt their support for each other, documenting and sharing many of their loving moments on social media. The love between Temi

and Mr Eazi has continued to surprise and inspire their fans.

Whether it is the intimate images of their holidays that remind one of the beautiful young love or the enviable surprise gifts, this relationship has been one of the most interesting ones that observers wouldn’t fail to notice especially now that Valentine Day is fast approaching. For all the times these two lovers shared a sweet photo of their love life on Instagram, they‘ve left both supporters and naysayers amazed by just how far they‘ve come.

The relationship between both of them has grown stronger even beyond the initial speculations and rumours surrounding it that Mr Eazi was reported to have said, “I don’t think there is anything hidden about it.

Temi is my one and only girlfriend.”

A relationship that has got him even more admiration, once reacting to his affair with Temi that it was because of the business mogul’s wealth that he’s

dating her; the singer had said “I feel like at the end of the day what comes out of me is in me. You know people can say what they want to say.”

Mr Eazy is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns. He relocated to Kumasi in 2008 and enrolled at KNUST, where he began booking artistes to perform at college parties. He showed interest in music after recording a guest verse on “My Life”, a song that gained traction and became a popular record at KNUST. Mr Eazi released his debut mixtape About to Blow in July 2013.

He gained an international audience following the release of the Efya-assisted single “Skin Tight”. His second mixtape Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos was released on 10 February 2017. In March 2018, Mr Eazi signed a record deal with Diplo’s label Mad Decent. He has also signed a licensing

deal with Universal Africa, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.

Mr Eazy was born in Port Harcourt, and grew up in an entrepreneurial home. His mother owned a small business and his father is a pilot.

While attending primary school in Lagos, Mr. Eazi had a brief stint in the school’s choir. During his upbringing, he listened to records his dad would play for the family while having breakfast.

When he was 23 years old, he returned to Nigeria and opened his own e-commerce platform. He briefly worked for Schlumberger when he returned to Nigeria. His business ventures included soft drinks import, gold mining, and food distribution.

He also established a party and promotion company called Swagger Entertainment. In 2014, Mr Eazi quit being a club promoter after an artiste failed to show up for the largest party he attempted to throw.

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

COMMENTARY

WATER TRANSPORTATION TO THE RESCUE?

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Lagos State is set to take advantage of its water bodies to decongest the roads, writes Tayo Ogunbiyi

eing a megacity and emerging smart city, it is quite obvious that efficient traffic management can best be experienced in Lagos State if the three modes of rail, road and water transportation are effectively integrated to complement one another. Commuting the over 20 million people of Lagos State largely on the road has, thus far, proven complicated.

Lagos is the economic nerve center of West Africa, with every potential to become the third largest mega city in the world after Shanghai and Mumbai. Today, many mega cities of the world depend on diverse mode of transportation for socio-economic growth and development.

For obvious reasons, Lagos has great potential to develop its water economy to a highly competitive level. If this is done, fishery, tourism, water transportation and the likes would immensely benefit. Since 25 per cent of the state’s landmass consists of water body, it is not surprising that the present administration in the state is poised to put in place the right strategies that will make various water-related enterprises in the state flourish significantly.

A few days ago, the state government formally kicked off commercial waterways’ transportation with the official launch of eight newly acquired speed boats. All the boats are built with comfortable seats, in-built Wi-Fi and modern technological devices that will aid smooth operations and safety.

The design and fabrication of the new boats were totally worked out by two local boats manufacturers in line with Sanwo-Olu’s promise to exploring local capacity in providing solutions to various challenges in the state.

Three of the boats have the capacity to carry 60 passengers, two were built to carry 50 passengers, while two others have capacities for 40 passengers. Also, three others could convey 30 passengers, four will carry 25 passengers while two will carry 25 passengers.

The six routes the boats will principally be plying include Ikorodu to Falomo; Ikorodu to Ebute Ero and Marina; Ebute Ojo to Ijegun Egba, Apapa and Marina; Bayeku to Oke Ira Nla and Falomo; Mile 2 to Marina, and Badore to Ijede.

The launch of the speed boats, which will be operated by the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), effectively marked the commencement of commercial operations in waterways transportation by LAGFERRY. In addition to the boats, a mobile application designed to facilitate easy access to water transportation services was also launched.

Without a doubt, the intervention represents a remarkable way forward in the Sanwo-Olu administration’s strategy to deliver an effective and integrated inter-modal transportation system in addressing the perennial issue of traffic congestion on the roads.

Consequently, the narrative of transportation in Lagos is about to change for good, as the state is set to take advantage of the water bodies to decongest the roads and substantially reduce travel time for commuters. The commencement of commercial operations on waterways would certainly promote a healthy living and restore aesthetics of environment through reduction of carbon emission.

In spite of this latest development, it is cheering to state

THE COMMENCEMENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS ON WATERWAYS WOULD PROMOTE A HEALTHY LIVING AND RESTORE AESTHETICS OF ENVIRONMENT THROUGH REDUCTION OF CARBON EMISSION

that the state government is not resting on its oars as it is poised to embark on the construction of more jetties and provision of more modern ferry boats to create opportunities for more private sector participation in water transportation.

The state government is equally ready to drive full compliance on measures put in place to ensure the safety of commuters using the waterways. To this end, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) is currently being strengthened to effectively discharge its monitoring and regulatory duties in line with best practice.

The state government is also set to spread the efficiency of the LAGFERRY services to meet the demand of the people at various times of the day. Plans are currently in top gear to double the capacity in the LAGFERRY’s fleet from 14 to 30 boats before the end of the year. This is to enable the agency efficiently discharge its mandate to ease the movement of Lagosians from various parts of the city to another through the waterways.

There are equally plans to build modern jetties in Badagry, Lekki, and Ajegunle, just as the one being built in Ijegun would soon be completed. Also, before the fourth quarter of the year, LAGFERRY would extend its services to all 40 water routes licensed for Lagos.

All this, coupled with the global water transportation license of LAGFERRY, will certainly optimally advance the course of water transportation in the state.

It is, however, important to stress that while the state government is creatively spearheading investment into water transportation in the state, more private investors with interest in the sector are still required to partner with government in order to fully optimize the numerous potential that abound in the sector.

On its part, the state government is ever willing to embrace more creative and strategic initiatives geared towards improving the unlimited potentials of the state’s waterways.

On a final note, it must be stressed that the waterways stretching from Badagry to Epe, (with a Peninsular in between, a lagoon at the back and the Atlantic in front), Ikorodu to Marina, and Badagry to Marina, among others, are nature’s gifts to Lagos State.

These are coastlines that many societies fervently wish they had, because they are natural habitats that are yet to be subjected to devastation, global warming, climate change and other environmental hazards.

It is, thus, very crucial that these waterways are kept safe and secure for the use of all stakeholders. Nothing must be done to jeopardize their safety and purity. Injurious activities such as illegal sand mining and dredging, pollution of the water body through diverse unwholesome practices, among others, should be discouraged in its entirety.

In a world that is being confronted with serious environmental threats from Cape to Cairo and Beijing to Melbourne, it is important that all stakeholders join hands to ensure that Lagos waterways are kept clean, safe and secure. t0HVOCJZJ JT PG UIF .JOJTUSZ PG *OGPSNBUJPO 4USBUFHZ "MBVTB *LFKB

TAKEAWAYS FROM FUNAAB 27TH CONVOCATION Education should be deployed towards addressing national needs, writes Adewale Kupoluyi

T

he just concluded 27th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State offers a unique opportunity to showcase its success story, ruminate over rough moments, and interact with key holders to chart a way forward for the 32-year-old university. The event was the second to be held after the sixth substantive Vice-Chancellor, the respected administrator and Professor of Soil Physics, Felix Kolawole Salako, assumed office.

At the event, the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, has reiterated the role of education as a tool for nationbuilding and development. President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, charged stakeholders to fully deploy education towards addressing national needs and assured of his administration’s continuous support in funding, noting that the provision of job was not the sole responsibility of government. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Nanono had highlighted the efforts of the Federal Government at improving the agricultural sector and reducing the nation’s overdependence on oil.

The minister observed that many challenges were facing the nation’s agricultural production such as inadequate mechanisation, and the relegation of research and development to the background. In the same vein, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed has called on specialised universities to work closely with the industries, to mitigate unemployment problems facing the country. The Executive Secretary was represented by NUC Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics), Dr. Sulaimon Ramon-Yusuf.

FUNAAB Chancellor and Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon, Abasi Otu V, appealed to the Visitor, to restore the institution’s courses in the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) that were delisted about three years ago, stating that the establishment of the college was for the diversification of academic courses

in specialised universities with the assurance to retain agriculture as the flagship programme in FUNAAB, having recognised the strong inter-relationship between agriculture and management, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Aboki Zhawa, assured that council members would key into the President’s mission of fighting corruption and in the provision of quality education.

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Salako, admonished the graduates to uphold the institution’s core values of academic and moral excellence, and be good ambassadors.

The well-attended convocation ceremony witnessed the conferment of Honorary Degree (Doctor of Science) on the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Adewumi Adesina as well as the appointments of two Professors Emeriti, who were former vice-chancellors of FUNAAB; Prof. Julius Okojie, immediate past Executive Secretary, NUC; and Prof. Israel Adu, National President, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).

The honorary awardee, a first-class graduate of agricultural economics at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), has won several local, international accolades and honorary awards. Dr. Adesina disclosed that agriculture remained the most important profession and business in the world that could guaranty food security. The President of AfDB advised the Federal Government to develop an integrated value chain, to make Nigeria more competitive in the food and agriculture industry, saying that the size of food and agriculture in Africa would rise to $1 trillion by 2030, as the population of Africa, now at 1.2 billion, would double to 2.5 billion by 2050, saying universities of agriculture were crucial in linking research, innovations, technologies, and that AfDB was spearheading efforts to Feed Africa by investing $25 billion over a 10-year-period.

As part of the five-day convocation activities, there were Jumat and interdenominational

church services, press conference, theatre performance, film show, commissioning of projects, and research and agricultural fair. The film, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” was directed by the Nigerian-born British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor and screened by a Visiting Fellow to FUNAAB, Alagba ‘Tunde Kelani; while the Convocation Lecture titled, “The Beast Unburdened Once Again: Artificial Intelligence and Life More Abundant”, was delivered by the renowned scholar, journalist and novelist, Prof. Adebayo Williams, Executive Director, The Nation newspapers, under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ayoade Ogunkunle of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Prof. Williams described the era of artificial intelligence as the most far-reaching in human, scientific and technological revolution, stressing that it had opened up an era of surplus and unprecedented prosperity and new possibilities for the human race by making life more abundant, by ensuring food security and safety.

The don wants the graduating students to address the ‘imbalance’ between the dramatically expanding frontiers of knowledge in other societies unlike the contraction in Africa and tasked federal authorities to constitute a National Initiative for the Recovery of Intellectual Treasures (NIRIT) Board, to make the nation great again.

The Overall Best Graduating Student, Miss Odunayo Odunsi, of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, College of Environmental Resources Management (COLERM), stressed that the best investment that any society can make is the education of its young people and this should not basically be looked upon myopically as a ‘cost’. Rather, it should be seen as the best investment that any society can make. Miss Odunsi described FUNAAB as a place that is more than an academic learning ground for her, while appreciating the efforts of the FUNAAB Chapter, Nigerian Association of University Women (NAUW), under the leadership of Prof. Comfort Onifade of the Department of

Communication and General Studies (COLAMRUD), for sponsoring her entrepreneurial training that helped her in alleviating her financial burden on campus. The eloquence of the University Orator, Prof. Christian Ikeobi of the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), added flavour to the convocation that had a total of 3,226 graduates from various disciplines out of which 122 bagged first-class honour degrees; and meticulously coordinated by the Registrar, Dr. ‘Bola Adekola.

In the final analysis, there is strong justification to heed the Visitor’s call that stakeholders should fully deploy education towards addressing national needs with the assurance of the government’s continued support for funding. In realising this, the Agriculture Minister’s call for the reduction of the nation’s overdependence on oil is equally apt while specialised universities work more closely with industries to address the perennial problem of unemployment, as canvassed by the NUC Executive Secretary. This makes the plea by the Chancellor that the College of Management Sciences should be restored because of the synergy between agriculture and management and in line with the Pro-Chancellor’s call for quality education.

No doubt, quality education coupled with the vice-chancellor’s admonition for FUNAAB graduates to uphold the institution’s core values of academic and moral excellence that would distinguish them as good ambassadors and the promise by the AfDB President, to invest $25 billion over a 10-year period to transform the continent’s agriculture, and the timely suggestion by the convocation lecturer that federal authorities should partner entrepreneurs in establishing centres and institutes for artificial intelligence, to bring about cutting edge innovations in the knowledge-industry would produce the needed tonic for our ivory towers. t,VQPMVZJ XSPUF GSPN UIF 'FEFSBM 6OJWFSTJUZ PG "HSJDVMUVSF "CFPLVUBF

13

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

INSIGHT

Towards ending the insurgency...

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to saturdayeditor@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950-1000 words). They should be sent to saturdayeditor@ thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

Welcome On Board, Odion Ighalo

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igerians have been diehard fans of many of the English football clubs since Pay TV Operator, DSTV liberalized the market and made it possible for the English Premier League to be beamed into the homes of many of them as they watch the matches from the comfort of their living rooms.

Manchester United is one of the most popular clubs in the country and it has a large followership in the country. The Red Devils as the club likes to be called has many football ‘pundits’ who know more about the club than many of its English fans and are ready to die for the club even though a sizeable number of them do not know the way to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and have no chance of ever making it to Old Trafford to watch a live match.

This club and Chelsea once fought over John Mikel Obi who at a time was ranked alongside Lionel Messi as the next big thing to happen in the round leather game. In the end Chelsea emerged victorious but critics of the former Super Eagles Captain argue that the Roman Abramovich-owned club killed his career as Jose Mourinho the then coach made him a defensive midfielder instead of an attacking one that Sir Alex Ferguson would have made him.

History was made as Jude Odion Ighalo signed up to the club on a six-month loan deal from his Chinese side, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

The coach of Manchester United or Man U as the fans love to call it beat the transfer window to make the last minute signing. The club has been fumbling since the departure of Ferguson and there was the need to inject a fair pair of legs especially in the attack. The club was losing too many games especially to smaller sides and a potent strike force was desperately needed.

I have been a fan of the club since 1999 but lately I haven’t bothered going out of my way to watch the games as the club can send a hypertensive patient to an early grave. I was even tempted to launch a hash tag on twitter, ‘Bring Back Fergie’ as the coaches after him have failed to strike the right chord with the players. Not even the ‘special one’ Mourinho succeeded. Sir Ferguson owes it not only to Man U fans but to football lovers in general to write a memoir on how he succeeded at the club in his sterling 27 years at the helm of affairs.

Odion Ighalo isn’t a stranger to English football as he once played for Watford before ‘porting’ to China which is the goldmine of footballers as they earn what many European clubs cannot pay. The Ajegunle-born footballer even revealed that he took a huge pay cut to play for the Red Devils.

The pay cut was necessary for his career as playing for the reds will be a huge boost on his career. The Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr was so happy that he said he will persuade him to rescind his earlier decision of his retirement from international footballer to come back to the fold of the Eagles.

Even though we are overjoyed that his number for the club is 25, the red devils are different from the Man U of old as this is worse than a shadow of its former self. Ighalo needs to brace up and rise up to the challenge of banging in as many goals as he can as that is what will make his stay there permanent.

The Legendary Man U defender, Rio Ferdinand expressed fears that Ighalo may not be the messiah that the struggling club needs as the standards of the Chinese league and English are miles apart. The former is still in its infancy while the latter is well developed. The Guinness global brand ambassador who was recently in Nigeria described Africans knowledge and enthusiasm for football as ‘crazy’ and hoped that Ighalo would rise up to the occasion.

I sincerely hope that he exceeds the expeactations of both his fans and critics so that he can land a permanent contract with the club and write his name in gold as the man who helped bring back the club from the brink. We haven’t been playing the Champions League for some seasons and it’s been ages since we won the English Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao club, etc. We are tired of just making up the numbers and pray that Ighalo can do his country proud.

We recall with gusto how he emerged as the highest goal scorer in the last nation’s cup and how his goals helped the rather wobbly Eagles to get to the semi-finals. We hope he can replicate this with the Red Devils. t5POZ "EFNJMVZJ -BHPT T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

Community Policing and Child Care Education

C

ommunity policing has become inevitable amidst the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.

However, in the wake of the equivocal acceptance of community policing, there is still a rather disturbing silence about the requisite qualification for recruitment. Presently, qualification for community policing is said to be based on volunteerism and community goodwill. But specifically, what qualifications should volunteers have in terms of Child Care, emotional support provision and first aid administration? News reports reveal the alarming numbers of children who are victims of insecurity in Nigeria. Children cannot reasonably take care of themselves in crisis situation and as such will rely heavily on the community police’s knowledge-level of child care. With community policing, there must be stakeholders’ dialogue on requisite qualifications of those entrusted with the welfare of children.

Community policing must include child care education. t#JEFNJ /FMTPO $&0 4IJFME PG *OOPDFODF *OJUJBUJWF *CBEBO 0ZP 4UBUF

Shaking the Symbolism

O

ne of the interesting sights of the State of the Union presentation was President Trump not shaking hands with Nancy Pelosi. Here in Australia we have the opposite problem with Prime Minister Morrison who shakes hands with everybody, including those that refuse and won’t offer their hands. He just grabs them.

A handshake is a greeting and is meant to be done with a positive approach, not with malice.

It could be said that people need to play nice but surely they should actually be nice.

Those that lead should set a good example for us all. r%FOOJT 'JU[HFSBME .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

NEWS

UNICEF Bemoans High Rate of Female Genital Mutilation in Imo, Ebonyi

Amby Uneze in Owerri

Despite the public declarations of abandonment of female genital mutilation (FGM) by about 60 communities in Ikeduru and Oguta local government areas of Imo State, the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) is not comfortable with the high

prevalence rate in the state as well as Ebonyi State.

Disclosing this yesterday in Enugu at a one-day media dialogue with journalists drawn from the five Eastern states of Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Anambra and Enugu organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State

House Probes Agric Ministry over $1bn Donor Assisted Agricultural Project Funds Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives has ordered the probe of the Ministry of Agriculture and its parastatal over $1 billion donor assisted fund spent on various agricultural projects in Nigeria over the years.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. AwajiInombek Abiante, on the need to investigate the administration and performance of donor assisted agricultural project funds.

He said that over the years, the federal government had been partnering and acquiring loans and grants from donor agencies such as: World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations (UN), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Development Agency (IDA), among others, with a view to improving agricultural production in the country.

He said: “Over $1 billion of the donor’s fund have been spent on various agricultural projects in Nigeria by the three-tiers of government over the years.”

Abiante stressed that since 1985 the IFAD had financed 11 agricultural projects in the country with $509.62 million, while several millions of

dollars had also been committed to the implementation of Fadama project by the World Bank since 1993.

The lawmaker recalled that the various agricultural projects were put in place with the aim of assisting Nigerian farmers, especially the rural ones with the necessary funds needed to improve their agricultural venture, thus meeting the food demand of the fast growing population of Nigeria, guarantee food security, reduce oil dependency, diversify and grow the economy.

Abiante expressed worry that despite the laudable objectives of these agricultural projects and the humongous financial contributions of the International donors such as the World Bank, the International Development Agency, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the African Development Bank over many years, the country is still grappling with the problem of food sufficiency and farmers prosperity.

He observed that the volume of funds channelled to the Nigeria’s agricultural sector through these donor funding projects over the years was so enormous that one wonders if the resources were well utilised and accounted for, especially when measured against observed results from the agencies.

(BCA) to commemorate the 2020 International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Dr. Ibrahim Conteh urged all stakeholders to put in more effort to eradicate the problem.

This year’s theme, which is ‘Unleashing Youth Power’ is also seeking active youths’ participation in the fight against the obnoxious and harmful FGM practice, with huge focus on mobilising youths for the elimination of the dreadful practice.

Conteh described female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as human right violation against girls and women as such, it severely affects the rights of women to

reproductive health, emotional stability and well-being and denies their opportunity to fully utilise their potential to socio-economic development of the society, impacts negatively on their living standard.

Decrying the prevalence rates of 61.7 per cent for Ebonyi and 53.2 per cent for Imo respectively as against the national prevalence average rate at 20 per cent, Conteh urged the states to target the national average rate or surpass it for the general well-being of girls in the society.

The UNICEF boss revealed that the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) stated that 19 per cent of girls age 0 - 14 are circumcised, adding that 17

per cent of those girls were circumcised before their first birthday.

He noted: “FGM among girls is most common among girls whose mothers are cut (56 per cent), whose mothers have no education (24 per cent), and those from the poorest households (27 per cent). About 82 per cent of the circumcisions are performed by traditional circumciser who usually use local and unsterilised implements.”

Conteh, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to use the opportunity presented by this year’s international FGM day to accelerate steps towards stopping the practice, by adopting coordinated and systematic efforts, promoting policies and

positive actions leading to the elimination of female genital mutilation, while engaging communities with focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education, etc.

In his remarks, the Director General of BCA, Mr. Anyaso Anyaso, said the corporation was proud to partner UNICEF in bringing together seasoned journalists to brainstorm on expected media roles in tackling the ugly practice of FGM in our clime.

He enjoined the traditional rulers, town union and community heads, religious leaders, the media and indeed all Nigerians to participate actively in stopping the harmful practice against girls.

Air Strikes Decimate Insurgents, Destroy ISWAP Hideout, Says NAF Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

In continuation of Operation Rattle Snake 3 launched against insurgents in the North-east, fighter Jets of the Nigerian Air Force yesterday struck a hideout of the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) in Kaza, Northern Borno State.

This comes as the Department of State Security (DSS) declared that there was neither movement of terrorists in the nation’s capital nor hijack of luxurious buses by insurgents as circulated on social media.

An update on the war against insurgency issued by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said following credible intelligence on the movement of the terrorists from Tongule to Kaza where they set up in a cluster of compounds, two fighter jets were detailed to attack the hideout, killing many insurgents and destroying the structure housing the insurgents.

“In continuation of Operation Rattle Snake 3, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole, has eliminated some Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and destroyed compounds housing them at Kaza in the Northern part of Borno State.

The air strike was executed on February 5, 2020 following credible intelligence reports indicating that some ISWAP elements, who relocated from nearby Tongule, had set up

camp in a cluster of compounds at Kaza, along with their logistics supplies,” NAF said.

The update signed by NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said: “The identified location within the settlement was attacked by the ATF’s fighter jets after confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions showed significant presence of terrorists.

“This resulted in the destruction of the structures and the neutralisation of some of the ISWAP fighters.”

The update assured that “NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its air campaign to shape the battlespace in the North-east for the effective conduct of further ground and air operations”.

Meanwhile, the DSS said contrary to reports of an alert allegedly issued by the service and circulated on social media, there was no movement of terrorists into Abuja.

It also denied that there was a hijack of commercial buses belonging to three transport companies along Lokoja-Okene Road by bandits. A statement signed by the Spokesman of DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said the reports were unfounded.

“The alert purportedly issued by the service on the arrival of Boko Haram and other terrorist elements to the aforementioned places has been in circulation since 2013 when it was first created by mischief makers whose handiwork is to cause chaos.

OBA KAYODE AFỌLÁBÍ STEPS IN . . .

Ooni of Ife and Arole Oodua, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II placing the crown on the new Alapomu of Apòmù, His Royal Majesty Oba Kayode A. Afọlábí, Atóyèbí II, at the Alapomu installation by Osun State Deputy Governor Benedict Gboyega Alabi in Apomu...yesterday

TAPAN Demands Resignation of INEC Chairman over Non-payment of Ad-hoc Staff Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Taxpayers Association of Nigeria (TAPAN) has called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, over non-payment of ad-hoc staff engaged during the 2019 elections.

But in a swift reaction, the electoral umpire insisted that it has paid all the ad-hoc staff engaged during the 2019 elections.

TAPAN National President, Obinna Okafor, made the call while addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, where he disclosed that the association was approached by the ad-hoc staff that worked in the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 16th February, 2019 who were not

paid their stipends as stipulated.

It said that in the build-up to the 2019 general election, INEC recruited ad-hoc staff that would help in the election, adding that on 16th of February 2020, it would be exactly one year these youth played their role in the engagement for INEC yet, up and until now, INEC is yet to fulfil its own part of the bargain by giving them their entitlement.

Okafor said that there were 119, 973 Polling Units across the country and each Polling Units was manned by one serving Corps member and three excorps members, stressing that on the whole, four people manned each Polling Units totalling the ad-hoc staff for the exercise to be 479,892 He explained that as a prelude towards the said elections, INEC organised a training for

all the ad-hoc staff which lasted for two days and the ad-hoc staff were entitled to N8,000 to cover their transportation and logistics.

According to him, “The said sum at the end of the induction course, even-though appropriated, was never paid to them.

For manning the Polling Units for the said elections, the ad-hoc staff were to be paid the sum of N15, 000. The entire ad-hoc staff mobilised to their various areas of primary assignments ready for the job, when at about 3:00 a.m. on the election day, and about four hours to opening of the polls, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu came on air to call for the postponement of the elections with reasons best known to him. Till date the ad-hoc staff have not been paid.”

He said that almost 500,000 youths were involved in this case, saying it was obvious that the outcome of the protest was better imagined than experienced.

Okafor stated: “So therefore, TAPAN insist that Prof. Mahmood must resign with immediate effect and handover himself to the appropriate authorities for misappropriation of taxpayers’ money, breach of trust, rape of justice. And lack of administrative mastery and finesse.”

“Prof. Mahmood, must resign with immediate effect, enough of this administrative shenanigans, incompetence, irresponsive and insensitive to the plight of the Nigerian youth without recourse to the level of unemployment and hardship in the system,” he said .

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

15

NEWSXTRA

Outage: Katsina, TCN Sign MoU to Boost Power Supply Francis Sardauna in Katsina

PROJECT FUNDING...

L-R: Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba and the DG of Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Dr. Folarin Coker-Smith, at the end of the minister’s official visit on Friday, February 7, 2020

Don’t Be Intimidated by Other Arms of Govt, Wike Tells Judiciary Davidson Iriekpen

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has called on the judiciary to do everything possible not to allow itself to be intimidated by other arms of government.

Wike quickly cautioned that the only way the third arm of government could ward off any form of intimidation is to dispense justice according to the law.

The governor spoke when he received the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House Port Harcourt.

He said that the judiciary remains vital to the sustenance of democracy.

Wike stressed that judges are afraid to dispense justice because of intimidation, adding that in some cases, the Economic and Finacial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) was used to intimidate judges.

The governor added that “the executive and legislative arms of government are far more corrupt than the judiciary, but they are the arms that criticise the judiciary all the time.”

He said: “You are the ones to decide what is right or wrong. Never allow anyone to intimidate you.

The moment you take the oath of office, dispense justice according to the law.

“People are afraid to dispense justice because of intimidation. In some cases, they use the EFCC to intimidate judges. Whether or not you do your work, they will come after you. Without the judiciary, there will be no democracy.

“The most corrupt arms of government are the executive and

2023: INEC Gender Policy Useless without Legislative Backing, Says Josephine Anenih Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A former national woman leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Josephine Anenih, has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give legislative backing to its policy and total inclusion of women in the planning and implementation of electoral processes.

She added that without the legislation from the National Assembly, women would continued to be marginalised and underrepresented in the political and electoral processes.

Anenih disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a programme organised by Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) with the theme: ‘Beyond Voting: Increasing Women’s Participation in the Political Process- Phase II’.

While delivering her keynote address titled: ‘Agenda Setting for Participation of Women in the Political Process Towards 2023 Elections’, she said there is a strong evidence that as more women are elected to office, there is a corollary increase in policy making that emphasises quality of life and reflects the priorities of families, women, and ethnic and

racial minorities.

She stressed that the kind of reportage churned out by the media in the run up to the 2015 general election was the major reason why former President Goodluck Jonathan was ousted from office.

As part of efforts to increase women participation in politics, Anenih recalled that women had initiatives like Agenda 2000, with the main objective of sensitising women to vote and be voted for; adding that there was a Democracy and Governance Programme run by National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), which was aimed at educating women on their civic rights, including, registering to vote and standing for elective offices.

She stressed further that the Women for Change Initiative swept through the country in 2010 with the same agenda to mainstream women in the political process, including other initiatives like the Women 4 Women (W4W/ He4She) prior to the 2019 general election was born, but lamented that all failed.

legislative arms. When they say that the judiciary is corrupt, I laugh. The pressure on the judiciary is from the executive and legislative arms.

The people who initiate the process are the ones who are corrupt,” the governor said.

He regretted that the judges have allowed themselves to be boxed to a corner by the executive and the legislative arms, each time they fail to rise up to the occasion.

He added: “The judiciary must stand up to say that enough is enough. If you don’t stand up, then this democracy is in danger.”

The governor said that as a result of calculated intimidation, the judiciary is afraid to relate with state governments to get support that will enhance the administration of justice.

He noted that all security agen-

cies, especially the military and the police regularly demand and get regular financial and logistics support from state governments, but people prevent the judiciary from doing same.

“The military and police and other security agencies come here regularly to collect financial support. If I tell you what the Rivers State Government spends on the security agencies, you will be shocked.

“State governments must support the administration of justice,” he said.

Speaking further, the Rivers State governor called on the President Court of Appeal to increase the number of judges in the Port Harcourt Division because it is second only to the Lagos Division in terms of volume of cases.

Okonkwo: Division among Members Cost Anambra PDP Governorship in 2017 Presents 3,300 registers to party

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The chairman of the recently floated United Nigeria Airlines, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, has said that division among members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the reason it lost the 2017 Governorship election in Anambra State.

Okonkwo spoke at the state party secretariat, during the presentation of 3,300 party registers, which he procured for the 3,226 wards of the party to make for proper documentation of names of party members.

The Russia-trained political scientist decried the long absence of a PDP government in the state, blaming it on division among members of the party in the state.

He said: “How we failed to install a PDP governor in Anambra in 2017 is a story for another day, but the division we saw in the party in 2017 will not happen again.

“We must win the governorship poll in the state in 2021. We can’t afford to lose again.

“Anambra is a PDP state from the renascent of democracy in the

country in 1999. We must possess our possession in 2021.

“We will continue to fight to make our party better. We are not doing this battle to become governor, but to better the party in the state. “We must not toy with it, we must all be committed to making PDP win the race in 2021.

We must say no to godfatherism in Anambra. Take the task in your hands and decide its fate. We must win this election and for us to win it, we must change our ways.”

Okonkwo urged members of the party to work hard to return to power in the state after 14 years of APGA rule, saying that anything short of victory in 2021 would mean waiting for another eight years.

Earlier, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwobu assured members of the party that the process to select its candidate for the election will be thorough and fair to all.

He praised Okonkwo for procuring the party register for the party in the state, saying that the party members’ names in the state have always been in exercise books, which was not befitting.

In a bid to enhance power supply in Katsina State, the State Government and the management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of 2x60 MVA transmission sub-power station in Mashi Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking during the signing of the memorandum, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, lamented that the state was experiencing acute power outage due to numerous uncompleted power projects in the state.

Masari, in a statement from his Director General, Media and Publicity Friday, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, urged TCN to complete the construction of 2x 60 MVA Sheme-Gusau power station and ensure the extension of the 132 DC transmission line from Daura to Kazaure in Jigawa state to improve power supply in the two states.

He said: “An investor is allocated with a land in Sheme village for the establishment of a textile factory but because of the pending power project, he is there waiting. So, the completion of the electricity project will enable him to commence work on his textile factory and as well boost power and economic activities in the state.

“Therefore, I urge you to bring designs as it affects the right of way to ascertain whether it involves movement of the communities so that compensation could be sought for residents of such communities.”

Earlier, the representative of TCN, Bashir Hassan, told the governor that the projects if competed will generate power from Kano station to Katsina through Daura.

He added: “Daura has an existing station, so the circle will bring power supply from Kano to Katsina, Daura to Danbatta to Babura and a 2x40 sub station in Daura is already being fed with 80 megawatt from Katsina sub station.

On his part, the principal Manager in charge of Lines, Engineer Ibrahim Aliyu, explained that TCN had completed payment of compensation for land in Batagarawa while efforts are in progress to pay the compensation in Kusada.

Engineer Ibrahim Aliyu explained that construction of electricity towers on Kano to Bichi line had been completed , adding that conductors and auxiliary readings have been completed too.

He said work on KatsinaKurfi-Dutsinma-KankaraMalumfashi line has temporarily stopped due to funding problem, as it will be executed with internally generated revenue of TCN instead of Appropriation..

Continued from page 5

S’Court Affirms 12-Year Jail Term for Taraba Ex-Gov Nyame The appellate court however without prompting imposed fines on the former governor after upholding his conviction in some of the counts.

According to the Court of Appeal, the trial court by virtue of section 315 of the Criminal Code Act, ought to have imposed a fine on the former governor in view of the gravity of the offence leveled against him so as to serve as deterrence.

Accordingly, the appellate court fined Nyame N100 million each on counts 1, 2 and 6. In counts 8, N50 million; counts 10, 12, and 14, N20 million each and counts 16, 18, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, N10 million each, while count 36, N5 million.

This prompted the former governor to approach the Supreme Court for intervention.

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Nyame’s lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji SAN, the apex court affirmed the conviction handed down to Nyame.

According to Justice Augie, the lower court was also in order by reducing the prison terms from 14 to 12 years because Nyame was a first time offender.

However the apex court disagreed with the lower court on the issue of fines noting that the court was not prompted but went on its own to fine the appellant.

Justice Augie further noted that Nyame was also not given fair hearing by the court before

the fines were imposed.

The Supreme Court consequently set aside all the fines imposed by the appellate court on the former governor.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had in 2007 arraigned Nyame on a 41-count criminal charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N1. 64 billion belonging to the state.

He was accused of committing the offences between 1999 and 2007, when he served as governor of Taraba State.

In prosecuting the case the EFCC, presented various witnesses who alluded to the fact that Mr Nyame approved the diversion of various funds amounting to over N345 million to a company, Saman global within five weeks in 2005, among other allegations.

Though Nyame denied having any link with the said company, the court however, found him guilty of breach of public trust.

According to the judge, the defendant confirmed approving the memo wherein the order for the transfer of the funds were made, adding that the actions of the perpetrators under the watch of the Governor can be likened to the story of Alibaba and the 40 thieves.

The court had in March this year dismissed a no-case submission filed by Nyame and ordered him to enter his defense.

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SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2020 • T H I S D AY

Plus

FASHION FILE

pg. 20

GLOBAL SOCCER

pg. 29

FAIRGROUND

pg. 36

SHOWBIZFLAIR

pg. 43

Jide Achufusi There’s No Any Experience in My Life That was a Mistake

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

PLUS

There’s No Any Experience in My Life That was a Mistake Achufusi

Jide Kene Achufusi, popularly known as Swanky, is an actor, writer and model. Following the success of the much talked about sequel, “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free” where he was the lead character, no doubt, Achufusi is gradually becoming a household name in the industry. The talented actor shares his experience working with the producer of the film, Charles Okpaleke, as well as director, Ramsey Nouah, the things that endeared him to the script, future plans, his formative years and more, with Azuka Ogujiuba You act, model and write scripts. Have you always wanted to go this path or you just picked it somewhere along the line?

Well, I’d like to think that we all pick things up along the line. Background, education, and environment, will definitely have shaped all of us into what we are today. So, acting is something that I realised I could do in high school. I could mimick or imitate someone’s behavioural pattern; that is where I started to get the incline that maybe I could be good at this thing.

You were the lead in one of Nollywood’s biggest production, “Living In Bondage the Sequel”. Share your experience with us?

First of all, it was my first time working in Lagos. It was also my first time working in their system or how they do things.

You know, I had to be the one person who doesn’t complain, I had to be the one person who doesn’t give a hard time, I had to be the first person to arrive, first person to leave, you know they weren’t going to as much as possible cut you any slacks. Press number one, you don’t even want that

happening because, ‘if any person com de talk say e be like say e don de enter him head,’ it’s a big deal.

So I had to be everything at everytime and they were really good as well. So, at the end of the day, it is what it is. The most challenging part was not just doing the film but also having to be the person who doesn’t ask questions. So, basically, when Ebuka of big brother said ‘I took my shot and ran with it,’ that was exactly the hardest part of it, taking that shot.

How was it like working with Ramsey

Noah as the director of the movie and a co-actor?

He’s a great guy, he’s gentleman, he’s the guy who sees himself or describes himself as the slave driver. I see him as very compassionate and deeply artistic and so working with him was definitely a bar raiser for me or a bar hanger. I had to bring my A game if not my B+ game because his game is way way up there. I had to bring whatever it is that I had to be able to be in scenes with him and to be visible. It was a challenge and a task, something I was thinking about even before I got the role as well. It excited me

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

19

PLUS It was Amazing Working with Ramsey Noah, Charles Okpaleke because I’ve always looked forward to working with him. With Ramsey, as a co-actor, that was a challenge. As a director, he’s tentative, he’s impulsive, he’s spontaneous so you have to be ready to switch or to go whenever he says go. I guess it was more interesting than exhilarating.

How was it working with Charles Okpaleke, the CEO PlayNetwork, who bought the rights of the movie and is also the Executive producer? We also heard you have been signed to his management, how true is that?

Okay, well Charles is a great guy. He has an amazing persona, he’s the life, the plug, the event guy, he’s the guy that will chase every butterfly down and not get tired of chasing it down. Working with him, as a more experienced hand, not just in lifestyle or in life but also with investment and money and all of that, I’ve learnt a lot also on the business side of things. Being signed into play Network is indeed a great move for me. It’s indeed a great move because I honestly felt it gives me the leverage or the opportunity to be able to explore, more especially now that Nollywood needs to expand and collaborate more. That’s exactly what play network offers me. You know, the chance to see what the influencers are doing, the chance to see what the party boys are doing, the chance to see what they, CEO’s are doing, the chance to see what an entire team looks like, because that’s basically how we can move this to the next level.

How will you define your relationship with the older cast of the movie who acted in the first movie of “living in bondage the sequel”?

My relationship with them was very respectful, cordial, professional and full of support and love from their end to mine. I felt very supported. I felt very encouraged; I didn’t feel like, ‘hey this boy, what are you doing here.’ They took me out to dinners, where, the legends and everything were, and tried to make sure that I was comfortable to do the work I’ve come to do. I can’t thank them enough for their gentility, professionalism, humility, and of course, I don’t know what other big words to use and describe how they were but they were amazing.

What’s your take on the nature of movies Nollywood puts out in recent times? Do you think we are getting it right or we still have a long way to go?

We definitely do have a long way to go.

Living in Bondage will start a new era as we believe and its quiet important that we observe the lessons that living in bondage is giving the entire industry.

We have set goals and we can do better because, trust me, if we reshot living in bondage, we’d probably have a better throne with the experiences we’ve had shooting the first one. Moving forward, we should indeed bring the world to Africa, not try to phonerize or to take our content to look more like western stuff.

You know we can collaborate anytime any day, but like I said, Nollywood is not just about Nigerian films, it’s about the entire continent of Africa. We need to come together; we need to work more with Zambians, Rwandan people, Ghanaians ,South African people, and so on and so forth, we definitely need to collaborate like that, moving forward.

If you weren’t into acting and modeling, what would you have been doing?

I probably would have been a medical doctor, if I took my books seriously, or if I was the type that would read from time to time, or I would have been in the oil business either of the two but then I’m quite happy to explore those industries as well, from here much later in life.

Tell us about your formative years Everybody has a journey. I’m part of my journey. I was a student, then I became a part time model, then I became a part time actor, then I’ve done a lot of other things in between like organising fashion shows, host events, tried my hands at radio, tried writing a couple of things.

I’m a writer. Basically, I just want to say that those years were very important to the final product or the still evolving product you’re looking at right now. All those times were very important. The

fact that I live in the East and then this film, Living in Bondage, allowed me show people or give them the nostalgia of what reasonable Igbo boy of our time looks like. Well I’m grateful to be able to put all those my experiences, living in Amobia, Enugu, Ebonyi, schooling in Imo, literally everywhere in the East. It’s down to those formative years.

Give us an insight into your educational background and career?

I’m a geographer, I’m also a meteorologist and I also have a diploma in business. I’m also still in school. I really want to be able to know a little about photography, media, about the business side of things, you know, all those things, getting more things under my belt is very important to me as well. I did my nursery school in Ebonyi State, primary school, in Enugu, secondary school in Imo State, University in Enugu State and that’s it. Basically, my educational background has been in the East.

Can we say you were born with a silver spoon?

Well, as I am a very strong follower of Christ, I’d like to think that, yes I was born with a silver spoon because I’ve always been destined for greatness, but did I have so much money to throw around, growing up? Not so much, not so much.

How did your background shape your life?

A lot. I really said that earlier when I was asked about my educational background. It shaped my life a lot because it allowed me to bring a fresh perspective of things. You know, I’m real, I’m an Igbo boy, I’m down to earth, I don’t see the reason for hanging shoulder. I don’t see the reason for faking any kind of life.

You know what you see is what you get.

Be natural about everything and people will love you.

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

Well ehmm my mum, honestly every other year that passes, ever since I was like maybe two, three, I usually have time for my breakdown and I cry and appreciate God for the gift of her. Every year, God keeps her in my life, I feel like it’s a new gift, there’s no gift I can be able to think about right now, because once that question hits me. Her name rings in my head. so I thank God for the gift of her.

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

Well acne, acne was very difficult for me to overcome. I’m still over coming it, just relaxing more and more effort, washing your face more regularly than you would have, you know. It did a lot for me.

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

I don’t know. I hardly ever have regrets; it’s always an experience for me.

You learn you get better, tomorrow you wake up on your feet you know you keep going. I don’t. I’ve tried to think about it, so I don’t think there’s any experience in my head that is a mistake basically.

Are there things you still desire?

Of course keys to the good things of life.

I want those things. I want to work on my relationship with God. I want people to not only hear, but to see through my life, that a life in Christ is amazing.

What are some of the lessons life has taught you?

Never stop working hard. You literally maybe stopping a week away from that call, never stop. That’s the biggest life lesson I have as of today.

What are your future plans?

The plan is to take over Africa, the plan is to take Africa to the world.

What’s your biggest fear in life?

The day God turns his back on me, hmm which is never gonna happen because if you go to my instagram, I think my very first post in IG is God first and God never lies.

Thank you so much.

r have e v e y l d r a h I ys an a w l a ’s t i ; s regret You . e m r o f e c experien u get better, learn yo u wake up o tomorrow yet you know on your fe ing. I don’t. o you keep g think about I’ve tried tothink there’s t it, so I don’perience in my any ex ake t s i m a s i t head tha basically

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

Fashion File

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

Grande Entries

By Trish O Couture

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

FASHION FILE

Grande Entries By Trish O Couture Fashion brand, Trish O You have to steal the show.

Couture, opens 2020 with To be memorable, you have to its new collection tagged wear something memorable.

Grande Entries. The pieces Only women of great class in this collection were made and style understand what for Grande entries. With it means to make Grande the use of rich fabrics like Entries. brocade, damask and silk, the Only women of great class pieces were made to create and style value pieces created an impression once you walk with finesse, detailing and in. How do you walk into a exquisite finishing. room and make everyone go wow? How does a lady make Brand: @trishocouture a man's heartbeat race? How Photography: @mlogimagdo people talk about you after ery an event has passed? It's by Models: @destinyamaka @ making Grande Entries! toraolaiya.

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22

˜ ˞ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

FAJ/RELATIONSHIP

Don’t Kill Roaches with The Innocents

I

t is clear to almost all Nigerians that 2020 is shaping up to be a pivotal year - a period of mounting spectacle of heartless insecurity, brutal domestic disputes and increasing agitation of helpless citizens poking holes in the efforts of government and the nation’s security apparatus to combat and neutralize the encroaching waves of unrest and destabilizing forces.

Sadly, our government people still believe in applying acne ointment on sores occasioned by mid-toned leprosy.

Recently, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as quoted by his media aide, Laolu Akande, told a delegation of “Arewa Pastors Forum for Peace� (a worried collective of clergymen from the Northern part of Nigeria) who visited the Presidential Villa in search of cogent answers to the current anxiety, that there is some serious plan to recruit more troops and officers to ramp up the personnel of security agencies.

Obviously, that tactic has failed us time and again. The nation has slept so long at its watch that merely throwing more men and arms at the cankerworm of kidnappings, armed robberies, car-jarkings, assassinations, cultism, gang killings, etc, will hardly scratch the surface of vastly wide, deliberate, wanton and often brutal manifestations of a deeper cancer. A cancer that has matured with years of neglect, political irresponsibility, corrosive corruption, legislative over-reach, executive recklessness, and such blatantly insensitive displays of unconscious greed and shameless acquisitions.

Among other remedial actions, the government must jack up its economic palliatives for the benefits of the ordinary folks who are chased around the urban centres for littering the highways, sidewalks and other illegal spaces with their petty articles in search of survival and provision. The government must think out of the box to positively animate the huge army of Nigerian youth (the usual candy that fuels insecurity when unemployment or unemployability is high) in a way that entrepreneurship programmes are far more easily accessible, clearly realisable and massively spread across all states of the country.

It is critical that all states and the federal government work seamlessly together to deliver this urgent intervention, for the sake of our future peaceful existence.

It is too late and too dangerous to play politics with any idea that interfaces with curbing youth unemployment. We cannot fiddle with this demographics as we did with TraderMoni, and such ambivalent initiatives. We must douse the raging smokes of restless and sporadic expressions of urban rebellion and gangsterism before it rumbles into a catastrophic inferno.

Earlier this week, in response to the spiralling insecurity incidents, some Christian leaders, including Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, and the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN embarked on a “prayer protest walk�, while some engaged in “fasting protest�. These actions were reactions to series of devastating acts of unchallenged brigandage: a CAN leader in Adamawa State, Pastor Lawan Andimi, was beheaded by the mindless insurgents holding the North East by the jugular, despite the relentlessly and severe counter moves of our valiant security forces; the sporadic and frequent commando attacks on our highways across the nation which have felled many innocent Nigerians, and destroyed vehicles and other property; even the headstrong herdsmen are yet unsatisfied, as instances of farm destruction and physical mutilations and killings still persist; and the media continue to astound us daily with tales of woes and ghastly photographs.

Though government spokesmen try to dump down the symbolism of Adeboye and other Christian leaders taking to the streets in peaceful protest against unceasing insecurity, the signs are clear, and sadly dire. Beyond sophistry from talking heads and professional spin doctors, it is evident that the government must device people-centred, hydra-headed means of attacking the roots and shoots of our national and communal insecurity.

While micro-economic measures are comprehensively deployed, and backed by other supporting institutional frameworks, home-spurn anti-crime apparatus illustrated by the Operation Amotekun sponsored by the governments of the South West, should also be encouraged and empowered in other regions, to combat, frontally and variously, the enemies of our peace, unity and prosperity.

It is noteworthy that the pains of most Nigerians are somewhat felt by members of both chambers of our National Assembly who also this week lamented the poor state of the nation’s security and confessed that insecurity has now reached an alarming proportion.

The lawmakers have vowed to pursue legislation of community policing in order to curb the nefarious activities of criminal elements. This is good news - when it moves beyond window-dressing. However, now that the legislators have woken up to the present danger that has been tormenting their constituents for many years, let us point it out to them - if by some stroke of selective ignorance - they are not aware that their conduct and intransigence since the advent of this fourth democratic dispensation have fed the beast now threatening to devour us all. In case they ask you “How?�: tell them that

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

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

their obscene salaries and emoluments while working for less than a quarter of the number of days in a year that most government workers log. You cavort with corrupt or self-serving lobbyists, and take off on narrow-minded oversight binges while claiming unjustifiable allowances (or more precisely, extortions) from both the house and your so-called “clients� you are meant to “over-see�.

Yet another angle: though government spokesmen believe the recent call on the President to resign (on this same insecurity matter) by opposition voices do not represent the voices of the generality of Nigerians, it is clear to all discerning compatriots that there remains some air of hopelessness and dismay among the supervising elements of the government in the face of challenges posed by activities of criminal and destabilizing elements across our vast nation. This seeps to the people, and many are wondering if the leadership have what it takes to bring sanity and order to our highways, communities, farmlands, railways and waterways.

Late last month, President Muhammadu Buhari authorized the deployment of air power to support troops and policemen combating bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers in the forests of Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara States. According to media reports, the president gave the directive while describing the sundry attacks which resulted in deaths of innocent Nigerians as a “national disaster�. So, we know that the President has the same blood as all of us, including those slain by butchers around us, and he also suffers similar afflictions with us, let us quickly remind the Commander-in-Chief that the use of air bombardment while achieving, in the main, the desired objectives of eliminating undesirable elements, it is also obvious that more innocent Nigerians will suffer collateral damage as kidnappers, bandits and other “roaches� of these forests detain innocent people whom they use to extort ransoms. Indiscriminate bombardment, even the most delicate, will ultimately lead to more misery for many already beleaguered families.

The security chiefs must find a more sophisticated and intelligence-driven way to wipe out these animals feasting on the innocents, without killing more innocents - the main objective of the wicked.

When Marriage Vows Transit to Death Sentence

T

he word “death� as used in the headline is different completely from the context in which it will be situated if a couple were getting married in a registry or according to a religious injunction. ...�Till death do us part� portion of a marriage vow means or was intended to wish a couple would live long in a marital relationship until a ripe old age when death on the altar of inevitability would separate them physically. At what point can a marriage vow transit to a death sentence? Obviously, when one of the two spouses dies through a method that can be described as not natural.

Every marriage experiences a mountain at some point and a valley at another point in time. There are issues too numerous to mention that could trigger a fight or anger between a couple. This could be as a result of either of them trying to prove a point or assert a position which the other party is refusing to accept. Going a little down the memory lane, you had issues with listening to a second opinion. You were always right in your own eyes.

Your spouse at some point struggled to secure your attention in an attempt to prove a point with quantitative and qualitative references before you reluctantly consented to another point of view on a subject germane to the survival and progress of your relationship. You were at different times advised that you do not have to win an argument all of the time.

The other day, your wife suggested you should drive the children to school, a routine she hitherto handled. It was in her bid to arrive her office well ahead of resumption time. At different times, she had arrived late to work. You reluctantly consented to that new assignment. You are self-employed and nobody gives you a query if you arrive behind the traditional 0800 Hour deadline.

You insisted your husband should drive you in his car to your sister’s house when he had earlier explained he needed to catch up with an important meeting where he was invited to discuss what he could do to secure a contract. You maintained you were also important. He drove you there, but missed out on the meeting. The contract offer went to another person who handed in a bid for the contract and also attended the meeting. You were advised to learn driving but you lacked boldness to continue your driving lessons. Hence, you depend on him to drive you around anytime the opportunity presents itself.

In place of negotiating a considered opinion into reality, you would resort to a mood swing or keep unusually

quiet and refuse to talk to people around you. There were times in the past when you lost your cool and shouted at your spouse during an argument. You were beginning to wonder why you consented to a marriage proposal. In your viewpoint, she/he is no longer what you thought she/he was during your many months of courtship.

You need an independent mind to get across to you that your spouse is a principal stakeholder and hence deserves the right to know the details on a couple of subjects as they affect your marital relationship. You know your spouse’s sources of income and consequently his financial capacity but you would rather make demands outside of what he could afford.

You did not work on your capacity to trust before getting married. This informed the way you suspect your spouse is having an affair with some persons with no evidence to prove a good point. You have listened to the counsel of unmarried friends and those who could not keep their marriages. This development coupled with your impatience and lack of ability to weigh available options worsened your short temper.

The Nigerian legal system had recorded several cases of altercations between couples. Whichever one of the two was found guilty of murder was promptly sentenced to death by hanging. On Monday, January 27th, 2020, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja convicted and sentenced Maryam Sanda to death by hanging for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. In her defence, Maryam claimed a fight broke out between her and her deceased husband after she saw the picture of a naked girl on his phone. She started with the threat of cutting off her husband’s private part with a knife. She eventually succeeded in injuring him in the back, in the thigh and the heart region. Bilyaminu died from the wounds of the knife attack from his wife.

According to Justice Yusuf Halilu, Maryam was convicted in accordance with Section 221of the Penal Code.

This was in reaction to the plea for allocutus otherwise known as the plea for mercy. Justice Halilu asserted Maryam Sanda should reap what she had sown. That was not the first time a court of law will convict and sentence a spouse to death. In another development, an Ikeja High Court sentenced a 51-year-old dockworker, Mr. Shonde, to death by hanging for beating his wife, Ronke, to death at their Lagos residence. According to Justice Josephine Oyefeso Mr. Shonde was guilty of murder in a two and a half hours judgment.

And that Mr. Shonde should be hanged by the neck

until he died. The judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in the light of overwhelming evidence against Mr. Shonde. He killed Ronke when he overheard her on a phone praising the sexual prowess of a lover. In her judgment, Justice Oyefeso held that the sentence was in line with Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. A Plea for mercy was turned down irrespective of the two children his deceased wife Ronke, left behind.

Please be informed that short temper will deal with you if you fail to deal with it. Some persons are dealing with their short temper behind the bars of maximum prisons in the bid to serve obligatory jail terms. Let your spouse be your best friend. You should be ready to win some arguments and lose some other arguments.

The only way out of this is to reassure your selves that you are still in love consequent upon which you should ask your spouse to count on your loyalty. You had attitude problems which included inability to listen when your spouse is speaking. You were in the habit of preempting the outcome of a position negatively hence the many alterations you had. As part of the road map for 2020, listen more; consider all the options available before responding.�

If your marriage has not worked, you are the reason for its failure: Observers of developments in marital affairs have maintained that an individual did not get married because of himself/herself. A Spouse must be ready to service someone else’s needs before anyone can service your own needs. Your Parents were there for you and your siblings before you got married. Expectedly, you should be available for your spouse and your children before and after they get married.

Provide solution within your financial and material capacity. Cultivate the habit of listening more, thinking more, considering other available options and suggesting the way forward in a friendlier atmosphere. Be friendly with more married persons, listen to their stories and follow good examples. If you lose your marriage, some persons will be happy you are now a single and unmarried person, but would be among those who would blame you later for not making your marriage work.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

23

PEOPLE

Nike Celebrates Sam Adeyemi at 53 The Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi was 53 last Monday and his wife, Nike, celebrated him in a special way, reports Ferdinand Ekechukwu

B

irthdays come once a year. For Pastor Sam Adeyemi, his was on Monday February 3, 2020. His wife, Nike, spent most of the day celebrating him. Just as it is now the fad with most celebrities, Mrs. Adeyemi took to her social media handle to share photos of herself and husband on Instagram to mark the

occasion.

Nike, who is a Co-founder and Deputy Senior Pastor of the church called Adeyemi her “lover, leader and bestie, gist partner, prayer partner, travel partner, life partner” and prayed for a long and fulfilled life. Nike also posted a picture of her family taken 13 years ago, saying: “We forget not! The children and I are grateful for the grace to support your calling, thanks for supporting me, and each of us too. I love you handsome!”

Sam Adeyemi married Nike on May 1, 1993. They have three children. The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in May 2018 with a vacation to the Caribbean. He is a great motivational speaker and loved to focus on success. Still on their marriage, a report says he met his wife when she just started attending the church.

As contained in the story, it wasn’t the love at first sight, but she claimed: “I really did not have much feeling for him, but as time went on, I heard God tell me that he was the man for me”. It was a different story for Pastor Adeyemi, who said: “My heart did not deceive me when it exclaimed, “This is the kind of a girl one should marry,” the first day I chatted with you. I sure understand how Adam felt the first time he sighted Eve. I followed my heart and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Like her husband, she is in charge of many organisations. Nike is passionate about family, enterprise and education. She is a gracious helper and problem solver, anointed to bring emotional healing to hurting women through the teaching and preaching of God’s word.

She is at the forefront of reformation of dysfunctional families, with the belief that right parenting and godly values shape children into exceptional Leaders.

She presides over a non-profit organisation in Lagos, Nigeria known as Real Woman Foundation. An organisation dedicated to empowering women and children economically and socially; through seminars, vocational skills training, a family school, rehabilitation programmes and the Love Home Orphanage.

Through this organisation several abused women have been transformed; many have gone from the streets to having college education, own businesses, while many rescued babies now thrive with the hope of a brighter future.

When he was a little boy, he never thought that he would dedicate himself to the church as he never imagined that years later he would become the founder of the fast growing Daystar Christian Centre. It was all in his future. As he got older, Sam Adeyemi became a pastor in one of the local churches.

Pastor Adeyemi and his wife, Nike, had experienced some early struggles that led them to fasting and prayer.

The Pastor claimed that in July 1994 he received a great vision. He was told things that resulted in the creation of the Daystar Christian Center and Success Power International Ministry. Pastor Adeyemi also said that he could not have done it without his wife. A year later, on November 18, 1995, the married couple created the Daystar Christian Centre at the Eko Chinese hotel on Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos. In the beginning, it was hard to hold the church together. But with time, they overcame the initial challenges that bothered on rent and leased space for the congregation.

His vision to realise the evolution of a New Nigeria motivated him to establish a leadership school called the Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA) where leadership principles are taught to develop a new generation of leadership for Nigeria and the world in its entirety.

He believes that when you build the man, you can change the world. He is also the President of Success Power International, an NGO that among others things specialises in organising financial, leadership and motivational seminars and is President of Daystar Leadership Academy, a leadership school for business owners and ministers of the Gospel.

Sam Adeyemi has authored several books including the bestselling – Parable of Dollars and Success Is Who You Are. Others include Ideas Rule the World, Start with What You Have, Second Revolution, Multiply Your Success: LEAD and his latest additions, Nigeria of My Dreams, Generation Z+ and We Are The Government.

Pastor Adeyemi and wife, Nike

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

24

MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

Kimberley-Clark Enters with New Diapering Solution Kimberly-Clark, makers of Huggies® has introduced new addition, ‘Huggies® Nappy Pants’ to its wide range of diaper in the market.

The launch of the product took place at Ndubuisi Kanu Park in Ikeja, Lagos amidst fanfare.

This also afforded the organisation an opportunity to connect and host its key audience - mothers and children to an elaborate party, with various gift items given out to all attendees.

According to the company, the new solution is an innovation that offers all-day superior dryness and protection for babies.

Sales Director for West Africa, Kimberly-Clark, Bola Arotiowa added that the idea of the new product further reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to delivering quality products to Nigerian mums and their babies.

“The new Huggies® Nappy

Pants are recommended by nine out of 10 Nigerian mums to deliver comfort to their babies, whilst guaranteeing all night dryness, fitness and ease of use.

It answers the growing concerns of mothers on diapering solutions and innovation.”

Arotiowa also outlined the stages leading to the product launch and expressed appreciation to various state and federal agencies, as well as staff of KimberlyClark in Nigeria that contributed to the product existence.

Describing the product further, Head of Marketing, West, East and Central Africa, Kemi Saliu said that the new nappy pant was high in performance and was developed to help protect babies’ delicate skin with a breathable, soft and stretchy all-round waistband.

“We will continue to put all efforts to understanding consum-

Cadbury Woos Consumers with TomTom Freshlime Cadbury West Africa has expanded its portfolio in the Nigerian market with the launch of new ‘TomTom Freshlime’.

According to the company, the new move was necessary to meet up with consumers’ expectations and yearnings, adding that it came up with the product after a thorough market research it conducted.

Speaking at the colourful launch, Managing Director, Cadbury West Africa, Mrs. Yimika Adeboye, said that the new product was part of the company’s innovation strategy that was being delivered to the Nigerian market.

She noted that the latest offering was also important to solidify Cadbury’s leadership position in the market, especially as the Tomtom is clocking 50 this year.

Giving more details on the new product, Category Manager, Gum and Candy, Cadbury West Africa, Adebola Williams stated that the new flavour was a major and unique breakthrough in the candy segment.

She said: “We have come a long way in this segment, first with the introduction of ,the classic black and white striped TomTom back then in 1970, we also launched the strawberry and honey lemon variants.

Today, we are introducing the freshlime variant to the market. This is to show our level of commitment to our consumers that we are ready to move along with their trends.

“Hence, we are marrying the lime flavour they love with our strong mentor candy that will deliver soothing relief and fresh breath that Tomtom has always delivered.

“This product is the beginning of a lot of amazing things to come from the brand going forward. Tomtom is 50 this year and we are really excited about the journey so far and the journey ahead. Hence, we shall be expanding our portfolios to deliver more exciting offerings that describe the passion of our consumers.

“For example, we are currently working on a music platform to excite Nigerian youths with music, and we are also looking at investing in technology. On sports, we will continue to partner with the Super Eagles.”

Head of Corporate Governance and Affairs, Cadbury West Africa, Mr. Fred Mordi, also assured consumers that the brand will continue to create value and seek new and creative ways to always delight them.

SMEs Operators Laud First Bank on Initiative Players in the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) sector have hailed First Bank of Nigeria, (FBN) on its ‘SME Connect Business Clinic’ initiative.

They expressed their thoughts during the first edition of the programme in Lagos, recently.

According to the financial institution, the initiative was thought of to develop SMEs and strengthen their impact in the economy through capacity building.

Speaking further, Group Head, Lagos Island 1, FBN, Olufunke Smith stated that the programme was one of the bank’s commitments to improve SMEs in the country.

She added that the initiative was pegged on seven pillars that would connect SMEs to capacity building, market, infrastructure, talent for business development, policy and regulation, finance and resources.

“Building the capacities of SMEs is an ongoing process. SMEs are the engine of growth of any society. At First Bank, it is our responsibility to bring them on-board through support, knowledge sharing, and

advisory in order for them to add value to the society. The SMEs attending the clinics today have gone through a selection process and it is the first for 2020, there will be more clinics to be held in the course of the year.

“This clinic is part of giving back to the society, thereby ensuring we continue to develop SMEs. We recognise that to serve SMEs adequately, there is a need to offer more than traditional banking services,” she stated.

Also speaking at the event, a Market Analyst, Gospel Obele commended the bank’s move, adding that the programme has exposed participants to opportunities that would boost their business.

He said: “Examining strategy from the outlook that was presented today, it is more of how SMEs rework their internal systems to respond to the changing environment that we have. Nigeria is a high fluid and dynamic economy, which means that our own business environment is changing faster than advanced economies.”

ers’ needs and provide them with innovative solutions and products. Our latest is specifically designed to meet evolving needs of parents and an easier approach to diapering active babies,” Saliu said.

Senior Brand Manager for Huggies, Martha Kayode, disclosed

that the product was a result of research findings and an overall objective to offer mums all-day superior dryness and protection for babies.”

He said the product comes in sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6 and are suitable for all babies from three months upwards.

L-R: Public Relations Manager, Tolaram Group, Mrs. Omotayo Abiodun; Head of Committee, Oke-Arin Market, Alhaja Olaide Aromire; Brand Manager, Hypo Bleach, Omotunde Bamigbaiye; and Assistant Head of Committee, Oke-Arin Market, Mrs. Kafilat Bello, during the official launch of Hypo Nationwide Sanitisation campaign against Lassa Fever at Oke Arin Market in Lagos...recently

L-R: Category Manager, Gum and Candy, Adebola Williams; Finance Director, Ologe Ogaga; National Sales Manager, Akin Fajembimo; Managing Director, Yimika Adeboye; Head, Corporate Governance and Affairs, Fred Mordi; and Category Planning and Operations Director, Atif Meraj, all of Cadbury West Africa at the unveiling of the new Tom Tom Freshlime candy in Lagos...recently

Hypo Begins Nationwide Campaign against Lassa Fever In the wake of the outbreak of Lassa fever in some states in the country, indigenous bleach manufacturer, Hypo, has kicked off a sanitisation campaign in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The initiative is aligned with the brand’s objectives of ensuring healthy living via a clean and germ-free environment.

The campaign exercise began in Lagos at the popular Oke-Arin market where market women were brought together and educated on how to keep themselves and their environment safe from all manner of diseases, including Lassa Fever.

This includes preventing rats from houses, regular hand washing, storing food in covered container, cooking food properly, as well as cleaning home and surrounding regularly, amongst others.

According to report, Nigeria has registered an upsurge in the number of Lassa Fever cases since the beginning of the year, with 365 positive cases and 47 deaths reported from 23 states across the country.

In its last week situation report, NCDC

disclosed that the number of states reporting at least a case of the disease rose to 23 from 19 in the previous week.

At the programme, Brand Manager of Hypo Bleach, Ms. Omotunde Bamigbaiye, explained that the move was to prevent further spread of the disease.

She noted that the choice of market and women in particular was strategic, considering women’s role in the management of the home.

“It is not just coincidental that the sanitisation campaign against Lassa Fever is launched in two cities today, because Thursdays have been earmarked specially for environmental sanitation exercise across most major open markets in Nigeria. The idea is to have the public incorporate effective sanitization approach into their regular cleaning while at the same time take them through step by step processes to prevent the spread of Lassa fever both at their shops and at home,” she said.

The Public Relations Manager, Tolaram Group, Omotayo Abiodun, also enjoined the women to put all that they have learnt to use and equally spread the message to others.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

POLITY

Tackling Resurgence of Banditry in Katsina Francis Sardauna examines the efforts of Governor Aminu Bello Masari and security agencies in tackling the resurgence of banditry in Katsina State

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or the period the reign of terror unleashed on communities across Katsina State by armed bandits and kidnappers lasted, the once sleepy and peaceful state was in a state of alienation.

The disorderliness orchestrated by the hoodlums, no doubt led to the collapse of both social, economic and academic activities in the eight frontline local government areas of the state that were hitherto occupied by the miscreants.

The banditry also created serious division between Fulani herdsmen and Yan’sakai, who are mostly Hausa thereby leading to the deteriorating security challenges in the affected councils of Jibia, Batsari, Dan-Musa, Safana, Kankara, Sabuwa, Dandume and Faskari. The Fulani people, who were alleged to be armed bandits, restrained themselves from attending weekly markets, burial rites, marriage and naming ceremonies across the state for fear of being attacked or killed.

The ugly development however, forced Fulani people to circumscribe themselves to the forest, without having any interaction with the inhabitants of urban towns, where they used to engage in business and social activities. Apart from the Fulani herders, even their women who used to hawk milk, developed phobia in having free interaction with the people in the urban areas for fear of Yan’sakai.

However, the impediment is now history, as the two warring factions have agreed to live in peace and resolved to surrender their arms due to Governor Aminu Bello Masari’s brokered peace initiative. The governor, because of his doggedness to restore peace in the state, granted amnesty to bandits after a tour to Fulani settlements and strong enclaves of the bandits in Rugu Forest on September 4-9, 2019, during which the famed bandits and forest commanders denounced banditry.

He thereafter banned the activities of the volunteers popularly known as Yan’sakai, who were accused of extra judicial killings in the open markets and warned unrepentant bandits to stop their nefarious acts of kidnapping and killing of innocent citizens.

The peace initiative was adopted by the Governors of North-west States following a Peace Summit convened by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in Katsina that facilitated discussions with representatives of the bandits from the affected states of Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Kaduna and Zamfara States.

Accordingly, agreements were reached between the states’ government and the marauding bandits. These agreements include the release of their (bandits) members detained by security operatives by government, release of all kidnapped persons in their custody as well as the surrendering of their arms and ammunition to security agencies.

Others were provision of social amenities -schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water to Fulani settlements and rehabilitation of houses destroyed during the skirmishes between bandits and Hausa farmers and establishment of RUGA settlement in some communities in the state.

THISDAY reliably gathered that 10 per cent of the agreements were fulfilled by the state government and the bandits had so far released over 105 captives in their custody while government in turn freed more than 50 bandits detained by security operatives in Katsina, Kano and Kaduna correctional centres.

The governor, flanked by the Secretary of the State Security Council, who is also the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, after the dialogue tour, held series of meetings with security chiefs, repentant bandits and their leaders to ensure the sustainability of the peace accord.

Despite the rapprochement between the state government and the hoodlums, banditry and kidnapping resurfaced between November and December last year in Dutsin-Ma, Kafur, kurfi, Batagarawa, Rimi, Danja, Matazu, Kaita, Malumfashi local governments and some parts of Katsina, the state capital. Irked by the resurgence of the menace, the governor quickly summoned security chiefs, repentant bandits and their leaders to an emergency meeting at the Old Government House, where he issued a two-day ultimatum to the bandits to desist from their evil ways and release the remaining captives in their custody.

Masari, who was represented at the meeting by Dr. Mustapha, urged the unrepentant bandits to end the resurgence of banditry and other nefarious activities bedeviling the state or face unprecedented fire-fight by the army and other security agencies in the state. He noted, with disappointment, how some bandits refused to surrender and denounce their unacceptable ways despite the agreement reached between them and the state government.

He said: “It is disheartening that despite the amnesty we granted them (bandits), some unrepentant ones among them are still kidnapping people in communities across the state.

The only option left for them is to immediately cease fire, drop their arms, and release all captives in their custody or have themselves to blame in the next two days. Government would

Masari, his deputy, Mannir Yakubu, discussing with one of the repentant bandits at Dan Sabau village not hesitate to use the military power to dislodge them if they failed to comply with the directive.”

He assured of his administration’s continued efforts in building confidence within the citizens of the State through the establishment of economically viable programmes that will have direct bearing to the people of the state. Interestingly, barely 48 hours after the government’s ultimatum, the bandits released two Customs officers who were kidnapped on January 8, this year at Mallammawa town in Jibia Local Government Area of the State to troops of 17 Brigade of the Nigeria Army.

The acting Commander of the Brigade, Brigadier, Bello Idris, while handing over the victims to senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service Area Command in the state, said the bandits released the victims unconditionally. To further restore peace in the state, the governor had on January 15, 2020 signed into law an Executive Order restricting movement of commercial motorcycles between 7pm to 6am everyday across the 34 local government areas of the state.

Briefing journalists shortly after the signing of the order, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ahmed El-Marzuq, said violators of the law would face one year imprisonment or pay fine. He said the restriction was as a result of continuous effort to tackle cases of violent crimes in the state, particularly the influx of armed bandits from the neighbouring states which adopt the use of motorcycles to unleash mayhems on communities across the state.

The attorney general said that the law would be enforce strictly across the state to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book, saying state government and security operatives were doing everything humanly possible to combat banditry and other nefarious activities.

He said: “The governor, based on the power conferred on him under Section 5 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, signed an Executive Order into law banning the movement of motorcycles. Under the order, the governor had prohibited the movement of motorcycles all over the state from the hours of 7pm to 6am with effect from January 20, 2020.

“This order shall apply to all and sundry in the state.

However, there are exceptions; the order shall not apply to the members of the Arm Forces, Police and other paramilitary agencies such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

Similarly, the State Government directed security agencies in the state to demolish houses of convicted bandits and kidnappers and revoke their Certificate of Occupancy to serve as deterrence to others. Consequently, a team of security

operatives in collaboration with the State Government has demolished the house of one Ibrahim Masaja and late Yunusa Boka whom were suspected to be kingpins of bandits terrorising communities in the state.

The duo’s houses, situated at Yartalata village of Kafur and Gwarjo forest of Matazu Local Government Areas respectively were grounded by the security operatives led by the spokesman of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah and senior military officers in the state.

In continuation of the ongoing onslaught against the men of the underworld, the Special Adviser to State Government on Security Matters, Mr. Ibrahim Katsina had embarked on peace tour to the Emirs of Katsina and Daura. He also held security meeting with the 34 heads of local government administration at the state Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, where he solicited their cooperation to end wanton killings and destruction of properties in the state.

Speaking at the palace of the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, the governor’s aide noted that the state Government was committed to putting an end to the carnage and other security challenges bedeviling the state, hence the meeting with the paramount rulers. He added that government had put in place strategies towards finding lasting solutions to the current security threats, saying there is no hiding place for criminals in the state.

According to him, “Without traditional institutions, we cannot go far in tackling insecurity. Security starts and ends with them that is why we find it very imperative to partner with them to find lasting solutions to this menace. With this partnership, there will be no hiding place for criminals in the state”.

Responding, the Emir charged security operatives and government not to spare any convicted hoodlum in the state irrespective of religion, tribal or political affiliation to serve as deterrence to others.

While describing information dissemination as bedrock for security management, the traditional ruler urged his subordinates across the state to report suspicious persons or movement to security agencies for prompt intervention.

Meanwhile, with the evolving strategies put in place by Governor Masari in collaboration with security agencies, the state has started enjoying relative peace as communities have not witnessed any attack for the past one month.

This might be a clear indication that peaceful coexistence has come to stay and would be sustained for the purpose of having a united state where everybody would move freely without fear of attack or molestation of any sort.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

POLITY Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu

Waging Old Cancer War on a New Frontier As the world marked the World Cancer Day last Tuesday, the First Lady of Kebbi State and founder, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu took the cancer awareness campaign and education to Internally Displaced Children. Olaoluwakitan Babatunde captures the moments and the benefits of catching them young

T

he World Cancer Day is set aside to raise awareness and education about the scourge of cancer.

It also aims to move governments and people, the world over, to action against the disease.

Here in Nigeria, cancer has continued to ravage the young and the old as cancer cases are on the increase, leaving many dead and others battling to survive. Why not? when awareness is low and the Nigerian medical system lacks the desired capacity to fight the scourge. This has resulted in medical pilgrimage to countries like India, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, among others, by a few that can afford it.

A Public Health Physician and Executive Director of Pink Oak Cancer Trust, Dr. Laz Eze, brought the ugly pictures closer home in a piece entitled “Who Will Save Nigerians from the Terror Called Cancer”, published on World Cancer Day. He said reflecting on the scourge brought him with mixed feelings, mostly sadness. According to him, seven out of 10 Nigerians with cancer get killed by the disease. He also said that cancer kills over 70,000 Nigerians in one year, more than Boko Haram has killed in 10 years.

“I remembered Mr. KC - my friend and schoolmate, who died of Pancreatic Cancer in November 2019 at the age of 39. A year earlier, he had mourned his sister who died of colon cancer. Also, his elder sister (a widow) was killed by breast cancer in January 2020 (two months after KC’s death). She lost her husband a couple of years earlier to anal cancer. Both parents died within the past decade, one was killed by cancer. This is not fiction!

“Two, I reflected on a case of an oncologist in a teaching hospital in one of the South-South states who detected Stage 1 breast cancer on herself recently during a routine mammography.

She earns more than N500,000 monthly and is not poor by any standard. But she requires N14 million, more than her annual salary, for a complete course (18 doses) of combined pertuzumab/ trastuzumab treatment.

“But I feel happy about the progress made in the past decade especially in the area of awareness creation in urban areas.

However, it is like a drop of water into an ocean. Majority of our critical stakeholders and population lack knowledge about cancer, its prevention and care. As a result, many still die from the ignorance. How do we reach them?”, he said.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has an idea, which is commitment by governments and individuals.

As theme for the World Cancer Day 2019-2021 organised by the organisation - “I Am and I Will” - aptly captures, the UICC believes that such commitment “will lead to powerful progress in reducing the global impact of cancer”.

“So, this 4 February whoever you are, your actions - big and small -will make lasting, positive change because, progress is possible. We need your commitment to create a cancer-free world. I Am and I Will’ is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future”, UICC reiterates.

It is in response to this desperate call and utter need for greater awareness among the unreached segments of the society that the First Lady of Kebbi State and Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation (MCF), Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, took the awareness campaign to the Early Years for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), an initiative of the Maple Leaf Early Years Centre, Gwarimpa, Abuja, as part of events to mark the World Cancer Day 2020.

By the way, Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu is not your everyday kind of First Lady. Though quite loaded in the brain and sophiscated, she is down to earth, and natural. But for her height, you would mistake her for one of the internally displaced children at the Maple Leaf Early Years Centre as she sang, hugged, pecked, lifted, danced, jumped with the children and joined them in painting all manner of fruits to demonstrate her lessons.

The least impression she lives with you was that of an experienced teacher. However, when you got to know she is a paediatric doctor, then you are able to put fingers on how she easily warms her way into the hearts of the children and made them feel so much at home with her that they were so reluctant to let go of her at the end of the programme. They were practically all over her and she cuddled them like her own children. You would also not fail to marvel at her ability to call the children by their names in the course of the programme as though she had known them for ages.

To cap it up, she dolled out gifts, including Medicaid Cancer Foundation branded school bags to them.

Speaking on her experience, Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu said: “It was a heart-warming experience for me in two respects. The innocence and spontaneity of the children was one. The philanthropic purity of Ndubuisi, an indigene of Imo State’s heart is extremely commendable in the Nigeria we live in today, a Nigeria besieged by misguided religious idealists and increasingly intolerant of

First Lady of Kebbi State/Founder, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, MCF, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu (first right); Board Member, Early Years for IDPs Initiative, Hajia Amina Jambo (third right); Co-founder, Early Years for IDPs Initiative, Mr Ndubuisi Nwigwe (first, left) and their team pose with the pupils during an awareness campaign by MCF at the school to mark the 2020 World Cancer Day in Abuja...recently one another”.

She strongly advocated cancer awareness campaign and education among children in their early years as one of the effective ways of fighting the cancer scourge. Such early awareness, according to her, would help them form lifestyles that would help protect them from falling easy preys to cancer.

“Normally, Nigerians don’t have enough information about cancer early enough, most times until late into their adult lives when they may have formed lifestyles that predispose them to cancer.

“So, the idea behind this campaign is to catch them young, to expose these little ones to basic information about cancer. As you could see, before we left, they could easily chorus the meaning of cancer. These children now know what cancer is. They now know the types of cancer out there - like skin cancer, blood cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and the rest.

“Importantly, they now know they could lower their risks of cancer by reducing their sugar intake, eating enough fruits and vegetables, having enough sleep, exercising regularly, taking vaccine for some types of cancer and also going for screening.

“We also guided them in expressing their knowledge of cancer through painting. In fact, I like such impressionable minds. That was why we brought painting materials for all of them to paint different kinds of fruits- pineapple, orange, mango, apple, banana and the rest of them.

“That was also why we were all jumping up and down, demonstrating various kinds of basic exercise and also sweating it out with the children. Our team believes so much in practical learning as much as possible.

“There are fifty of them here and I have no doubt that they will take the message to the IDP camps, especially to their peers. And we will keep reinforcing it beyond the World Cancer Day”, she added. She enjoined early years education planners and institutions to also help catch them young.

Meanwhile, the awareness campaign was watched around the world as it was one of the global events beamed live by the UICC, Geneva, Switzerland, on its various social media platforms to mark the Day. This is not surprising as Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu is an internationally recognised credible voice and an old horse in the fierce battle against cancer. She is, in fact, the first African and woman member of the UICC. A graduate of the esteemed Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where she qualified as a medical doctor before proceeding to the United Kingdom for a specialist training in Paediatrics and Neonatolog, she founded the Medicaid Cancer Foundation (MCF) in 2009 and legally registered it in 2012 to support cancer

patients, promote cancer awareness and drive community cancer campaigns for underserved populace in Nigeria.

It was conceived out of the need to create a much-needed support system for patients, families and caregivers dealing with cancer given the experience at the Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics where many, who were diagnosed with cancer were unable to raise the needed funds for treatment. Importantly, the MCF works on cancer’s full continuum - from diagnosis to the myriad questions and answers associated with treatment and care, through the journey to full survivorship, to managing the life-changing experience for the patients, families and caregivers.

The MCF has also become quite famous for the annual one million-walk away cancer fundraiser. It boasts of over 486 volunteers, received USD63,000 in donations, and covered 12 states, supporting over 238 patients.

Meanwhile, another remarkable thing about the day, which did not escape Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu’s attention, was the fact that the Early Years for IDPs Initiative is run by a South Easterner, not some northerners, who bear the brunt of terrorism and insurgency. They are not also funded by the government or donor agencies, but largely from the individual resources of the proprietors.

Co-founder of the Initiative and Maple Leaf Early Years Centre, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwigwe, said it was inspired by the need to give children displaced by insurgency and banditry quality early childhood education and a future beyond the IDP camps.

While commending Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu for her cancer awareness campaign and support, he called on other well-meaning Nigerians to key into the Early Years for IDPs Initiative too.

“We have 50 of them and we are in our second year. We pick them in the Durumi IDP Camp and take them back in the evening. We equally give them breakfast, lunch, and then snack before they depart for the IDP camp. We also hold resident summer camps for them during the holidays.

“We run this initiative with our personal efforts and support of a few kind-spirited Nigerians”.

The efforts by various public-spirited Nigerians and organisations like the MCF, etc. notwithstanding, stakeholders, including the President, Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Francis Faduyile, who gathered at the lecture themed “Roadmap to Ending Preventable Cancer Deaths in Nigeria” also organised by Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu to wrap up the 2020 World Cancer Day Tuesday evening believe government at all level must play their part if the war against cancer must be won.

But as the nation braces up for the battle ahead, one thing is sure: the First Lady of Kebbi State has just inducted new and future soldiers in the war against cancer.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

POLITY

A New Dawn in Imo State Education Sector Chika Amanze-Nwachuku writes that the establishment of Imo State Education Opportunity Programme (ISEOP), signifies a new chapter on education in the state

E

very Nigerian child deserves quality education that will empower them for the future and equip them to break the cycle of poverty that has been thrust upon them. Access to an excellent education system encourages skills development and allows school leavers to choose between starting their own businesses and finding employment.

Unfortunately, the current state of education in Nigeria does not serve such purposes as it keeps churning out graduates who struggle to either find jobs or start their own businesses after leaving school. Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari put the number of unemployed Nigerian graduates at over 20 million; this was based on the 2018 data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as the latest data is yet to be released. The deplorable state of the nation’s education system is increasingly becoming worrisome with concerns about the danger it portends for the present and future generation.

In Imo state, particularly in the last decade or so, there has been persistent disapproval over the deplorable quality of education in the state and the need for an effective technology –driven education system that would produce knowledgeable, skillful and employable graduates.

To reverse the shameful trend, the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, about a fortnight ago, announced the establishment of Imo State Education Opportunity Programme (ISEOP), a qualitative and science-driven education system, with focus on manpower and skills development.

Unveiling the new system of education in his maiden broadcast exactly five days after he assumed office, the governor said ISEOP, which he said was in line with his vision of a ‘New Imo State’, “will focus more on innovative and entrepreneurship skills acquisition and manpower development.”

Uzodinma, who assumed office on January 15, following a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court on January 14, which removed

Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party from office and declared him the winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship poll in Imo State, said: “The New Imo State will crave for an educational system that has capacity to produce a new generation of graduates that will become employers’ choice and self-reliant.

“My esteemed Ndi Imo (Imo people), our New Imo State will incorporate an Imo State Education Opportunity Programme (ISEOP) involving but not limited to a highly functional qualitative technology and science-driven education system focused on skills acquisition, innovation, manpower development, and entrepreneurship.

“The New Imo State will crave for an Educational System that has the capacity to produce a new generation of graduates equipped for immediate post school employment and self-reliance.”

According to the governor, ISEOP will ensure mandatory professional teachers continuous education programme in line with the transformative impact of digital technology on education.

It will provide measured financial support to students with exceptional pedigree in academics, innovation and entrepreneurship beside other lateral non-financial support including mentoring, career guidance and counseling among others.

The new system of education will also entail the establishment of a Job Placement Office (JPO) to enhance job search and placement, internship (IT) and other career related programmes for graduates.

Other benefits that will come with ISEOP include: Establishment of Diaspora Learning Centres (DLC) for Student Exchange and Technology Incubation Centres in the USA, UK, China and Canada, among others; Development of a new Curriculum for schools that would integrate skills learning, innovation and entrepreneurship required to fit into the new digital ecosystem; Establishment of new digital learning

Uzodinma environment with cognate digital teaching tools and programmes in six pilot centres within the three Senatorial zones of the state.

The ISEOP will also ensure the restoration of the hitherto Inspectorate Division in all the zonal school management boards to enhance academic quality and content delivery.

In the area of health, the governor pledged that his government will undertake a comprehensive Medicare with focus on Primary Health Care, and Preventive Medical Care services.

“Within the first two years of this administration, we would have attained a 75per cent Health For All, covering the 27 local government councils. We shall recruit 850 community health workers to strengthen existing primary health care system workforce in the state in the first year.

“In collaboration with local government councils, we shall rehabilitate, renovate and equip all dilapidated community health centres

in the 305 wards of the state, within the first one year in office.”

He also announced that his administration will run an integrated and holistic healthcare delivery system with modern diagnostic equipment, CT scan, and Mobile X-ray, in selected zonal general hospitals and health centres.

“We will provide a well-equipped rapid response ambulance services (RAMS) in the zonal divisional hospitals, and central rural health centres to enhance an efficient 24/7 Health Support in all the LGAs. The governor also pledged that his administration “will establish a value-based healthcare as opposed to the present Fee -for Performance Healthcare Model.”

He declared: “Emphasis in our New Imo Health architecture shall be: Optimal patient outcome, patient safety, and efficient professional and dynamic work force; Establishment of Drug Revolving Trading Accounts (DRTA) in the Hospitals, and Health Centres for “Essential” and “Non-Essential Drugs to ensure adequate stock of life-saving drugs.”

According to him, under the new arrangement, each hospital or health centre shall operate a guided self-accounting status to ensure that the drug revolving regime is effectively managed, and accounts rendered.

Besides, he said the government also plans to restore the sanitary health inspection to support a holistic primary health/preventive medicare programme of government.

He asserted: “ANew Imo Health architecture would include urgent rehabilitation of the moribund Schools of Nursing, Mid-Wifery in Owerri, Aboh Mbaise, and Awo-Omamma. Awo-Omamma and Aboh Mbaise shall, in liaison with the Nursing and Mid-Wifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), be converted into collegiate systems for Basic Mid-Wifery.

These very important health training institutions shall be rehabilitated and equipped within the first one year of our administration to ensure early and seamless accreditation. We shall review our standing with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in relation to equipment and materials supplied to these institutions and government counterpart funding.”

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Corporate Affairs Manager, Olam Nigeria, Damilola Adeniyi; Officer, Sustainability Community, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Solve, Sharon Bort; Programme Associate, Corporate Responsibility and SustainabilL-R: Director General, Nigerian German Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Gbenga Adebija; Delegate, AHK Nigeria, ity, Olam International, Mireille Wondia Yeo; Country Head, Olam Nigeria, Mukul Mathur; Vice President, Corporate Katharina Felgenhauer; PEP, Country Manager, Nigeria GIZ, Peter Forster; PEP Country Representative, GIZ, Responsibility and Sustainability, Olam International , Julie Greene; and Social Sustainability Officer, Corporate ReEsther Ayegbajeje; and PEP Project Manager, GIZ, Henrik Personne, during the renewable Energy Seminar sponsibility and Sustainability – Africa Region, Olam International, Sarah Rawson, at the Challenge Design Workorganised by The Nigerian German Chambers of Commerce in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN shop, co-hosted by Olam International and MITSolve, held at Eko Hotel, Lagos...recently

L-R: Chairman, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Abuja ChapL-R: Editor-in-Chief, Trek Africa Newspaper, Oki Samson; Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, ter, Oladiran Falore; General Counsel/Company Secretary, Axxela, Tuoyo Ejueyitchie; and Vice ChairRt. Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun; and Editor, Sahara Weekly, Sidney Nwachukwu, during the presentation of Trek man, ICSAN, Bolaji Gabari, at the 6th Governance Breakfast session organised by the Abuja Chapter of ETOP UKUTT Africa Law Maker of the Year 2019 award to the Deputy Speaker in Lagos...recently KOLA ALLI the ICSAN, held at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja...recently

28

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

POLITY

Kingsley Obiora, the Best Man for the CBN Job Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

W

hen the news broke last month that President Muhammadu Buhari had submitted the name of Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiora to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), many Nigerians took to the social media and other platforms to express their approval of the president’s choice.

His nomination, to most observers, was a very wise choice given that Dr. Obiora, a seasoned economist, possesses the training, experience and qualifications requisite for the job. From experience to reputation, Obiora was adjudged the right man for the position, particularly at a time monetary and fiscal authorities are battling to salvage Nigeria’s ailing economy.

President Buhari, had in a letter dated January 16, 2020, asked the Senate to confirm Dr. Obiora’s appointment as the Deputy Governor of CBN to replace Dr. Joseph Nnanna, who was due for retirement on February 2, 2020.

Following his nomination by the president, Obiora, was screened on January 29 by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions.

In fact, the confidence Nigerians have on him, might have informed why the Senate gave his screening expeditious consideration.

He was subsequently confirmed as the CBN deputy governor on January 30, after the Uba Sani- led committee adopted a report for consideration presented on the floor of the upper legislative chamber.

Presenting the committee’s report, Sani said the Senate was impressed by Dr. Obiora’s credentials and expertise and expressed optimism that given his wealth of experience and training, he “is well qualified for the task of assisting the apex bank achieve its mandate of ensuring monetary and price stability among others”.

He also noted that the Senate did not receive any petition against the nominee.

Describing the choice of Obiora by President Buhari as a very well deserved decision, the Senate committee chair expressed confidence that he was well qualified for the position, given that he had been actively involved in monetary policy formulations at both the national and international levels.

According to him, the Senate decided to give the screening speedy consideration, “due to the very critical role a Deputy Governor of the CBN plays in the nation’s economic sector as well as to fill the gap that might be created with the exit of Nnanna, the out-going Deputy Governor, Economic Policy.”

Obiora The committee, while also commending Obiora’s enviable reputation both locally and internationally, said “his recommendation by President Buhari underscored the importance of merit in considering Nigerians for public offices”.

Undoubtedly, the fact that the Senate did not receive any petition against Obiora’s nomination was an indication of his endorsement by Nigerians.

“He has the experience, the expertise and a good track record. So he will deliver”, said an economy analyst.

Also, a former CBN director, who lauded his appointment noted: “The Senate often receives a plethora of petitions against the appointment of most nominees for key positions, but that was not the case with Dr. Obiora.

“The reason is that he is very qualified for the position, he has the experience, he has the training, he is not new in CBN, he understands the problems and I have no doubts he would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the task of assisting the apex regulator achieve its mandate.”

Obiora is expected to hit the ground running. As deputy governor, he would be leading the effort to promote a

sound financial system in Nigeria, which is a core function of the bank.

In June last year, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele released the bank’s policy direction for the next five years (2019-2024), with four macroeconomic economic targets - double-digit growth rate in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), single-digit inflation rate, foreign-exchange rate stability and accelerating employment rate.

The five key priorities as contained in the release were: preserving domestic macroeconomic and financial stability; creating robust payment system infrastructure; working with the Deposit Money Banks to improve access to credit for smallholder farmers, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, (MSMEs) consumer credit and mortgage facilities for bank customers; growing external reserves and support efforts at diversifying the economy through intervention programmes in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors Given the antecedents of the new Deputy CBN Governor, there is no doubt he has the wherewithal to help the bank achieve its five year policy thrust released in June last year.

Obiora, a seasoned economist, until his appointment last week, was an Alternate Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC. Prior to working with the IMF, Obiora between 2014 and 2018, served as the Special Adviser to the CBN Governor on Economic Matters and contributed immensely to the overall analytical and policy framework of the CBN. He was previously the Technical Adviser to the Economic Management Team from 2011 to 2014 as well as the Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Chief Economic Adviser.

The new deputy governor had between 2007 and 2009, worked with the IMF as an economist in the European Department, where he was responsible for Lithuania and was involved in real sector issues, analyses and forecasts for the country, among several other responsibilities.

He also worked at the Centre for Econometric and Allied Research (CEAR) between 2003 and 2006, where he contributed to the development of an econometric forecasting model for Policy analyses for Nigeria’s National Planning Commission.

Obiora was part of the team that developed the macroeconomic framework for Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) II programme under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Statistics from University of Benin, as well as a Master of Science and PhD Degrees in Economics from the University of Ibadan. He has attended several training programmes in Nigeria and overseas.

First Comprehensive Digital Awards in Africa to Hold in Lagos Rebecca Ejifoma

T

he maiden edition of the annual GAGE Awards for the digital space in Nigeria is set to hold on Saturday February 22 at the Eko Hotels, Lagos, to celebrate digital excellence and gauge performances recorded in the digital ecosystem last year.

The organisation divulged this during a recent courtesy visit to the Lagos State Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm.

According to the convener of the awards, Mr. Johnson Anorh, the award aims to drive pace of innovation, attract new talents to the digital space in Nigeria and spotlight the achievements by innovative minds in the digital space.

“GAGE awards is in line with the SMART city initiative of the Lagos State. So, our courtesy visit was to invite the governor, the commissioner and other commissioners to be part of the occasion,” Anorh said.

The awards, which will be in 24 categories, further seek to acknowledge individuals, brands, businesses, and firms.

Awards for 2019 review include: Banking App of the Year, Data Service Provider of the Year, Digital Artiste of the Year, and Break out APP of the year, Online Comedian of the Year among others.

He added: “The award will review their contributions by means of innovations and creativity to the digital space last year. This is to recognise hard work,and spotlight excellence. We are celebrating the good of the web.”

Continuing, he said that the initiative tried to maintain the level of neutrality. We put it out to the public for voting so that it would be as legit as possible. Online voting began since January 16th and will end on February 9th. And PriceWaterhouseCoopers are the process audit partners to ensure only

L-R: Joan Egbonu; Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm; Convener of The Gage Awards, Johnson Anorh; Tade Adeyeye, and Bamikole Akinwunmi the best wins.

Present at the courtesy visit and presentation of GAGE trophy were: the Marketing Communications

Agency; Oaklands and Johnson, Bamikole Akinwumi; Tade Adeyeye of GAGE Awards and Joan Egbonu of GAGE Awards.

3

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

8.2.2020

Odion Ighalo A Lion in the Winter

NEWS

DRIVING EVERTON TO DREAM LAND PAGE. 29

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

30

GLOBAL SOCCER

Odion Ighalo A Lion in the Winter

During the 2018/19 winter transfer season, with Barcelona striker, Luiz Suarez, far from his best, the Catalan Club turned their direction to Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo, to save their season but the 2019 AFCON top scorer turned the Spanish giants down. The same situation again played out in the just concluded winter transfer. With Manchester United Marcus Rashford out till the end of March, attention was again turned to the Chinese Super League top goal poacher for their top-four ambition. Will Ighalo be a lion in the winter at Old Trafford? This is the big question as he prepares to debut for his new club

W

hat was initially thought to be mere rumour turned out to be a reality on the night of Friday, February 29, when Manchester United beat the winter transfer deadline to sign

Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo in a £3 million loan deal from Shanghai Shenhua in what is no doubt the most shocking transfer of the January window.

Ighalo will be on loan at Old Trafford for the rest of the season as cover for Marcus Rashford, who has been ruled out for at least six weeks

with a back injury and the striker has since been handed the number 25 jersey ahead of his possible debut against Chelsea following the Premier League winter break.

The shirt has not been in use since full-back Antonio Valencia departed the Red Devils last summer. Other

previous owners of the number 25 include the likes of former goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington, Jordi Cruyff, Quinton Fortune and rightback Danny Simpson.

Speaking following the confirmation of the move last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Odion is an

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

GLOBAL SOCCER

Galo

experienced player. He will come in and give us an option of a different type of centre-forward for the short spell he’s staying with us. He’s a great lad and very professional, he will make the most of his time here.”

Solskjaer hopes Ighalo will add depth and quality to his frontline which is without the injured Rashford until at least March.

“We will give him time to settle,” Solskjaer said, adding, “He is a striker, has a physical presence and is a goalscorer so he will give us a lot. You would be thrilled when you have been a Manchester United supporter your whole life and you’ve been working your whole life.

“Being the top scorer in the African Cup of Nations tells you a lot about the qualities we are going to get. He’s a different type of striker. He’s a proven goalscorer, physical presence.

“It also gives us a chance to rest Mason Greenwood and to rest Anthony Martial at times with so many games coming up. We want to go far in the Europa League, we want to go far in the FA Cup, we’ve got league games to go.

“It was important we had another type of striker to use. Marcus Rashford is going to be out for a little while but when he comes back as well we’ll be a different team.”

Ighalo told Sky Sports News that he was a boyhood fan of Manchester United and is looking forward to starting work with the Premier League side.

“It’s a dream come true because since I was a kid I followed and

dreamt of Manchester United. But it is a reality now. I cannot say much more now until I get started. It’s been crazy. Obviously, I am happy to be in Manchester first of all.

“This is a great opportunity for me and I am grateful to God, and to my agent, and the coach who has given me this opportunity to be here. I am happy to be here and to work out with the team and finish very well this season.”

While Ighalo is thrilled to joining the Red Devils on a short term loan, the striker turned down a move to Nou Camp when Barcelona found themselves almost in the same position as the former English champions and the Spanish champions wanted him on a six months loan deal.

Giving reason on why he turned down a move to Barcelona last year January to continue his career in the Chinese Super League, he said: “My agent spoke to me about a loan interest from Barcelona. The club wanted a striker with La Liga experience and someone who understands Spanish football.

“It was meant to be a six-month loan and strictly as a back-up striker.

It was nice to hear that Barcelona were interested and any footballer would be more than happy to take it. But with due respect I had just finished as the second top scorer in China with 21 goals, I deserve better and didn’t want to be a short-term player somewhere.

“We rejected it, it was an easy decision to make and I chose to stay in China by joining Shanghai Shenhua

on a longer contract,” Ighalo added.

The former Watford striker, who previously spent five years at Granada, rejected an opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League and potentially claim a first European league title with the 25-time Spanish champions.

Ighalo insists he has no regrets over his decision to snub Barcelona and sign a three-year deal at Shanghai Shenhua as he believes he had to adopt a long-term plan for his career.

“You need to weigh things up properly in life and ask yourself if it is your call to make, or one to satisfy others,” said Ighalo.

“I respect my decision. I needed to focus on what is good for my career long-term and when you decide to do something - you stay true to yourself. It wasn’t for me and I am happy where I am.”

Ighalo’s Manchester United signing is a shock as he has spent the last three years playing in China. The Chinese Super League is largely seen as an inferior competition and one where players move after their prime to see out their careers with often lucrative contracts.

Ighalo does have plenty of Premier League experience. He played for Watford between 2014 and 2017, scoring 16 goals in 55 top-flight appearances for the Hornets.

The striker was also a key player for Nigeria before announcing his international retirement in July 2019, scoring 16 goals in 35 outings for the Super Eagles.

He was the top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with five goals in five appearances to help the Super Eagles to the semi-finals.

Ighalo will add to United’s attacking options following an injury to top scorer Rashford. The club only have Anthony Martial and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood currently available, meaning Ighalo can expect plenty of game time.

However, former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is of the opinion that Ighalo’s move to Old Trafford only highlights the differ-

ence between Manchester United and Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

Surprised by the move, Hasselbaink said Ighalo was neither United’s number one nor number two transfer target in January, but he believes the 2019 AFCON top scorer rode his luck to the Theatre of Dreams.

“He must be the luckiest man!

Going to China, being away from Europe nobody seeing him for two and a half years since he was at Watford and then getting a loan move at United,” the ex-Netherlands striker told SkySports.

“Wow. That doesn’t happen!

“It says how far behind United are from Liverpool, Manchester City and even Chelsea. They have got a big job ahead.

“They needed somebody in. I think he was not their number one and I would be surprised if he was their number two or three as well.

“He is getting an opportunity and he will definitely get minutes and we will see if he can do it.”

The former Watford attacker arrived in Manchester on Sunday ahead of his formal unveiling by the Red Devils.

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

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

GLOBAL SOCCER

Everton’s Push for Europa League Spot Faces Palace Test Everton will be in high spirits when they host Crystal Palace today, having secured a late winner against Watford the previous week, with Carlo Ancelotti hoping to extend their four-match unbeaten run in the league. But with just three points separating the two sides, can Roy Hodgson overcome his poor form to claim the win at Goodison Park?

E

verton will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches when they welcome Crystal Palace to Goodison Park this

afternoon.

The Toffees came from two goals behind to beat Watford 3-2 at Vicarage Road last weekend, but Palace lost at home to Sheffield United to make it six league games without a win.

It has not all been plain sailing for Carlo Ancelotti since his arrival at the club, but there is no question that the Italian would have been delighted by his team’s response at Watford last weekend after falling 2-0 behind.

The Toffees turned the game

around to record a 3-2 win at Vicarage Road, meaning that they are unbeaten in the Premier League since a narrow 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on New Year’s Day. After this weekend, Everton will not play again until February 23 when they visit Arsenal, and a win in today’s early kickoff would actually move them into seventh position in the Premier League table.

Not since November 23 have the Merseyside giants lost a league match at Goodison Park, winning three of their last five in front of their own fans, who will be expecting another positive result today.

Everton have actually not lost to Palace in the Premier League since September 2014, although the last two league meetings

between the two sides have finished in goalless draws.

When Ancelotti arrived at Everton, he inherited a club languishing near the foot of the Premier League table, struggling to collect points despite an impressive, well-stocked playing squad.

Today, he has collected 16 of a possible 21 points and has guided the Toffees to sit ninth in the league. In fact, almost 50 per cent of Everton’s points this season have come under Ancelotti, who’s led just 28 per cent of their league matches.

The Italian’s turnaround on Merseyside sees him and the Blues competing with only Liverpool for form: the Reds are the only side to have collected more from their last 10 games.

Furthermore, Everton have turned Goodison Park into something of a fortress this season: going unbeaten in five league games (W3 D2) while earning three clean sheets in their last four on home soil. Indeed, the Toffees have suffered just three defeats in their last 17 home league games (W10 D4).

But Palace can take solace from four of their five Premier League wins against Everton having been on Merseyside (80 per cent). Against no other team have the Eagles won more Premier League away games (also four against Leicester).

The last time out between these two sides saw Selhurst Park host a deadlocked match, in which Morgan Schneiderlin received a second yellow card

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 8, 2020

33

GLOBAL SOCCER Premiership Table

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

The games, scheduled to hold from 8-9 February, will be broadcast live on SuperSport Select 2 to GOtv Jolli and GOtv Max subscribers, and on SuperSport Select 4 and SuperSport Select 5 exclusive to GOtv Max subscribers.

The weekend’s broadcast begins with the Premier League encounter between Everton and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park today at 1:30pm and will be aired live on SuperSport Select 2.

Everton, who were languishing at the bottom of the table in the early part of the season, have been resurgent since the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as manager. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have struggled all season and are currently lie 14th, just six points above relegation places, leaving manager Roy Hodgson worried. But with the tricky pair of Wilfred Zaha and Jordan Ayew in attack, they carry offensive plenty of offensive menace The Serie A will witness the fierce rivalry on Sunday when Inter Milan host AC Milan in the 296th Derby Della Madonnina (Milan Derby) at San Siro. The game, which kicks off at 8.45pm, will be aired live on SuperSport Select 5.

Inter, who won the first encounter 2-0 in September, will seek strengthen their chances of dislodging Juventus as the league champions. They will, however, meet a Milan team who have been in indifferent form.

Also on Sunday, reigning LaLiga champions, Barcelona, will travel to face Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. The game kicks off at 9pm and will be live on SuperSport Select 4.

Real Betis, currently placed 12th, have lost two and drawn two of their last five games, pushing them closer to the relegation battle. But coach Joan Francesc Ferrer, popularly known as Rubi, will hope that his charges – including striker Borja Iglesias Quintas, midfielder Nabil Fekir, and veteran winger Joaquin – will rise to the occasion against their more illustrious opponents.

Second-placed Barcelona will aim to regain top spot.

Los Blaugrana are three points behind their rivals, Real Madrid, and manager Quique Setién knows that another loss may hamper the team’s chances of retaining La Liga title. Although the team will miss injured striker, Luis Suarez, skipper Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann will provide sufficient threat upfront, Ivan Rakitic and Frenkie De Jong will provide depth in the middle of the park while Gerad Pique will be tasked to lead the team’s defence line.

for his foul on Luka Milivojevic.

The Eagles enjoyed two threatening spells during that meeting: at the end of the first-half and between the 5657th minutes. Alas, the game remained goalless - but the two sides haven’t been involved in a 0-0 draw for 18 clashes between them in all competitions.

After Fabian Delph was handed a red card in the second half of Everton’s 3-2 win over Watford last weekend, the 30-year-old will serve a onematch ban for this fixture. Morgan Schneiderlin is therefore likely to replace the Englishman alongside Gylfi Sigurdsson in the centre of midfield.

However, Roy Hodgson too deserves immense credit for the job that he continues to perform

at Palace, but the experienced manager will certainly be concerned by his team’s form in recent weeks.

Indeed, without a Premier League victory since Boxing Day, the Eagles have dropped into 14th position in the table.

They are only actually six points clear of the relegation zone, suggesting that the club is far from safe despite impressing in the opening months of the campaign.

The capital outfit have lost their last two in the league to Southampton and Sheffield United without scoring, but they did pick up a point at Manchester City in their last away match on January 18.

Palace have actually only lost one of their last nine Premier League matches

on the road, demonstrating that they are a much tougher proposition on their travels than at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have been beaten on each of their last two visits to Goodison Park in the top flight, though, and will be the underdogs entering this weekend’s clash on Merseyside.

Since Ancelotti took over, there has been an undeniable resurgence in this Everton side, with the Italian boss claiming four wins in his first seven league games for the Toffees. As a result, the Merseyside club currently find themselves in ninth place in the table – a vast improvement from the beginning of the campaign, where they were battling against sides in the relegation zone.

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

24 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25

41 45 36 28 9 8 3 7 3 -6 -2 -10 -12 -15 -7 -7 -13 -15

70 73 51 49 41 37 36 35 35 33 31 31 31 31 30 26 26 25

PREMIER LEAGUE TODAY

Everton Brighton

v v

Crystal Palace Watford

12:30 17:30

v v

Bournemouth West Ham

14:00 16:30

v

Leganés

v v v

Valencia Villarreal Granada

15:00 17:30 20:00

v v

Mallorca Bilbao

11:00

v v v

Madrid Sevilla Barcelona

15:00 17:30 20:00

v v

Atalanta Sampdoria

14:00

v

Juventus

19:45

v v v v v v

Sassuolo Udinese Cagliari Lecce Lazio AC Milan

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

SUNDAY

Sheffield Man City

La Liga TODAY

Levante 12:00 Getafe Valladolid Atlético SUNDAY

Espanyol Sociedad 13:00 Osasuna Celta Vigo Real Betis

Serie A TODAY

Fiorentina Torino 17:00 Verona SUNDAY

SPAL Brescia Genoa Napoli Parma Inter

Hot Shot PLAYERS

CLUB

GOALS

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

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

GLOBAL SOCCER

Stephen Odey in action for Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege, during the second edition of the GTBan Principals Cup

L-R; Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc. Sade Morgan; former Olympian quarter miler, Chief Falilat Ogunkoya; President, Nigerian School Sport Federation, Olabisi Joseph; Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc. Mr. Jordi Borrut Bel and Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepekunm at the press conference on Maltina School Games, held in Lagos last Friday.

Stephen Odey: Fulfilling the Vision of GTBank Principals’ Cup When Stephen Odey scored in his UEFA Champions League debut with Genk against Liverpool, he was hugely hailed by many soccer-loving Nigerians. Beyond that, however, the former Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School Captain was also fulfilling one of GTBank Principals’ Cup vision-building future stars, Kunle Adewale writes One of the principal objectives of the GTBank Principals Cup is to pave way for youths to cultivate their sporting talents, whilst fostering and building a healthier lifestyle at a critical stage in their lives and this objective was not lost in Stephen Odey, as he has continued to be on the rise since taking his football trade to Europe after successful exploit in the local league.

Odey was the star player in the second edition of GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup where he led Dairy Farms Senior Secondary School, Agege, to winning the completion. He also topped the list of the GTBank 13-man All Star Team of the Year.

And since then there was no turning back for the attacker.

His exploits in the Principals Cup was not lost as Nigerian Professional Football League side MFM FC and it did not take him long to get off the block.

In January 2017, he received the NPFL Bloggers’Award as the Most Valuable Player of the Month. And he was the first player to score a hat trick among over 200 players in the league in the 2017 season.

His exploits in the NPFL led to his invitation to the Super Eagles CHAN Team double header qualifiers against Benin Republic in August 2017.

His the impressive performance led to his signing a four-year contract with Swiss club-FC Zurich, thereby becoming the third Nigerian player to represent the club after the late Rashidi Yekini and Ike Shorunmu.

Last summer, Odey joined Belgian First Division Achampions Genk on a five-year deal on the back of an impressive campaign in Switzerland where he scored 14 goals in 44 outings for FC Zurich across all competitions.

Odey marked his UEFA Champions League debut with a goal in Genk’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool in the final Group E match.

The Nigerian youth international was introduced as an 81st-minute substitute for his compatriot Paul Onuachu and he helped the hosts score their only goal at the Luminus Arena following an assist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Dieumerci N’Dongala, the former MFM FC talisman poked home a low effort past Alisson in the 88th minute.

Though the late goal could not inspire Genk’s fight-back as they suffered their second loss in Group E, but the spirit of never give up which has been imbibed in him during Camp GTBank definitely was not lost in Odey.

In a chat with THISDAY, former Nigerian international, Waidi Akani is of the opinion that if he keeps on scoring for his club there is no way the Super Eagles coaches would not look at his direction soon.

“Odey has always been a hardworking footballer, we all saw what he did while he was with MFM FC while still playing in the local league. If not for his move to Switzerland he would have probably finished as the season’s highest goal scorer,” Akani said.

Aside Odey, Esther Adeboye, one of the Most Valuable Players in the 2014 competition from State High School, Alimosho was part of the National Female U-17 Team – The Flamingoes, that represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. However, it is not only school children that are benefitting from the GTBank Principals Cup. In its resolve at ensuring that the standard of the game of football in Lagos State is raised, GTBank partnered Lagos State FootballAssociation (LSFA) in the training of 300 coaches in the state. A3-day training programme was organised for coaches involved in the GTBank Principals Cup tournaments and other grassroots football tournaments in Lagos State with the theme ‘Raising the Beautiful Game’.

The training availed the participating coaches an opportunity to learn the fundamental techniques of effective youth coaching and capacity building in vari-

ous areas which include sports therapy, time management and psychology.

At the end of the training, participants were awarded an LSFA-Level 1 coaching certificate, which according to the General Manager of Communications and External Affairs at GTBank, Lola Odedina, “is the first step in a three level certification programme towards becoming a certified football coach.”

Facilitators at the seminar were former Super Eagles Coach, Chief Festus Onigbinde, Dr. Akin George, retired FIFA barged referee, Calistus Chukwujekwu.

The MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, Segun Agbaje, has over the years hailed players that had participated at the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup for putting up excellent performances, while he urged the pupils to imbibe the spirit of fair play, hard work and discipline, the core values of the bank.

“The competition paves the way for youths to cultivate their sporting talents, whilst fostering and building a healthier lifestyle at a critical stage in their lives,” Agbaje stated.

In 2009, the management of GTBank decided to revive to Principals Cup as a way of catching young talents by investing in the discovery of soccer talents in Nigerian youth and since then-budding talents had been churned out, hence the birth of GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup.

Stephen Odey…emerged from GTBan Principals Cup to star in the UEFA Champions League

Sports Minister to Grace Gov. Dickson Football Tournament Final Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, will be the special guest of Honour at the grand finale of the third edition of the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson Football Tournament.

The final game of the Restoration Cup, which will feature the football teams of Okolobiri and Ekeremor communities, will hold on Sunday, at the renovated Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa.

The Tournament Director, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said in a statement that the outgoing Bayelsa State Governor will take the ceremonial kick-off alongside the Sports Minister. Also expected are former Super Eagles player and coach, Samson Siasia, and other ex-internationals from the Ijaw nation.

The event, which will be hosted by the Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, would also feature the commissioning of some of the facilities built by the Governor Dickson administration at the stadium.

The tournament’s Director-General, Mr. Ono Akpe, said preparations are in top gear towards an expected exciting final game.

He urged youths of the state to continue to channel their talent and energy toward sports in order to give the state a positive image at all times.

With 161 registered teams in the 2019 edition of the Restoration Cup, the tournament has become the biggest grassroots football competition in Nigeria. The annual tournament is supported by the governor with the assistance of individuals and corporate organisations.

Lagos Country Club Storms Ibadan for Inter ClubTourney No fewer than 50 members of the Lagos Country Club are scheduled to participate in this year’s Inter Club Tournament against their Ibadan Club counterparts.

The one-way tourney scheduled for today would see both clubs vie for honours in tennis, table-tennis, squash, scrabble, darts and some other sports.

Lagos Country Club Sports Secretary, Segun Aluko expressed confidence in the Ikeja-based club to put up a memorable outing stating that the club will be on top of their game to justify the large number of activities at the various sections last year.

Aluko, the immediate-past captain of the tennis section, informed that the tournament has been on for some few years. He recalled that the last one was held in 2018 by Lagos Country Club who came out top of the one-day challenge. “We expect stiff competition; we expect tough challenge. However winning is not the objective for the clubs, but to exercise, interact, network and cement friendship,” he said, adding they look forward to great hospitality by their hosts.

The tourney would serve as preparations for LCC International Club tournament which would see them as guests to one of the top recreation clubs in Tanzania later this year. The LCC have featured in similar tourneys in Ghana, Rwanda and Germany.

PulevVows to Bust Joshua in Front of Home Fans Kubrat Pulev has warned Anthony Joshua he is “ready to come to London” to “bust up” the world heavyweight champion.

Negotiations to finalise Joshua’s next fight have hinged mainly on the location - the IBF, WBA and WBO champion’s preference is a UK homecoming after two fights abroad in 2019, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has emerged as the “frontrunner” to host a fight in June.

But Pulev has mocked Joshua, saying: “Calm down champ, I see that you are very worried to fight away from home and you are absolutely right to be, haha!

“But rest assured, if necessary I’m ready to come to London and bust you up in front of your own fans!

“Until then, tell Mr. Hearn not to get ahead of himself, we do not have a deal yet!”

Promoter Eddie Hearn claimed on Thursday a deal to pit Joshua against his IBF mandatory challenger was “very close”.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Miguel Azeez

Eyes European Debut with Arsenal

After being added to Arsenal’s Europa League roster for the knockout rounds, Miguel Azeez is already looking forward to his European debut

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xciting midfielder Miguel Azeez has been added to Arsenal’s Europa League roster for the knockout rounds of the competition.

The Hale End Academy product is among seven Nigerian-eligible players

under the age of 21 in the Gunners Europe League squad list announced on Tuesday, the others being goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, defenders Joseph Olowu, Tobi Omole and Tolaji Bola, strikers Bukayo Saka and Folarin Balogun.

Should Azeez make his European debut against Olympiakos Piraeus on February 20,

he will wear the number 79 jersey, the same number he used when he faced Peterborough in the EFL Trophy last October.

Saka has been allocated the number 77 shirt, Okonkwo 76, Bola 40, Olowu 53, Omole 54 and Folarin Balogun 38.

Azeez signed his first professional contract with Arsenal after reaching 17 years of age. He has developed his game in North London since he joined the Gunners’ academy at the tender age of five.

In November 2016, Arsenal sent a youth team to non-league club Hitchin Town to mark the successful installation of new floodlights at their ground Top Field.

That night, Emile Smith-Rowe, Dominic Thompson and Zech Medley all turned out for Arsenal as the two sides drew 1-1.

Three years on and those three youngsters have a summer pre-season tour with Arsenal’s first team under their belts, and their path to the first-team squad looks mapped out.

Although Smith-Rowe did not play on the US tour, he has been involved in Unai Emery’s squad in the Europa League and Carabao Cup this season.

They’ve all come a long way since that night at Hitchin.

With a real emphasis on youth emerging again at Arsenal, who can be the next youngsters to follow in their footsteps towards the first team?

In the summer, Steve Bould’s Arsenal development side made the short trip to North Hertfordshire to play a pre-season friendly. The squad was essentially an U-18 team, with the older players in the development side travelling to Sittingbourne Town for a less-publicised friendly.

The squad featured nine of Arsenal’s new first-year scholars, including centre back Mazeed Ogungbo, who started the game, and wingers Kido Taylor-Hart, Luke Plange and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, all of whom caught the eye.

However, the one player who looked most advanced in his development and capable of playing above his age group was midfielder Miguel Azeez.

Azeez came off the bench against Barnet in the second half and competed well against his senior opponents. Operating as a left-sided attacking midfielder, he was not afraid to take on defenders with his pace and was unlucky not to score with an audacious chip over experienced goalkeeper Scott Loach late on in the game.

Playing for the U-18s against Hitchin, Azeez was utilised as a holding midfielder, frequently picking the ball up in front of the defence and looking to drive the play forward, or spray it wide to Taylor-Hart down the left.

Ultimately Azeez didn’t provide any vital contributions that could change the result at Hitchin but he takes to the pitch with a general air of confidence that belies his young age.

Playing the full ninety minutes, it is apparent that he is viewed as a leader and one of the most mature among the U-18s.

Indeed, he has long held a positive reputation within the Arsenal academy and was handed his debut for the U-18s when he was still 15.

That experience of playing ahead of his age group should stand Azeez in good stead when opportunities to play with the U-23s and even the first team arises. He is also an England youth international, having been capped at U-17 level.

The consistent promotion of Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka through the academy sides to becoming a senior player stands as a good example to Azeez of what is possible.

Similarly, fellow midfielder Robbie Burton has seemingly come out of nowhere to put himself in the first-team picture.

Azeez’s versatility in different roles aided byhis exciting technique should give him a decent chance of emulating that trajectory.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

FAIRGROUND Fans Glammed Up for Birds of Prey Premiere

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ilmhouse Cinema, Landmark was the place to be on February 5, 2020, as celebrities and influencers came out for the screening of Birds of Prey.

The Cinema recorded an attendance of over 200 guests who are great fans of DC Comics and the character, Harley Quinn. Guests were treated to the great ambience of the cinemas, food, drinks, loads of interesting games and fun activities such as face painting and tattoos.

The theme of the day was “Joke on you”, and a lot of our guests were up for it with beautiful outfits, just like Harley Quinn. A major highlight was Idia Aisien and her squad pulling up like they were going to cause mayhem in the cinema.

Speaking at the premiere, Idia Aisien confirms that she’s been a fan of the Harley Quinn character and it gave her joy to actually attend the premiere with her squad, specifically with the fact that she had recreated the character with

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

herself and her squad; she stated that ”I am a big DC fan and Harley Quinn is my favourite, I love the fact that she broke up with the Clown and yes a lot of us can relate; I have had to put up a lot of clown stories on my page, I mean Harley Quinn gives me joy and the cinema experience here is really great” The MX4D experience makes the audience always look forward to seeing movies at Filmhouse Cinema; the technology transfers the movie actions and spectacle to the audience.

Filmhouse Cinemas has consistently created opportunities for movie lovers across the country to catch up with box office blockbusters. This has created a leap in the cinema culture amongst Nigerians.

“It is always fun coming to Filmhouse for a movie premiere and for this one, I’m so excited. I am the biggest fan of Harley Quinn, here in Nigeria, I even came with her shoes!”, Denrele said The movie will be out in cinemas nationwide from February 7, 2020.

L-R: Idia Aisien, Ify Okoye, Akunna Nwala, Theo Mogo, and Anita Okoye

Akunna Nwala

Anita Okoye

L-R: Peju Adebiyi and a guest

Lynxx

ify Okoye

Timini

L-R: Faith History and Denrele

Patoranking Set to Host First Ever Solo Concert African award winning Reggae/Dancehall artist- Patoranking, is set to headline his first ever solo concert in his almost six successful years in the music industry tagged ‘ The Patoranking Experience’. Exactly nine months after dropping his power packed, internationally recognised album - Wilmer, which ranked the fifth on the Billboard chart, he announced his first ever concert.

The concert is slated to take place on February 14, 2020 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

It is one to look forward to as Patoranking will be pulling no stops with delivering only the best experience as he is known to deliver.

The Patoranking Experience witnesses Patoranking flanked by the industry’s finest in the likes of Niniola, Waje, Timaya, 2 Baba, Tekno, Mayorkun and some surprise acts certified to give fans a real experience.

It promises to be an unforgettable time with timeless music, exceptional performances and definitely an ambience of full enjoyment.

This concert is one of many activities Patoranking as lined up for the year. With this event on board it serves as a major booster to his career and more importantly a chance for his fans to have the very best of the music star excellence.

Patoranking

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

FAIRGROUND

UBA Supports Creative Industry with REDTV’s New Series

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EDTV, the foremost lifestyle platform powered by the United Bank for Africa, has just launched its new and very much anticipated series, Assistant Madams. Creators of the hit series, The Men’s Club, REDTV has been engaging and providing opportunities for talented youths in the creative industry in Africa, since its inception.

The crème de la crème of the entertainment industry gathered at the prestigious and newly opened, Ebony Life Place in the bustling city of Lagos, to watch the premiere of Assistant madams. The story revolves around the life of three aspiring female Lagos socialites and their journey to ‘big girl’ status.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Producer of REDTV, Bola Atta said “REDTV was birthed by the United Bank for Africa, to support the creative industry in Nigeria and also across the African continent. For about four years now, we have been creating employment through entertainment. The potential revenue that can be generated in this industry is often under estimated and it is only in recent times that more people have had the courage to leave traditional professions and embrace the creatives. We want to encourage talented and creative professionals to pursue their dreams and to confidently feel that they are contributing to economic growth’.

‘The vision of UBA is to support entrepre-

neurship across Africa and through REDTV, the bank is connecting African talent to the world.

REDTV will continue to harness these talents and to provide opportunities for those who wish to pursue careers in the creative industry’ Atta said.

Also speaking at the launch of Assistant madams, Co-producer and director, Tola Odunsi and Akins Akinkugbe expressed their delight at the reception which the new series is receiving. ’’We are pleased to partner with UBA and REDTV to create top quality content and jobs.

Assistant madams alone employed over 120 people during the filming of the series and this is significant’.

In attendance at the event, were Chris Ubosi, Mo Abudu, veteran photographer Kelechi Amadi Obi, Sola Sobowole, Patrick Doyle, Noble Igwe, Juliet Ibrahim, Toke Makinwa, Uru Eke, Obi Asika, Koye Sowemimo, Debola Williams, Sharon Ooja, Bollylomo, Funke Babs Kufreji, Obi Asika, Bisola Aiyeola, Osas Ighodaro, Tana Adelana, Sophie Alakija, Taymesan Emmanuel, Ayo Ayoola, Efa Iwara, and many noteworthy entertainers.

Assistant Madams will premiere on Youtube @itsredtv on January 15, 2020.

REDTV is a fast paced lifestyle channel that puts Africa on the global stage. Proudly powered by the United Bank for Africa, the network is an entertainment platform with rich content that feature the very best of Africa.

L-R: Executive Director, Urban Vision, Akins Akinkugbe; Actress Tana Adelana; Chief Executive Officer, Ebony Life, Mo Abudu; Actress Osas Ighodaro; Executive Producer, Urban Vision, Tola Odunsi, during the premiere of REDTV series, Assistant Madams, in Lagos... recently

TheWorkBooth Magazine Launches 3rd Edition TheWorkBooth Magazine, TWB, the first digital management magazine in Africa has announced plans to launch its third edition on February 1, 2020.

The magazine targeted at professionals is published with the objective of inspiring, informing and advocating issues that affect workers within the Africa Continent.

The theme of this special edition is “The HR Organisation “ featuring articles and op-eds from outstanding professionals including Lola Esan (the director of people and organisational practice, Ernst and Young West Africa), Enife Atobiloye (Regional head, Transearch International),Dr Kunle Oloyede (General Manager and the Head, Group Human Resources at Odua Investment Company Limited) Adaora Ayoade(MD/CEO of EZ37 Solutions Ltd) Leke Oshiyemi (CEO/Lead Consultant at Rekrut Consulting Limited), Bunmi Akano (HR Manager, Air Peace Limited) Michael Thomas(Great Place to Work, Ghana) and a host of others.

Speaking on the new edition, TWB Tunde-Success Osideko

Nwadiogbu Kicks Off Design Masterclass Series Ikechukwu is an economy of creativity, which is evident in his rich knowledge of creative designing and works, which have since inception on his part to creativity grown him to designing master pieces and images for brands, persons, corporate bodies and more.

He recently decided to start a Master Class on Designs where participants were enriched with the knowledge, skills and thinking power to creativity. Speaking on his Master Class, he had this to say: "I came up with this idea because I believe everyone is a creative and anyone can design because it’s based on a few elements and principles. Second reason I went into this is because there is an endless needs of graphic designers in the works today especially in this era of social media."

For Ikechuckwu, he strives for an age where

everyone becomes creatively aware of their environment and all that’s going on around. As life itself is based on visuals which relates to the perception in which everyone sees things.

On becoming a good graphics designer, Ikechukwu shared: "A good graphics designer should be about communicating just like I had shared in the class with the participants.

Focusing on how can I communicate what am doing effectively just like seeing a sign on the road that says stop you can’t mistaken it for go.

That’s the essence of being a graphics designer to communicate effectively and what shouldn’t be done is trying to push out one’s creativity forgetting the message intended to pass with the design. When you understand your audience you would know how best to make your works pass the intended messages."

Ikechukwu Nwadiogbu

Editor, Tunde-Success Osideko, who is an alumnus of several worthy institutions including IMD Switzerland, Harvard Business School Executive Education, Anglian Ruskin University, United Kingdom, Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa, said: ‘In this edition of the magazine, we seek to demystify every misconception around the HR profession, share insights on how to build a successful HR career, identify and understand the unique challenges of HR practitioners in Africa and equip employees with the right knowledge to guide their expectations of the people department popularly known as the HR department while also helping management to see the value that HR brings on board in organisations.

The magazine, which can be accessed via their website , also features the regular professional diaries and introduces new columns; Workplace stress management strategies by Medbury Medicals and the Diary of a doctor perfectly relayed by Dr Rotimi V.O.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

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AUTO Valentine: Coscharis Motors’ Customers, Prospects to Receive Exclusive Gifts

Kia Sorento 2020 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon lead vehicle

Kia Sorento Lead 2020 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Today Stories by Bennett Oghifo

T

he plan for the fifth edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon sponsored by Kia Motors Nigeria is in top gear with the 2020 Kia Sorento ready to set the pace as the race official lead vehicle. Widely revered as a driving force behind the growth and development of sports management in the country and across the globe, Kia has continuously engaged the teeming athletes and sporting fans locally and internationally.

The sponsorship of the Lagos Marathon has helped increased the local brand equity of Kia through experiential marketing and penetrate the youth segment.

Slated for today, Saturday, the 8th of February 2020, the marathon promises to be a very enthralling sporting event. “At Kia, we’re proud to partner with Access Bank and Nilayo Sports Management on the Lagos Marathon,” said Kia’s CEO, Jacky Hathiramani. “We are

especially excited to showcase the 2020 Kia Sorento to the participants and fans of this iconic racing event. Using the sporting event as a CSR touchpoint with the people through our promotion of a healthy lifestyle, the Lagos Marathon will continue to redefine the health/ fitness paradigm of the state and the country at large.

“Marathons are a fantastic event for reaching numerous people during a truly enlivening time. It can be an emotional experience for runners and their spectators, especially given the physical exertion and general excitement.

With over 30,000 expected runners in this year’s edition of the marathon, professional and fun runners are billed to have a fun-filled experience. It promises to be a great platform for the runners to savor the moment and will give them a chance to share their experiences with friends and family,” Jacky added.

Dubbed as one of Kia’s ‘Best Car for the Money’ in the United States, the Kia Sorento’s desirable high-quality engineering at the best as informed its choice as the lead vehicle for the race and

its indeed tremendously gratifying. Running and the automobile industry are not mutually exclusive. There’s a shared value between Kia and the marathon; discipline, endurance, and readiness to perform are the mark of successful runners; they must intelligently make use of their energy reserves. Efficiency is also a fundamental principle for Kia, as reflected in the innovative technologies of the Kia vehicle. Aprime example of this is 2020 Kia Sorento, which is employed as the lead car in this year’s running event.

With the grand prize of two units of Kia Rio for each female and male runner for the 10km fun runner and $500,000 cash prizes to be won by all runners, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will witness over 30,000 participants, including world-class Nigerian and international athletes, professional and amateur runners, and fitness Hyundai Motor says it will suspend producenthusiasts. The CEO of Nilayo Sports Management Company, Bukola Olopade said “as we tion in South Korea because of the coronavirus have earlier promised, 2020 edition of the Access outbreak, which has affected the supply of Bank Lagos City Marathon will witness a lot of parts. innovations; one of which is the introduction of In announcing the suspension, Hyundai the $20,000 bonus for world-class performances. became the first major automobile manufacturer to reduce operations outside of mainland China, according to a report by VOAnews.

In China, Hyundai and several other automakers have already followed government guidance and ordered factories to close. Those manufacturers include Tesla, Ford, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Nissan and Honda Motor.

“Hyundai and Kia may be more affected as they … import more parts from China than other global automakers,” said Lee Hang-koo of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.

Many other businesses are preparing for losses from the viral outbreak. For some companies, the damage has been delayed, thanks, in part, to timing. The outbreak hit just when Chinese factories and other businesses were closed for the one-week Lunar New Year holiday.

Now the holiday has ended, and worldwide shortages may be coming.

In order to meet production targets for summer goods, experts say that Chinese factories would need to start increasing production by March 15. If Chinese factories were to stay closed through May 1, it would likely affect the back-to-school and autumn sales totals.

“There’s complete uncertainty,” said Steve Recently, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Pasierb, head of the Toy Industry Association, Mr. KikutaYutaka joined top International Suzuki a trade group in the United States. “This could officials led by Executive Director, International be huge if it goes on for months,” he added.

Marketing, Suzuki Motor, Mr. Koichi Suzuki; The Chinese city of Wuhan is the center of Chairman CFAO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Gbenga Oye- automotive production. The viral outbreak bode and the Managing Director/Country Delegate, CFAO Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Pelleti- has hit Wuhan and neighboring cities hard. erto unveil a new Suzuki showroom and latest The government has closed off the area, where models of the Suzuki brand in Akin Adesola more than 50 million people live. The factories Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. where they work are closed.

CFAO Offers Trade-in of Used, Tokunbo Suzuki Car for Brand New One

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FAO Motors is offering Nigerians a rare opportunity to trade-in their pre-owned (used) and tokunbo (imported used) cars for new ones.

The trade-in scheme is nonrestrictive to car brands or models, even if it was bought as a tokunbo car, according to the Managing Director of CFAO Motors, Mr. Thomas Pelletier.

He explained that the process is as simple as bringing in your current car for valuation and choosing to pay the balance for a brand new car up-front or through financing.

For example, a brand new Suzuki Dzire, sold at N6 million, can be traded-in with a Toyota Corolla 2013 valued at N1.7 million. The balance of N4.3 million due can either be paid upfront or pay N109,000/monthly (up to 60 months).

“So, only 20% equity is needed for the financing.

“The valuation of your car will be done in Lagos at the company’s Akin Adesola, Victoria Island showroom only while financing options are also available in CFAO Motors offices in Abuja and Port Harcourt.”

“To this end, with as little as N3.7m or N85,000 monthly, anyone can own a brand new Suzuki car! The models available in Nigeria cut across compact cars, sedans and Sport Utility Vehicles with the Alto, Dzire, Swift, Baleno, Ciaz, Ertiga, Vitara and Jimny.”

Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational founded in 1909, known for manufacturing a wide range of products which include automobiles, motorcycles and outboard marine engines. With three million cars sold globally every year, the brand is recognised for its lineup of affordable compact cars.

Suzuki Vitara

In Nigeria, Suzuki has been quite popular with the mini-buses and compact car taxis which have been plying the roads over the years.

The CFAO Group is a leader in specialised distribution in Africa with 117 years of existence in Nigeria.

The group has built a solid relationship with Suzuki and now distributes the Japanese brand in 26African countries, offering quality technical expertise and reliable after-sales service.

With love in the air having Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the leading auto dealer organisation, Coscharis Motors Plc is set to delight customers and prospects with special gifts of love across its entire line up of iconic automobile brands including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Ford from now till end of February, 2020 across her dealerships nationwide.

With the theme “Gifting Your Partner Something Truly Special”, Coscharis Motors is offering compelling discounts on these brands with an all inclusive minimum 3 – 5 years free service on the BMW and Land Rover brands respectively.

For instance, you can pick up a brand new BMW from N15M. Additional offers include free registration, trade-in options together with complimentary first year insurance package.

According toAbiona Babarinde, General Manager,MarketingandCorporateCommunications, Coscharis Group, “in order to further deliver the excitement that resonates with a special day like the Valentine day, we are throwing open our showrooms in both Lagos and Abuja to our loyal customers and prospects alike to come and celebrate their love in style and immerse themselves into a world of automobile luxury on the 14th of February 2020 while they have drinks in the house”. A special couple’s drive experience is available to first four customers in Abuja for a memorable test drive to have a feel of our iconic cars amongst other offerings for possible purchase.

Furthermore, joining us at our open day on the 14th of February 2020, offers you the opportunity to seat with our professional Sales team and spec any of your preferred vehicle with special rebate on accessories and lifestyles requested amongst other offerings.

Coscharis Motors Plc is a multi-automobile dealership with exclusive franchise for BMW, JaguarLandRover,Ford,RollsRoyceandRenault vehicles in Nigeria. The Organization is present in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River states.

Hyundai to Halt Production Because of Coronavirus

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

39

AUTO

Nissan-Stallion Group Set Out Fun Day for Children of Charitable Homes Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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uided by the vision of enriching people’s lives, Nissan Nigeria sets out to give a “fun day at the movies’ experience to the children of Motherless Babies Home and Vigilant Heart Orphanage. Both of these charitable homes render exemplary service towards providing care for orphans and abandoned and underprivileged children in Lagos.

Around 70 children from the charitable causes were taken along with their care givers to watch Dr.Dolittle and their enthusiasm was electric. The children were also made to watch short movies on road safety norms. This is one of the many activities that Nissan Nigeria– Stallion Group commit to carry out this year to inculcate safe driving culture in the young minds.

This event was hosted in association with Silver Bird Theatre. Kiki Osinbajo, owner of the fashion power house Glam D Africa and Seyi the popular TV Personality of Big Brother Naija fame, came out to cheer and support the children.

Mr. Amit Sharma sales head for Nissan in Nigeria added that the brand seeks to contribute to sustainable social development and carries out social contribution activities as a corporate citizen focusing on education, environmental awareness and humanitarian relief.

Managing Director/CEO, Elizade Autoland, Mr. Demola Ade-ojo, and the JAC T6 Pickup that won an award…recently

Mitsubishi L200 is new Pick-up of the Year

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ess than one year after the latest model of the Mitsubishi L200 pick-up was unveiled by Massilia Motors, in an impressive event on the Landmark beach in Oniru, Lagos, it has been named Pick-up of the Year.

The Mitsubishi L200 which was nominated alongside the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger, was elected the winner by the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) at its annual NAJAAwards held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

ManagingDirectorofMassiliaMotors/Country delegate of CFAO Group in Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Pelletier stated that his company is elated by the recognition given to the pick-up, which has over the years been a key player across various Nigerian industries.

It would be recalled that during the launch of the latest model last year, Mr. Pelletier had said:“Mitsubishi L200 is very important to us because it represents 80 percent of our sales, and I am optimistic that customers will like the new generation L200.”

Mr. Thomas Pelletier, who was also recognised as the Most Innovative CEO of the Year during the NAJA Awards, maintained that “in terms of value for money, we are the best because we do not compromise in quality delivery and our Mitsubishi cars have been tried and tested over the years”. Our after-sales support is backed by qualified technicians who have been adequately trained by the Japanese manufacturer.”

Massilia Motors General Manager for Sales, Mr. Tunji Itiola explained that the enhanced rugged exterior features and advanced safety features are prominent inclusions in the new vehicle which comes in three variants: single/double cabins 4x2 and double cabin 4x4 powered by a 2.4-litre engine. The new pick-up is available in Massilia and CFAO Motors showrooms nationwide.

The Mitsubishi L200 pick-up gained popularity through its constant evolution in the last 40 years thanks to its driving dynamics, running costs, standard kit and attractive prices.

The L200 is used as a utility vehicle in a wide variety of applications such as construction sites, Fast Moving Consumer Goods distribution, and oil field sites, among others.

Mitsubishi L200

Nothing to Cheer About Lowering the drinking age is a dangerous decision fraught with consequences.

How worried are you over the increasing incidence of drink driving? Do you know that statistics indicates that there is an increase in drink driving related crashes in most cities especially at night and most pronounced during the weekends? Are you aware that despite the provision of the traffic laws which prohibits driving under the influence, age prohibitions are rarely seen in the traffic laws? Do you know that despite the risk involved in driving under the influence, only five thousand naira fine is provided for this offence?Please read this culled piece from India. In our ambition to showcase our cities as world class, we seem to think that more pubs, bars and easy availability of alcohol will make them so. Many newspapers and Television channels have supported the idea of longer drinking hours, lower drinking age and easy access to alcohol. The way these ideas are being promoted suggest that there are no problems associated with a widespread drinking culture. Unfortunately, facts point us in the opposite direction.

Arecent study by the world Health Organization (WHO) tells us that 40 to 60 percent of all injury deaths are attributed to violence. This is particulars so for traffic accidents involving alcohol. In most countries where drinking and driving is not controlled strictly, 40 to 50% of traffic crash fatalities have alcohol involvement. Even in those countries where there is strict enforcement of drinking and

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa (Corps Commander) Corps Public Education Officer Federal Road Safety Corps. + 2348033026491 driving law progress has been difficult. In 1982, there were 26, 173 alcohol-related road traffic fatalities in the United States, 60% of the total number of people killed on US roadways. With a great deal of effort over 20 years this proportion was reduction to 40%. But the number has been increasing in the past few years.

Sweden has worldwide reputation for controlling alcohol sales and for every strict drinking and driving laws. Their successful work against drunk driving resulted in alcohol-related fatalities declining sharply from 31% in 1989 to 18% in 1997. Sweden joined the European Union in 1996. This meant, among other things, that it had to accept a gradual loss of its restrictive alcohol policies. The percentage of fatally injured drivers who had been drinking had risen to 28% by the end of 2002. Swedish researchers point out that “best practices” to avoid the negative societal consequences of all alcohol consumption include minimum legal purchase age, government

monopoly for retails sales and restrictions on hours or days of sale, all diluted since 1996.

Alcohol misuse is also a major contribution to crime, disorder and anti-social behavior in all societies.

This is particularly true for males less than 25 year old. British government reports show that 33% of stranger and 25% of acquaintance alcohol-related assaults happened on weekday evening/night.

The problem is quite serious in India also. Astudy done at IIT, Delhi, showed that 36% of two-wheeler crash victims admitted to a neurosurgery ward in a delhi hospital had alcohol involvement. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore (NIMHANS) estimated that 21% of people who sustained brain injuries during a crash were under the influence of alcohol within three hours prior to the crash.

This should not surprise us. Almost all the recent cases of well publicize accident in India have alcohol involvement. A WHO study shows that teenage drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03g/100ml carrying two or more passengers were 34 times more at risk of crash compared with drivers aged 30 years or more, with no alcohol, driving with one passenger.

In the face of this grim facts, what are the world class city governments doing? Many countries have a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws below which people cannot purchase or publicly consume alcohol. In most locations in the US, that age is 21.

There is strong evidence to suggest that MLDA

laws are effective in preventing crashes involving drinking and driving. – statistics in the US shows that those States who adopted the MLDA of 21 in the 1980s have since seen a 10 – 15% decline in drinking-driving related fatalities compared with states that have lower ages.

There is evidence that a relationship exists between alcohol-related problems and both outlet density and hours during which alcohol can be sold, with longer hours and more outlets leading to increased problems. Diadema in Brazil has reduce its murder rate by almost half in the last few years – largely by establishing 11pm as the closing hour for bars and other similar establishments. Many city governments in the West are also imposing server responsibilities, where retailers are liable for injuries caused by intoxicated adults or by minors to whom they have sold alcohol.

Responsible beverage service and sales legislation is generally aimed at reducing sales of alcohol to youngsters and to intoxicated people. The available evidence suggested that legislation of this sort can significantly reduce crashes involving drinking and driving.

If we want our cities to be world class in safety and lack violence, we will have to reconsider our headlong entry into greater alcohol consumption.

Before we make any changes in alcohol serving and sales laws, we have to put in place mechanisms that ensure that people cannot be violent in public places and cannot drive after drinking.

Dinesh Mohan runs the Transport Research and Injury Prevention Programme at IIT, Delhi.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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˜ ˞ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION/TRIBUTE

BY

‘Nigerian English’ Globalized

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transport system in Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. Also as a‌�

To eat money, in eat, v., Ember months, n.: “The final four months of the calendar year (September to December), esp. considered together as a period of heightened or intense activity.�

Flag-off, n.: “The moment at which a race, esp. a motor race, is flagged off (see flag v.4 additions a); the start of a race. Now chiefly Indian English and‌â€?

Flag, v.4, Additions: “to flag off. Transitive (usually in passive). To direct (a driver) to start a motor race, esp. one in which the competitors start at intervals, by‌â€?

Flag, v.4, Additions: “to flag off. Transitive. Indian English and Nigerian English.

In extended use: to start (an event or undertaking).�

THE FULL LIST FOLLOWS: Gist, n.3, Additions: “Nigerian English.

Agric, adj. and n.: “Of, relating to, or Idle chat, gossip. Also: an instance of this, a used in agriculture; = agricultural adj. Now rumour or piece of gossip.� chiefly West African�

Gist, v.2: “transitive. To reduce (a text, Barbing salon, n.: “A barber’s shop.â€? document, etc.) to its essence or gist; to Buka, n.: “A roadside restaurant or street condense, summarize, or prĂŠcis.â€? stall with a seating area, selling cooked food Guber, adj.: “Of or relating to a governor at low prices. Cf. bukateria n., mama put n. or governorship; = gubernatorial adj.â€? frequently used as a modifier‌â€?

Kannywood, n.: “The Nigerian Hausa-lanBukateria, n.: “A roadside restaurant or guage film industry, based in Kano; Kano street stall with a seating area, selling cooked regarded as the centre of this industry. Cf. food at low prices. Cf. buka n., mama put n.� Nollywood n.�

Chop, v.6, Additions: “transitive. GhanaK-leg, n.: “In singular and plural. A ian English and Nigerian English. To acquire condition in which one or both of a person’s (money) quickly and easily. Frequently in knees are turned inwards, resulting in a negative sense: to misappropriate, extort, noticeable gap between the feet when‌â€? or‌â€?

Mama put, n.: “A street vendor, typically Chop-chop, n.2: “Bribery and corrupa woman, selling cooked food at low prices tion in public life; misappropriation or from a handcart or stall. Also: a street stall embezzlement of funds. Also as a modifier.â€? or roadside restaurant run by‌â€?

Additions: “Now chiefly Nigerian English Next tomorrow, n. and adv.: “The day and East African. To eat money: to acquire after tomorrow.â€? money dishonestly; to misappropriate, BACK TO OUR LANGUAGE CLINIC: extort, or embezzle funds. Cf. chop v.6‌â€? “The Dozzy Foundation on Health is yet Danfo, n.: “A yellow minibus that carries another testament of (to) your selfless passengers for a fare as part of an informal service to humanity.â€?

E resume lectures today by listing Nigerian words that were recently internationalized before returning to our didactic session.

A total of 29 Nigerian words and expressions have been included in the latest January 2020 updates of Oxford English Dictionary. Some of the words included are: ‘Ember Month’, ‘Danfo’, ‘Non-indigene’, ‘Guber’, ‘Tokunbo’, ‘Mama Put’, ‘Kannywood ‘Next Tomorrow’, among others. How I wish the late language activist, Pa Bayo Oguntunase, was alive to savour this unprecedented manifestation!

“The Foundation speaks volume (volumes) of your passion for the health and well being (well-being) of the downtrodden.â€? “We pray that God in his (His) infinite goodness will grant you many more years and good health.â€? “As we look forward to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it is good for us to focus in (on) areas we have competitive advantage.â€? “For the fast-approaching Tokyo games, which would commence in (on) July 24, it is doubtful that our fate would be much different.â€? â€œâ€Śboth our male and female teams failed woefully (abysmally) to qualify‌.â€?

Finally, we take the last entry from the Editorial under review: “That is why smart nations do everything possible to maximize their potentials (potential or potentialities) in sports.� ‘Potential’ is uncountable, unlike ‘potentiality’ “...the Supreme Court put to rest every other discussions.� (Politics & Power, January 29) Either every other discussion or all other discussions, depending on context Wrong: “people-oriented government�

Poser: is there any government that is beast-oriented or object-oriented? All governments—bad and good—are peopleoriented. “Incorporating ESG principles into job-creating businesses ensure (ensures) sustainable business operations‌.â€?

Some media professionals ignorantly use the phrase “armed bandits� as done by the NEW TELEGRAPH in its story entitled “Banditry: Zamfara peace accord suffers setback�, February 5, 2020.

It stated in the intro thus: “The Zamfara State Government’s effort towards finding lasting solution to armed banditry and cattle rustlings suffered a setback as...� The dictionary defines a bandit as “a member of an armed gang that robs people�. It means a

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

bandit is usually armed; therefore the word “armed� to qualify him is out of place.

On the contrary, a robber is someone who “takes property from a person or place illegally�. A robber may or may not bear arms. If he does, he is an armed robber liable to the death penalty upon conviction.

As we can see, the distinction between a robber (armed or unarmed) and a bandit is clear.

The nation’s premier independent radio station, RayPower, reported in the business segment of its Nigeria Today newscast on Thursday, February 6, 2020, that the country “SLIDED into recession...â€? Its editors and correspondents, and indeed media professionals, should note that SLID is both the past tense and past participle of SLIDE. It is not in the same word class as GLIDE and GLIDED. “For the first time since the scandal broke, Senate, yesterday, admitted paying only N62.5 million to purchase a bullet-proof Range rover Sports Utility (Sport-Utility) Vehicle (SUV) for the office of its president.â€? “Police arraign alleged fake lawyer in courtâ€? Where else would they have arraigned the buffoon? Yank off ‘in court’! “2 jailed 4 years over (for) rapeâ€? “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your (our) children.â€? “We rejoice with you on your 65 (65th) birthday‌.â€? “Not only do we rejoice with the celebrant (celebrator) for partaking in abundant grace‌.â€? “He will grant you strenght (strength), good health and wisdom.â€? â€œâ€Śas you strive to contribute your quota in (to) building a more vibrant democracy for the benefit of our dear country.â€? “With people (a person) like you working with our dear president and other patriotic Nigerians‌.â€?

Lucy Akpodiete: Paragon of Propriety that will be Sourly Missed Eni Akpodiete

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ucy Edojaimoni Akpodiete (nee Eyube) was a paragon of propriety and discipline, a woman of means that haboured a generous spirit that would not permit her to store wealth, whilst people around her were bedeviled by want and deprivation. She was a woman of remarkable strength, extraordinary courage and devotion. No one could encounter her and not be convinced of her nobility

of character.

She went the way of all flesh peacefully in Ughelli on the 24th of November 2019 and was survived by her God-given five children, 22 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and numerous relations.

She will be sourly missed by those whose lives she touched in her earthly sojourn.

In a life that spanned 92 years, Lucy Edojaimoni Akpodiete (nee Eyube) until the evening of her life, when she was constrained by ill health, lived an active existence as a teacher, seamstress, church women leader, school proprietress, mentor, pensioner, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

She was born on 13th December 1927 in Warri to humble parents, Cecilia Ihwighwu a trader of Ekiugbo, Ughelli and Joseph Agidiotan Eyube of Igbogidi, in Udu Local Government Area near Warri in Delta State. Joseph Eyube is reputed to have been the first African Catechist of the Catholic Church in Warri and he was the son of George Eyube whose name graces some of the pages of the history of Urhobo ethnic nationality as having been appointed a British political agent with oversight for Warri District as it then was constituted in 1895, few years after the Niger Coast Protectorate Government was proclaimed by the British. George Eyube at an age, when there were no bicycles in the Warri area, possessed, by virtue of his elevated office, a horse with which he carried out his functions.

Lucy was the second of the three children of her parents, and the only female; the others being Emmanuel Eyube her elder and Nathaniel her younger brother respectively. Both of them predeceased her. She was known to have loved both siblings dearly but more especially the younger one, Nathaniel who lived all his life in Sapele and often times made sacrifices to visit with him regularly and assist in the up-bringing, education and general well-being of some of his children as her own children.

Young Lucy was baptized as an infant on 6th January, 1928 in the Catholic Church in Warri. She had her first Holy Communion in 1939 in Lagos. Being the daughter of a catechist, her life was understandably ensconced in rich Catholicism. She enjoyed the acquaintance of Priests and Reverend Sisters and enjoyed life-long relationships with several of them. Regular attendance of morning Mass and Sunday Mass was her forte, right from an early age to

Akpodiete the evening of her life.

At a time, she was the President of the Catholic Woman Organisation (CWO) in the Ughelli Parish of the Church. She was a foundation member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Ministry in the church in the Warri and Ughelli dioceses. She actively espoused several charitable causes of the church and contributed her widow’s mite time and again over the years to the development of the local church including the recent renovation of Saints Peter & Paul Church building when she was called upon to be a platinum donor Mum Lulu, as she was fondly called by many, commenced her education at Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) School, Warri, where she obtained her Standard Six School Certificate and Modern School Certificate. Thereafter, she proceeded to Sacred Heart Teachers Training College, Ubiaja, in present day Edo State, where she obtained a Teachers Grade III and Teachers Grade II Certificates respectively. It was while receiving her education at Ubiaja that she forged a relationship with the elegant Lady Felicia Esther Odu (nee Falconer) of Scottish and Aboh (Ndokwa) extraction with whom she enjoyed a long and intimate friendship across decades. Upon conclusion of her professional training as a teacher, Lucy toiled as

a teacher in the now defunct United Teaching Service. She served in various schools, including Roman Catholic School Otovwodo.

Ughelli, Roman Catholic School Orhughworun, Roman Catholic Mission School Sapele, Roman Catholic Mission School Warri, Convent School Warri, The Primary School in Eruemukohwarien, Ekiugbo Primary School, Ekiugbo, Ughelli, and Ogelle Primary School, Ughelli, her last port of call before retiring meritoriously.

In 1949, Lucy got married to the ebullient Rowland Ekuogbe Greggory Akpodiete (as he then was known but in later life, known simply as Chief Ekuogbe Akpodiete) now of blessed memory, who became a first generation Urhobo lawyer and later the Otota of Ughelli Kingdom. Their marital union had the blessing of three children initially: Odafe, their first fruit and then Otemu and Etasa (two boys and a girl respectively).

Her husband proceeded to the United Kingdom in pursuit of legal training and she followed suit shortly after leaving her children in the hands of her parents and siblings. During her residence in London, England she started nursing training but soon found that her talents were not to be employed in that pursuit as she and her husband decided to have and raise two more offspring in the UK: Emuobonuvie, a girl and Eni a boy. Eventually, she took up training in fashion design by attending the Paris Academy of Dressmaking and Millinery (School of Fashion) then housed at 229, Oxford Street, London under the tutelage of Madam Jeanne Trois Fontaines.

To assist and support her husband in his pursuit of qualification as a barrister, she took on available jobs. She in turn, worked in the South East Parcel Union, Ministry of Labour and the Post Office.

She returned to Nigeria in 1963 and reawakened her teaching career, as well as set up shop (her side-hustle) as a seamstress in Warri. Her fame as a seamstress was promoted by the fact that she was able to determine a ladies’ measurement in a vast majority of cases just by looking at them without using a measuring tape.

She would say thereafter “come take your dress in so and so time�. Enlightened society in Warri at the time marveled at the skills of this London-trained seamstress. She devoted her energies to this enterprise, and to her teaching career and, by so doing, was able to ensure the well-being of her five children even while her husband was still abroad. She made many a wedding gown, school uniforms, suit and all manner of wears in her hay days as a seamstress in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Not a few ladies were also apprenticed to her.

Upon her retirement from the Civil Service in the late ‘70s, buoyed by an entrepreneurial spirit, she set up the first privately held nursery/primary school in Ughelli, Lulu School, which eventually burgeoned to include a secondary school, the products of which remain proud to have passed through those institutions.

At various times her grandchildren of school age enjoyed some form of scholarship from her by attending Lulu School.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

‘Nneka, the Pretty Serpent’ Rises Esther Ayele Birthday Wishes of Bimbo Ademoye pg. 45

I Often Experience Sexual Harassment On Instagram with Some Calling Me a Prostitute pg. 46

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

‘Nneka, the Pretty Serpent’ Rises Since re-creating “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free,” versatile producer, Charles Okpaleke has acquired the rights to remake a number of Nollywood classics, the latest being Nneka the Pretty Serpent. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

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x-Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Munachi Abii some two years back met actress Ndidi Obi, the lead character in 1992 Nollywood classic, Nneka The Pretty Serpent.

The ex-beauty queen and rapper had shared a photo and video with the actress and had wished for a remake of the movie. In her terse comment then, she wrote: “Just imagine a remake”. Well, as it stands now, her wish two years ago has come to fruition as it is official that Nneka The Pretty Serpent remake is being worked on.

Interestingly, the same producer, Charles Okpaleke, who recently launched the sequel to Nollywood blockbuster movie, Living in Bondage, has also acquired the rights to the Nneka remake.

Interestingly also, Munachi Abii was cast in the Living in Bondage sequel. Since releasing “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free,” Play Network, owned by Okpaleke, has acquired the rights to Nollywood classics - “Glamour Girls” and “Rattle Snake.” Now, he has added “Nneka the Pretty Serpent” to the list.

Okpale recently took to his Instagram page to announce the movie.

He also revealed that the movie will be released in December 2020.

He wrote: “We’ve been waiting to announce this! See you in cinemas this December. Nneka is Back, and this time she’s going for the jugular.” Okpale is sure bringing back some good old Nollywood movies that are guaranteed to give that nostalgic feeling and make one smile.

Like the original “Living in Bondage, “Nneka the Pretty Serpent” was a commercial success, despite being shot in Igbo with English subtitles. It also helped launch the careers of many of the actors. The latter is a spiritual theme movie. As the name suggests, the movie told the story of Nneka, a mermaid in human form, whose mission on earth was to go after married men. The movie was produced by Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and directed by Zeb Ejiro in 1992.

The film’s storyline was simple, straightforward and this was a plus because it earned it a large following. Nneka’s supernatural powers were all she needed to captivate any man she fancied and turned into her zombie. She also had to contend with a number of obstacles and in turn didn’t hesitate to destroy anything that stood between her and her desires.

The movie’s star-studded cast features Ndidi Obi, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, Rita Nzelu, Ngozi Ezeonu, Sam Loco and Eucharia Anunobi.

“Nneka The Pretty Serpent” also starred actors like late James Iroha

Ndidi Obi with Munachi Abii

and Claude Eke (Gringori and Jegede Shokoya of The New Masquerade fame) and Nelly Uchendu who have all passed on. A good number of the actors were considered top notch back then. They still are. Remembering the lines “Nneka M O, Obugini” brings back some nostalgia about how much Nollywood has evolved.

The special effects employed in

the movie also made it captivating.

The influence of “Nneka the Pretty Serpent” inspired films like “Karashika,” “Sakobi,” “Izaga,” “Highway to the Grave” and “Witches.”

Following the success of the first two parts of the movie, a third part titled The Return of Nneka was released a few years down the line.

It didn’t quite make as much impact as the first two parts because

it faced serious contention from other movies like Rattle Snake, Taboo and Evil Passion and more so, the industry was booming.

Although it’s been almost 28 years since its release, Nneka the Pretty Serpent remains a reference point for Nollywood of old. It will be interesting to see how this remake will handle the entirety of the story/cast.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Birthday Wishes of Bimbo Ademoye Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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ake no mistake about this. Nollywood actress, Bimbo Ademoye, is a “good girl” as it is often said in the usual social parlance, at least. As far as one knows, Bimbo would take exception to superficial beauty like butt, breast and hips enlargement. Even at a point, she got bothered that people stare at her body and at other times, she doesn’t care. But as it is, the actress seems to be gradually letting out herself.

The chic, simple and sexy star on Tuesday, February 4 took to her Instagram page to celebrate her 29th birthday in style. As part of her revels for her special day, Bimbo shared a couple of lovely photos and made her quite interesting wish that got the attention of her fans, friends and admirers. The light skin actress in her request revealed that she wants things such as rich friends, bigger bum, wider hips and many more.

In her birthday post, the fun loving actress acknowledged the woman she has become, and thanked her supporters for the love shown to her. She wrote: “Happy birthday lady. I pray your waist gets smaller, hips wider, bum bigger, bank account fatter, talent bigger, friends richer, family happier. You’re amazing lady and I’m gradually getting to that point where I can fully say ‘I’m so glad I am you’. Thank you guys for the outpour of love so far. Never felt this special.”

After the post, lots of her celebrity colleagues started sending birthday wishes.

Adesua Etomi-Wellington who played Bimbo’s sister in the recent blockbuster movie, Sugar Rush, also wished her a happy birthday with a special post. She wrote: “My darling Bim Bim. It is such a blessing to know you. You are one of the most loving people I know. Talented all the way to your fingertips. So glad we met and so glad that I can call you my sister. May this New Year be filled with everything good.

May the good lord grant you the desires of your heart in accordance with his Will.

May your light never be put out. May your talent set you before kings and may you be head and shoulders above your peers, in Jesus name. Amen. You my darling, are so special. Love you tons.” Some years back, Bimbo was just a rookie combing audition centres. Today, she is one of the hottest in the industry.

The Covenant University graduate and fashion entrepreneur had in a series of interviews disclosed that she could act without clothes as long as it aims to pass a vital message. To her, if going nude is for her to pass on a very vital message then she would most definitely do it. “So if going naked is going to depict a message to the world in a way that they would feel me and almost feel like I’m the one it really happened to, then please leave my clothes apart.”

Between now and when she first started out in Nollywood in 2014, the Best of Nollywood Awards 2018 Best Supporting Actress has improved as a person and most importantly, an actor and still open to learning more. On relationship, the daddy’s girl some months back was linked in a romantic relationship with Ghanaian billionaire Nana Kwame Wiafe and was reported to have been spotted at the Ghanaian billionaire’s home on some occasions.

Wiafe is a businessman and CEO of Wiafe Group of companies who owns one of Ghana’s biggest supermarkets, “Uni-Life Supermarkets.” He is also the president of 2Hype Music & Clothing. Soon after the report, a video of Bimbo was seen addressing the Ghanaian businessman as “babe” and “son of zion.” This prompted reaction that there may be more to their closeness than meets the eye.

Bimbo Ademoye

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR Esther Ayele

I Often Experience Sexual Harassment On Instagram with Some Calling Me a Prostitute Esther Ayele is an actress, lifestyle expert and baker whose passion for what she does has started building valuable path for her in the industry. Her lowly and charming personality has brought her into her core area, which is acting. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, she talks about starting out, challenges, future plans and so much more Growing up

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y parents weren’t that rich, so it wasn’t easy at all. I am an introvert, so I hadly go out to socialise with people because my dad was overprotective of me. I spent most of my time at home with family, aside school, as I had few friends too. I graduated from Queens College Yaba, gained admission into University of Ilorin but I couldn’t go due to some reasons. I am processing my admission for school this year and I pray it works out. My childhood dream was to be an accountant, but I have always had a passion for acting while growing up.

How I got into acting After my training in baking, I started getting orders for cakes but when the orders weren’t coming in as expected, I just thought about giving acting a trial. I started baking in 2017 and was enrolled in a baking school for a year. In the first three months, I made sure I paid attention to my boss and luckily for me I learnt fast. So, after six months I started taking orders and they were coming in very fast. I made profits from them too and, so far so good, it’s been great. Going into acting, I sent messages to a few people on Instagram.

I was lucky to get replies from some of them and that’s how I started. I always had passion for acting, actors usually came to where we stayed back then for movie shoots and my mum was selling food; so they were patronising her. And most times I go to deliver the food to them, so I watched them act.

I haven’t really experienced much challenges Sometimes, I want to shoot with some top content makers, but I don’t usually get the opportunity and I hope I would someday. I also experience sexual harassment from people on Instagram, calling me a prostitute, demanding for sex. Some would even want to pay for a one night stand and all of that, but the best way I overcome these people is to ignore them.

My kind of acting portrays exactly who I am and that’s an emotional and reserved person. Acting is everything to me as it gives me an opportunity to be everything I want to be in a character because that way I get to explore and learn more. A good director, casts, and the crew make a good production and that really depends on how you relate on set. I recently featured in a production. I did something with De’ecclessiates Production after I got a message from Mr. Chris Onyenso that he would like me to play a role in one of his movies. I thought it was a joke at first, until I got the scripts and was called to come to the location. I am always very sensitive

when learning a new character. I can market myself more effectively, because I know who’s going to be interested.

What makes me an exceptional actor I would say it is the ability to play my roles well, the ability to be in character always when on set. My director would make you understand that you don’t need to cram the whole lines in a script, just read and understand then put it in character. The fact is I am always ready to learn and I try as much as possible to always give the best in the character I am given. I am also good in any role I am given to play. I see myself working with the best actors in the industry both home and abroad. I’m also using the platform to gather the youths who have passion for acting and give them an opportunity to showcase their talents. I would like to explore the Yoruba movie industry because I love Yoruba movies and would really love to work with some of their great actors too.

Competition in the industry There’s a lot of competition in the industry and that’s one of the challenges we have, most especially among the female actors. I think the best way to resolve this is to help each other grow.

Let the female actors create love among themselves. Secondly, there is this depravity among some directors and producers who insist on having a thing to do with you before giving you a role to play. It would be a great thing if there is a stop to it so that other upcoming females can have the opportunity to show their passion for acting.

I am a very kind hearted person I love to meet new people, socialise and learn from others. I am an introvert, I like taking responsibilities of my actions and I tend to relate with people so as to understand them too.

I am not really the fashionable kind of lady but I make sure I am comfortable in whatever I wear and that they are very simple. I like short, tight gowns that display my body figure and my mum complains sometimes but it’s what I feel good wearing. I take enough fruits, water and I do a little of exercise to keep in shape.

Dealing with social media I get a lot of comments, both good and bad, most especially on Instagram in my comment section and through direct messages. Some of them judge me by what I wear, I get harassed on the road by guys and it’s very embarrassing. Some of these guys tell me how they imagine making out with me in their heads, but I get compliments from girls too. I just see all these as normal. At times, some of the comments get to me and I feel bad about them, but most times I just ignore, block them and move on. I don’t let it weigh me down.

Esther Ayele

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Gists Ikechukwu Nnakenyi Miracle, aka Big Dol, is an artiste in his own class with musical creatives that are designed as audible art.

He draws inspirations from the likes of Fela, Wizkid, Davido, Olamide and a lot more. He talks with Tosin Clegg about his music, his forthcoming projects and more

Seyi Weli Releases 2 Songs, Breaks into Music Scene

Seyi

Seyi Weli is a gospel music artiste who has a passion for inspiring and encouraging others through her music. Coming from a musical family, she sang in choirs from elementary school through to university. She was an active choir member and worship leader for over a decade at RCCG Scotland Headquarters Church – Fountain of Love.

Seyi recently released two singles titled, Agidigba an Afrobeats gospel song, which reflects on the greatness and goodness of God, and Victory (Say Yes), which re-emphasises that only Jesus has the final say in situations and challenges faced. The beautiful singer is currently in Nigeria now to push her works more in the Nigerian market and to also cut a stake for herself in the ever booming Gospel music industry.

About her music, she said, “I want to bring music that showcases our culture and heritage. Also, one that appeals to my fellow Nigerians and not only Nigerians but to also people all over the world. It’s good that we don’t shy away from our heritage and our culture, show your culture, and show your heritage, it might be what people want to embrace; something different.”

ElizabethX Set to Release Debut EP ‘Xsistence’ in February

Doro Music Team

26 year-old singer/songwriter, ElizabethX , who turned a year older on the 6th of February, talks about why she named her debut EP “Xsistence” and how she came up with the name ElizabethX: “Initially, a few names bounced around, from XZENA to Victory Cruise, but ElizabethX was what I settled on in memory of Rahaile’s aunt who passed away; whose middle name was Elizabeth, whom also enjoyed singing! ElizabethX music is influenced by her childhood trauma, poor relationship with her parents, her dreams, world travels, heartbreaks, inner exploration, and abstract thoughts of the world around her and the songs on my EP are a mixture of my life experiences, dreams and my existence here in this world in my adult life. Xsistence is a play on the word existence using X instead of E since I’m ElizabethX.” The talented musician with parents from West Africa; dad from Ghana and mom from Liberia, has a strong background which is linked to music as her mom plays the violin too. She is set to take her audience on a music journey which she believes would be timeless.

Jonny Drille

Elizabeth

Ugo Speaks on Growth of Afrobeats in Europe Germany-based, Nigerian-born musician, Ugo, with his recent song “Life is Banana” is dominating the playlists of Afrobeats music lovers speaks on the future of Afrobeats in Europe, as well as its growth globally. The soft-speaking Igbo rapper, who’ll be clocking 34 years, has shared same stage with some of the industry greats and legends and is poised t o be one of the fastest growing European-based Afrobeats musician.

He said: “As a Nigerian, and I’m proud to say that over the last few years, no other style of music from Africa has gained global recognitions and dominated worldwide charts well like Afrobeats. I am a frequent traveller, who has been around the world, and from my experience I believe Afrobeats is here to stay. It is a new dawn for African pop culture.

It’s quite unstoppable. The world is ready to embrace it, and we’re ready as well to showcase the African culture musically to the world.”

Ugo was born and bred in the suburbs of the eastern region of Nigeria with music hugely influenced by music greats like Snoop Dog, Michael Jackson etc. He also talks about his plans for 2020 and future collaborations.

“My plans for 2020 are to establish myself fully as the brand “UGO” and to reach my full potential as a musician. I believe with hard work and dedication I can achieve that, the last decade has prepared me greatly for this and I believe I’m Ugo ready, for the world to hear and vibe to my sound.”

Johnny Drille Set to Thrill this Sunday at the Ultimate Love Premiere Nigerian singer and songwriter, Johnny Drille, will be performing LIVE this Sunday, 9 February at the Ultimate Love show premiere on DStv 198 and GOtv 29 at 7:30pm WAT. Johnny Drille, who is currently signed to Mavin Records, has created a niche for himself with his unique sound and style delivering hit songs like ‘Wait for me’, ‘Halleluya’, ‘Start All Over’ and his most recent body of work, ‘Count on You’.

In 2018, Johnny Drille won The Headies Award for Best Alternative Song for his song, ‘Finding Efe’. He has also been nominated for awards such as The Headies Award for Next Rated in 2018 and Top Naija Music Award for Artiste of The Year in 2019.

Subscribers across Africa can tune in to enjoy Johnny Drille’s opening performance and see all 16 love guests make their way to the Love Pad to begin their journey to love.

Ultimate Love premieres Sunday, 9 February on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29, and is available on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Confam and Yanga packages as well as on GOtv Max and JOLLI packages. Visit www.dstvafrica.com or www.gotvafrica. com to reconnect or upgrade.

You can also visit www.africamagic.tv for more on this and more on the show. Please follow the social media updates on Ultimate Love @ultimateloveng on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #UltimateLoveNg.

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

Lilian at the Moët Film Gala Actress/producer, Lilian Afegbai, was one of the stars on the red carpet at the Moët & Chandon Film Gala in Lagos last Sunday. Her style was glamorous and luxurious, making Lilian showbizflair’s best look from the event. She surely nailed it at the film gala. This ex-Big Brother Africa housemate won the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards for Indigenous movie of the Year for her production debut “Bound” in 2018.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Keeping up with Tacha Former Big Brother Nigeria housemate, Anita Natacha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, is set to launch a reality show about herself. This Instagram star, makeup artist, vlogger and businesswoman, who captivated Nigerians during and after BBN, is set to give Nigerians more opportunities to get up close and personal with her daily life, with the show called “Keeping up with Tacha” (KUWT). It will also feature entertaining miniseries and lots more. Tacha, who has been doing very after the BBN House, is raising the bar with KUWT.

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SHOWBIZFLAIR

The Pains of Angela Okorie Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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Angela Okorie

ollywood actress Angela Okorie appears to be one character who could attempt anything celebrities do to make headlines or trend. But for one to allege that the beautiful actress staged her attack and injury, which she had described in a post shortly after the incident as an assassination attempt, was like a whole new twist to her near-death encounter. It was widely believed that the attack was carried out by assassins. Well, Angela has taken to her Instagram page to weep and complain of how difficult life has been for her lately.

Okorie, a graduate of public administration from Lagos State University (LASU), shared a video on her Instagram page saying she could no longer sleep without pills after the assassins attacked her on December 12, 2019. The actress took to her Instagram page on Tuesday, February 3, 2020, where she shared a video of herself crying and expressing all that she has been going through since she narrowly escaped death. She revealed that she had been facing tough times recently.

According to her, taking drugs and injections have become part of her lifestyle.

She thanked God for sparing her life as she seemed to sound depressed in the video, leaving her concerned fans to take to the comment section, advising her that all would be well. The actress who once described herself as “unpredictable” wrote: “Life is deep you know???? Have u ever gotten to a point in your life and it seems all hope is gone; just only you and your God. I pray No one experience what I have been through in the recent time, hmmmmmmmm “It’s been really tough oooooo. Injections upon injections medicines upon medicines Tufiakwa. At some point self, I hardly sleep at night, and like seriously I don’t joke with my sleep fam.

Some nights I will be crying like a baby cos of pain kaiiiiii. If I never take sleeping tablets, my eyes won’t close Whatttttttt Take out time and visit those in the hospital you will understand why you need to live like is your last day on earth, no reasons to live a lie, even in your little way, this life is empty people are laying critically ill at hospitals different kinds of sickness You’ve never heard b4, human being Dey sick am hmmmmm.”

She went on to admonish her fans and followers to be prayerful and thankful for sound health. Finally, she thanked God for keeping her alive to take care of her son. “Be grateful for life every day. Many are Gone and some1 else is enjoying their wealth, thank God. You are better than someone, Every day I look at my son and say God I thank u for keeping me alive we go about our hustle every day and yet we come back protected. You sleep freely, wake up sound and alive is not by your own making just say protect me and my family lord Its a short prayer that goes a long way #protectme,” she concluded.

Angela was attacked in December 2019, which left her with a badly bruised face.

At some point, the actress shared videos of the pellets removed from her face during the attack. According to her, the assailants kept shooting at her uninterruptedly for about 30 minutes with no help in sight.

Noting she would have died if not for God, the actress aimed a dig at those plotting her death, saying her survival shows they would always be put to shame. “Undiluted grace will never stop to exist in my home, 10 bullets were removed from my head and 2 bullets close to my eyes. God alone deserves all the glory and honour,” she wrote.

Angela Okorie got her big break starring in the film, Sincerity, in 2009, after a decade in modeling.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ΀˜ 2020

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Yemi Alade Unveils Visuals for Shekere Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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emi Alade is definitely not slowing down in 2020 as evidenced by the huge moves she is already making this year. The Woman of Steel is out with the visuals for Shekere, featuring legendary Beninese singer/songwriter, Angelique Kidjo. ‘Shekere’ is the sixth single off Alade’s recently released fourth studio album, ‘Woman of Steel’. The talented singer took to her social media page on Wednesday to share the YouTube link of the visuals to her numerous fans.

“Watch my Spanking brand new video #Shekere– ft @ Angelique Kidjo,” she wrote on Instagram.

The cinematic visual for the praised number opens in dramatic sequence which displays the authentic beauty of the African continent, a theme which has dominated Alade’s artistry. Alade and Angelique Kidjo performed their verses dressed in traditional attires while surrounded by vibrant tribal African costumes.

Some of the shots are set in a studio, some seen in an outdoor location where the famous Maasai jumping dance is performed along with other African cultural dances.

The classic visual joins Alade’s elite videography which made her the first and only female Afro-pop artiste to have over 100 million subscribers on YouTube, and a total cumulative visual stream of over 400 million views. The less than five minutes video, which is already showing on music channels, sees Alade and the four-time Grammy winner dazzling in several traditional attires showing the glitz and glamour of the African culture.

Produced by TBA and directed by Ovie Etseyatse, the visuals is the fifth video off Yemi’s critically acclaimed Woman of Steel album which was in 2019 after the music superstar dropped visuals for Vibe. The song is widely reported as the result of a request by Kidjo for Alade to revamp Kidjo’s classic song, ‘Wombo Lombo’ and the song came out amazing, ditto for the video release which seems impeccably timed.

Kidjo won her fourth Grammy last month, during which she gave an acceptance speech about the importance of supporting the new generation of artistes emerging from the continent. In ‘Shekere’, Alade celebrates the African culture with the colourful outfits don by everyone in the video. Angelique Kidjo’s presence adds a certain extra tingle to the song and its visuals, making this a delight to watch.

Shekere projects heavily sampling elements from the original updated to the current mainstream Afro-pop sounds. “I dey hear the sound of a tambourine o, Talking drums and shekere combination, I see people under the tambourine o, Dancing like sey there’s a celebration”, Alade emotively sings before progressing into a stellar duet with the iconic Angélique Kidjo who also sings in her native Benin dialect.

Apparently, those who know Alade are not to be surprised by her working with the Grammy-winning star Angelique Kidjo. Both of them never forget to pay homage to their roots.

And this they do with obvious relish in Shekere video which shows Kidjo as the real Mama Africa.

Angelique Kidjo and YemI Alade

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ FEBRUARY 8, 2020

PERSPECTIVE PDP Vs Gbajabiamila: When a Bad Workman Quarrels with His Tools David Asuquo

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently accused the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, of meddling in its affairs and plotting to suspend its anointed caucus leaders in the House. To refresh the memories, the needless House of Representatives minority caucus leadership crisis ensued when the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and the National Secretary, Senator Umar Tsauri wrote to the Speaker on 21st June, 2019 appointing Kingsley Chinda, Chukwuka Onyema, Yakubu Barde, and Muraino Ajibola as the House Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip, respectively.

However, this they did without the blessing of the minority lawmakers, which is made up of 147 members drawn from nine political parties (at least at the time). Therefore, although in comfortable majority in that caucus, the minority leadership is not strictly a PDP affair.

Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the House to regulate its procedures, while Order 7 Rule 8 of the House Standing Rule clearly provides that the “Members of the Minority Parties in the House shall nominate from among them, the Minority Leader, Minority Whip, Deputy Minority Leader, and Deputy Minority Whip”. And it was on the strength of these constitutional provisions and House Rule that over 100 of the 147 minority lawmakers signed a letter conveying the names of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, Hon. Gideon Gwani, and Hon. Adesogun Adekoya to the Speaker as the duly elected leaders of the minority caucus.

Rather than respect the constitution, House Rule, and democratic choice of the lawmakers, Prince Uche Secondus invited Elumelu, Okechukwu, Gwani, and Adekoya as well as Honourables Linda Ikpeazu, Wole Oke, and Secondus Anayo Edwin to an emergency meeting of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) on Friday, date.

5th July 2019. But PDP sent out invitations Thursday However, Secondus was so much in a hurry that he evening by which time Elumelu and others had alhad the seven lawmakers suspended in absentia by ready travelled out of Abuja. Anyone conversant with the NWC for a period of two months, citing anti-party the National Assembly knows very that House plenary activities and insubordination. It also referred the holds from Tuesday to Thursday after which most matter to the Chief Tom Ikimi-led PDP Disciplinary members head to their constituencies. Elumelu said Committee to investigate and submit report within two his security received the invitation letter at 7:45pm on weeks.

Thursday by which time he was already in Delta State, Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees (BOT) had set up having lost an aunty. He requested PDP Secretariat, in a Committee headed by elder statesman and former writing and through his Special Assistant, for another Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu to investigate the same matter. Former presiding officers - David Mark, Adolphus Wabara, Ibrahim Mantu, and Austin Opara - were also on the panel. Earlier, the PDP equally set up another Committee headed by Wabara to probe the failure/refusal of its members to vote for candidates for the Senate President, Speaker, and their deputies endorsed by it ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly on 11th June 2019. They were also given two weeks.

However, rather than consider the reports and put its house in order, the party spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan, typical of the impunity, announced the controversial indefinite extension of the suspension earlier slammed on the lawmakers after NWC’s 9th November meeting. And in the same breath, the spokesman reiterated Chinda and company as the recogised leaders.

The word “controversial” has been deliberately used since the Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, and the Youth Leader, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, denied any knowledge of extension of the suspension. In Akinwonmi’s words, “I am an integral part of the NWC but I am telling you that to the best of my knowledge, I am aware that he was suspended for one month and that was about six months ago and the suspension has elapsed. I am not aware of the extension of the suspension. I am not aware. I do not remember any occasion where it was elongated”.

Instructively, the reinforcement of parliamentary misconducts by Chinda and cohorts came a few days after he and the others penned a statement as PDP Minority Leader, PDP Deputy Minority Leader, PDP Minority Whip, and PDP Deputy Minority Whip. In an open mischief, targeted at spoiling Atiku Abubakar’s

In this circumstance, it is up to Nigerians to judge, who, between PDP leadership and Gbajabiamila is the unholy meddlesome interloper. One, presiding officer discharging his duties in accordance with the constitution, House Standing Rule, and democratic rights of his colleagues to choose their leader or one, who plays God, employing intimidation and imperiousness to shove his unpopular choices down the throats of his party members duly elected by their constituents?

chances at the Supreme Court, not long after benefactor-in-chief, Governor Nyesom Wike, congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory over the same Atiku at the Presidential Tribunal, the quartet listed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria the Justices that must hear the appeal.

But even more significantly, these nomenclatures paraded by Chinda and cohorts have no place in Nigerian parliament culture or rules. It was no surprise, therefore, that they attracted the angst of their colleagues, particularly of PDP stock. As a matter of fact, it was a PDP lawmaker, Hon. Ben Igbakpa (Delta), not even an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, which brought the matter before the House with various newspapers as exhibits. Also, it was the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Wase, who presided on the day, not even Gbajabiamila.

“It is common knowledge that on July 3, 2019, the Honourable Speaker, in line with Order 7 Rule 8 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives (which empowers the minority parties to nominate their leaders), announced the Minority Leaders of the House. This was consequently published in the Votes and Proceedings of the some date.

“In spite of this, Mr. Speaker, some members of this House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, Hon. Chukwuma Onyema, Hon. Umar Barde and Hon. Muraina Ajibola parading themselves as PDP Caucus Leader, Deputy Caucus Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip have been issuing public statements outside the nomenclature of this House; misleading the general public and causing confusion and disaffection in the House of Representatives. This is a gross abuse of our collective and individual privileges.

“This violates Section 24, Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap L.12, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as well extant provisions of the Standing Orders of this House”, he complained.

The matter was referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House, and hearing was conducted in camera wherein Chinda and the three others were given fair hearing, unlike the case of Elumelu and his colleagues, who were hurriedly suspended by Secondus-manipulated NWC in absentia and certainly without fair hearing.

The Scriptures says that the wicked runs when nothing pursues him, for there is no piece for the wicked. It is obviously the awaited report of the Committee that Chinda and Secondus are now trying to shoot down with cheap blackmail even before it is laid before the House.

The irony, however, is that the PDP is more interested in the report of the House probe than in simple housekeeping, in dealing with the various reports turned in by eminent party men and former presiding officers of the National and Assembly, who should know whether Elumelu and the suspended lawmakers erred or not.

The PDP leadership should feel thoroughly embarrassed that it is playing hide and seek over important reports by its own Committee, but takes pleasure in gallivanting about, poke-nosing into the House business. Whereas Ologbodiyan told reporters last December that “We are waiting for the report of the Tom Ikimi National Disciplinary Committee; they have not sent the report”, Ikimi was quick to expose the Secondus’ duplicity when he told reporters that “I cannot tell you the content of the report; all I can tell you is that the report has been submitted a long time ago”.

Obviously, They are more interested in illegally keeping Elumelu and compatriots eternally suspended while also trying to whip up public sentiments against the House Ethics and Privileges Committee Report to avert possible sanctions.

In this circumstance, it is up to Nigerians to judge, who, between PDP leadership and Gbajabiamila is the unholy meddlesome interloper. One, presiding officer discharging his duties in accordance with the constitution, House Standing Rule, and democratic rights of his colleagues to choose their leader or one, who plays God, employing intimidation and imperiousness to shove his unpopular choices down the throats of his party members duly elected by their constituents?

Asuquo lives in Surulere, Lagos.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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NEWSXTRA

Amotekun: Recruit Non-Yorubas Experienced in Security Outfit, PDP Chieftain Suggests Sylvester IdowuinWarri

SAFE TRIP SIR...

President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, as he departs Abuja for Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia ahead of the 33rd Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) ...yesterday

Coronavirus: WHO to Partner Nigeria on Surveillance at Entry Points Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The World Health Organisation (WHO) said its team is partnering with relevant Nigerian authorities to carry out checks at all key entry points into the country to prevent importation of Coronavirus.

The world body also said that it is working with other global health partners to fast track the development vaccine for coronavirus.

Speaking during a sensitisation programme on the virus at the WHO office in Abuja, WHO Technical Officer, Health Emergency Programme, Dhamari Naidoo, said after a risk assessment was done, Nigeria was rated high because of frequent travel between Nigeria and China, noting that the global

health agency would focus on nine states that had ports of entry into the country (land, water and air).

They are Lagos, Kano, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Enugu, Delta and Bayelsa states and the Federal Capital Territory. She said that WHO had activated the coronavirus preparedness working group at the National Centre for Disease Control with representation from the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries. Naidoo added that contrary to insinuations, use of cocaine and whiskey had not been scientifically proven to cure coronavirus.

We are currently working hard to identify isolation points in high risk states. In Abuja, the

Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada has been identified but we do need to work towards capacitating human resources equipment. In Lagos, we have identified the Infectious Diseases Hospital, in Yaba.

“The National Reference Laboratory in Gaduwa, Abuja, is working and we are currently working with the University Teaching Hospital in Lagos to get it running this weekend. Overtime we will have more laboratories in the country signaling they are ready to test samples,” she said.

At the global level, she said that WHO has activated a blueprint and is working with a number of partners to fast track the development of therapeutic diagnostics and vaccine, adding that here is

already a global platform for that collaboration to happen.

“In terms of facilities available for isolation and patient care, we are currently performing assessment to identify which are the most appropriate facilities to work with and what resources they need. We will have that information in the coming weeks.”Naidoo added that the international community had supported the fight against the virus with information and data sharing, noting that China had also been open with data sharing.

“In term of information sharing from developed countries, we congratulated countries for rapid sharing of information. This has demonstrated how the global health community has changed.

Ozekhome Receives Pan African Award Use $321m Abacha Loot to Develop Oil for Defending Nigeria’s Democracy Producing Communities, Activist Begs Buhari Alex Enumah in Abuja

Constitutional and human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has been inducted into the hall of fame of the Pan African Heroes Foundation.

The induction, by an American-basedhuman rights organisation, Rectitude International Mission, was in recognition of Chief Ozekhome’s contributions towards the growth and sustenance of democracy and respect for rule of law in Nigeria.

President of Rectitude International Mission, Mrs. Kerzner Rina-Yakuel, who led a delegation to confer the award on the senior lawyer, said the award was for individuals who not only stood to defend the rule of law in their country, but who had also through legal activism, fought for the enthronement of good governance in the continent.

Mrs. Rina-Yakuel said Ozekhome merited the award because he has been steadfast and always at the forefront, despite the increasing level of human rights abuses in Nigeria, particularly in the last four years.

She was accompanied to Ni-

geria to carry out the investiture ceremony at Ozekhome’s chambers by the head of Governance Assessment Institute (GAI) in Ghana, Mr. Isaac Rockson.

While accepting the award, Chief Ozekhome, said he was delighted that his modest contributions to the defence of human rights in the country gained the attention of an international organisation.

He described the award as a catalyst that would further spur him to continue to fight against maladministration and rights violations in the country.

Ozekhome said he was worried that the federal government has continued to flout valid court orders relating to the bail of persons that are facing corruption-related charges.

He cited the case of the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, who he said has remained in detention despite the fact that he perfected all the bail conditions that were handed to him by Justice Idris Kutigi of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

SylvesterIdowuinWarri A human rights activist, Comrade Sheriff Mulade has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the recovered $321m stashed in United State’s banks by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha to develop the neglected oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.

Mulade, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice ( CEPEJ), a Niger Delta-based NGO, yesterday, in a statement, begged that the recovered loots should be channelled to the development of oil producing communities across the federation, especially core states like Delta, Bayelsa and River states.

The federal government had concluded arrangements for the repatriation of the funds from the United States along with €6.86m allegedly looted by former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, from Europe to Nigeria.

Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had told State House reporters last week after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja that the recovered Abacha loots would fund major ongoing road projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan

Expressway, Abuja-Kano Road and the Second Niger Bridge.

However, Mulade pleaded that since the recovered monies were proceeds from oil exploration activities from the oil communities, particularly from Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa and River states during the period General Abacha was Head of State, such should be used to fund the neglected oil producing areas in the Niger Delta region.

“The funds should be majorly used for infrastructural and human capital development of the people and the region to give them sense of belonging. We should not repeat the same mistake a second time. Using the recovered funds for the construction of Lagos - Ibadan Expressway, Abuja - Kano Expressway and Second Niger Bridge is a misplaced priority and an act of injustice to the oil producing communities and States,” he added.

The funds, the activist maintained, should be used mainly for the construction of projects that will create employment to reduce youth restiviness and engage the armed youths in areas such as Marine Fisheries/Aquacultural industries, Marine Forest Management Institutions and construction of roads and bridges linking towns and villages in the coastal communities of the region.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and former governorship aspirant in Delta state, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has suggested that non -orubas, who have stayed in the South West region for more than 10 years and profiled as patriotic citizens, should also be recruited into Amotekun.

Speaking with Journalists in Warri yesterday while reacting to the opposition by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACABAN) to the establishment of the South West Security outfit, Chief Onuesoke said his suggestion was borne out of the fact that Amotekun was to protect all residents in that region and to also stave off attacks by other ethnic groups across the country.

“I want to suggest that for equitable justice and fairness, the outfit should also recruit members from other tribes, who have lived in the South West for more than 10 years and who have been profiled as patriotic citizens,” he advised.

Chief Onuesoke, however, took a swipe at MACABAN’s opposition to Amotekun, wondering why the

group was already insinuating injustice against a security outfit that was yet to carry out any operation.

It would be recalled that the National President of MACBAN, Muhammadu Kirowa said that the association has broken ties with the Yoruba nation for going ahead with their Amotekun Security Network.

Kirowa, speaking in Abuja, said that the association and it’s affiliates wiould cease to support the political ambitions of the Yoruba people, adding that the much debated Amotekun Security Network was formed to disrupt cattle herders in the South West. The group was reported to have said they would crush Amotekun and all their evil plots against them.

But, Onuesoke wondered why the cattle breeders were so opposed and jittery to the formation of the security outfit which is meant to protect lives and property of those living in Yoruba territories.

The PDP chieftain maintained that there was more to the rage and anger felt by the cattle breeders than Nigerians knew about, adding that they have been very edgy since Amotekun came to stay and they should be watched closely.

FG Task Youths to Drive Agricultural Revolution Oluchi Chibuzor The federal government yesterday tasked the youths to drive the agricultural revolution of the country as efforts to create a robust economy would be a mirage without their involvement.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, disclosed this when he received delegation of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Youth Entrepreneurs (NYE), in Abuja.

Nanono said that the challenge of feeding the growing population and creating a robust economy, food security and job creation would be a mirage without the youth being fully involved in the mechanisation of the agricultural sector.

According to him, “There are three fundamental issues in the agric sector on which the desired transformation can become a reality, namely; mechanisation, research for good seeds and effective extension workers.

“The youth should drive the new agricultural mechanisation process in Nigeria, because the

future belongs to them, therefore you must be focused and ambitious to achieve this great objective,” he said.

He declared that the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has put in place a four years agricultural mechanisation programme for Nigerians and that the ministry is determined to vigorously pursue it.

The President of NYE, Alhaji Muhammad Adamu Muhammad informed that the NACCIMA Youth Council is a vibrant and empowered council that enhances youth empowerment for self-actualisation nationwide.

“The council educates and trains youths with the knowledge and skills of business and entrepreneurship, to equip them for effective participation in sustainable national development.

“The youth contributions in all spheres of life are enormous; we are the engine room of our present and future economy and shall continue to provide economic growth and development through our active participation and engagement in the socio-economic activities of our dear country,’’ he stated.

Adedoyin Salami to Facilitate Globalview Capital Retreat Chairman, Economic Advisory Council (EAC), Professor Adedoyin Salami, is expected to be the key facilitator at the annual retreat and strategy session of frontline broking firm, Globalview Capital Limited, which holds today at the Regent Luxury Suites, Ikeja.

The session, titled ‘Strategic Focusing of Globalview Capital Limited’, is an interactive platform among company stakeholders.

The session will also feature a strong line-up of experts as

speakers. Among these are Mr. Rotimi Fakayejo, Managing Director/CEO, Greenhouse BDA Limited; Mr. Stanley Zebulon, Managing Director/CEO of Stanobz Partners Limited; and Mr. Olayemi Owoeye, Head, Monitoring and Enforcement (Broker/Dealer Regulation Department), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Globalview Capital Limited is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as broker/dealer and is a dealing member firm of the NSE.

54

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 8, 2020

NEWSXTRA

Police Panic as Dislodged Lagos Okada Riders Storm Ekiti Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Police Command has raised the alarm over fear that large number of commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada riders whose activities were restricted in Lagos State have stormed the state.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, had last week banned Okada riding in 15 out of the 20 council areas of the state, which forced the affected people to spread to other neighbouring states of

Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, alerted the public about influx of persons suspected to be criminals into the state, expressing fear that such people if not tamed could unleash criminal acts and intention on the state.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunday Abutu, Amba said the suspected persons, in their multitude, entered into the state with motorcycles under the guise of being commercial

motorcyclists.

“Information at our disposal has it that these suspected persons could cause criminal act in no distant time, ranging from stealing, armed robbery, and kidnapping.

“In view of this, the Commissioner of Police, has directed that all motorcycles across the state must be properly registered with the relevant authorities and relevant document of Ownership / Registration.

“The police shall henceforth arrest, impound and prosecute

anybody (motorcyclist) found perpetrating criminal acts.

“The Command therefore, implores all the good citizens of Ekiti State to promptly report to the nearest Police station or call the Police control room GSM number on 08062335577 whenever they see any person or group of persons suspected to be criminals around their environs.”

The CP also advised the landlords and caretakers to ascertain the proper identities of their present and future tenants to avoid harbouring criminals.

JOYOUS THANKSGIVING...

L-R: Media Consultant brother Aramide Tola Noibi, with host Pastor, Christ Healing Evangelical Church, UK branch, Pastor Moses Adenowo; General Oversea of the church (worldwide), Pastor Samuel Babatunde Ogunfowokan; host Pastor, Ketu headquarters of the church, Pastor Samuel Ayodele; and the chairman anniversary planning committee, Pastor Adetomiwa Fesobi, at the annual church celebration thanksgiving service at Ketu headquarters, Ketu, Lagos… recently

Wamakko Begins Disbursement of N317.7m to 1,176 Orphans Yusuf Onuminya in Sokoto Senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, yesterday, flagged off the disbursement of over N 317.7 million assistance to 1,176 Orphans provided by the International Islamic Relief Organisation.

The benefiting orphans, comprising males and females were drawn from the 23 local governments of the state.

Speaking at the ceremony, Wamakko, who is also the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, said that, the programme started with the recruitment of the orphans in 2009.

Represented by the former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, Wamakko added that the organisation is a reputable donor organisation that has executed many projects in Sokoto State.

“They include building of Islamiya schools , construction of mosques and giving assistance to the needy in many ways.

“The organisation has come to implement the programme of giving scholarship to these orphans, which will serve as an assistance to enable the orphans pursue education in their chosen careers,” he stated.

“This is for them to be educated, self-reliant and useful members of the society.”

Wamakko further called on the guardians of the benefiting orphans to have the fear of Allah and ensure the judicious utilisation of the grant, by applying it for what it was meant for.

He admonished, “we shall remember that, we will account for our deeds in the hereafter,” he said.

Navy Hands Over Arrested Vessel, Crew Members to NIMASA in Warri Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Border Closure: Tambuwal Police Arrest Two for Treating, Urges Buhari to Summon Supplying Drugs to Bandits in Niger the bandits were said to have Stakeholders Laleye Dipo in Minna escaped.

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to summon an enlarged stakeholders meeting of all states of the federation with international borders to discuss areas that concern ordinary Nigerians in relation to national security prerogatives.

Sokoto has seven local government areas bordering Niger Republic, making it one of such states.

Governor Tambuwal made the call on Thursday when he received the coordinator, Sector Four National Border Drill operations, Acting Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Mohammed Aliyu in his office.

He also urged religious leaders in the country to moderate their anger while commenting on national issues, especially the current security challenges confronting the nation.

He appealed to them, “to kindly moderate and tone down their

anger.”

“Let us support, encourage and work with Mr. President to ensure that we secure Nigeria. I believe we shouldn’t play politics.

We should not bring in religious sentiment on matters of security,” Tambuwal noted.

He also appealed to President Buhari, “to as a matter of urgency invite some of these religious leaders and other stakeholders to a closed door meeting. Let them have a fair idea of what the federal government is doing. If they have suggestions, let them speak to Mr. President.”

He expressed concern that the country was at ‘crossroads’ of security challenges. “The security challenges of the country are monumental. We must not deceive ourselves. We must support efforts of the federal government to restore security in Nigeria.”

According to him, if stakeholders are fully engaged in government decision making, setting up of disparate regional outfits like Amotekun and Shege Ka Fasa may not be necessary.

The police have arrested two people for allegedly giving medical treatment and supplying drugs to bandits in the Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

Mariga LGA is one of the areas of the state where bandits and kidnappers have been operating for almost one year leaving several people killed, many others rendered homeless and scores of heads of cattle rustled.

Habila Abel Julius 25 years old and Abdullahi Garba were apprehended by security operatives after administering injection on some of the bandits.

It was gathered that the bandits had approached the duo at their chemist where they presented them with the injection to be administered on them.

After, the bandits according to police source asked the patent medicine dealers to be supplying them with the injection and other drugs which they did.

However, it was in the process of keeping to the deal that the police arrested them though

The patent medicine dealers did not deny the allegation but said they acted “under duress” because the bandits “threatened to kill us if we report to the police”.

One of the patent medicine dealers however confessed that they were paid for the transaction.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammad Abubakar confirmed the story saying investigation into the crime was still ongoing.

Abubakar said the suspects had enough time to report to the police which they did not do discrediting their claim that they acted under duress.

In the meantime, six out of the 20 victims kidnapped during last Saturdays bandit raids on some communities in Borgu Local Government Area of the state have been rescued.

The police also arrested three people suspected to be acting as informants to the bandits.

The arrests were made by the Inspector General of Police Tactical Squad which was deployed to the area.

“I also like to call on all of us to dedicate whatever is within our means to assist orphans, widow’s and the less-privileged in our society.

“This is because, no amount is too little and no amount is too much, if it is given to the needy for the sake of Allah.”

Senator Wamakko commended the organisation, domiciled in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the invaluable gesture and for all other projects cited in Sokoto State.

He further appealed to the organisation, not to relent in the remarkable gesture, even as he requested for more projects and programmes to be brought to the state.

The Representative of the Organisation, Huzaifa Tahir, said that, the assistance was for the 2011, 2012 and 2013.

According to him, the remaining arrears from 2014, will be disbursed to the beneficiaries in no distant future.

The Guest Speaker, Sheikh Yahuza Shehu Tambuwal, Chief Imam of Uthman bin Affan Jumaat Mosque, Sokoto, admonished the Muslim Ummah to routinely assist the orphans, as enshrined in Islam, All the Speakers commended Senator Wamakko for bringing the organisation to Sokoto State when he was the governor of the state, while they lauded organisation for the gesture.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ahmad Umar and Safiya Babuga, commended Senator Wamakko and the organisation for the gesture, which would greatly boost their education.

They also promised to use the funds for the purpose they are meant for.

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta) Warri, Delta State yesterday handed over a motor vessel, MV Fendercare 1 and it’s 11 crew members to officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for further investigations over alleged violation of maritime regulations.

The arrested crew members are Friday Obibi (Captain); Echika Ukwuwa; Age Ebitigha; Ogaga Moses; Jerry Mebaghandu; Cyril Etukudo; Oritsegbemi Okotie; Durowaiye Timothy; Arighaye Rotimi; Obi Chijindu and Nwankwo Onyeka.

Commander of NNS Delta, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dewu, said the vessel and crew members were arrested last Sunday at Escravos waters in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Rear Admiral Dewu, who was represented at the handing over ceremony by the Executive Officer, NNS Delta, Navy Captain Anthony Kujoh disclosed that the vessel and the crew members were arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Navy while on patrol of the area.

He said the vessel’s AIS was switched off at the time of arrest

which aroused the curiosity of the naval patrol team since such action contravenes maritime regulations.

“When a vessel switch off its AIS, which contravenes maritime regulations, it is always done whenever there is something suspicious.

“From investigations, we also found out that the vessel did not have any valid approval to operate within Nigerian waters neither did it have any valid DPR certification to operate within our areas of responsibility,” he said.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾FEBRUARY 08, 2020

SPORTS XTRA

Berbatov Backs Ighalo to Succeed at Manchester United Former Manchester United Striker Dimitar Berbatov is of the opinion that Odion Ighalo could prove to be a shrewd addition for Manchester

United and the perfect fit for the No.9 void at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have been lacking a dominant central striker since

agreeing to part with Romelu Lukaku in the summer of 2019.

Many have questioned that decision after seeing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put

faith in Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford – two forwards who have tended to be used in wider roles.

With England interna-

The FC Bulmaro Technical Crew with Jorge Couto, Technical Directot, Barca Academy Group Nigeria at Blaugrana Sports Corporate Office in Lagos

Guardiola Wants Messi to Stay at Barcelona Amid Man City Rumours Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he wants Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona amid rumours linking him with the Sky Blues.

According to The Independent’s Mark Critchley, City officials—among them director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, formerly of Barcelona—are keeping an eye on Messi’s situation at the Camp Noufollowinghispublic rowwithBarcasportingdirector Eric Abidal.

However, per Goal’s Chris Burton, Guardiola said: “He’s a player for Barcelona.

He will stay there. That is my wish. I’m not going to talk about players for another club. I think he’s going to

finish his career there. It’s my wish.”

Guardiola spent four years as Barca boss earlier in Messi’s career. Together, they won three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues and two Copas del Rey, among other honours.

After the row with Abidal, Barcelona will be concerned that Messi has not yet put pen to paper on a new contract, with his existing deal set to expire next year.

What’s more, according to the Guardian’s Sid Lowe, he also “has a clause in his contract which enables him to unilaterally walk away for free” at the end of this season.

Messi will turn 33 in June, but he’s still the best

as possible because I’m curious to see how he will fit in to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

“Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both like to cut in from the left so United have arguably lacked a natural No.9 this season. That’s what Ighalo should give them and I will be interested to see how they play with him in the side.

“I liked Ighalo’s interview in which he said how happy he was to move to Old Trafford. He was so keen that he told his agent he would accept a pay cut. It’s great to see United sign a player who is passionate about the club. They need players like that.”

Ighalo was United’s second signing of the January window, with a €55 million (£47m/$60m) agreement reached for Bruno Fernandes at the end of a protracted saga.

Big things are expected of the Portugal international and Berbatov expects value to be found in a big-money deal after an encouraging debut against Wolves.

Neymar Earns 20 Times More than Nigeria’s Best Paid Player in France According to a publication by L’Equipe, Levante loanee

Messi and Guardiola

player in the world. In 25 matches this season, he has returned 19 goals and 12 assists for Barca.

Given his experience of working under Guardiola, City would perhaps be the most

natural fit for him away from the Camp Nou. The Sky Blues are one of the only teams that could afford to pay his wages too, which would potentially be even higher if he joined on a free transfer.

FC Bulmaro Boost Team with Four Foreign Technical Crew As a way of walking the talk in agreement with the ideals and vision for the establishment of FC Bulmaro as a veritable platform of opportunities and molding of great legends through sports, the head coach of the young elite club- Argentine, Gonzalo Rubio, returned to the country after a long break with four additional foreign technical hands which include physical trainer Kevin Maestre , goalkeeper coach Pablo Guinot , tactical analyst Eloi Lasa and a physiotherapist David Vallejo, to reinvigorate the crew for excellent results and better performance.

In a chat with the media, during the week, at the team’s home ground - Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Gonzalo emphasized that the efforts invested and the length in which Blaugrana Sports Group International can go to fulfill the mission of the organization and further the vision of the establishment of the club as a way of helping in the development of the industry and the honing of raw talents that is abound in every nook and crannies of Nigeria that he has been opportune to visit to be able to have the confident and faith, wholly believing

tional Rashford having now also been sidelined through injury, United were left with no choice but to find another front man in the winter transfer window.

That search went down to the wire, with links to several high-profile figures coming to nothing before former Watford star Ighalo was snapped up from Shanghai Shenhua on an initial loan deal.

Eyebrows were raised as that deadline-day deal was pushed through, but Berbatov feels a Nigeria international with past Premier League experience could be a useful option.

The former Red Devils striker told Betfair: “I think it’s a good move for United because Ighalo has played in the Premier League, and did well with Watford, so he will know what to expect.

“He’s scored plenty of goals in China and his record for Nigeria is impressive too. I want to see him play as soon

in themselves, when exposed to their peers in any arena, anywhere they find themselves, they must be very well brought up holistically from training of the body to mind.

He said the club has seasoned and professionally trained technical and supporting staff for every department of the business of the game. And he is convinced that, the owners of the novel project are not resting in any way to see that, the club stands tall, above her likes, in all ways required of her.

‘The promoters of the platform have the notch for excellent of very high and competitive global standard. With the Technical Team we have no doubt that, we are more than competent fully well equipped in building, grooming, raising and training a team that can never be a push or walk over, any where in the world, in the game of football. In the Nation League One we are doing excellently well,’ he explained.

Coach Gonzalo further revealed that , the team just concluded intensive and rigorous trial sessions for selection of very well gifted and skillful talents for camping in preparation for a few local

and foreign competition to give the team members opportunities to have confidence in themselves and gain experiences with global edge.

The commitment of the promoters of the club to see her confidently flying the Nigerian flag in the foreign tournament she is billed for this year is highly commendable. The technical crew with great zeal and the strong determination to deliver on promises will surely be seen in the light of the day by the team’s deliverables. That is our bond he stressed.

Speaking on behalf of the Team Management, Benjamin Ashaka, a top official of the Organization promoting the Club mentioned that it is an excitement as well as a thing to be passionate about seeing young people we are grooming making us proud. To sustain what we have achieved as a body we must not be found lacking behind in any essential area of this concern. Thus, engaging world class competent and qualified technical and supporting staff we can never compromise.

‘It is either we do it very well the way it is done all over the world if not better or we do not venture into it at all,’ he stated

Moses Simon is the highest earning Nigerian player in the French Ligue 1 ahead of Samuel Kalu, Victor Osimhen and Josh Maja.

Excluding performance related bonuses, the Nantes winger pockets 150,000 euros (approximately N58.8 million in Nigerian currency) every month.

Simon is the top earner in the Nantes squad, getting more than Kalifa Coulibaly €125,000, Nicolas Pallois €110,000, Cristian Benavente €100,000 and Andrei Girotto €90,000.

Former Barcelona striker Neymar is the best paid player in the French Ligue 1 with a monthly salary of €3 million, which is twenty times the monthly salary paid to the Super Eagles winger at Nantes.

Osimhen is not among the top ten highest earners at Lille and the same goes for Kalu and Maja at Bordeaux.

Monaco loanee Henry Onyekuru will earn 650,000 euros for the duration of his loan spell at Galatasaray, which is around €130,000 euros per month as the agreement expires on May 31.

The eleven highest paid players in the French top-flight represent Paris Saint Germain, with Kylian Mbappe (€1.91m), Thiago Silva (1.5m), Edinson Cavani (€1.345), Marquinhos and Marco Verratti (both €1.2m) completing the top five.

Osaka Suffers Shock Loss to World No 78 in Fed Cup Tie

Former world number one Naomi Osaka suffered a shock 6-0 6-3 loss to Sara Sorribes Tormo as Spain took a 1-0 lead in their Fed Cup tie against Japan.

Osaka lost her opening 10 points on serve as Sorribes Tormo dominated in the opening set of the match at La Manga Club in Murcia.

The Japanese player led 2-0 in the second set, but Sorribes Tormo, ranked 78th in the world, fought back.

The winners will be one of 12 nations in April’s new-look Fed Cup Finals.

“We knew Sara could make it very uncomfortable for Naomi and she stuck to the gameplan perfectly,” said Spain captain Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Carla Suarez Navarro, playing in what is likely to be her last home Fed Cup tie, faces Japan’s Misaki Doi in the second singles match later on Friday.

Great Britain are also trying to book their place in the Fed Cup Finals and they play away in Slovakia this weekend.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

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MISSILE

PDP to Buhari “What Nigerians want to hear from President Buhari is the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators of mass killings“ – The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scolding President Muhammadu Buhari for saying that 90 per cent of Boko Haram victims are Muslims.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

My Candid Opinion on the Okada Brouhaha in Lagos

F

ellow Nigerians, let me clear something important from the outset, that I know nothing about #occupylagos and do not support any such misadventure, regardless of participants or purpose. Such ill-conceived and ill-thought movements can only complicate the already complex and volatile situation in Lagos State, Nigeria. It has become necessary to make this quick clarification because of the fact that we now live in an era of rumour-mongering, vicious criminalisation and brazen victimisation without verification. Having cleared that, I’m happy to go on my short voyage without any equivocation today. I intend to make my epistle as simple and straightforward as possible for the sake of agents of confusion and mischief who specialise in turning everything upside down.

We all love Lagos for one major reason. It is a State most Nigerians often lay claim to as theirs, 6without any form of remorse or shame whatsoever. Lagos has provided much comfort and protection for most Nigerians.

Apart from being the richest State in Nigeria, Lagos is richer than most countries of Africa.

Lagos is like New York and California States combined in America. Lagos is the heartbeat of Africa. It is not for fun that some of the wealthiest people in Africa live in Lagos.

They include Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dr Tony Elumelu, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Mr Jim Ovia, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, Mr Femi Otedola, Alhaji Abdulrasak Akanni Okoya, Chief Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, Mr Cosmas Maduka, the Chagourys, (not in any particular order) and so many others.

Most of them are non Lagosians but they have virtually become Lagosians in bodies and souls.

Such is the irresistible allure of Lagos that most of us had to migrate from our villages and places of birth on a long journey to the tiny city of Lagos despite the smallness of its land mass. Now, this is the crux of the matter. Lagos is a mega city and home to about 20 million inhabitants who crammed into somewhere divided into two distinguishable parts, the island and the mainland. It is a cosmopolitan city peopled by men and women from diverse nations, tongues and religions. Notwithstanding the diversity that is the hallmark and fabric of its soul, Lagos is cohesive and solid – e le mo aarin Eko. It is only natural that such a city would bear the burden of its seeming teeming overpopulation. I do not subscribe to the view that a massive population is an obstacle to development.

On the contrary, i know that the bigger the number of people massed in any one place, the more likely it is that such place will develop greatly, but only if the population is properly managed and harnessed. If competent, able and visionary minds are not at the helm of affairs, it will not be too long before the population which is meant to be a boon, becomes an albatross that weighs it down and snuffs out any meaningful progress. Unfortunately, Lagos falls into this last category. Its leaders have tried their best, but have not been able to come up with any imaginative solutions to its chronic perennial vehicular logjam.

I’m not aware of any city as gigantic as

Sanwo-Olu

Lagos that would not have a variety of transport systems, particularly as it is also surrounded by lots of water and a good terrain. Sadly, Lagos is largely dependent on motor vehicles and lately motorcycles and tricycle which are realistic and vivid demonstrations of the poverty in the land.

It is more the pity that these means of road transport are too little for the hordes of daily commuters who traverse the city in search of their daily bread and those who travel in and out of the extraordinary city.

At different times, efforts have been made by successive governments to solve the problem and the transport conundrum it creates by decongesting the roads and in one fell swoop also achieve the aim of getting rid of the odoriferous pollution of Lagos. It has not worked. This is because the problems of Lagos are varying and wideranging. Apart from the population explosion and the stupendous traffic jams, Lagos is bedevilled by a major security conflagration.

This arises from its metropolitan nature and its willingness to welcome and absorb all those who genuinely want to be a part of its miracle. The flip side of this welcoming attitude is that Lagos will also attract shady characters and nefarious elements. The recent influx of unidentifiable immigrants

into Lagos is just a sample of this major headache and has further compounded the bad situation. Understandably, this has ostensibly forced the State Government to take what may be considered panic and desperate measures by many people, in one fell swoop.

In a sudden and unexpected decision, it was announced that the popular means of public transportation involving motorcycles and tricycles have been banished in the major parts of the State. Millions of those in that business and their customers were instantly thrown into mass unemployment as well as unprecedented agony. Those who directly and indirectly benefit from the economic benefits of these forms of transport were not merely thrown into a quandary they were catapulted into grave jeopardy. Furthermore, the already terrible traffic congestion became worse and may have even quadrupled. While I sincerely sympathise with the Lagos State authorities, I believe their decision was too hasty, ill-prepared, ill-judged and, above all, poorly executed.

Let me explain what I believe went wrong.

No government can suddenly wake up and outlaw a business, indeed a way of life, that has become the main system of transportation of a large section of the teeming masses, especially the poor and lowly in society, without courting serious repercussions. You cannot throw so many thousands of your people into unprepared unemployment and unexpected hunger and destitution and expect them to simply fold their arms across their chest, shrug and walk away from it all. It is unfair. It is unjust.

It is ungodly. The suffering in Nigeria has reached unacceptable levels for anybody to just simply and naively add to the word of the people on account of unverifiable security breaches and poorly researched casualty figures. A country supposedly overflowing with milk and honey has become the world capital of poverty and squalor. Throwing more people into such suffocating and debilitating situation is rather despicable and unfortunate.

I have listened to some compelling arguments from the government side but I’m not totally convinced there was no better way of doing it. But that cannot be all because there are compelling and

In a sudden and unexpected decision, it was announced that the popular means of public transportation involving motorcycles and tricycles have been banished in the major parts of the State. Millions of those in that business and their customers were instantly thrown into mass unemployment as well as unprecedented agony.

Those who directly and indirectly benefit from the economic benefits of these forms of transport were not merely thrown into a quandary they were catapulted into grave jeopardy.

overwhelming arguments from the other side too. I have been told that most of the young UFOs that descended on Lagos recently were preparing the way for a major attack of the Boko Haram type in Lagos.

Very possible, I agree, though there is no way for ordinary mortals like you and I to verify such security alert as true or false. While I’m willing to concede that the “unidentified flying objects” should be thrown out pronto and sent back to wherever they came from, I still cannot support such blanket ban on fellow Nigerian citizens, because there is no telling whether these so called migrants are not just displaced Nigerians seeking succour in other parts of their motherland. The last I knew, freedom of movement was still a constitutional right for all Nigerians. Until the proponents of a monumental break up of Nigeria succeed, every Nigerian citizen should have the right to live in any part of Nigeria. There is no basis for this perfidious paranoia. We should not be seen to be repaying evil with evil. The best thing should have been to regulate the Okada business urgently. There is already precedent for this by previous administrations. Things just need to be done properly and efficiently and this cannot be by way of a knee-jerk reaction Let’s assume that was not immediately possible and achievable. We should still have tolerated and accommodated the modern ones who were duly registered and whose drivers were readily identifiable. To have lumped all the Okada variants together and tagged them as miscreants, hoodlums and vagabonds was an unmitigated disaster. The uproar it has generated should have been expected. There are many in government circles who feel they will bully their way around this crisis. I don’t think so. I believe it is too early in the day for the new Lagos State government to put everything at risk.

I have listened to heated arguments that Okada was banned in Kano, Abuja and other than parts of Nigeria. Again, I disagree with this attempt at comparing Lagos to those cities. Does anyone want Lagos to become Kano, the headquarter of unemployed youths. God forbid. As for Abuja, what’s the population? They have also told me that Governor Babatunde Fashola once banned Okada in Lagos. True. But that was then.

Nigeria was not as bad as it is now.

Government officials should have prepared the city adequately for this hurricane and its aftershocks but I doubt that was the case. Those comparing Lagos to other world capitals are not being serious.

Lagos is lagging far behind those cities in infrastructure development. The roads are horrible. The buses are rickety and grossly inadequate. How do we expect the workers to get to work from far flung areas?

My candid appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is that he should, as a matter of urgency, rework this tough decision.

It is not a sign of weakness to admit a bad decision and make amends. It is the virtue of a great leader. He should offer palliative opportunities to those motorbikes’ operators who can meet very strict and stringent security screening and identification procedures. Issues of safety of passengers should be speedily addressed. We can’t afford to throw away the baby with the bathwater.

It would dangerously counterproductive!

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