Friday, December 30th, 2022 Edition

Zara Buhari, daughter of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, (3rd from right), Governor Ayade and top dignitaries at the flag off of the 2022 Carnival Calabar

6 new NAN zonal offices take off Jan. 1

The 12-zone operational structure of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) is set to take off with the management’s unveiling of new Zonal Managers.

NAN reports that the new zones will begin operation on Jan. 1, 2023.

It would be recalled that the agency hitherto operated a six-zone structure until management’s decision to spill it into 12 zones for administrative convenience, effectiveness and increased coverage, especially at the grassroots level.

The new Akure Zone, which has Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, was carved out from the old Ibadan Zone while Owerri Zone, excised from the old Enugu Zone, now has Imo and Abia as component states.

Asaba Zone, created out of the old Port Harcourt Zone, has Delta, Edo and Bayelsa as component states while Maiduguri Zone carved out of the old Bauchi Zone now comprises Borno, Adamawa and Taraba states.

Sokoto Zone made up of Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States was excised from the old Kaduna Zone while Minna Zone comprising Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi was created out of the old Jos Zone.

The new managers and their zones, according to a statement issued by the management of the Agency in Abuja, include Adebayo Sekoni, a Deputy Editor-in-Chief, who would head Akure Zone.

Benson Iziama, Felecia Okonkwo and Yakubu Uba, all Deputy Editors-in-Chief,

would head Asaba, Owerri and Maiduguri Zones respectively Habibu Harisu and Mohammed Baba-Busu, both Assistant Editors-in-Chief, would take charge of Sokoto and Minna Zones respectively.

The statement also said management reviewed its operations in the year ending and had introduced cost-cutting measures to ensure it remained afloat in the face of increasing cost of doing business, inflationary trend and decreased budget.

“The agency is also pursuing possibilities for partnerships to increase revenue generation while working with reputable global news agencies.

“For instance, during the year under review, the agency signed agreements with two foreign

agencies-Turkish News Agency (Anadolu) and Bulgarian News Agency (BTA),” it said.

NAN also has news exchange partnerships with leading international wire agencies such as Reuters (United Kingdom), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Germany), Xinhua (China) and Sputnik (Russia).

Meanwhile, plans are ongoing to reopen the continental offices in South Africa, Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire in the first quarter of the New Year, according to Managing Director, Mr Buki Ponle.

He thanked workers for their steadfastness, adding that with increased budgetary allocation and internally generated revenue, more resources would be provided for welfare, training and working tools.(NAN)

National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

U.S.-based care provider settles hospital bills of indigent patients in Lagos

AU.S.-based

Nigerian Care Provider, Dr Oluwatoyin Iseyemi, on Thursday paid medical bills of several indigent patients at the Federal Medical Center, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos.

The donor, popularly known as Dr Tee Glam from Houston, Texas carried out the gesture through her Sauvage Charity Foundation, saying it was in fulfillment of her promise to alleviate burdens of people during the festive season.

Paying the medical expenses for all indigent patients on site, Iseyemi, who presented a cheque of an undisclosed amount to the hospital management, simply said it was in millions.

“This has nothing to do with politics. This is something I came up with independently to give back to the community. This is a festive season, I do want the people to go back home.

“I want mothers to go home to be mothers to their children. I want fathers to go home to be fathers to their children and same thing to brothers and sisters. Everybody deserves to have great healthcare.

“I think this is one of the ways I can show support for the

community. I know there are a lot of challenges in the country, helping in this little way hopefully helps save some lives,” she said.

Describing the gesture as gratifying, the donor said that she hoped to do more, and go wherever her heart follows.

Commending the hospital management for providing the platform for her to serve her community, Iseyemi said that her purpose was to support the less privileged individuals families and help them to enjoy the season.

“I don’t want to have people worrying about how to pay their bills. I look forward to do even more in the future,” she said.

On the number of beneficiaries, Iseyemi said: “I will not name a figure, but I can tell you it is not a little figure. This is a big hospital and everyone is on the list that I am aware of that cannot pay.

“Can you just imagine women there who need to give birth and they are so concerned on how they are going to pay? It is a major problem. They should not be dealing with all that in addition to the pregnancy.

“So, paying for someone like that is going to bring smiles to the

faces. Again, I cannot put a figure because it is quite a huge number but I am happy to do this because I made the promise and I am keeping my promise.

“This is something I am doing personally, I can tell you it is in millions,” she said.

Calling on well-meaning Nigerians home and abroad to impact the indigent, Iseyemi said that people could give to communities and the homeless.

”A’nyone can make an impact even if it is only one person,” he said.

She urged the Federal Government to invest more in the health sector in terms of infrastructure and free healthcare for citizens.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Kate Chigozie, who had Caesarean Section, said: “It is a privilege, I am really grateful and I appreciate this so much. May God. bless and continue to replenish wherever this is coming from.”

Another beneficiary, Mrs Blessing Nwagboniwe, who delivered a baby through surgery, said, ” May God bless them more abundantly. I delivered the baby through C-Section and there was no

financial help. I really thank God for this help.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the donor and her team were received by the hospital management team led by Dr Saheed Ogumme, the Head of Clinical Services, on behalf of the Medical Director, Dr Adedamola Dada.

Speaking at a meeting with the donor before leading them round various wards, Ogumme described the gesture as commendable.

“For those of us in the field, we come across patients who need medical care but cannot afford it, so it is a big challenge.

“The government only allows us to treat people on emergency just for 24 hours, after that what happens? who is going to pick up the bill, it is a big challenge.

“So, for you to come to help us, help our indigent patients is commendable,” he said.

Others in the hospital management team present include Mr Harrison Etim, the Director of Administration and Dr Olorunyemi Ayoola, Director, Corporate Services. (NAN)

R- L: The Chairman House of Representatives, Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate the Alleged Loss of Over $2.4billion in Revenue from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude Oil Export in 2015 including Crude Oil Export from 2014 till date, Hon. Mark Gbilah with members of the committee, Hon. Abdulganiyu Johnson and Hon. Lawan Shettima Ali, during the Committee Inaugural meeting at the

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NNPP

senatorial candidate

in Borno urges electorates to vote right

Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri

The persistent scourge of vote buying in Nigeria’s electoral process has constituted a matter for serious worry to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) senatorial candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District in the 2023 elections, Attom Mohammed Magira.

Consequently, he advised the electorate in the district: “Since they (vote-buying politicians) cannot stop buying votes, when they come to you with their money, take it, but vote the right candidate.”

Addressing his teeming supporters at Bama, Magira attributed bad political leadership to the ‘cash-for-vote’ syndrome in the country’s electoral process.

He appealed to the Borno Central electorate to vote for him, saying, however, that he has no money to give them, but he possessed the required character, capacity and commitment to deploy and provide them the required representation at the National Assembly.

He promised to execute qualitative constituency projects for the development of education, women and youth empowerment and health for the people of the district.

Man to die by hanging for stabbing stepmom to death in Kano

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

AKano High Court on Wednesday sentenced one Sagiru Wada, 29 years old to death by hanging for stabbing his stepmother, Zainab Dan’azumi aged 55, to death.

The court had earlier convicted Wada of Kurmawa Quarters, Kano,

on a one-count charge of culpable homicide.

Presiding Justice, Aisha Mahmoud held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced the convict to death.

Prosecution counsel, Tijjani Ibrahim, had earlier told the court that Abdullahi committed the

offence in June 2014 at Kurmawa Quarters, Kano.

He said the convict dealt several machete cuts on the victim’s head leading to her death on the day in question.

“The victim was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, where she was confirmed dead by a doctor,’’ he

said.

Ibrahim presented five witnesses and tendered six exhibits to prove the case against Abdullahi who denied committing the offence.

Wada called four witnesses in his defence but could not proven his innocence beyond reasonable doubt.

Iwuanyanwu, Yakasai, Clark, Adebanjo, others plan Amechi’s burial on Feb 16

By: Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

A33-member committee of distinguished and respected Nigerian leaders has been constituted to plan a befitting burial for a foremost statesman, nationalist and one of the last remaining fathers of Nigerian Independence, Chief Mbazulike Amechi (Dara Akunwafor).

The committee, which was put in place by the Amechi’s family, in consultation with his associates and other stakeholders, has Chief (Dr) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Hon. CID Maduabum as Chairman and Secretary respectively.

The committee is saddled with the responsibility of planing a befitting burial for Chief Amechi, scheduled for 16th February 2023 at Ukpor, Nnewi South Local

Government Area of Anambra State.

Chief Amechi was a former Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation in the First Republic

A statement yesterday by Tagbo I. Amechi (Ezeana Onodugo) on behalf of the family, reads, “Following the transition of the foremost statesman, nationalist and one of the last remaining fathers of Nigerian Independence, Chief Mbazulike Amechi (Dara Akunwafor), Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation in the First Republic on 1st November 2022, the family, in consultation with his associates and other stakeholders wish to announce the setting up of a Committee of Distinguished and Respected Nigerian Leaders to plan a befitting burial for this great Nigerian Patriot scheduled

for 16th February 2023 at Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“This Committee of Eminent Persons, under the Chairmanship of Chief (Dr.) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, consists of; Alh. Tanko Yakasai; Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr. Tim Menakaya, Chief Simon N. Okeke, Sen. Dr. Adolphus Wabara, Sen. Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

Others include; Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Arc. Obong Victor Attah, Sen. Dr. Sam Egwu, Chief Achike Udenwa, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Sen. Theodore Orji, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu, Ambassador Dr. Mrs. Kema

Chikwe, Iyom Josephine Anenih, and Ambassador Chief Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

The rest are; Prof. Maurice Iwu, former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Hon. Prince Chibudom Nwuche, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chief Okey Ezenwa, Hon. (Dr). Prince Ned Nwoko, Prof. Fred Eze, Prince Emeka Udodeme and Chief Uwakwe Azikiwe.

The committee, according to the statement, will make further details indue course.

“We thank the eminent persons, who despite their tight schedules, have agreed to do this as a mark of respect to a great son of Nigeria”, the statement concluded.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello (right) welcomes the new FCT Police Commissioner, Idris Abubakar Sadique to the FCTA during the Commissioner’s visit to the Minister in his office, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Obiozor’s death, huge national loss, laments Atiku

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has described the death of former Nigerian ambassador to several foreign missions and President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor as a huge loss for the country.

Atiku said this in a statement yesterday to mourn the death of Professor Obiozor.

The PDP presidential flag-bearer, in the press statement personally signed by him on Thursday, said that he received the news of Professor Obiozor’s death with rude shock.

Atiku noted that the late former Nigerian ambassador to several foreign missions is a huge loss for the country.

According to the press release, Atiku remarks that, “Prof Obiozor was a charismatic personality. He was much at home in any part of Nigeria.

“He was a consummate diplomat who believed in consensus, and had a stabilizing influence.

“His wide experience in diplomatic foreign missions garnered over decades and across diverse postings came in very handy in making him a pan-Nigerian.

“Professor Obiozor taught us the essence of large-heartedness because he was generally accepted by even those who were not in support of his candidacy during the election that saw his emergence as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“He was a master of political consensus. A writer famous for his ‘politics of precarious balancing’ in which he espoused balancing the diverse interests in the country.

“He was a promoter of the unity of the nation. Igbo nation will miss him. The whole nation will miss him.”, he said.

Atiku shared his condolences with the entire body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the SouthEast part of the country and the country as a whole over the fall of an Iroko.”

He prayed for a peaceful repose of his soul and his immediate family to have the fortitude to bear the loss of its patriarch.

Police nab Zaria traditional ruler for sodomizing 14-year-old boy

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command have arrested a traditional title holder in Zaria for allegedly sodomizing a 14-year-old boy.

Police Spokesman in the state, DSP Muhammadu Jalige, told reporters in Zaria yesterday that the suspect would be prosecuted at the conclusion of the investigation.

Elder brother of the victim, Hamza Zubairu, told newsmen that the incident happened on December 9 at Kwarbai

area of Zaria.

He said the suspect, a neighbour of the victim’s parents, used to enjoy a lot of respect in the neighbourhood.

He added that on the day of the incident, the suspect sent the victim into his room to bring some money, but followed the teenager into the room and bolted the door.

The suspect subsequently drew a dagger and threatened to kill the boy if he raised an alarm on what he was about to do to him.

He said the boy became traumatized and could not tell anyone what happened

initially until he summoned enough courage and told his aunt.

“It was the aunt that reported the case to the police at the Zaria City Divisional Police Headquarters,” Zubairu said.

In her remarks, Aishatu Ahmed, Coordinator, Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Gambo Sawaba General Hospital, Zaria, said the Centre received a request for medical attention for the victim.

She said already, the centre had sent its findings and diagnosis to the Zaria City Divisional Police Headquarters.

Lagos shooting: IGP meets Lagos gov on speedy justice

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has met with the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, yesterday to discuss amongst other things, possible avenue to achieve speedy justice for the victims of the recent shooting incidents in the state.

The IGP while extending his heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased, reassured that the cases would be meticulously pursued until deserved justice is served, stressed that the Force is working with the Attorney-General of Lagos State to ensure that the offenders are diligently

prosecuted in Courts of competent jurisdiction to serve as a deterrence to others.

In his response, the Governor promised to support the Police in making sure that justice is served in the extant case and to collaborate with the Police on advocacy programmes to educate the citizenry on understanding and respecting the laws of the land for an improved relationship with the Police.

He similarly stressed that his administration will partner with the Police to carry out refresher courses, training, and retraining, and other evaluation processes for police officers

in all facets of policing duties.

Governor Sanwo-Olu equally emphasized the need to provide some equipment like body cameras, nonlethal weapons, etc., to curb excessive use of powers and boost good police/ citizens relationships.

The Inspector-General of Police therefore charged all officers to imbibe absolute respect for rule of law and the fundamental rights of all persons, which is the crux and fulcrum of policing services even as he urged members of the public to cooperate with police officers for seamless collaborative efforts to stamp out crimes and criminality in the Nigerian society.

L-R: The the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna, the Governor of Nasarawa State, His Excellency Abdullahi Sule and the Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Mohammed Ubandoma at the commencement of the distribution of 800 Efficient Stoves and Wonder Pots in Lafia and Akwanga in the state yesterday. PHOTO: NASENI.

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee said it will engage local and foreign stakeholders to unravel the facts behind the alleged loss of over 2.4 billion dollars in Revenue from Illegal sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude Oil Export in 2015 including Crude Oil Export from 2014 till date.

The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Mark Gbillah stated this at the National Assembly Complex Abuja during inuagural meeting of the Committee to investigate the allegation.

The lawmaker who assured all the whistleblowers of utmost confidentiality about their identity said the Investigation was inline with President Buhari Buhari’s Anti-corruption drive.

The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee pointed that the committee had to be set up now seven years after the incident because it was brought to the fore in 2020 and the House needed background information for a thorough investigation and outcome.

The Committee solicited the support of individuals and corporate organisations to enable the committee achieve its mandate.

A member of the committee, Ganiyu Johnson explained that as part of efforts to revive the various refineries in the country, the House Committee on the state of refineries visited some of the refineries and gave assurance of PortHarcout and Warri refineries coming into full operation by first and last quarters of next year.

He said “like I said initially this is the House Adhoc Committee to investigate the alleged loss of 2.4 billion dollars from the sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil also mandated by the House to investigate crude oil sales from 2014 till date and whistleblower information and recoveries and expenditure of these recoveries. so in a summary the key issues of this Adhoc Committee is mandated by the House to look into and I want to say that by the leave of the speaker and members of House of Representatives I have been assigned as the chairman of this committee.

“It is a show by the leadership of the house of their willingness and transparency in arriving at truth behind whatevru has transpired in this circumstance because and allegation was raised in 2020 by a whistleblower out of the country who alleged that Nigerian’s crude in China, when the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board was diverted and sold allegedly by certain individuals who were in government who were in the nation’s oil corporation who were in the security agencies and who were also cronies of those in Authority at the time. now the Committee takes very seriously issues that have to do with allegations.

“We owe Nigerians the benefit of doubt in line with our Constitution. we owe them a duty of care to ensure that

$2.4bn illegal sales of crude: Reps vow to engage foreign stakeholders to unravel secret

we unravel the facts of the matter before we start to make any assertions. it is obviously going to be important for us to arrive at the conclusion and provide a substantive report that would obviously be in the records and would determine whether or not these issues transpired and in carrying out our functions, one of the things we are going to need to do would be to interview those made those allegations. some of them have reached out to the committee alleging threat to their lives. they were intimidated at gun point allegedly.

“The leadership of the house is in support of this committee arriving at the truth and the facts this matter. and it shows the seriousness of this house in addressing issues that have to do with the commonwealth of Nigerians. even though these allegations were made about two years ago you can see that this responsible House of the Nigerian people has still deemed it necessary to look into this matter even as we go about our electioneering campaigns.

“We want to assure all the whistleblowers who have revelations to

provide to this honourable committee that their information would be treated in the strictest level of confidence as it is done all over the world in other climes. we can receive evidence behind closed doors before we make them public because we too are concerned about spurious and false allegations. so we too want to determine and see the facts behind any such allegations before we bring them to public knowledge because we are a public body saddler with the representation of the Nigerian people so we have to also do things responsibly. we are also keen as a house on very quickly enacting the whistleblower bill.

“We commend president Buhari administration for bringing fourth a whistleblower policy but very recently the president himself and the ministers of finance admitted that policy has not been successful in terms of the amount of revelation that they expected and the recoveries expected and these are obviously tied to the lack of protection to whistleblower in the current policy that is in existence. we would be appealing to other international partners of

Nigeria, the US, Mexican government, the Chinese government to give this committee the cooperation required because we would also necessarily need to also visit some of these countries to obtain the facts behind the matter. where these crude oil sales allegedly took place, those who were involved, who claimed they were entitled to some percentage of the amount when these sales tool place, they are being very helpful in providing us with the names of some of the individuals who were allegedly in this matter but for the sake of confidentiality and seriousness of this matter,we might not be able to divulge that information until we obtain the facts.

“They have told us they have video recordings, photographs of the meetings, documentation to show email trail and discussions and even bank bank account statements of very highly placed people where these transactions tool place. we hope that Nigerians and the media would be very objective in this issue and provide us with the support that is required to carry out this very opmerius

Policemen 4 others perish in Niger auto crash

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Police Command said a fatal accident along Gwada-Minna Road, killed three policemen and four other passengers.

A statement issued by the command PPRO, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the

accident involved a FAW-VITA vehicle driven by Inspector Ezekiel Thomas attached to the command and an unregistered Sharon Vehicle Driven by one Awaisu Suleiman of Kuta.

It said the FAW Vehicle was traveling from Dandaudu Village to Minna along with two other Police Personnel after

visiting their families in the village, while the Sharon vehicle was also travelling from Minna to Kuta.

“The two vehicles had a head on collision around Gadan Yan-Biu due to suspected excessive speed, and as a result, the three policemen and four others from the Sharon lost their lives, including drivers of both

vehicles”.

Niger State Command CP Ogundele Ayodeji, condoled with the families of the deceased persons and urged members of the public to disregard any misinformation relating to the cause of the accident especially in some social media.

Zara Buhari, daughter of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Ayade and top dignitaries at the flagg off of the

Ahmad Rufa’i an epitome of simplicity, generosityVarsity Don

From Lawal Saidu, Katsina

Auniversity don, Professor M.D Suleiman has described the Sardauna Katsina, and National Intelligence Agency, NIA boss, Ambassador Ahmad Rufa’i Abubakar as an epitome of simplicity and generosity.

Professor Suleiman stated this Thursday while presenting a paper titled ‘Traditional leadership: Understanding the Dynamics of Sarautar Sardauna of Katsina’ at a conference organised in honour of the Sardauna Katsina.

He noted that the saudauna Katsina has distinguished himself both in the academic and the intelligence circles.

The university don added that the title of Sardauna is conferredon someone who distinguished himself in the service of his community.

Presenting a paper titled ‘ In the eyes of a radical prince: Y.B Usman and the making of Katsina Historiography, Dr. Suleiman Sama’ila explore the life and times of the A.B.U Zaria radical history scholar.

He described the contributions of the radical scholar in changing the euro-centric nature of African history to an African narrative.

Also in his presentation, Dr. Waisulliyasu explored the origin of the and nature of Hausa traditional titles in Katsina emirate.

Those who attended the conference include, the convener, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations Professor Tijjani Bande, for INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, former president of the court of Appeal, Justice Umar Abdullahi and host of others.

2023: I’ll make Zamfara crime-free state -Matawalle

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

Zamfara State Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has pledged to make Zamfara crime-free State if re-elected.

Matawalle made the assurance Thursday, at a central zone gubernatorial rally campaign held in Bungudu local government area of the state.

He said the number one priority of his administration was

on the fights against lingering security challenges.

He further noted that, it is obvious that normalcy is fast returning to the state as the state and federal governments collaborate with security agencies to ensure all criminals terrorising the peace of the state are eliminated.

“I am assuring you of absolute peace and tranquility across the fourteen local government areas of the state, formidable plans were

already on security Chiefs’ table making deliberations to come up with measures capable of creating access to bushes and nearby forests for food production by our competent farmers.

“Despite security challenges, my administration was able to boost many sectors especially health sector, and the provisions of employment for hundreds of youths, though, one should not expect smooth execution of developmental projects by

any government that frequently receive unbearable attacks by the high profile criminals like bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers.

“My administration was compelled to redirect its needed attention despite meagre resources towards total fight against security challenges which had yielded positive results as we are currently witnessing massive return of displaced communities in the state”, Matawalle has stressed.

Oodua Youth Parliament laments poor management of NILEST

Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Oodua Youth Parliament, a CSO, has lamented, alleged poor management of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to replace its leadership in order to address the nation’s dependence on foreign leather products and create jobs for Nigerians.

Hon. Abdulmajeed Oyeniye, Speaker of the Oodua Youth Parliament, made the call in a statement issued to journalists in Kaduna yesterday.

He said research institutes everywhere around the world are supposed to be centres of

excellence and innovations.

“They are supposed to be specialised centres pioneering advanced innovative research projects and churning out products that are useful for both individual consumption and industrial use.

Oyeniye, however lamented that, sadly, the Nigerian situation and more specifically, the situation in NILEST is appalling and deplorable.

He explained that NILEST was conceived with the aim of harnessing the vast potentials in the flourishing livestock industry in country especially in Northern Nigeria.

He noted that Northerner parts of the country has over 100 million of cows, goats and ships

with thousand slaughters daily, where the country was projected to be a net exporter of hides and industrial hub in the leather and skin industrial sector.

“More than 20 years down the line, nothing has changed and it got worse under the present administration of Professor Mohammed Kabir Yakubu,” he lamented.

Oyeniye further explained that the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations had shown that Nigeria exports less than 100 tons of hides and skin, which he said it was questionable if the quantity was exported to neighbouring African countries and whether it is just a raw skin or actually hides.

“There has not been any visible footprint of NILEST anywhere in Nigeria even though there are abattoirs spread across the country from Maiduguri to Lagos and Port Harcourt. All attempts made at skinning and preservation are done at the individual level with no input from a supposedly professional body.

“The crude practices and techniques still in existence, is making it impossible for the country to produce leather fit for domestic consumption talk more of exportation,” he said.

Oyeniye further alleged that Prof. Yakubu had done nothing to justify the huge taxpayers’ money invested in NILEST which he headed for years.

“Nigerian animal skin, especially cow skins are only useful for local consumption as ‘ponmo’. There is no industry in Nigeria that processes animal skin, not even the laboratory in NILEST.

“While the machines and manpower is on standby, there is no management direction and input from anywhere, thereby making government investments a total waste,”he alleged.

He suggested that If NILEST is incapable of pioneering research in skin and hides preservation, they should have partnered the local tanners in Katisna, Zaria, Kano, Borno and elsewhere.

“This is totally unacceptable and must be stopped,”he said.

From:

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state (middle) Signing the 2023 budget of N268, 199 million, at the Government House Kano yesterday. With him are: Speaker, Kano state House of Assembly Hon. Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari (left) and Deputy Governor, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna (right).

Niger SUBEB pays over N2b counterpart funds

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) has paid its counterpart funds of over N2 billion to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) from 2019 to date for its effective and efficient service delivery in the state.

The chairman of the board, Alhaji Saidu Ibrahim made this known while addressing journalists in Minna, saying that 224,879 consisting of pupils and students out of school children have so far returned to classrooms in the state.

Ibrahim revealed that 150 projects were executed within the year under review with the establishment of additional 24 schools of primary and junior secondary schools, 4 modern science primary school as pilot scheme aimed at catching them young.

He reiterated the commitment to restore confidence in the public schools in the state however prioritizing training and retraining of its workforce for efficient monitoring and supervision, just as most of the over 200 schools closed down due to insecurity are been reopen gradually.

The SUBEB chairman decried over the challenges and liabilities inherited but with vigor and the team spirit of the management they were surmounted hence most cases, problems like salary arrears among others have been resolved.

He commended the enabling environment created by governor Abubakar Sani Bello to strive in its mandates hence the target of 2019 to date Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) in addressing out of almajir and girl child education among others.

Alhaji Saidu Ibrahim explained that the priority of board in 2023 would focussed on supervision and monitoring of projects and schools to ensure standard and pupils get the maximum results by embarking on aggressive monitoring to achieve value for money.

NDLEA raises alarm over prevalent use of deadly drug, methamphetamine by addicts in Kano

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised an alarm over prevalent use of what it described as deadly drug, methamphetamine by substance addicts in Kano sate.

The State Commander of NDLEA in Kano, CN Abubakar Idris made the disclosure during the annual briefing about the successes recorded in the outgoing year, 2022, held at the command in Kano yesterday.

According to him, the deadly drug was being abused by addicts in

the state, adding that the command had risen up to check its prevalence.

He however said that in its quest to reduce drug abuse in the state, the command had neutralized the methamphetamine, so much that it had seized over 277 gram of it.

Idris added that in the year under review, the command had discovered about five cannabis farms in different locations in the state.

The Commander stated that it had recorded 1,078 arrest, including 951 male and 127 female drug suspects, adding that 172, were

charged as 113 secured convictions within the year under review.

He further added that the command, within 2022, had seized the total of 8,386.733kg of drug in the state.

The commander further had engaged in counseling and rehabilitation of the drug addicts that include 1669 male and 175 female.

“82 regular clients were counseled and discharged. 17 clients are on admission including 15 male and 2 female.

“in our quest to bolster crime

reduction among the larger populace in the state through eradicating drug abuse and trafficking, the command has done a lot in the supply and drug demand reduction strategy. Significant arrest and seizures of different psychotropic and psychoactive substances with a consequential number of convictions were recorded with the statistics,” he said.

Idris also commended the state government for its support and trust in the command’s operations in the state.

NASENI, German firm design smokeless stoves to promote UN agenda on clean energy -EVC

TheExecutive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna yesterday said the agency collaborated with a German firm, Atmosfair Germany to design and manufacture smokeless stoves to promote UN agenda on clean energy.

He said the distribution of the efficient stoves and wonder cooking pots has been approved for all the geo-political zones by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He appealed to state governments to patronize these innovations for the benefit of Nigerians at all levels.

Haruna made the clarifications in Government House, Lafia during the distribution of 800 units of Save 80 Efficient Smokeless Stoves to the poor.

He said the President has also approved the installation of 6,000 solar home systems in the residences of the less privileged in in all local governments and electoral wards of the state.

He said: “The distribution of these efficient stoves and wonder cooking pots have been approved for all the geopolitical zones of the country by President Muhammadu Buhari but launched from Nasarawa State due to unique position of the state. The people of the state have every reason to remain indebted to His Excellency even after his administration.

“The collaboration of NASENI with the German Organization, the ATMOSFAIR has far reaching positive impact and advantages which include facilitation and realization of United Nation’s sustainable development goal No. 7, on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy for all.

“This innovation is used as a vehicle for achieving Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target on emission reduction by year 2030.

“The distribution of smokeless but efficient stove to all the six geopolitical zones of the country as approved; is a

Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) which will improve NASENI’s Eco friendliness and carbon footprint, a positive contribution to climate change and a service to humanity.”

He said the commercial production of the smokeless stoves will soon begin in Kano and in Agada, near Sabon Gari, Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

He added: “ The commercial production of Save 80 efficient stoves is commercially viable and a revenue generating source for NASENI – the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“There is eighty percent (80%) saving in cooking time and cooking energy (fuel) compared with cooking gas, electricity; and fuel wood options. vi. It is healthy, smokeless cooking, convenient,

hygienic, and safe operation; ruling out hazards of fire and cooking gas accidents.

“I am happy to announce that NASENI is in collaboration with a private company called To Be Connected Nigeria have taken a lease of a warehouse in Agada, near Sabon Gari, Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and is establishing manufacturing plant of Save 80 of which installation has already commenced.

“The production will be simultaneous with plant already installed in Kano where assembling of these products has begun.

“The Bricket used as fuel is product of NASENI from our institutes in Enugu and Minna; hence creating thousands of employments.”

He appealed to state governments to

embrace the innovations by patronizing the smokeless stoves and wonder cooking pots.

“May I conclude with an appeal to state governments across the country, members of state and national assembly, Local and International NGOs and indeed MDAs to patronize these innovations for the benefit of our teeming populace and the country,” he added.

He explained how Nasarawa State will benefit from the innovations with the initial 800 units of stoves.

He said: “Eight Hundred (800) units of Save 80 Efficient Smokeless Stoves designed and manufactured by National Agency Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in collaboration with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Atmosfair of Germany as approved for Nasarawa State by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria who doubles as Chairman of NASENI Government Board.

“Four Hundred (400) units have already been distributed to needy women of Nasarawa West. Today’s event is for Nasarawa North and South 2 Senatorial zones and is anchored with active support and in collaboration with Nasarawa State Government under the able leadership of Governor A. A. Sule, a continuation of implementation of NASENI’s agreement with the state government initiated by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Tanko Al-Makura when he was the Governor as far back as 2012.”

Haruna said the agency will soon install 6,000 Sola Home Systems in the residences of the less privileged in the state.

He said: “ Among the social intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the people of Nasarawa State particularly the less privileged is the installation of Six Thousand (6,000) solar homes systems in the residences of those that need them most; in all local governments and electoral wards of the state.”

Work resumes in Kaduna after Christmas, Boxing Day

Federal and state government workers resumed work in Kaduna yesterday after a two day Christmas and Boxing holiday declared by the federal government.

Although only a few offices were under locked and key, but many staff resumed duties.

They, however, lamented the hardship, insecurity threat in Southern Kaduna and rising cost of food items as worrisome.

Some who could not hide their

travails expressed concern over the rising cost of commodities without a corresponding increase in salaries.

However, some civil servants who spoke with Peoples Daily said they had their good time meeting with friends and some members during the, Christmas break.

It is also also observes that commercial banks, some business premises, especially along the popular Muhammadu Buhari way and independent way closed for the holidays had reopened for business as customers were seen

going into those places for their businesses.

Some of the civil servants, however, blamed the low turn-out of some workers on the alleged nonchalant attitude of some civil servants, who, according to them, always add additional days for themselves whenever public holidays are declared for any celebration.

Rakiya Dauda also a civil Servant said most workers do take additional days to continue to rest in the name of celebration, saying “it is a bad attitude towards

work.

“It has always been our lifestyle to add two or more days to the official public holidays given to celebrate in Nigeria; be it Easter, Christmas or Sallah celebration.

“Though a good number of us have resumed, but you will agree with me that some us are still in the mood of celebration,” she observed.

Similarly, Jonathan Edward another civil servant, expressed the joy of travelling safely to his Local government Area and returning safely to work, adding

that he could not stay beyond the holidays.

“I am so delighted, I travelled and came back safely to begin my work and I see no reason to overstay because it might have caused me to spend a lot, so I have to quickly return.”

Madam Mary Paul, also a civil servant explained that she was unable to travel out of Kaduna owing to lack of enough money to celebrate with her family.

According to her, travelling requires a lot of money so as to be able to return to work on time.”

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

L-R: Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna and a beneficiary in a symbolic presentation of 800 Efficient Stoves and Wonder Pots in Nasarawa State yesterday. PHOTO: NASENI

Rep want urgent implementation of Senate resolution on Bayelsa Atala maginal field

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives member, representing Sagbama/Ekweremo Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Hon. Agbedi Frederick has call on the federal Government to urgently ensure full Implementation of the recommendations reached at the senate over Maginal field Oil block in his State Hon. Agbedi who made call while briefing parliamentarians reporters at National Assembly Complex Abuja, disclosed that the oil block which originally belongs to Bayelsa State Government was reallocated to another company for obvious political reasons.

The lawmaker further revealed that president Buhari intervened and ordered that Atala Maginal field should be returned to Bayelsa State Government which was still pending until the

Niger Assembly passes 2023 budget with additional N5bn

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State House of Assembly has passed the state’s 2023 Appropriation Bill of over N243 billion naira against over N238 billion naira presented by governor Abubakar Sani Bello.

This followed the report of the House committee on appropriation presented by the committee chairman and member representing Wushishi constituency Muhammed Bashir Lokogoma.

He said the budget was very important and essential for the take-off of a new financial year, adding that with the passage, Niger State was okay to run government in 2023 with additional N5 billion in to the budget as presented.

The approved capital expenditure stood at over one hundred and fifty two billion naira while the recurrent expenditure is over ninety one billion naira.

The committee chairman noted that the current budget structure is complicated and has made it difficult to trace a particular capital allocation for scrutiny.

The house unanimously urged the executive arm to ensure that budget is laid before the legislature at least three months before the end of the year for proper scrutiny.

Senate through it’s Committee on Ethics and Petitions through thorough investigation uncovered that all processes involved in the wrongful purchase of the oil block were fraudulent.

While expressing appreciation to President Buhari and the Senate for it’s Patriotic and selfless interventions, Hon. Fredrick urged that the perpetrators of this act be brought to justice through the law enforcement and anticorruption agencies as a way of strengthening the nation’s institutions.

He also stressed the need to implement the resolution of the legislative arm of government on Atala Maginal field for the benefit of Bayelsans and Nigerians at large.

Fielding questions newsmen, the Lawmaker said, The Atala Marginal Field was allocated to Bayelsa State government and was managed by Bayelsa Oil

Company. Sometime in 2021, we got to know that Atala that was allocated to Bayelsa has been reallocated to another company. Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation and my Federal Constituency rose in protest against it. Mr President sometime ago also ordered that 10 of such marginal fields that were allocated to the states, should be returned back to the states. Nine were returned. Only Bayelsa Atala Farms was not returned and this was what caused the Bayelsa government, the Bayelsa oil company and our investors to petition to the Senate Committee on Petition and Ethics.

“Even within the hearing period, Mr President further ordered that these blocs be returned to Bayelsa State government, the owners of the oil bloc. This had not happened until the Senate finally last week had resolved through proper investigation and hearings found

out that all the issues canvassed as to purchase, as to sales, and as to ownership by the new company, Halkin Oil was fraudulent. And so the Senate resolved that the oil bloc should be restored back to Bayelsa State Government which is almost a last bus stop because from the executive arm of government, it has gone to the legislature, the legislature has also affirmed that this oil bloc should be restored to Bayelsa.

“And of course as a representative of where the oil block is found, where it is located, it is important that I stand on behalf of the people to appreciate what the legislature has done as well as what the executive has done and to further urge that this process should be completed. No stumbling block should be found again in the course of restoring this oil bloc.

“And of course if the Senate in their finding, found out that

the narrative for which Halkin or whichever partner claimed that the oil blocs belonged to them were fraudulent, then of course for us to strengthen our institutions, we need to hand over such individuals or corporate organizations to the anti-corruption agencies and law enforcement agencies so that criminal investigation would be carried out and then where culprits are identified, they should be prosecuted. It is only by so doing that our institutions are so strengthened.

“I am the representative of the Sagbama Ekremor Federal Constitutbcy where the Atala Marginal Field is located. I wish to on behalf of my people convey our sincere commendation to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Petitions and specifically the Senate President and the entire Senate for standing up for what is right and restoring hope as a Senate of the people.”

Galaxy Backbone showcases services for better connectivity rollout at polo tournament

GalaxyBackbone Limited says it is showcasing its services for better connectivity rollout and digital services and solutions at the International Polo Tournament in Jos, Plateau.

Galaxy Backbone made this known in a statement by its Head of Media, Mr Tasiu Pantami on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Galaxy Backbone Limited is an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Services provider, wholly owned by the Federal Government.

Pantami said that the service provider was showcasing its multiple ICT services at the oneweek long ongoing International Polo Tournament.

He said that the launch of this year’s tournament, which witnessed the official opening of a Club House, was conducted by Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director (MD) of the Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, assured that it remained committed to deepening

its partnerships with local ICT companies across the country.

According to Abubakar, this is to ensure that more organisations at state and local government levels benefit from its connectivity rollout and digital services and solutions.

He said that Galaxy Backbone provided quality ICT infrastructure and shared services for agencies of the Federal Government as well as the private sector in a smart, secure and sustainable manner.

“As an enterprise ICT organisation, the management will leverage the passion of polo players and spectators to have a feel of the brand’s quality services to attract potential customers while expanding its fiber optic coverage.

“Among the services are its Datacentre , Cloud and Cybersecurity Services, smart home plans (e-Connect services) which offer Fibre-to-Homes, Fibre- toEstates and Fibre-to-Small Offices for Residents of the Federal Capital Territory.

“Through these, the company is deploying the strength of its fibre connectivity services to connect

more people, improve efficiency of businesses and enhance the productivity of their clients,” he said.

The MD said that the organisation was using the tournament to showcase its innovative services and partnerships to drive the nation’s digital transformation agenda for the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030.

Abubakar said that it would also provide free Wi-fi at the tournament.

“We will ensure uninterrupted services to both public and private sector participants involved in its organisation through support for collocation, hosting and disaster recovery for organisations.

“This is in support of this year’s tournament,” he said.

He said that the recent launch of the Galaxy Backbone’s National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) would enable the provision of uptime Certified “Tier III” services in Abuja and “Tier IV” services in the country.

According to him, this will

strengthen their asset bases and guarantee information storage capacity to both the government and private sectors.

“To achieve this, the agency is deploying state-of-theart digital infrastructure and applying international best practices to backstop public sector organisations’ sensitive data.

“It is also enabling a growing number of private sector organisations with digital services to facilitate their digital transformation journey.

“The huge investments in infrastructure are for the benefit of the public and private establishments and the experience of Galaxy Backbone in building, deploying and providing infrastructure as a service.

“This is an eloquent testimony to its ability to manage and continue in this line of business,” Abubakar said.

He added that, following an official upgrade of the Jos Polo club to grade A level, it is currently hosting 42 teams during the tournament. (NAN)

L-R Mrs Chizoba Sandra; Sunny Adenowo; Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; newly elected Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji Olaniyan and Permanent Secretary, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan during a courtesy visit to the Ministry Headquarters recently in Abuja. Photo: Police Affairs Min.

Poor lighting mars Calabar carnival 2023: Atiku ‘ll win at first ballot – PCC

Fun seekers who tropped out in their thousands to witness this year’s Calabar carnival have bemoaned the inability of the organisers to light up the city, especially the possession routes of the carnival.

Some of the fun seekers spoke in a seperate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Wednesday at the day six of the annual carnival.

The respondents noted that the non-functional street lights on the routes robbed the carnival which started on a high note during the day of the shine it deserved.

NAN reports that the 12 kiolmetre routes from ElevenEleven Roundabout on the highway to Effio-Ette junction along Marian Road and down to the end point at the stadium.

They noted that the government should have done better by ensuring the functionality of the street lights long before the carnival period.

A respondent, Mr Pascal Bajie, an entrepreneur based in Calabar regretted that the 2022 edition of the carnival which last took placed in 2019 lacked the usual glamour.

He pointed out that before now the street lights that had only functioned occasionally for years, should have been fixed for the purpose of the carnival.

According to him, I am actually disappointed in the organisers of the carnival, this amounts to waste of time.

“There is no fun because we can’t even record the procession this night because of nonfunctional street lights.”

Similarly, Theresa Ogwu, who

resides in Calabar, said many of the fun seekers who came from outside the state would be greatly disappointed with this outcome.

“The night activity was expected to be highly entertaining and fun to watch should there have been functional street lights.

“You can see how poor the illumination is on the carnival routes. It wasn’t like this in previous editions and the government ought to know better.

In previous editions, the street lights are usually turned on even before 6:00 pm but its 7:30 pm now and the lights are not on,” she stated.

On his part, Mr Andy Akin, a visitor to the town, who also bemoaned the absence of street lights, said an international event like this that saw participants from no fewer than 14 countries

should have better be organised.

It would be recalled that the annual carnival which started during the administration of Donald Duke, have not held for the past two years.

The carnival was suspended in 2022 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic while no reason was given for the carnival not holding in 2021.

NAN reports that efforts were still being made to put some facilities in place for the 2022 edition of the carnival which was hurriedly put up.

The 2022 edition of the carnival had on Tuesday suffered a tragic event with eight persons died and 29 injured when a vehicle lost control and rammed into crowd of onlookers during the day fifth day of the carnival. (NAN)

The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation says the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will sweep the 2023 presidential election at first ballot.

The Spokesperson of the council, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, expressed the confidence in a statement he issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ologbondiyan said that with Abubakar’s overwhelming support by Nigerians across board, the outcome of the presidential election, in which Abubakar would emerge victorious on Feb. 25, 2023, would shock pollsters.

“He enjoys the solidarity and support of greater majority of Nigerians who were not captured in the indices relied upon by many of the pollsters in their projections on the 2023 Presidential election.

“It Is incontrovertible that Abubakar will win the majority of lawful votes across the country and garner the constitutionally required 25 per cent of votes in more than 24 States of the federation.

“It is evident that the massive traditional voters of the PDP across the polling units, wards, local governments, states and the six geo-political zones are not distracted in their steadfastness to rescue Nigeria from the misrule by voting enmasse for Abubakar.

“Also, this army of traditional voters are unrelenting in mobilising the non-partisan voters as well as the undecided across the country to vote for the PDP presidential candidate,” he stated.

Ologbondiyan added that it was clear that no candidate has the political muscle and national acceptability to stop Abubakar at the first ballot.

‘Our campaign is therefore unfazed knowing that majority of Nigerians across the nation are in consensus to elect Abubakar as the next President of our country.

“This is particularly, given his proven capacity, competence, political will and national acceptability to provide leadership at this critical time of our national history.”

He urged Nigerians to remain united and focused in rallying with Abubakar in the collective mission to rescue and rebuild the nation.(NAN)

Guards Brigade personnel celebrate commander over promotion to Major General rank

Officers and personnel of the Guards Brigade Nigerian Army on Wednesday celebrated their Commander, Maj.-Gen. Muhammed Usman, over his decoration with his new rank of Major General by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Usman is one of the 52 Brigadier Generals that were elevated to the rank of major general by the Army Council recently.

While 51 others were decorated with their new ranks on Dec. 23 by the military high command,

the Commander Guards Brigade, was left to be decorated by the President being the Chief elite guard of the Commander-inChief.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Guards Brigade, Capt. Godfrey Abakpa, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

Abakpa said the Brigade Chief of Staff, Col. Oludele Oyegoke alongside Units Commanders and other Staff officers congratulated the Commander for his well deserved promotion and subsequent decoration.

According to him, the chief of staff said the promotion and

decoration of the commander was evidence of his exceptional performance in leading the brigade in all its assigned responsibilities.

“The senior officers further appreciated the Commander whom they described as a hard worker, astute leader and administrator.

“The Spiritual leaders of the Brigade also seized the opportunity to pray for better and greater fortune upon the Commander and his family as he wears his new rank with more responsibility.”

Responding, the Commander,

Maj.-Gen. Usman appreciated the officers and personnel of the grigade for their untiring efforts in securing the entire brigade’s Area of Responsibility.

Usman said the FCT and part of Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kaduna States which formed part of the brigade’s area of responsibility had been well defended and secured.

He said that he would not have been promoted without the collective contribution of the various units and their personnel under the command whose individual effort made him successful.

The commander also expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity given him to serve and the Chief of Army Staff for his guidance at all times and pledged to be more assured committed to his duties.

He urged all officers and men to continue to do their best as every effort count.

He also prayed for those expecting their promotion not to loose hope as it’s only God that gives.

High point of the celebration was the presentation and cutting of cake as well as group photograph. (NAN)

L-R: Speaker, Kano state house of Assembly, Hon. Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, Governor of Kano state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, after the Governor’s Signed the 2023 budget of N268, 199 million, at the Government House Kano yesterday.

Reps probe killing of Lagos Lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem

By Christiana Ekpa

The Nigerian House of Representatives, Wednesday resolved to investigate the killing of a Lagos based Lawyer by officer of the Nigerian Police.

The House resolution followed a Motion on the Urgent need to investigate the Killing of Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem by an officer of the Nigerian Police, moved by Hon Ibrahim Obanikoro.

The mover of the motion said that Police officers should be banned from consuming alcohol and other substances that is capable limiting their sense of reasoning and capability to carry out their duties judiciously.

He said “the house note that on Sunday December 25th, 2022, Mrs Raheem and her family were returning from church when they were pulled over in Ajah area by officers of the Nigeria police; without any altercation, one of the officers ASP Drambi Vandi aimed at and pulled hi trigger killing Mrs Raheem on the spot. Mrs Raheem was seven months pregnant with twins.

“Concerned that the same incident happened earlier in the month, 7th of December, by officers of the same Ajiwe police station gunned down a young man by the name Kafaru Raimoh which sparked a bit of civic unrest

“Worried that this type of occurrence happens often across Nigeria and that the officers usually get away with shooting and killings same innocent citizens the swore to protect.

“Police officers should be banned from consuming alcohol and other hard substances that is capable of inhibiting their sense of reasoning and capability to carry out their duties judiciously .

“There should a zero-tolerance policy to... all misbehaviour in Nigeria Police Act”, he said.

NUTGTWN calls for revitalisation of textile industry

By: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to revitalise the textile industry to support the speedy revival of the country’s economy.

President of NUTGTWN, Comrade John Adaji made the call during a reception for stakeholders to celebrate the Christmas in Kaduna.

According to him, Nigeria’s textile industry was once a

booming sector of the economy and was one of Africa’s largest industrial sectors.

He said that the sector was capable of producing an estimated 1.4 billion assorted textile items ranging from bed sheets, African prints to shirting materials, among others.

The NUTGTWN President added that the industry used to spread across the federation from Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Funtua, Asaba, Port-Harcourt and other areas.

Comrade Adaji added the industry was plagued by

government policy summersaults, poor infrastructure and high cost of production, which had led to its inability to compete favourably with imported clothing items.

In view of this the NUTGTWN President said in the coming 2023 general elections, the members of the union will only cast their votes for any candidates with a blue print to revitalise the textile industry and industrialized the country.

He stressed that the Textile workers will not continue to line behind any government that its actions support relocation and

closure of the Textile factories which had caused revenue and job losses.

Comrade Adaji explained that in the 1980s, the textile industry was the second largest employer of labour after the Federal Government, a period that is wistfully regarded as the golden era of the industry.

He, however, said that the industry had been bedevilled by problems which included a dependence on imported raw materials, sourcing of foreign exchange and inadequate power supply.

Kaduna Police Commissiner, CP. Yekini Oyeku,(centre) and Poice public relation officer Muhammed Jalige,- (R) leading the Senior Police officers, during the Kaduna State Police Command Paraded 30 Suspected Kidnerppers, Car Snachers, and other Criminals activities, yesterday in Kaduna

NSIB vows to improve aviation safety

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), says it will intensify efforts towards improving aviation safety in 2023.

NSIB Director-General, Mr Akin Olateru made this known on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to Olateru, one of the fundamental objectives of the bureau is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of air accidents and serious incidents.

“It will also provide safety recommendations intended to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. The purpose of this is not to apportion blame or liability,” he added.

The NSIB boss said to achieve the feat, the bureau planned to train and retrain its staff to sustain best practices in 2023.

He said three Air Safety Investigators of the bureau had just completed their programme at the Nigerian College of Technology (NCAT), Zaria, to boost capacity.

He affirmed that the NSIB had partnered with Banjul Accord

Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) to train Air Safety Investigators by organising workshops for investigator and aviation correspondents in Abuja.

Olateru explained that BAGAIA assisted its members in seven West African States, including the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Cape Verde and Sierra Leone to conduct independent investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents in compliance with international standard.

On partnership, Olateru said the current administration had initiated collaborations and cooperation agreements with several countries and institutions to strengthen safety in the aviation industry.

He said the partners included the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Republic of Benin, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB).

“Also, Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA- France), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are

among the partners,” he said.

He said the bureau has established training institute to boost knowledge of accident investigation in the African region.

The training school, he said, would be the first of its kind in Africa with support from Cranfield University, UK, Singapore TSB and NCAT.

“This institution will serve as a source of internally-generated revenue for the Bureau with an enabling study environment, a four-star accommodation of 30 hotel rooms, training rooms and an auditorium with capacity of 250 seats.

“The new training school of Accident Investigation Mobile Site Emergency mobile satellite office will help the investigators to create a mobile office at crash sites.

“It will also help to download from Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) right there at the crash sites without having to delay the process,“ he said.

According to him, the facility is currently situated in Abuja ready for deployment as needed in order to key into current trends

and technologies in the aviation industry, especially in the area of accident investigation.

The NSIB boss said the bureau’s equipment and laboratories had been ranked among the best in the world.

“The Flight Safety Laboratory (FSL) is where data from CVR and FDR are downloaded. NSIB flight safety lab has the capacity to download data from majority of the CVR and FDR’s available today.

“The FSL contributes greatly to our seamless investigative process with its ability to recreate simulations in animations based on data from the Flight Data Recorders (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR),“ he said.

Olateru said that FSL had capability to download from large range of undamaged recorder models and some damaged recorder models.

He said the bureau had also incorporated the use of drones, one of the ever involving techniques in accident investigation.

“These can assist in crash site assessment and hazards identification, aerial photography and mapping and serve as a guide

to access difficult terrain.

“Renovation/Maintenance work at AIB Wreckage Hangar at Abuja, so that all aircraft wreckages are stored for reassessment during the investigation,“ he said.

The director general said the Bureau was invited by the Sierra Leone Government to provide technical assistance for setting up of Sierra Leone’s Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau (SL-AAIIB).

Olateru said the Bureau organised and hosted the first International Day for the Commemoration of air crash victims and their families on February 20, 2022.

He stated that funding constraints due to inflation had affected some projects implementation.

According to him, NSIB has received “Most Innovative Aviation Agency of the Year 2022 Award“ by Air Transport Quarterly and “Africa Drone for Humanity Award“ at the 2nd Drone Technology Conference and Exhibition.

“AIB Commissioner received Aviation CEO Award 2021 at the Travellers Award,“ he added. (NAN)

Infrastructure acquisition in bits and pieces

By Olugbenga Jaiyesimi

The $3tn price tag is not for the Nigerian government alone, it is for Nigerians, both individuals and organised private sector, who should identify business opportunities therein and shoulder the main burden of providing infrastructure profitably. There are further addon benefits for the country as we become the preferred infrastructure provider for Africa and the world at large in partnership with others.

Once again, the unsavoury economic news was received in Nigeria. Last time it was that 133 million Nigerians lived in multidimensional poverty, recent news is that it will require a mind-boggling 300 years for Nigeria to bridge the gap and have the necessary infrastructure to function as a modern economy. This is coming from the country economist of the World Bank attached to Nigeria, but to the discerning mind, it is no less obvious. This avalanche of bad economic news has not always been the case.

Nigeria used to be part of the emerging and rising Africa, the new economic frontier. It became the largest economy in Africa and was destined to be one of 20 largest economies in the world by 2020. Nigerians were the happiest people in the world for some years, but I doubt we are still the happiest people as our youths cannot wait to leave the country.

In terms of infrastructure acquisition, we shocked the world with the revolution in having new communication technology delivered to the country. Nigeria successfully adopted wireless communication in GSM and leapfrogged fibre optical technology. Recently we have achieved successes in rail infrastructure with coming into operations of standard gauge rail between Abuja and Kaduna, later between Lagos and Ibadan. Then the World Bank doused the euphoria.

Some have received the World Bank’s position negatively, feeling that 300 years is an exaggeration. A friend wrote, “The World Bank thesis is self-serving and paternalistic……serving the interest of the United States.” Others submit that the objective of the World Bank with the statement is to create a wedge between Nigeria and infrastructure-providing China; thus creating the opportunity for the US to step back in.

Wasn’t the World Bank stating the obvious? Do we need external organisations to point out these things? Where are our economic planners and managers? A simple back-of-theenvelope calculation will reveal the truth in what the World Bank raised. The 320 km Lagos-Ibadan double track standard gauge rail was laid over five years, averaging 60 km per year. The national rail backbone of Lagos to Kano, Lagos to Calabar, and Calabar to Maiduguri is a total of about 9000 kilometres of expected standard gauge rail. At an average of 60 km per year, the backbone will be completed in 150 years, with connections to other towns and cities another 100 years. Meanwhile, work

has effectively stopped as Chinese loans have been suspended.

For the last 20 years, we have been stuck at delivering 5,000 megawatts of power to Nigerians, averaging 250 megawatts per year. Conservatively, Nigerians need 60,000 megawatts, being Africa’s largest economy. At the current rate, that makes it 240 years to deliver power for today’s national needs, pretty close to the World Bank calculations.

Delivering paved roads up to our doorsteps, I mean paved roads that will not be cosmetic but solid like in other climes, is virtually an impossible task as most Nigerians make do with appalling roads after main artery roads into towns. Having high-speed rail or driving electric vehicles as they come of age in the next 20 years is not thinkable at the rate we are going. The World Bank submission was never an exaggeration, it was given in good faith because we are celebrating some belated pieces of infrastructure constructed by this administration. After these baby steps, a lull will set in as it happened in the past.

The Chinese have done right by suspending loans for financing these projects. These paltry loans, when placed against realistic finance figures in trillions of dollars, is weighing heavily on the government’s finance and revenue. Some things are not adding up and a serious rethink is needed. All expectations have not been met, rather public debt and extreme poverty are on the rise.

Once again we should go back to learn from history, that is history of countries who have closed developmental gaps as Nigeria is experiencing. Upon the US gaining independence from England, the English did all they could to keep the new country a source of raw materials, especially cotton for the textile mills in England. They forbade the sharing of cotton milling technology with the US, checking luggage to make sure the drawings were not exported. A gentleman, Samuel Slater, bucked the system by having the design stored in his head and sailed to the US to download it and reproduce the first industrial loom in the US. This was 1789; 100 years later, the US economy became bigger than the British economy.

Japan was lagging behind the West and did a rethink from the 1850s under the Meiji dynasty. Within a span of 50 years, Japan was able to take on the West, aircraft carrier for aircraft carrier in the Second World War. You don’t rely on others to do these for you. There is the Chinese lesson in HSR. The Chinese, though latecomers to HSR, laid 40,000 km of HSR tracks within 15 years, 10 times the length laid by first developers, France and Japan. I don’t believe Nigerians don’t have it in them to reproduce such feats if we put our hearts to it.

All our political parties write lavishly on infrastructure projects in their manifestos. So too documents as the Mid Term National Development Plan. However, none seems to have identified our failings at infrastructure acquisition the way the World Bank has done. None has addressed closing the

infrastructure gap within a generation or two, without placing the nation in perpetual debt.

We need to identify what is being done amiss and rectify it, after all, we have had faculties of engineering churning out engineers for decades yet foreign engineers and firms dominate our construction space in mega projects. We never developed capacity in rail construction either in these faculties or polytechnics. This is borne out by the fact that a University of Transportation is part of the package given by the Chinese laying our rail tracks.

Our task is cut out for us. Nigerians have to acquire the capabilities to build quality infrastructure, build fast and build ourselves. Not rebuilding a major highway, Lagos Ibadan, for almost a decade. Elsewhere I have written that “we have to totally nairanise and indigenise our infrastructure acquisition.” This means that we have to eliminate hard currencies from our infrastructure acquisition as much as possible. By indigenising and nairanising infrastructure acquisition, we can build roads, lay rail tracks to our delight like the Chinese do.

We have to stop being just consumers of infrastructure; we have to be providers of infrastructure like the Chinese, participating in the full value chain of the infrastructure ecosystem. How do we get this done? By harnessing and having in-country all construction materials used in infrastructure; from cement to iron rods, from steel to aggregates, to bitumen etc. So many bridges and flyovers have been built in the country that it is a shame we still need foreigners for their construction.

The World Bank puts a $3tn price on Nigeria’s infrastructure inadequacies. This presents us with opportunities to wipe out poverty from the land as armies of Nigerian construction workers go to various project sites once this dollar tag is nairanised. CBN can print the naira to cover the cost of each project. That is how China does it; that is how President Joe Biden will do it to renew its ageing infrastructure, why not Nigeria?

The $3tn price tag is not for the Nigerian government alone, it is for Nigerians, both individuals and organised private sector, who should identify business opportunities therein and shoulder the main burden of providing infrastructure profitably. There are further add-on benefits for the country as we become the preferred infrastructure provider for Africa and the world at large in partnership with others. This is what is regarded as operating in the full value chain of infrastructure, from being a consuming nation to becoming a provider. Nigeria has been operating in the consumer end of the infrastructure value chain believing it will ultimately deliver economic growth and development but it has not. What it has delivered are the humongous loans owed to foreigners, and the minimum transformative growth and development.

Jaiyesimi writes via jerry3jaiye@gmail.com

The leadership that Nigeria needs

By Peter Ojelabi

The late General Murtala Muhammed said this much on his ascension to power: “Events of the past few years have indicated that despite our great human material resources, the government has been left to drift” why? Lack of exemplary leadership.

SIR: Richard Nixon, a one-time American President once said: the formula for success for leadership has three elements: a great man; a great country and a great issue. These three tests of leadership are lacking in Nigeria.

This glaring manifested itself in the inability of political leaders most especially at federal level to better the lot of the masses. For any country to acquire a desired change, the need for sincerity in its leadership cannot be neglected. Without effective and exemplary political leadership which Nigeria project is lacking, political stability and democracy will be elusive.

Nigeria’s literary giant – Chinua Achebe (of the blessed memory) in his epic —

”The Trouble with Nigeria” said “the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing wrong with the Nigeria character. There is nothing with the Nigeria land, climate and water or anything else. The Nigeria problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to a challenge of personal example,

which is the hallmark of the leadership.”

Leadership is not a right. Instead, leadership is all about developing people and helping others reach their full potential. It’s about equipping others with the right tools and strategies to not only maximize the success

of an organization but also the lives of individuals.

The late General Murtala Muhammed said this much on his ascension to power: “Events of the past few years have indicated that despite our great human material resources, the government has been left to drift” why? Lack of exemplary leadership.

However, the true test of a leader is to lead right in the front and take responsibility any time things go wrong, but reverse is the case as Nigeria’s leader always blame their predecessor for their failure. Before the transition to civilian rule in 1999, the pan-Yoruba social-cultural group, Afenifere, blamed northerners for Nigeria failure, in response, the northern elders exonerated the region and blamed the military for the misrule.

It is saddening that after seven years in government, the Muhammadu Buhari administration still blames past leaders for its failure.

The question is: when will our leaders take responsibility for their failure and move on? More so, come 2023, Nigeria needs an effective leader that will provide clarity of purpose, motivate and guide the nation to realize its mission. We need a leader that will influence our behaviour.

We need a leader like that Egba generalissimo, Kunrunmi, who that after losing his four sons did not waver until the last battle.

Peter Ojelabi writes from Ogbomoso can be reached at Pojelabi@gmail.com

This glaring manifested itself in the inability of political leaders most especially at federal level to better the lot of the masses

“

Ukraine and Africa in emerging multipolar World

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian agricultural exports through the Black Sea sparked global grain and fertilizer shortages this year, endangering millions before a U.N.-brokered deal partially eased it in July. “We are overhauling relations with dozens of African countries,” Zelenskiy explained. “Next year, we need to strengthen this.”

Russia’s ‘special military operation’ and the emerging multipolar world seem to be pushing Ukrainian President Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to prioritize Africa. Ukraine, during this critical time, is optimizing its diplomatic relations with the continent, that was never previously. Records however show that its agricultural goods, especially fertilizers, wheat and grains, are exported to a number of African countries.

At the height of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to speak to the African Union (AU), the 55-member pan-African organization, about some aspects including the geopolitical complexities, implications and possible solutions to the existing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader called for a virtual meeting with African heads of state, but the event failed completely. Almost all African leaders declined to participate, hampering President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s plans to make the meeting a pro-Kyiv propaganda stage. Meanwhile, the Russian government’s popularity is growing in Africa, where citizens with Russian flags take the streets and further ask for Russia’s help in combating extremism and terrorism.

On June 20, the Ukrainian president met with representatives of the African Union in order to discuss matters concerning the current conflict situation in Eastern Europe and the role of Africa on the world arena. Of the fifty-five heads of state invited to the meeting, only four attended. The other countries sent only diplomats or ministers, with the heads of state and government not willing to attend, even with the meeting being virtual.

On February 24, Russia invaded its neighbour, Ukraine and this action has sent prices of food, especially cereals and fuel higher in the markets, and the worst is the cause for the current global instability. The African Union has on several occasions waded into the crisis between Russia and Ukraine with a view to finding a lasting solution and averting the looming food shortage that hit the importing African countries.

The Chairman of the African Union and President of Senegal, Macky Sall, together with the Chairperson of

the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, visited Moscow and Kyiv in an attempt to mediate the conflict, but without any result in sight. “We do not want to be aligned on this conflict, very clearly, we want peace. Even though we condemn the invasion, we’re working for a de-escalation, we’re working for a ceasefire, for dialogue … that is the African position,” Senegalese Macky Sall said far back in May.

In early March, Senegal abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution – overwhelmingly adopted – that called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. According to reports, 17 African countries abstained from voting on the resolution at the United Nations. Eritrea is the only African country that voted against the UN resolution.

Almost half the continent has raised distinctive voted for the resolution. The African Union, Regional Economic organizations have officially called for the adoption of diplomacy mechanisms and negotiations through which to end the seemly endless crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Nevertheless, Ukraine still considers Africa as an important geopolitical region to establish officially diplomatic relations. In addition to the geopolitics, it fixes eyes on establishing economic relations and possibly widening trade with Africa.

The African Continental Free Trade Area will make Africa the largest free trade zone in the world in terms of number of countries participating, with an estimated GDP size of $3.3 trillion. The fact is that Africa has the highest population of youth in the world, to account for 42% of the global youth by 2030, making it the ripe place globally for innovation and entrepreneurship, and the outsourcing for skills for industries and services.

Arriving back to Kyiv after his visit to Washington this December, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a video address announced that Ukraine would open 10 new embassies in African countries. “We are rebooting relationships with dozens of countries in Africa. Next year, we must strengthen this. We have already determined ten countries where new Ukrainian embassies in Africa will be opened,” he said.

That Ukraine has also developed a concept of UkraineAfrica trading house. Its representative offices will open in the capitals of the most ascendant countries on the African continent. “In addition to the existing representation of Ukraine in ten African countries, along with new embassies and trading houses, we must achieve representation in thirty countries on the African continent,” he underlined.

In June, Zelenskyy first announced his intention to expand the country’s relations with the countries of the

African Union and to appoint a special representative of Ukraine in Africa. According to his explanation, Ukraine could take advantage of “colossal economic potential” and other mutual economic benefits, particularly in Africa and in the Global South. “There is colossal economic potential and considerable diplomatic avenues,” he said, and singled out votes in support of Ukraine from developing countries at the United Nations General Assembly as it fights off Russia’s 10-month-old invasion.

In August, after the unblocking of food exports as a part of the UN World Food Programme, the first grain ship with Ukrainian produce arrived to a number of African countries, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Late December, Ukrainian media reported citing Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnichuk that government decided to increase the amount of humanitarian aid for a number of countries of Africa. The shipment, this time, to Sudan, Kenya, and Nigeria. It earlier also made deliveries to Algeria and Egypt in North Africa, and to the Horn and East Africa.

Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian agricultural exports through the Black Sea sparked global grain and fertilizer shortages this year, endangering millions before a U.N.brokered deal partially eased it in July. “We are overhauling relations with dozens of African countries,” Zelenskiy explained. “Next year, we need to strengthen this.”

Considering the future perspectives, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, was on an African tour last October, but had to interrupt due to Russia’s massive strikes across Ukraine. “I urge Africa not to stay neutral. Neutrality will only encourage Russia to continue its aggression and malign activities across the world, including in Africa. Moscow must hear your message that this war is unacceptable and must stop,” was the minister message at that time, and further called on all African nations to stand by international law, territorial integrity and peace, and condemn Russia’s deliberate attacks on Ukraine.

In the context of global turbulence, Ukraine is moving ahead to establish diplomatic footprints, and possibly to pursue new economic opportunities with its foreign policy, and at least be an integral part of the the world community. It considers Africa as a unique and dynamically developing continent with whom to have relations. In addition, that the African states are steadily gaining political weight and achieving significant economic successes, it therefore becomes necessary to look for more new partners eventually targeting 30 African countries. Welcome Ukraine to Africa.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is an Int’l Affairs Analyst.

The reading culture in higher institutions

By Abdulrasheed Akere Abdulkareem

…being a higher institution student is enough to denounce to you that you are now mature enough to decern what you want; either first-class or certificate of attendance, and that is symmetrical to your reading habits because as you lay your bed you lie on it. No genius doesn’t read, it’s just distinct to one another in manner, note that readers are leaders!

Reading is a process of interpreting written language to obtain information or knowledge, but there’s more to reading than this literary, precise definition in higher institutions. Reading requires the adequate dedication of time, energy, focus, and determination as well as sleepless nights to comprehend and pass a particular course. The first piece of advice or message to a newly admitted student ought to be that reading in their previous schools is always different from reading in higher institutions.

In higher institutions, especially universities, you have to build yourself to read with full concentration and without any distraction. Here, it’s not to read to pass only, but also to have vivid knowledge of each content contained in all registered courses so as to overcome easily future challenges if at all any arise.

Dear freshmen around the campus, be in awareness that some students fail because they only read to pass, they never would not read to understand the contents, it’s not always necessary that you must swot everything on the head without core understanding,

and this is because it is not mandatory to have only A’s in all subjects before one can graduate from a school. So far you are now in higher institutions you need, regardless, to build a good Grade Point (GP) which is proportional to your grade in each course you are offering.

I was sometime instructed by a lecturer about the fundamentals of getting good grades and according to the him, he said, “Always work towards a first-class result, if possible you may have it or not then fall into upper second-class honor, but if second-class should be your first target, then chances tha you may end up having third-class or certificate of attendance (pass result) are already along the path.

As an ambitious student, don’t be dissuaded by those that say “first-class is by grace”. Remember instead, always, the adage that says “Heaven helps only those who help themselves”. This is why it’s crucial for one to start building and working on the GP from the virgin first year as the second year just may not help again because it’s too late, and likewise, the third year too.

In higher institutions, it’s not reading if you always only read to pass rather than having the necessary vast understanding, it’s not reading if you can’t read for many hours and forget taking a meal, it’s not reading if it’s always read to pass and not to make an impact, it’s not reading if you can’t read to the extent that you will be sure to pass, it’s not reading if you do sleep at all nights, and it’s not reading if you are found of pressing phone superfluously when reading.

Moreso, it’s not reading if your parents are not proud of your result, it’s not reading if it’s your friends that always force you to read, it’s not reading if you always read a day to the examination and it’s not reading if you are allergic to covering the course outline. On the contrary, you will even be happy, have the last laugh if you have the a better result, just like a lion that eventually catches a prey, if you read that way you know you always should.

Although, too much of everything is abuse, but there’s just no too much reading, for zealotic students, as the more you read the more you will gain more knowledge. Some lecturers are found of setting applied questions which thorough reading is the only the membrane that can reveal the secret of the applied facts.

Even if you were not taught everything in class, your burden is to go on further research because the institution is not a playground. Don’t be deterred from pursuing your objectives by the utterance from that empty barrier that tells you “you don’t need to read from the front page to final page before you can pass”.

In conclusion, being a higher institution student is enough to denounce to you that you are now mature enough to decern what you want; either first-class or certificate of attendance, and that is symmetrical to your reading habits because as you lay your bed you lie on it. No genius doesn’t read, it’s just distinct to one another in manner, note that readers are leaders!

Abdulrasheed Akere Abdulkareem, a 200 level Education Biology student at UDUS

2023: Go and sleep, we’ll deliver Kano for you —Youths tell Atiku

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Agroup of supporters , under the aegis of Arewa Decide 2023 Naka Sai Naka has promised to deliver Kano state for Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election.

Speaking to journalists at stakeholders parley, held in Kano on Wednesday, the Chairman of the group, representing 19 Northern states, Rabi’u Hussaini, described Abubakar as the most competent candidate in this political dispensation.

According to Hussaini, among the presidential contestants, the former Vice President is the most visionary, who had the wherewithal to take the country to the promised land.

He said even in campaigns, the Wazirin Adamawa’s agenda is far better than his contenders.

He promised that youths in the 19 Northern states had resolved to vote massively for Atiku in the election, noting that he is the only candidate that could fix the problems bidevelling the region.

He said” we have gathered tens of thousands of Atiku’s supporters to prove to even the doubting Thomases that Kano would stand still for Atiku in readiness of casting millions of votes for him at the polls. we have no iota of doubt that all the votes in Kano belonged to him.

“Blanket support for Atiku in Kano during the forthcoming presidential polls in Kano is imminent. I can confidently tell you that the electorate in the country, have started regretting voting the APC to power in 2015. the economic situation in the country is dicey and life for the common man has utterly become unbearable. we need a change of guard at the centre to clear the mess” he revealed.

“For the common man to heave a sigh of relief, he promised to open the nation’s boarders that were sealed for quite a long time. prices of essential commodities have reached an astronomical height. people are daily suffering with millions of Nigerians living below poverty line. it is indeed a regrettable phenomenon” he said.

Reps want NPDC to suspend sale of oil mining licence

The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to suspend its planned auction of the oil mining licence (OML) 11 asset.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Rep Victor Mela (APC-Gombe) at plenary in Abuja on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Mela said

that the oil field under oil mining license 11 was formerly operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) joint venture.

He said the field had been idle since the company was forced out of Ogoniland in 1993.

Mela said that a court of appeal judgement of Aug. 16, 2021, indicated that the SPDC joint venture lost its right to renewal of the operating license.

He said there were unresolved issues between the government and the host communities of Ogoni, which were fueling resistance and restiveness amongst the people.

He expressed concern over claim that the government was allegedly involved in an unity arrangement to auction OML 11 asset to Sahara energy ltd, for a paltry sum of 250 million dollars against the 1 billion dollars offered

by the SPDC.

He said that there was need to clarify and resolved issues associated with the planned auction among other matters.

The House therefore mandated its committee on petroleum upstream to investigate the planned auction among other matters and report back within four weeks for further legislative action. (NAN)

Buhari decorates newly promoted commander, Brigade of Guards

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday described newly promoted Commander, Brigade of Guards, Major-General Mohammed Usman, as an outstanding officer who is serving the nation with great zeal.

The President, assisted by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Faruk Yahaya and the wife of the Commander, Pharm (Dr) Rekiya Usman, decorated the officer with the rank of Major-General.

Speaking shortly after the ceremony in the Presidential

Villa, the President recalled his tumultuous military career marked with coups, countercoups and detention, describing General Usman as a very lucky officer to have risen to the height of his military career with distinction and without hiccups.

He commended General Usman for his diligence, loyalty, patience and hardwork.

‘‘You are very lucky to have the health and ability to carry out your assignments.

‘‘Those who work with me know I am very difficult to satisfy. But I have never had any reason, whatsoever, to report

you to the Chief of Army Staff or the Minister of Defence.

‘‘Nobody has been able to touch me while you are here, I’m absolutely satisfied with your performance.’’

The President said he will give the directive on Major-General Usman’s next assignment, considering that he too is about to leave, and as he has often said ‘‘I will live far away from Abuja.’’

President Buhari commended the family of the military officer for their patience in putting up with the challenging assignment he carries out with great aptitude

and steadfastness.

In his remarks, MajorGeneral Usman thanked the President for his outstanding support to the Brigade of Guards, citing the approval for the procurement of 400 armoured vehicles, which he said were enough to secure his area of responsibility including the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa State and parts of Niger State.

He expressed happiness with the President for the promotion, saying that it would spur him to do even better in his assigned responsibilities.

President Muhammadu Buhari receives by the Minister of FCT Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj Gen Samuel A Adebayo and others during the commissioning of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Estate at the Idu-Karimo in Abuja. PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Okupe deserves a better exit –Osuntokun, DG

LP

presidential campaign

By Christiana Ekpa

The Director-General of the Labour Party presidential campaign council, Prof Akin Osuntokun has said his predecessor, Doyin Okupe deserves a better exit.

Osuntokun made the statement while featuring on the Channels Television Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

Recall that a High Court in Abuja had sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment for breaching the money laundering act.

Following the judgment, Okupe resigned from his position as the DG of the Labour Party presidential campaign council. In his stead, Osuntokun was appointed.

“It is a bitter-sweet experience. Bitter in the sense that he had to leave in those circumstances. And, of course, you heard the first judgement that was essentially exculpating the person standing before her (Judge). She said it was an honest mistake; that was the judge, not the lawyer of the defence.

“Thus, in such circumstances, it is not a good thing. He deserves a better exit than that,” Osuntokun said.

Lack of internal democracy in PDP, APC, threat to democracy in Nigeria – NNPP

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lack of internal democracy is a threat to Nigeria.

The NNPP Gubernatorial candidate in Jigawa State, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim stated this while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday.

He said the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP is the only party that

is practising internal democracy by providing an alternative to all Nigerians to aspire for any position of their choice.

Looking at what has happened during the eight years of the All Progressives Party and the sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP no right-thinking person can give them another chance to continue with their disastrous administrations.

“If not those with positions, political appointments, or those close to them, I don’t think there

is anybody that can say things are going right during the APC’s administration.”

“For the Peoples Democratic Party PDP’s sixteen years, they still don’t know what is called internal democracy, the party is marginalized among few individuals who can do and undo, that is why when you look at the party they only impose their sons as candidates because they think the party is their own”

He explained that the NNPP came into being as an

alternative to Nigerians who think positively and want good for the country.

Ringim, however, advised Nigerians to make good use of the opportunity and make the right choice in the 2023 general elections.

“This opportunity comes once in four years, so use it wisely and vote for competency not money”

“Collect the money when they give you and make the right decision during Election Day,” Ringim said.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Aformer

deputy governor

Oyo State, Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan has advised the electorate in the South West geo-political zone not to allow any of the presidential candidates to have 25 per cent votes in the zone apart from Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

of

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state is the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2023 general elections.

Olaniyan, a native of Oke Ogun in Oyo State made this declaration on Thursday during an interactive session with members of the Media and Publicity Committee of the APC

Olaniyan who doubles as Chairman, Tinubu/Shettima Independent Campaign Council (TSGICC), enjoined the electorate in the zone to ensure that none of the presidential candidates in the February 2023 elections gets 25 per cent votes in the South-West

apart from Tinubu.

He said that he has the conviction that Tinubu will not play ethnic or religious cards.

Olaniyan said, “When people talk about Muslim-Muslim ticket, we know Tinubu won’t play ethnic or religious cards.

“No other presidential candidate should have 25 per cent votes in the entire South

West.

“Having had the opportunity to meet the members of your team, I must say that I am highly impressed with their calibre and their professional track record.

“I am also impressed by the wealth of experience and the depth of expertise you have managed to gather together here”.

I prefer Ogba – Umahi denies sponsorship of PDP guber candidate

By Musa Baba Adamu

Governor David Umahi has debunked allegations of sponsoring the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and affirmed that it is not the turn of Ebonyi south and central senatorial zones to produce the next governor of the state.

Umahi noted that he prefers

to support Senator Obinna Ogba representing Ebonyi Central zone, who contested to fly the ticket of PDP in Ebonyi, than supporting Ifeanyi Odii, who hails from the same Ebonyi South zone as him.

The governor disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to newsmen by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Chooks Oko, shortly after the visit of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN,

at his hometown at Umunnaga Uburu community, Ohaozara LGA of the state.

According to Umahi: “Those who say that AnyiChuks is a tool in our hand are wrong. If they know the attack I face every day, they won’t say that.

“If I were to support, I would prefer Obinna Ogba who came from a tiny constituency, not a man who jumped out from nowhere and throwing his money

around” he stated.

He, however, enjoined stakeholders in Ebonyi South to resist the temptation of supporting any governorship candidate that hails from the zone, claiming it is the turn of Ebonyi North to produce the next governor.

The Governor also called on the people to support the APC guber candidate, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, who hails

from Ebonyi North senatorial zone, stressing that zoning and power rotation should be allowed in the state to enhance peace and order.

He added: “The issue of zoning; the issue of power rotation is so we can have peace in the state.

“So, we will disgrace with our votes, anybody from the South coming out to contest for governor come 2023,” said Umahi.

Presidential Campaign Council in the state, led by Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan.

Only Tinubu deserves 25% votes in South West – Ex-Oyo Deputy Gov, Olaniyan

President Muhammadu Buhari being presented with a gift of artwork from Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj Gen S,A Adebayo during the commissioning of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Estate at the IduKarimo in Abuja.

PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Ayu berated for challenging Ogbu’s victory at Supreme Court

By Musa Baba Adamu

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has received backlash over his decision to challenge the victory of Ideato South House of Assembly candidate Chris Ogbu at the Supreme Court.

The PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ideato North South Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, criticised Ayu’s decision, describing it as provocative.

Ugochinyere, who doubles as the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), in a statement, described the court action as provocative with consequences.

While taking a swipe at Ayu, he said he is trying to get petty revenge on Ogbu for challenging his continued position as chairman of the party.

He also alleged that Ayu is fond of plotting against party candidates opposing him to lose the forthcoming election.

“Ayu represents a political traitor whose continued stay in office as PDP National Chairman is wasteful. I cannot recall where Ogbu did anything to him, he’s the valid winner and candidate of Imo House of Assembly Ideato South Constituency, who dragged Ayu to Court for abuse of office and corruption and now Ayu has joined suit challenging his election and seeking Ogbu should be removed.

“For me, it’s shocking that a man whose house is on fire, rather than sought for ways to douse the fire, is busy escalating it.

“This is not his first time doing this, he’s fond of plotting against party’s candidates opposing him to lose the forthcoming election.

“Recall also that two months ago, Ayu openly boasted that he has the power to stop the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, from realising his senatorial ambition on the platform of the party. Ortom offence was simply and rightly calling for Ayu’s resignation as the party’s chairman as the only panacea to restore peace to the main opposition party,” the CUPP spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

Atiku’s ‘stepping stone’ comment insult on Ndigbo –Labour Party

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party has condemned the statement credited to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that he is a stepping stone to Igbo presidency.

Atiku said this in Anambra State during the presidential campaign rally of the party, during which he urged Ndigbo to vote for him as a way of realizing the Igbo presidency quest upon the completion of his tenure.

However, in a statement made available to journàlists on Thursday by Chief Innocent Okeke, the National Vice Chairman (South East) of the Labour Party, he described Atiku’s statement as insensitive.

Okeke said, “at a time the country is on the brink of division, occasioned by nepotism and dominance of a particular region in the governance and the yearning for unity and equity is on the front burner, is when Atiku chose to insult Ndigbo right at their home front.

“Asking Ndigbo to vote for an extension of Northern-Fulani-Muslim-ticket when the Igbo are yet to test the presidency since 1999 whereas the North have been

in charge for ten years is mockery of the highest degree. The kleptocrats at their own game, always want to deceive their perceived targets with rhetorics laden with tricks.

“Atiku is employing the old and outdated political tricks on Ndigbo. It won’t work this time round. The people are awake and tired of playing second fiddle in a country where they are a major stakeholder. With Buhari from the North completing eight years in Aso Rock next year, Atiku wouldn’t have contested for the president let alone asking votes from the South and Ndigbo particularly.”

He added that if Atiku believed he was the stepping stone for Ndigbo to take their rightful place, he should not have been in the presidential race.

“Funnily enough, Atiku is among those that designed the agreement of rotation in 1999, and has witnessed it go round and now the undisputable right of Ndigbo, why does he want to change the goalpost in the middle of a match? This is unacceptable.

“One would recall that in respect to the principle of rotation and zoning arrangement which have been instituted, no southerner and no Igbo man opposed

Atiku and Buhari both of whom are from the north. It was a battle between a Northerner and another as the South patriotically watched from the sideline.

“Now it is the turn of the south and the Southeast precisely, why is Atiku contesting and at the same time coming to the East with intention to insult and mock them?

“Ndigbo has contributed and still contributing to the present unity and success of Nigeria and doing everything possible to keep a united Nigeria. Agitations are up because of Nigeria’s reluctance to embrace equity. Any semblance of unity that exists is driven by Ndigbo, the only tribe that goes everywhere and builds homes. Therefore, it is insulting to tell such a people that you are their stepping stone to the presidency.

“Igbo want to be president because they want to fix the Nigeria that has been damaged for over the years. They have presented one of their best whose positive record as a governor is overwhelming.

“As we look forward to a new Nigeria emerging from reality and faith, no one should take these elements that have been architects of Nigeria’s problems seriously.” the LP chieftain added.

Ignore selfish Igbo elites fueling anti-Obi campaign - Group tells Nigerians

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Prominent pan-Igbo sociopolitical pressure organisation, the South East Revival Group (SERG) has called on Nigerians to ignore those it described as a “few inconsistent and selfish” Igbos fueling anti-Peter Obi campaign ahead of the 2023 presidential election, saying that “they are on a wild goose chase if they believe that any of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidates is interested in uniting the country through fairness and equity as they have equally exhibited selfishness in their quest to emerge as flagbearers.”

The SERG was reacting to the reports credited to some elites of South East

extraction who have been making antiPeter Obi comments in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Willy Ezugwu. Some PDP and APC chieftains have been urging the South East to support their presidential candidates in exchange for their support for the emergence of a South Easterner as President after their tenure.

But insisting that there is no going back in the “total support for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi across the country”, the SERG said that “the fact that individuals who are part of the country’s failed leadership are exposing themselves is a good development in the build up to an emerging new Nigeria.”

The SERG said, “We recall that in 2017, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress

(APC), Chief Arthur Eze, had called for support from the people of the South East for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that it is only through President Buhari that the quest for Igbo presidency can actualized.

“Arthur Eze, who is the founder and chairman of oil exploration company, Atlas Oranto Petroleum, made the call in Abakaliki during Buhari’s visit to the state in 2017.

“At the end of the day, the Governor David Umahi he was positioning for President got disappointed when he didn’t get support from Mr. President to emerge the presidential candidate of APC, despite dumping his party, the Peoples Democratic Party to join APC in anticipation that President Buhari will endorse him.

“The same game is on ahead of the 2023 presidential election, and this time, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo is the bait they are using to deceive a few Igbo elites that a support for APC or PDP in the presidential election will ensure that a President of Nigeria of Igbo extraction will be made possible whenever the PDP or APC candidate may have finished his tenure.

“If the support of the likes of Arthur Eze and David Umahi for APC did not translate into a support for an Igbo to emerge Presidential candidate of the APC in 2023, which is what is fair and just, it will be unthinkable to believe that the emergence of an Igbo as president will be possible as being promised over the years.”

Member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa state Agbedi Yettiemone Frederick (left), briefing the House press corps on the need for implementations of Atala Maginal field motion pass by Senate at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Zenith Bank announces retirement of two Executive Directors from its Board

Zenith Bank Plc has announced the retirement of two Executive Directors, Ummar Shuaib Ahmed and Dennis Olisa, from its board effective December 28th 2022.

This was contained in a corporate disclosure that was signed by Company Secretary Michael Otu.

Part of the disclosure said: “we write to notify Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public of the retirement of Umar Shuaib Ahmed and Dennis Olisa from the bank board with effect from December 28th 2022. This follows their tenure of office as executive Directors.”

Umar Shuaib Ahmed served on the board of Zenith Bank Plc and Zenith Pensions Custodian Ltd. and Senior Member at The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and a Member of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.

Before he was appointed an Executive Director, he was General Manager in Abuja Zone.

Ahmed received an undergraduate degree from Ahmadu Bello University and a graduate degree from Bayero University Kano.

Olisa also served on the board of Zenith Bank. Before his appointment, he was General Manager and Head of the Energy Oil & Gas Group at Zenith Bank Plc and served as its Deputy General Manager. He served as Head of the Internal Control & Audit Group at Zenith Bank Plc.

Dennis Olisa holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Master’s Degree in Law (LL.M) from De Montfort University.

He has also attended Executive professional training programmes at Insead Business School, France; Columbia University Graduate School of Business, USA; London School of Economics, United Kingdom; University Of Chicago Booth School of Business and Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

Revised master plan will reposition capital market -SEC

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Revised Capital Market Master Plan 2015-2025 (RCMMP), developed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria in collaboration with stakeholders, has been described as capable of providing a blueprint to harness these opportunities to better position the capital market as the engine of our economic growth and development.

Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda who stated this recently, disclosed that the Master Plan captures the challenges of the capital market in actualizing its role to drive national economic growth and also proffers solutions to enable the capital market attain its full potentials.

Yuguda stated that Nigeria in the last decade has firmly emerged as one of the leading frontier markets in Africa with immense potential for significant growth as the aspiration of the Government to create opportunities for the private sector to be a major engine of growth that guarantees improvement in the welfare and standard of living of the citizens of

our great country has been diligently articulated in Nigeria’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2021-2025.

According to him, “The MTNDP emphasizes development of a deep, broadened and competitive financial system that is better positioned to support private sector growth and economic diversification. Capital Markets provide a useful means to mobilize capital and harness economic interests in an efficient manner to drive innovation and growth.

“The last decade has been characterized by significant volatility in the global financial system caused by various economic and health shocks. At the same time innovative technologies have significantly disrupted how markets operate.

The SEC Boss said the first five years of the original Capital Market Master Plan 2015-2025 (CMMP) implementation focused on market and governance reforms in the aftermath of the global financial crises of 2008 and the Nigerian market correction that continued into 2009, with significant success.

“During that period, stock certificates

were dematerialized, dividend management was automated, corporate governance standards were improved, intermediaries were strengthened through revised capital requirements and risk based supervision, amongst several other initiatives implemented under the CMMP.

“Today, we face new challenges and opportunities. The pursuit of innovation and growth requires that we are open to opportunities and risks. Our choices are limited if we only seek opportunities within our traditional boundaries. Similarly, we inhibit our ability to grow if we do not curtail the threats of unregulated risk taking. Promoting entrepreneurial and innovative outcomes, therefore, requires balancing our openness and more appetite for risk-taking with the critical need to protect investors.

It is important to contextualize our aspirations within the fundamental objectives of market integrity and investor protection while pursuing economic growth.

He said that the RCCMP has provided a framework and outlined strategic initiatives that will help embrace

and unlock these opportunities in the capital market.

While commending the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning Mrs. Zainab Ahmed for her unflinching support, Yuguda assured that together with market stakeholders, the SEC intends to lead the implementation of the RCMMP over the next four years and in-line with the objectives of the MTNDP. This he said is a critical success factor in the quest to fulfil the dream of a prosperous and peaceful Nigeria for all citizens.

To position the Nigerian capital market as a key market in Africa, SEC Nigeria developed the 10-year CMMP in 2015. The CMMP is a blueprint for positioning the Nigerian capital market as an efficient and internationally competitive market that can support Nigeria’s emergence as a top 20 global economy in line with Vision 20:2020 The CMMP was developed to assist the government to achieve its strategic economic development program by facilitating an environment that attracts capital to priority economic sectors and ensures the sustained interest of foreign investors in Nigeria.

685m people could be living in extreme poverty by end of 2022, says World Bank

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The World Bank says a total of 685 million people could be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2022.

The international financial organisation, in its report titled ‘2022 in nine charts’, said slowing economic growth contributed to a reversal of progress on the global poverty agenda and an increase in global debt.

The bank further projected that seven percent of the world’s population would be in extreme poverty in 2030.

“The COVID-19 pandemic dealt the largest setback to global

poverty reduction efforts in decades, and the recovery has been highly uneven,” the report reads.

“By the end of 2022, as many as 685 million people could be living in extreme poverty — making 2022 the second-worst year for poverty reduction in the past two decades (after 2020).

“In addition to the lingering effects of the pandemic, rising food and energy prices—fueled by climate shocks and conflicts such as the war in Ukraine—have hindered a swift recovery.

“It is now projected that 7 percent of the world’s population — roughly 574 million people — will still struggle in extreme

poverty in 2030 — far short of the global goal of 3 percent in 2030.”

The World Bank also said the past year saw the debt crisis facing developing countries intensify with some 60 percent of the world’s poorest countries either in debt distress or at risk of it.

“Over- encumbered with debt, the world’s poorest are not able to make critical investments in economic reform, health, climate action, or education — among other key development priorities,” the report added.

“Perhaps more significantly, the composition of debt has changed dramatically since 2010, with private creditors playing an

increasingly larger role.”

According to the bank, the global economy is now in its steepest slowdown following a post-recession recovery since 1970 — with global consumer confidence already suffering a much sharper decline than during the run-up to previous global recessions.

It said the world’s three largest economies — the United States, China, and the Euro area — have been sharply slowing.

Under the circumstances, the bank explained, even a moderate hit to the global economy over the next year could tip it into recession.

Officials and layers of Community Peace Observers in collaboration with Kaduna Youths for Good Governance during an organised novelty football march to promote the peaceful conduct of 2023 general election in Kaduna on Tuesday

Naira appreciates to N740/$ at parallel market as FX demand slows

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The naira, on Wednesday morning, appreciated to N740 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market, popularly called the black market.

The figure signifies a N10 or 1.3 percent gain compared to the N750 it traded last week.

Bureaux De Change operators

(BDCs) who spoke to TheCable said they purchase the greenback at N725/$, make a gain of N15 and then sell at N740/$.

The street traders attributed the appreciation of the currency to moderation in demand for dollars by importers and a slight improvement in supply during the festive season.

“We have dollars and people are coming to buy. But the

customers are not buying plenty dollars,” a BDC operator at Alade Market in Ikeja, Lagos, told TheCable.

Meanwhile, at the investors and exporters (I&E) forex window, the local currency depreciated by 0.05 percent to N456.50/$ on Friday (the last trading day), according to data from the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange — a platform that

oversees official foreign exchange trading in Nigeria.

A total of $155.86 million was traded at the exchange last Friday — a 39.95 percent increase compared to the $111.37 million recorded on Thursday.

Last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stopped FX allocation to BDC operators.

Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, said the black market

traders turned away from their objectives to become money laundering agents.

The apex bank later commissioned deposit money banks (DMBs) to cover the expected demand from the public.

But the banks have been struggling to meet demand as forex shortage continues to take a toll on businesses, especially importers and manufacturers.

Senate to CBN: Extend deadline for withdrawal of old naira notes to June 2023

The senate, on Wednesday, appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the deadline for the withdrawal of old naira notes from circulation from January 31, 2023 to June 30, 2023.

The appeal was sequel to the adoption of a motion raised by Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno-south, during a plenary session.

Ndume cited orders 41 and 51 of the senate standing rule to seek the leave of the senate to move a motion on the urgent need to extend the circulation of old naira notes.

The lawmaker said the notice given by the CBN is too short, considering the limited number of banks in Borno and Yobe, and the inability of people in these states to lodge the old notes in time to meet the deadline.

As such, he said ending

circulation of the old naira notes by end of January would impose serious hardship on Nigerians.

“This senate notes that many Nigerian banks on Thursday, December 15, opened their vaults to customers and depositors to exchange their old currency for the newly redesigned currency which has a stipulated deadline of January 31,” Ndume said.

“Some Nigerians are already envisaging long queues in the

banking halls across the country as a result of people trying to get access to the new naira note.

“The old notes are expected to be in circulation along the new ones until January 31 when the old ones are expected to be phased out.

“It is expected that many Nigerian businesses will start rejecting the old notes as soon as banks start paying redesigned notes to customers.”

The motion was, therefore,

seconded by Adamu Aliero, senator representing Kebbi central, who said, “the timing needs to be extended to allow every Nigerian to play his/her role. I support the motion that this withdrawal date is extended to June 30, 2023.”

Last week, the World Bank warned that the timing and short transition period of the naira redesign policy may have negative impacts on economic activity.

Abubakar Yunus Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari receives briefing from the New NDDC Chairman Ms. Lauretta Onochie at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Tax & Technology: FIRS board celebrates members of management team for gobal recognitions

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami has joined members of the Board, management and staff in felicitating with two members of the FIRS management team for receiving global recognition awards in tax and technology respectively.

While Mr. Mathew Olusanya Gbonjubola, the Group Lead Special Tax Operations Group at the FIRS is listed among the World’s Top 50 Tax Persons for the year 2022, Mrs. Chiaka BenObi, the Group Lead, Digital and Innovation Support Group, FIRS emerged as winner of the 2023 ISACA Technology for Humanity Award, for championing efforts to transform Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service to a digitised organisation.

ISACA, the awarding institution is an international professional association focused on IT governance.

In a congratulatory message to the duo, Mr. Nami stated that they were deserving of these awards as it was a testament to their hard work and contributions to the successes of the Service.

“Indeed you are deserving of this wonderful achievement which is a testament to your hard work, analytical insight into tax issues, and immense contributions to the success of my administration.

“I appreciate every effort you put in to make tax administration in the country richly beneficial

to the citizens of this potentially great country.”

The Executive Chairman, FIRS further stated that the qualities of Mr. Gbonjubola and Mrs Ben-Obi were the kind needed for Nigeria’s progress and development.

He urged them to continue to dedicate themselves to the service of the nation as they worked to build a robust tax system for the country.

“I dare say that this country

is in dire need of committed and selfless people like you who are passionate about its progress and development.

“Let us continue to forge the necessary synergy that will lead to the actualisation of our collective vision of a robust tax system for the country. I strongly believe that this is the only way we can leave an indelible mark on the sand of time,” he noted.

Mr. Gbonjubola, who is a chartered accountant, is a Co-

Chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. He has vast experience in auditing, finance and taxation with over 25 years’ experience in the FIRS.

Mrs. Chiaka Ben-Obi, who holds both Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Public Administration, as well as an MBA, oversees the departments of the FIRS saddled with the responsibility of transforming

FIRS into a digitalised organisation.

She was before her appointment as Group Lead Digital Innovation Support Group the Director of the Modernisation Department where she took on the assignment of delivering on modernisation agenda projects aimed at transforming the Service into a modern, efficient and effective tax administration agency.

Buhari receives PSC audited report, assures of improved police welfare

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday restated his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, this is necessary for effective policing by the force.

The President stated this in Abuja, as he received the 2021 audited report and 2023 budget proposal of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

According to him, “this administration has made the welfare of police officers and men a priority and police reforms a sacred duty.

“I particularly note that accommodation for police officers and men is very critical and this administration has made the welfare of police officers and

men, and indeed, the armed forces a top priority,” he said.

To underscore the importance of quality welfare in effective service delivery, the President declared:

“I know that when officers and men are posted on duty or assignments and they know that their families live in barracks with facilities, schools, clinics and a conducive living environment, their morale is boosted and they would discharge their duties with courage and efficiency.

“I am pretty aware of the problems and challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.

“The problem is relative to time and resources and this administration has done a lot with the limitations.”

While assuring the Acting Chairman that their requests

would be considered, President Buhari said that dwindling resources arising from fall in crude oil price and local production posed a major challenge which the present administration had to contend with.

Presenting the 2021 audited report and the 2023 budget proposal to the President, Acting Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, JSC (Rtd), expressed her delight at performing the statutory function of presenting the report, in accordance with Section 17 of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act 2001.

The Acting Chairman stated that upon inauguration, the present Management made it a point of duty to keep the President abreast of happenings in the Commission:

“Upon the inauguration of the present Management on the 28th July, 2018, we made it a duty to keep you abreast with the progress, problems and challenges of the Commission through this procedure. This is the 5th in the series.”

Hon. Justice Ogunbiyi commended the administration of President Buhari for always upholding the rule of law, noting that “as members of the Management Team of the Commission, we have no other alternative than to guard this mandate jealously as expressed by the framers of the Constitution. Thus, the Commission has been consistent in ensuring that disciplinary sanctions are meted out to erring Police Officers; making sure officers are promoted as at when due, taking into consideration

available vacancies and seniority ; and ensuring that proper and fit persons are recruited into the Nigerian Police Force.”

The Retired Justice ,while lamenting that inadequate funding had continued to hamper its activities, requested that the Commission’s budget be placed among the first line charge in budget allocation, as that will allow the Commission to be more effective.

She also expressed appreciation to the President for the prompt release of funds towards the completion of its headquarters and requested for a convenient to perform the commissioning.

The Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu M. Dingyadi led members of the Commission to the presentation.

METRO

N29BN rent debt: Defaulters face prosecution first quarter of 2023

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rent and Other Related Charges in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has declared that massive legal action will begin in the first quarter of 2023, to ensure that all debtors are brought to face justice and perhaps, have their property forfeited.

The Committee announced that it will not hesitate to institute the mass prosecution of titleholders, for allegedly refusing to pay their debt, despite several appeals for them to come forward and clear the outstanding liabilities.

It noted that since some of the Ground Rent debtors are recalcitrant in paying their prescribed fees, as the Committee has no other option than to take this legal procedure, which might culminate into final confiscation of the affected property.

In a statement from Director, Information & Communication, FCT / Chairman, Media & Publicity Sub-Committee,Muhammad Hazat Sule, the Committee reiterated that it intends to consider publishing names of all those, who have refused to honour their statutory obligation by clearing their outstanding liabilities, especially those whose cases are before the appropriate court of law.

It explains: “The publication of the names of the debtors already charged to court,

the Committee believes will send a strong message to other defaulters that the FCT Administration is determined to recover the huge debt owed it by property owners in the Territory.

“It will be recalled that caveat has also been placed to deny such titleholders access to the property, and eventually forfeit same to the government.

“Accordingly, the caveat formally placed is expected to safeguard such properties from being tampered with, especially by attempting to sell or transfer ownership, because the matter is being heard in court.

“The forfeiture of the property of those that refused to clear their debts is also of importance to the FCT

Administration, because such actions will serve as deterrent to all those recalcitrant to honour their obligations”.

According to the statement, “the FCT Administration is determined to recover all Ground Rent debts owed by property owners in Abuja, and all necessary procedures will be followed to achieve this.

“It would be recalled that the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade inaugurated a debt recovery committee with the mandate to recover the outstanding debts owed the FCT Administration with a particular interest in ground rents and other sundry fees in the Land Administration as well as other Land related departments”.

Yuletide: Minister presents candidates for FCT Senate, Reps seats in 2023 polls

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, the various candidates standing for election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for FCT Senate and House of Representatives seats in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

It was learnt that hose introduced were: Hon Zakari Angulu Dobi, running for the sole FCT Senate seat, Hon Abuzarri Ribadu, who is contesting for the AMAC / Bwari Federal Constituency, and Hon. Abdulrahman Ajiya, the

party’s candidate for the Kwali, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Abaji Federal Constituency.

Bello, in what is the last Christmas homage visit to President Buhari at the Presidential villa, also, on behalf of the FCT Administration and residents of the FCT, expressed his appreciation to the President for his support to the FCT Administration over the years.

According to a statement from FCTA’s Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, explained that the visit represented a historic milestone, because over the last two years the Christmas visit to the President could not be held due to COVID -19 restrictions.

It added that the visit was

significant, because it is the last time the Christmas homage will be paid to President Buhari as his tenure will come to an end over the next 5 months.

The statement reads: “ Leading a delegation of senior civil servants, political, traditional, religious, security and community leaders on the visit, Malam Bello said that the support of Mr President for the FCT was not surprising because constitutionally, as the Governor General of the Federal Capital Territory, the President was also the head of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

“The Minister, similarly thanked God for the opportunity to pay several Christmas visits to

the President and prayed for good health, long life and a peaceful life in retirement for President Buhari”.

It further disclosed that President Buhari in his remarks thanked the FCT delegation for the visit and expressed his pleasure at the description of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello as a hardworking, serious minded and honest individual saying that was why he has remained as FCT Minister for so long.

“He also thanked Nigerians for their support over the years and said he looked forward to a life in retirement”, it stated.

Also speaking the Chairman, Senate Committee on the FCT,

Senator Smart Adeyemi, said the FCT has enjoyed religious harmony due to the efforts of the President and the FCT Minister.

Adeyemi also commended the President for “his large heartedness even in the face of severe criticism. He equally described the FCT Minister as a workaholic who was extremely transparent and honest in the discharge of his responsibilities”.

In his remarks, the Vice President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Stephen Panya, who represented the CAN President, expressed the Association’s loyalty and support for the President’s efforts in running the affairs of the country.

L-R, Chief Mufutau Dauda, Baale of Magbon Segun / Chairman of Baale in Ibeju- Lekki, Bello Shakirat, One of the Beneficiaries from Community High school Lekki, Dangote Industries Limited, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, Devakumar Edwin, Ajangboju Moruff, Beneficiary From Community Senior High school Magon Segun, Hon. Tosin Osunnuga, Secretary Lekki LCDA, who represent ed the Chairman of LCDA, at the 2022 scholarship award to qualified secondary and tertiary students of the host communities youths of the Dangote Refinery and Fertiliser Projects Lekki Lagos, on 28th DECEMBER 2022

world news

Ukraine war: Zelensky urges US to help it defeat Russia

Ukraine is “alive and kicking” and will never surrender, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, in a defiant address to US lawmakers on his first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion.

US military aid to Ukraine was not charity, but an investment in security for the future, Mr Zelensky said.

His appeal comes amid signs US support is likely to face greater scrutiny by Republican lawmakers in Congress.

But President Joe Biden vowed to stick by Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.

Mr Biden pledged a new $2bn (£1.7bn) aid package and promised another $45bn.

At a joint news conference, Mr Biden told reporters he was “not at all worried” about holding the international coalition together.

Zelensky makes his pitch - will US sceptics buy it?

Fact file: Patriot missile defence

Amid concerns that some allies may be feeling the strain of the conflict’s cost and disruption to global food and energy supplies, the US president said he felt “very good” about the solidarity of support for Ukraine.

As Ukraine’s most important ally, the US has already committed $50bn (£41bn) of humanitarian, financial and security assistance - far more than any other country.

Mr Zelensky - wearing his trademark combat-green sweatshirt and bootsexpressed hope that Congress would pass an extra $45bn in aid to Ukraine - currently before the US Senate - to “help us to defend our values and independence”.

Republicans - who will take control of the House of Representatives in January

- have warned they will not write a “blank cheque” for Ukraine.

In fact, Republican support for continued assistance has been eroding. In a survey conducted in November, just over half of Republican voters supported aid to Ukraine - down from 80% in March.

But Mr Zelensky, who travelled on a US Air Force jet from the Polish city of Rzeszow, said that “regardless of changes in the Congress”, he believed there would be bipartisan support for his country.

And he made his plea in emotive terms before a joint session of Congress - a speech that was interrupted 18 times with standing ovations by nearly all members of Congress, with the exception

of some Republican lawmakers who did not clap.

Speaking in English, he told them his country was still standing “against all odds” and predicted “a turning point” in the conflict next year.

To illustrate the brutality of the war, Mr Zelensky evoked US troops fighting the Nazis during World War Two.

“The Russians’ tactic is primitive. They burn down and destroy everything they see. They sent convicts to the front lines, to the war. They threw everything against us, similar to the other tyranny, which in the Battle of the Bulge threw everything it had against the free world.

“Just like the brave American soldiers who held their lines and fought back

Hitler’s forces during the Christmas of 1944, brave Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s forces this Christmas,” he said. “Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender.”

Concluding his speech, Mr Zelensky presented Congress with a battle flag signed by the defenders of Bakhmut, a frontline city in the east of Ukraine that he visited on the eve of his Washington trip.

The package of security assistance announced by Washington on Wednesday includes a new Patriot missile system, which is expected to help Ukraine protect its cities from missiles and drones that Russia has fired at critical facilities.

Russia-Ukraine war: Top official Rogozin wounded in Ukrainian

ARussian former deputy prime minister has been injured after shelling hit a hotel in a Russiancontrolled area of eastern Ukraine, reports say.

Dmitry Rogozin, who also once led the space agency, said he was hit above the shoulder blade.

Another person is said to have been killed in the attack on the outskirts of Donetsk city.

Vitaly Khotsenko, who heads Russia’s proxy Donetsk People’s Republic, was also reportedly wounded.

Mr Rogozin is widely known for his anti-Western rhetoric and his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He was replaced as Roscosmos space agency chief in the summer, following suggestions that the Kremlin would give him a key role in Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine. Instead he appears to lead a volunteer unit called Tsar’s Wolves that provides support to Russia’s proxy forces in the east.

He turned 59 on Wednesday but denied reports that he was celebrating

his birthday at the local Shesh-Besh hotel, adding someone had leaked details of where he was ahead of the attack.

“It was a business meeting with a close circle of associates after returning from one of the volunteer units,” he posted on social media on Thursday. “We’ve been staying in this hotel all these months and in eight years the enemy never shelled this place.”

An aide told Russian media the hotel had been targeted by precision-guided munitions, probably fired by a Frenchmade howitzer.

Donetsk has been controlled by Russia’s proxy authorities since 2014, who have repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the city.

Although Russian forces have seized areas of the Donetsk region further south since the invasion began in February, they have struggled to push the Ukrainian army back from the outskirts of the city itself.

Source: BBC

President Zelensky’s US visit in 90 seconds

Dmitry Rogozin who lost his job as head of Russia’s space agency in July is known for his anti-Western rhetoric

Gambia navy officer behind failed coup bid - government

Anavy officer has been named by The Gambia’s government as the alleged ringleader of a failed coup plot.

Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera had been detained, along with three other officers - from the navy, presidential guard battalion and military police, a government statement said.

A retired military officer said he doubted the plot was serious, as all the officers were junior.

Loyalist troops were still searching for three alleged accomplices.

The Gambia is a largely stable country in West Africa which is popular with holidaymakers because of its beaches and wildlife.

Life has continued as normal in the capital, Banjul, since the government said on Wednesday that it had foiled a coup plot the previous day.

The West African regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), condemned the attempted coup, and said it “stands firmly” by President Adama Barrow’s government.

Meanwhile, the campaign manager of the main opposition party, Momodou Sabally, has been detained by police over a widely circulated TikTok video which suggests that Mr Barrow would be unseated before next year’s local government elections.

The police statement did not link Mr Sabally, who was a presidential affairs minister in former leader Yahya Jammeh’s regime, to the alleged coup plot.

Mr Sabally’s United Democratic Party (UDP) demanded his immediate release, saying the “short edited” video did not accurately reflect his views.

“There is no indication that Mr Sabally in any way stated or suggested that there will be a change of government through any unlawful or illegal means,” it added in a statement.

Mr Barrow defeated Mr Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years, in a shock election victory in December 2016, and won a

Nairobi foots detained patients’ bills for Christmas

In Kenya the governor of Nairobi has directed all state-run hospitals to release any patients who are being held because of unpaid bills.

It is common practice for hospitals there to refuse to discharge patients until all medical fees have been paid.

Johnson Sakaja said the county government would foot the bills and described the waiver as a Christmas gift so that people could celebrate with their families.

Kenyans routinely complain that private and government-run hospitals charge exorbitant fees, which mean many are unable to seek treatment.

second term last year.

Mr Jammeh was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea, though he remains an influential figure in The Gambia, one of Africa’s smallest countries.

Many senior officers left the army after Mr Barrow took office.

He has been distrustful of the military, with troops from neighbouring Senegal in charge of his personal security, while the

main international airport and sea port are guarded by troops from Nigeria and Ghana respectively.

This has made him unpopular with many Gambians, who feel that he has undermined the country’s sovereignty by relying on foreign forces.

Mr Barrow also became unpopular after he broke away from the UDP, which propelled him to power in 2016, and

formed the National People’s Party (NPP) to contest last year’s election.

His popularity plummeted further when he announced that he had formed an alliance with Mr Jammeh’s old party, in what was seen as an attempt to boost his chances of securing a second term.

On the other hand, some of Mr Jammeh’s allies, like Mr Sabally, crossed over to the UDP.

UN eases DR Congo arms embargo

The UN Security Council has eased a weapons embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo in a move which could help the army to fight rebel groups.

Countries are no longer required to notify the Security Council of arms sales to the government.

Cameroon reporter

After being in detention for more than six years and his trial inexplicably adjourned more than 100 times, the former head of Cameroon’s public broadcaster has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Amadou Vamoulké was convicted by a court in the capital, Yaoundé, of embezzling money and awarding staff salary bonuses without authorisation.

The 73-year-old denied any wrongdoing.

His trial was widely criticised by human rights groups.

Vamoulké was arrested under Operation Sparrowhawk, which critics say has been used by President Paul Biya’s government to lock up people seen as problematic.

Vamoulké is known to have drastically cut his own salary when he took up the job at the public broadcaster.

A lawyer who represented him at the beginning of the trial, Alice Nkom, said the whole case was political and illegal.

An embargo was first imposed after the end of a civil war in 2003.

The government had been complaining that the restrictions were hampering its fight against rebels including the M23 group

It welcomed the decision, saying it corrected an “injustice”.

The UN has also extended the mandate of its peacekeeping force in eastern DR Congo for one year.

In July there were deadly protests against the UN force which has faced criticism for not doing enough to protect civilians from rebel attacks.

detained since 2016 jailed for 12 years

The Gambia is known to many outside the country as an ideal beach holiday location

The 73-year-old was arrested in July 2016 and denies any wrongdoing

N ews F rom A s IA

Afghanistan: Taliban arrest women protesting against

The Taliban have arrested five women taking part in a protest in the Afghan capital, Kabul, against the ban on attending women universities.

Three journalists were also arrested. Protests are also understood to have taken place in the Takhar province.

Guards stopped hundreds of women from entering universities on Wednesday - a day after the ban was announced.

It is the latest policy restricting women’s education since the Taliban returned to power last year.

Girls have already been excluded from secondary schools.

The new ban was implemented with immediate effect by the higher education minister on Tuesday, with public and private universities ordered to bar women from attending.

The education ministry said its scholars had evaluated the university curriculum and environment, and attendance for girls would be suspended “until a suitable environment” was provided.

Footage shared on social media on Thursday showed around two dozen Afghan women dressed in hijabs marching through the streets of Kabul, raising banners and shouting slogans.

The group had initially planned to gather in front of Kabul University, the country’s largest and most prestigious educational institution, but changed location after the authorities deployed a large number of security personnel there.

A protester at the rally said “some of the girls” had been arrested by women police

officers. Two were released, but several remained in custody, she added.

Some men have responded

with acts of civil disobedience in solidarity with the protesters.

Around 50 male university professors at public and private

institutions have resigned their positions while some male students have reportedly refused to sit their exams.

Coronavirus: China’s hospitals seem to be filling up - WHO

Hospitals in China appear to be filling up amid concerns about a fresh Covid-19 wave hitting the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Dr Michael Ryan says intensive care units (ICU) are busy despite officials saying numbers are “relatively low”.

China figures show no-one died of Covid on Wednesday but there is scepticism about the disease’s real impact.

In recent days hospitals in Beijing and other cities have been filling up as the latest Covid surge hits China.

Since 2020, China has imposed strict health restrictions as part of its zero Covid policy.

But, the government ended most of those measures two weeks ago after landmark protests against the strict controls.

The number of cases has since soared, raising fears of a high mortality rate among the elderly,

who are particularly vulnerable.

Despite the rise, the official figures show only five people died from Covid on Tuesday and two on Monday.

‘Everyone I know is getting a fever’ - Covid hits China

It has led to WHO emergencies chief Dr Ryan urging China to provide more information about the latest spread of the virus.

He said: “In China, what’s been reported is relatively low numbers of cases in ICUs, but anecdotally ICUs are filling up.

“We’ve been saying this for weeks that this highly infectious virus was always going to be very hard to stop completely, with just public health and social measures.”

Speaking during a weekly news conference in Geneva WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he is “very concerned over the evolving situation in China”.

He appealed for specific data on disease severity, hospital

admissions and intensive care requirements.

Dr Ryan added that “vaccination is the exit strategy” to coronavirus outbreaks.

China has developed and produced its own vaccines,

which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world.

His comments come as the

German

Covid-19: Indians told to mask up amid China coronavirus surge

India’s health minister has called for a return to Covidappropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in public, as the country steps up surveillance of cases.

Top health officials have also asked people to get vaccinated and take booster doses.

India had relaxed its maskwearing rules earlier this year after a drop in infection levels.

But a surge in cases in neighbouring China has put the country on alert.

Over the past few months, India reported four Covid-19 cases caused by BF.7, the

Omicron

The cases - three in Gujarat state and one in Odisha - were detected in July, September and November and the patients have recovered, health officials have said.

According to government data, India currently has only around 3,400 active coronavirus cases, but reports of the surge in China have created a sense of fear among many people.

Several experts have said that India - which witnessed two deadly waves of Covid in 2020 and 2021 - does not have reason

to panic.

On Thursday, India’s health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in parliament that though cases in China were rising, those in India were “depleting”. He added that the ministry was closely monitoring new variants and advised states to increase genome sequencing.

Earlier this week, the federal government had asked states to send samples of all Covid positive patients to labs runs by a health ministry forum which monitors various strains of Covid in India.

Mr Mandaviya also asked states to encourage people to

follow social distancing and other rules during the upcoming festive season.

Officials have now started conducting random Covid-19 tests on international passengers at airports .

India had relaxed air travel guidelines in November, making it optional - “though preferable” - for passengers to wear masks on flights and for international passengers to be fully vaccinated. There has been no official announcement about a change in air travel guidelines yet.

On Wednesday, Mr Mandaviya had chaired a high-

level meeting with health officials to review the Covid situation in the country and appealed to people wear masks, maintain social distancing, wash hands frequently and get vaccinated.

Over 2.2 billion Covid vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country, but only 27% of the population have taken the booster dose - which India calls a “precaution dose” - so far.

Chief ministers of several states have been reviewing their preparedness to deal with infections if needed.

government announced on Wednesday it had sent its first batch of BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines to China.

President of China Xi Jinping welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

subvariant linked to a spike in cases in China.

Female university students were stopped by Taliban security personnel in Kabul on Wednesday

China reported coronavirus-linked five deaths on Tuesday as Covid-19 cases spread

Environment

COP15: High stakes in Montreal as negotiators seek new global biodiversity framework

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) convened for its resumed Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15),yesterday in Montreal, Canada, and to close on Monday, 19. Negotiators will be working to clinch a new global biodiversity framework (GBF) that will set a series of goals and underlying targets for a “nature-positive future.”

The previous set of goals and targets that have guided international biodiversity conservation efforts in recent years, the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its 20 Aichi Targets, expired in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic stymying plans to already have a GBF ready to take their place.

The first part of the CBD COP15 took place in Kunming, China, and online last year. While China is the meeting’s host, travel restrictions and other challenges related to the pandemic led to the resumed COP15 venue being moved to Montreal, where the CBD secretariat is located.

Discussions in Montreal are numerous and include issues related to addressing environmentally harmful subsidies; the final shape of the 30×30 target; the signals that COP15 sends for scaling up naturebased solutions, including naturebased infrastructure; the linkages between nature-based solutions finance and climate finance; and how the results of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties (COP27) can inform the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), remarked: “We need a ‘Paris Moment’ in Montreal. Similar to the legally binding global climate agreement to hold global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and aim for 1.5 degree Celsius, governments gathering at the world nature summit COP15 in Canada need to set a limit to nature destruction. To safeguard our life-support system on Earth, we need to halt nature loss to zero, which means protecting all remaining intact nature. Only if we protect and regenerate Earth’s nature, we can really protect Earth’s climate.”

“This is potentially an historic moment for biodiversity,” said Andrew Gonzalez, a professor in the biology department at McGill University in Montreal and founding director of the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science.

He added: “The rate of global change in nature during the past 50 years is unprecedented in human history,” the report said, pointing to five key drivers: land- and seause changes, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and invasions of alien species.

Environmental crisis: Nigeria seeks UN interventions on GGW, HYPREP issues

The Federal Government of Nigeria has called on the United Nations (UN) to assist in addressing Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and Great Green Wall issues (GGW) to enable restoration of lost lands in the country.

Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, said this while receiving the Deputy Secretary-General of UN, Amina Mohammed, on courtesy visit, in Abuja, recently.

Abdullahi said that the ministry was committed to ensuring that the two major projects were implemented effectively, adding that the UN’s intervention would boost the ministry’s efforts.

“There are two important projects which we will need more of your support, the HYPREP and GGW. We are doing our best to ensure that it’s working greatly.

We have the team for the HYPREP. We are doing our best to make sure that the structure put in place is maintained to ensure checks and balances for good governance and transparency.

“This is what we are doing and we hope we will get robust support from you.

“You have always been there for us and we still have hope that you will continue to give us your full support,” he said.

Responding, Mohammed said that the UN would give its best to support in restoring the loss lands.

“So, it’s really important that we put in place the teams that will help us to look at those programmes and to see that GGW issues is properly addressed.

She said the GGW project was an economic corridor, which would offer empowerment to both youth and women, if properly addressed in the country.

According to her, the GGW project will really empower our people, but at the same time, it is able to give less reason for people to destabilise countries when they get involved in conflicts of different types.

“So again, we are at your disposal; the UN will support any efforts that you want with the GGW, particularly the wetlands,” she said.

Mohammed, however, advised agencies, parastaltals and other relevant stakeholders to support the ministry in ensuring that the environmental programmes were implemented effectively.

She thanked the minister

for his strong leadership and commitment in ensuring that environmental crisis were being tackled as well as ensuring that Paris Agreement was achieved effectively.

HYPREP was established in 2012 under the Federal Ministry of Environment to achieve the under listed objectives in Ogoniland and other impacted communities:

“To determine the scope, means and modalities of remediation of soil and ground water contamination in impacted communities as may be recommended by HYPREP Governing Council and remedy them, “Enhance local capacity for better environmental management and promote awareness of sound environmental management as

well as ensure livelihoods and sustainable development, and “Ensure security and promote peace building efforts in impacted communities as well as strengthen governance, transparency and accountability in the region.”

The Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative, launched in 2007 by the African Union, aims to restore the continent’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in the Sahel.

Its ambition is to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tonnes of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.

In Nigeria, the GGW Initiative also seeks to recover degraded land, preserve ecosystems, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities.

PILIWA launched in Nigerian

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Lawyers, civil society, and media executives converged to Benin, the Edo state capital recently for the launch of the Public Interest Lawyering Initiative for West Africa (PILIWA) Nigeria chapter.

The initiative which was founded in 2016 has a membership that cuts across nine West African countries including Cote d’ Ivoire, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Niger, among others, and supports young lawyers interested in public interest cases technically, financially, and intellectually.

A member of PILIWA and Executive Director of the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/ FoEN), Chima Williams said that public interest lawyering is a special area for legal practitioners

with passion for public good.

Williams explained that the PILIWA was particularly interested in Nigerian lawyers because of the peculiarity of environmental and human rights abuses perpetrated by big corporations aided by the state in all parts of the country where natural resources are found.

On the Nigeria launch of the PILIWA initiative, the ERA/FoEN boss said a desk office will be set up in Benin which will receive an endowment of N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand naira only).

The initiative will equally train young lawyers and imbue them with the relevant knowledge on sources of evidence, how to gather evidence and how to present it before a court of competent jurisdiction.

In his intervention, Jonathan Kaufman, Executive Director of

the Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA) said that he owes his association with legal work and particularly public interest cases with his experience as a young lawyer, when he was conscripted into the cases filed by families associated with the Ken Saro Wiwa case as well as victims of the Parabe Oil Platform case caused by Chevron in Ondo State.

The two cases, Kaufman pointed out, encouraged him to reach out to and start associating with local lawyers that are classified as stubborn because of their quest for justice.

He revealed that many legal cases suffer because of information gathering deficit, financial constraints, and lack of thoroughness in terms of minute details. Sometimes lawyers are not able to obtain cross border information that their peers may

be able to obtain and pass onto them if a platform for cooperation exists.

He said that the PILIWA platform will bridge the identified gaps to help public interest lawyers secure what they need to push and win unconventional cases.

The highpoint of the event was the inauguration of zonal coordinators for the PILIWA in Nigeria. The nominated coordinators of the South-South, South-east and North Central Zones are Courage Nsirimovu, Kalu Emmanuel Chisom and Redzie D. Jugo respectively. The coordinators for the Northwest, Northeast and Southwest will be announced later.

Participants were drawn from the legal profession in Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Plateau, Imo, Enugu, Niger and Kogi states, among others.

Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi (right), with Deputy Secretary-General of UN, Amina Mohammed, in Abuja Recently.

Rufa’i Abubakar and Sardaunan Katsina title

By Ochiaka Ugwu

It was Calvin Coolidge who said: “No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward of what we gave.” This best describes the honour of Sardaunan Katsina that will be bestowed on this great Nigerian, the Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmad Rufa’i Abubakar (CFR) by the Katsina Emirate Council of Katsina State on Saturday 31 December 2022 at the Emir’s Palace Katsina.

There is no doubt that new year eve will see the prestigious city of Katsina welcome great personalities within and outside the nation who will be coming to be part of the turbaning ceremony of one of its respected sons, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar (CFR) who will be conferred with the traditional title of ‘Sardaunan Katsina’ by the Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman (CFR).

The event, which will take place at the Emir’s palace in Katsina would be very spectacular not only because Katsina is an ancient city which has produced prominent persons that have served Nigeria with patriotism and dedication, but also that Amb. Abubakar would be the third person to hold the title after great personalities like the late Ibrahim Ahmadu Kumasi who was the first and the second being Alhaji Ibrahim idah since the title was adopted from the Sokoto Sultanate.

According to tradition, the prestigious Sardaunan Katsina title is given to a great personality with patriotism and selfless service to the people. One who exhibited high level of leadership and excels in his chosen career.

Ahmad Rufai Abubakar is well known for his love for prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and for being learned, philanthropic and one who has contributed to societal development particularly through youth empowerment and assistance to less privilege.

However, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar is descendant of Muhammad Maude, a warrior and warlord of repute, who established Unguwar Maude in Katsina in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Muhammad Maude had sixteen children, eight girls and eight boys among whom a set of twins, Hassan and Hussaini A the grandfather of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar Sardaunan Katsina. What is today known as Unguwar Maude was Muhammad Maude’s fortress, farm land and household. Maude was an outstanding warrior famously called Dan Marusa, Mai Wuta.

Understandably, he was closely associated with the palace and title holders in the Katsina Emirate. So were some of his children, like Hassan who served in the Katsina Palace as Sarkin Dogarai. So Hassan, the twin brother of Hussaini (the grandfather of Rufai), was part of the traditional ruling elites. Hassan himself never had a child but his brother Hussaini had three children: Abubakar (the father of Ahmed Rufai), Dahiru Ko Tak and Ladi Mai Goyo.

Abubakar was born in Unguwar Maude. He was brought up by his uncle, Hassan Sarkin Dogarai (the Head of Palace Guards). As a young boy, Abubakar was taken to an Islamic scholar, Mallam Amadu (Ahmed) in Kofar Durbi quarters of Katsina city to learn the Qurr’an and acquire knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence. He apparently bonded very we with his teacher, who appreciated his character and learning and as a result gave him his daughter Ramatu (the mother of Ahmed Rufai), in marriage.

Abubakar kept on with the pursuit of Islamic education while relating with the Katsing Emirate establishment. He had by this time developed an imposing personality and appearance and because he kept a thick hairy and bold face, he was nicknamed Abu Gumuje. At the death of his paternal uncle Hassan, who never had a child, Abubakar (Abu Gumuje) who had now moved to Kano with his young family, was invited to ascend the post of Sarkin Dogarai. He politely declined the offer and returned to Kano.

However, having sensed that his refusal to accept to serve as Sarkin Dogarai may have been taken for an affront by the Emirate’s establishment, Abu Gumuje therefore moved eastward, and ended up in Fort-Lamy, popularly known among Hausas as “Fallomi”. In Fort-Lamy, Chad, now called Ndjamena, Malam Abu as he was now popularly called, established himself as a successful merchant/transporter, and a respected cleric, as he continued with Islamic scholarship.

Both Malam Abu and his spouse Ramatu died in Ndjamena where they were buried, in 1992 and 1982 respectively. Mallam Abu and Ramatu had three boys and three girls: Hajiya Halima (Amma), Dahiru, Malam Umaru Maikudi, Hajiya Fatima (all

four deceased), Hajiya Rabi and Ahmed Rufai the Sardaunan Katsina and current Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Malam Abu also had two boys from his Chadian wife Halima, also deceased: Ibrahim, living in Maiduguri and Adam, living in Bangui, CAR.

Ahmed Rufai was born in Katsina, on llth February, 1953. He grew up in Fort-Lamy where he had a sound formal basic education, first in an Arabic Primary School and thereafter a French Primary School, in addition to the education he received at home from his father and three different Quranic teachers and two other teachers of Fiqh (jurisprudence). He returned to Katsina in 1972 and lived under the guardianship of his maternal cousin Alhaji Ali K/D in Kofar Durbi, his mother’s quarters. By this time, he could speak, read and write in French and Arabic languages in addition to Hausa. Having acquired Islamic education from his father at home, coupled with his self discipline and reserved personality, Ahmed Rufai was clearly ahead of his age mates in terms of knowledge, comportment and intellectual potentials.

His smooth and charismatic personality immediately endeared him to, and earned him the respect of his peers in Kofar Durbi. He was clearly a different person because of his fine behavior, courtesy and charisma. He was never known to have had any altercation with anybody in the neighbourhood or outside. Remarkably too, he did not ignore his paternal relations at Unguwar Maude, with whom he related very well.

Rufai enrolled into Arabic Teachers College (ATC) Katsina, in 1974 after briefly working as bill clerk in Katsina District Office of Water Board, under one Mr. Emara, the

District Manager. He was admitted into Bayero University, Kano through its Pre-Degree program, and graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor’s degree in French. He did his National Service in the same Bayero University where he was subsequently employed as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of English and European Languages in 1985 and rose graciously to the position of Assistant Lecturer in 1987. Combining teaching and learning, Ahmed Rufai bagged a Master’s Degree in Francophone Maghrebian Literature n 1988.

Following the Creation of Katsina State in 1987, Ahmed Rufai joined the Katsina State Civil Service in 1988, where he spent six years as head of the Political Department of the Governor’s Office. Because of his language skills, Ahmed Rufai doubled as the Secretary of the KatsinaMaradi-Zinder Tripartite Committee on the development of border region between Katsina State in Nigeria and Maradi and Zinder Prefectures (States) in Niger Republic.

In 1993, Ahmed Rufai was spotted and recruited into the Security arm of the Nigerian Foreign Service, where, once again, he distinguished himself in good character, hard work and devotion to duty.

After a tour of diplomatic service at the Nigeria Embassy in Morocco between 1998 and 2003, and a stint in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in 2005, Ahmed Rufai served with distinction in the African Union (AU) and thereafter at the United Nations (UN), as political affairs officer, peacekeeper, mediator and facilitator of peace negotiation and conflict resolution and management from January 2006 to August 2015. In this regard, he held key positions in the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), the United Nations African

Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the United Nations Joint Support and Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the UN Mediation Process for the Darfur conflict in Doha, Qatar, and the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) in Dakar Senegal. He also served briefly in 2015 as Senior Advisor to the Political Head of the Multinational Joint Task for Force (MNJ TF) in Ndjamena, Chad.

In November, 2015, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar was appointed Senior Special assistant to the President (SSAP) on International Relations and Foreign Affairs, bringing a solid background and wealth of experience in International Relations and Diplomacy, Security and Intelligence, Mediation, Good Governance and Peace Support Operations, as well as teaching and administration, in addition to language skills. Ahmed Rufai was not done yet as all this was crowned with his appointment, on 9th day of January, 2018 as Director General, National Intelligence Agency.

Ahmed Rufai is married and is blessed with seven children. Four of them, namely Jamaal, Abdulrahman, Zinatu and Ramatu (Ummi-Rahmat) are from his first marriage and three others, Abubakar-Siddiq, UmarFaruq and Zainab-Tasneem from his current spouse Fadila, daughter of Ali K/D, his cousin and mentor.

However, beyond this nuclear family, Rufai, a true believer in the extended family system and values, has established himself as the patriarch of the Maude descendants. He is also known for wide outreach in community support, as well as youth and women empowerment. Despite an extensive national and international public service trajectory that took him places away from Katsina and indeed Nigeria, he remained a farmer, cattle and sheep breeder in Katsina, where he has been investing in farming.

It was in appreciation of his meritorious service career in Katsina, Nigeria and the international system, as well as his commitment to hardwork and trustworthiness that His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katsina, Alh (Dr.) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, CFR, after consultation with his Council members, conferred the prestigious and legendary title of Sardaunan Katsina to Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar. This royal gesture is applauded by the people of Katsina, Nigeria and beyond.

It is interesting to note that Ahmed Rufai Abubakar is a recipient of many awards including three DGNIA Awards for devotion to duty and excellence, the National honour of Commandeur de I’Ordre National de la République du Niger conferred on him by President Mohammed Bazoum; the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the National Honour of Ordre National de Meritede la République de GuinéeBissau, among others.

Therefore, as the world converge in the ancient city of Katsina to honour a man who has given all he has for the service of humanity and development of the nation, there is no better way to felicitate with him than saying ‘Thank you and God bless you.’

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THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

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2025 AFCON: if Morocco becomes an obstacle, we’ll crush them –Peseiro

Super Eagles Head coach Jose Peseiro has vowed to “crush” any team that will stand in the way of the Super Eagles as they prepare to go all the way and win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON title

Giving credit to Morocco, the Portuguese tactician agreed that Morocco has put football in Africa on a higher pedestal; but he still insists that Morocco will be crushed should they pose an opposition to his team.

“Morocco’s performance as the World Cup shows African football has come of age and many teams especially from the rest of the world will now show more respect to teams from the continent,” Peseiro told the Media.

“On our part, the aim still remains to win the next AFCON and we are ready to beat any team that comes our way.”

“That’s the target and it remains the same,” he added.

The gaffer further stated that he’s got his tactics, which will be transmitted to the players, and when the transmission is finally over with everybody understanding each other, even Argentina will not stop them.

Peseiro was in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup which ended on Sunday to understudy teams and their tactics.

I don’t wear masks to scare defenders - Osimhen

Amid speculations that Osimhen has stuck to his facial masks because he thinks defenders will be more scared of his abilities, the Super Eagles striker has come out to debunk the rumours.

Osimhen has explained that he is still wearing the mask because it protects his face and he feels comfortable with it.

“The injury was heavy, that was the reason for the operation and the long period in which I was out,” Osimhen said as per Napoli Magazine.

“I really don’t think about removing the mask for now. The mental aspect has nothing to do with it. The mask is physical protection and I wear it I keep it. It’s not a superstitious thing, I’m more relaxed like this.

“I protect my face better by wearing it and I don’.

Osimhen has been wearing a face protection since he had injury in November 2021

Ahmed Musa unveils ultra-modern sports complex in Kaduna

Super Eagles captain and Nigerian star, Ahmed Musa, shared a video of the imposing, ultra-modern sports complex that he built and which was unveiled in Kaduna State.

On account of how frequently he has given back to society, the 30-yearold has managed to capture the hearts of many people in Nigeria and all across the world. The latest facility is situated in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria, in the Old Kamazo, Janruwa Layout, along the Yakowa motorway.

In the video of the complex that the former Leicester City forward shared on Twitter, courts for badminton court, volleyball, lawn tennis, squash court, and a football field can all be seen with an embedded gymnasium to complete the top-of-theline facilities.

Musa is a forward and left winger for the Nigerian national team as well as Sivasspor in the Turkish

Super Lig. He is one of only three Nigerian centurions crossing the 100-cap mark, having played in 107 games

so far, scoring 16 goals, and helping the Super Eagles to lifting the Africa Cup of Nations.

Messi wins World Sport Star of the Year after World Cup triumph

Argentina’s World Cupwinning captain Lionel Messi has been named BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year for 2022.

Messi, 35, led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar on Sunday

The Paris St-Germain forward won the tournament’s Golden Ball - awarded to the best player - after scoring seven goals at his fifth World Cup.

The former Barcelona star is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest footballers of alltime.

Messi scored twice in the World Cup final and also converted a penalty in the shootout as Argentina beat holders France 4-2 on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw.

It meant he added football’s biggest prize to a list of trophies that includes seven Ballons d’Or titles - awarded to the best footballer each year - four Champions Leagues, one Copa America, 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and a Ligue 1 crown with PSG.

In addition, he has scored a staggering 793 goals in his career.

“It’s everyone’s dream when they’re little. I’ve been lucky enough to achieve everything and what I was missing, I found here,” Messi said after lifting the World Cup on Sunday.

With Paris St-Germain, Messi won a first French title in April and since the 2022-23 campaign began in August, has scored 12 times and provided 14 assists in 19 club appearances.

Messi will turn 39 during the next World Cup in 2026 and had hinted previously the finals in Qatar would be his last. If it was, it truly was the perfect way to end his international career following Argentina’s Copa America victory last year.

He does not plan to retire from the national team just yet, saying after lifting the World Cup that he would like “to continue by experiencing a few more games as a world champion”.

The BBC World Sport Star of the Year is awarded by a panel to the athlete who has achieved the most notable sporting success on the world stage during the course of the year.

The 2021 winner was Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore.

IOC boss, Bach congratulates Gumel on re-election as NOC President

By Amaechi Agbo

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), President, Dr Thomas Bach, OLY, has congratulated President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee Engr. Habu Gumel on his re-election.

Dr Bach conveyed his congratulatory letter to Engr Habu Ahmed Gumel who is an a Honorary Member of the IOC from Lausanne, dated December 20.

In the letter personally beside by the IOC Boss, added that the International Olympic Committee is predisposed to collaborating with Nigeria Olympic Movement to continue to support and assist

NOC in performing its mission and daily activities.

‘’Please allow me to extend my sincerest congratulations to you on your re-election as President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee on 15 December 2022, and my very best wishes for a successful term.

‘’The IOC looks forward to pursuing its fruitful collaboration with your NOC and remains fully at your disposal to continue to support and assist your NOC in performing its mission and daily activities.

‘’Wishing you and your NOC a happy and successful New Year 2023, remain, Thomas Bach,’’ the statement stressed.

Super Eagles Would Have Suffered Embarrassment In Qatar World Cup – Siasia

By Amaechi Agbo

ExSuper Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia has stated that Nigeria’s Super Eagles 2ouodbhave suffered humiliation had they participated in the just concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina no Sunday beat France 4-2 on penalties to win their 3rd World Cup diadem after regulation and extra time had ended 3-3 apiece.

Although Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament - the second time they are missing out since they debuted in 1994the 2008 Olympic silver winning coach noted that they would have exited the World Cup from the group stage.

The Bayelsa born coach made this known to journalist at a football event in Lagos.

Recall that the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the global soccer fiesta after losing to perennial rivals, Black Stars of Ghana in the playoffs.

Super Eagles had played a 0-0 draw in Kumasi but played out a 1-1 draw in Abuja to miss making it to the Mundial on away goal rule.

The Atlas Lions of Morocco made history at the competition by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.

Current African champions, Teranga Lions of Senegal made it to the second round. Cameroon and Tunisia although failed to progress beyond the group stage, recorded victories against former champions, Brazil and France.

Siasia dismissed talks the Super Eagles would have done well if they had qualified for the mundial.

“We would have been embarrassed out of the World Cup with shocking scorelines,” Siasia told Football Live.

“The Super Eagles have no business going to the World Cup and losing out to the Ghana team we played against is enough proof.”

The Super Eagles had made it to the second round on three occasions at the World Cup in 1994, 1998, and 2014.

Right, Engr Habu Gumel, NOC President in a handshake with IOC President, Dr Thomas Bach recently

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Tinubu, Obaigbena – Media owners & their warrior journalists

The public spat between two prominent media owners – Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Television Continental (TVC) and THE NATION newspaper and Nduka Obaignena, proprietor of Arise News TV and THISDAY newspaper – with their media warriors engaged in mud fight on behalf of their principals, has unnervingly exposed the ugly underbelly of media practice in Nigeria. The surrogate media warriors, carrying the can on behalf of their principals, are the old guard of Dele Alake/ Bayo Onanuga for Tinubu, in a tackle with the younger generation of Reuben Abati/ Rufai Oseni. I will address the confrontation at two levels - as an academic interrogation and as public affairs commentary.

Russia’s

has been stripped of 400m hurdles gold from London 2012 on the basis of historical data from a Moscow testing laboratory.

Antyukh, now 41, is already serving a four-year ban after being named in a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) investigation into cheating by Russia.

American Lashinda Demus will be promoted to gold in her place.

All three gold medals won on the track by Russian athletes at London 2012 have now been rescinded on doping grounds.

Mariya Savinova and Yuliya Zaripova, the initial winners of 800m and 3000m steeplechase gold, have been disqualified.

Ivan Ukhov’s high jump title and Tatyana Lysenko’s hammer victory in the field have also been wiped from the record books.

The McLaren Report, commissioned by Wada and published in 2016, claimed that more than 1,000 Russian athletes across various sports had been involved in a state-sponsored programme of systematic doping

It added that London 2012 was “corrupted on an unprecedented scale”.

Brett Clothier, the head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which disqualified Antyukh, said it was committed to “clean and fair competition and results, even if a decade later”.

“The AIU remains committed to investigating all cases of potential violations and securing the appropriate outcomes,” added Clothier.

“The integrity of the sport of athletics is our utmost priority and we are pleased, in this instance, that athletes who competed fairly at the highest level will ultimately be acknowledged as the rightful medal winners.”

Antyukh has struck a defiant tone on social media. Her last Instagram post on 18 August is a photo of her showing off her silver and bronze medals from the 2004 Olympics. Those medals remain unaffected by the latest AIU decision.

At the academic level, there is need to interrogate some operative words : free press, independent media , press freedom , blackmail, bullying and unethical practices freely bandied by the two parties. For a starter, perhaps, we could look at the titles of some of the statements issued by the two parties to have an appreciation of the depth of venom, animosity and the incense which characterized the personalised confrontation. These are some of the headlines in newspapers and online media platforms : Dec. 12, 2022 – You can’t silence free press, ARISE Editors tell Tinubu’s media campaign DG, Onanuga ; Dec. 13, 2022 – Nduka Obaigbena and his THISDAY/Arise News’ hypocritical grandstanding on public morality ; Dec. 14, 2022 – LIES HAVE SHORT LEGS. THEY DO NOT RUN FAR, Fake News from Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake ; Dec. 15, 2022 –How Obaigbena is undermining integrity of journalism – APC Campaign.

In his December 14, 2022 statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Fauziya Mohammed, Obaigbena had dared Onanuga and Alake to present Tinubu for Townhall debate of more than eight minutes ‘’where questions are not pre-set, pre-arranged and rehearsed’’, stressing ‘’the resort to media bullying tactics , blackmail and fake news will not work’’. In its December 15, 2022 response, the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s duo of Dele Alake and Bayo Onanuga reiterated the party’s stand not to make Tinubu, its presidential candidate, available to a scheme that ‘’is nothing but a racket by the Arise TV owner designed to embarrass our candidate’’. It pointed out what it described as Obaigbena’s ‘’ well-known perverse and ignoble approach to media practice… that continues to undermine the integrity of the journalism profession in the country’’. Then, the APC –PCC brought the hammer down on the THISDAY/ARISE TV owner, pointing out that : ‘’ Mr Nduka Obaigbena (is) a congenital blackmailer and hustler’’ who ordinarily is beneath their level as ‘’well-bred media professionals to continue to engage in a public spat’’.

Perhaps the trigger for current virulent confrontation can be traced to the joint statement by THISDAY/ARISE News Boards of Editors reported on December 12, 2022 on what they claimed was APC’s efforts to silence free and independent press where they accused Alake and Onanuga of taking ‘’unprofessionalism, recklessness, picayune politics and blackmail to a new art form’’, snickering that the two men even threaten the free press with The Nigerian Press Council (NPC). THISDAY/ARISE News Boards dismissed The Nigerian Press Council as an agency ‘’that has been completely rejected by the mainstream independent Nigerian media precisely for the reason of misuse and abuse by an incipient dictatorship’’. This is reckless arrogance by the two boards and arrant

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Dr. Bisi Olawunmi

mischief that has attended journalists’ , particularly print journalists’ opposition to the NPC, when the three umbrella media organizations – the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) the Nigerian Guild of Editors ( NGE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)cannot exercise professional discipline on print media practitioners. So, the print media terrain is strewn with unethical practices, including news fabrication and non payment of salaries to journalists, for months. Perhaps, the Nigerian Press Council can seize the moral high ground on this issue by investigating the serious charges and counter charges of professional misconduct by the media combatants and make its findings public to exert moral pressure. Given its mandate, the NPC is not completely a toothless bulldog, though journalists would want to make it irrelevant.

The notion of free and independent press bandied by both parties exist in their warped imagination. It is a convenient labelling adopted by the media, that is not in accord with reality. Can THE NATION newspaper and the TVC owned by Tinubu be regarded as free and independent ? Similarly, can THISDAY newspaper and ARISE NEWS TV lay claim to being a free and independent press ? It is intriguing how in their blind anger and personal animosity, it did not occur to Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga, as Tinubu surrogates and Reuben Abati/Rufai Oseni in Obaigbena’s corner that their very public spat has exposed them as lackeys in the slave camps of media owners. Their talk or posture on professionalism and free press , therefore, amount to brazen propaganda. But give it to Tinubu, he had refrained from getting into the gutter with his warriors, as opposed to Obaigbena, maintaining a presidential aloofness, even when he is the issue !!! His TEAM STRATEGY or surrogate replica ?

THISDAY/ARISE Team shot itself in the foot by alluding to its alleged fake news by Alake and Onanuga as copycat of former American President, Donald Trump’s penchant of tarring mainstream American media as purveyors of fake news. This exposes the media outlets’ shallowness, illiteracy and lack of diligence, as it implies that the charge of fake news peddled by some big American media establishments, as exposed by Trump, was false. Nothing can be further from the truth. I will illustrate the validity of Trump’s fake news charge against the American media with one classic example. The CNN, the global leader in international broadcasting had on June 22, 2017 , barely five months into the Trump Presidency , published an article on its website, indicating federal investigators’ probe of a meeting between then White House adviser, Anthony Scaramucci and director of a Russian investment fund, Kirill Dmitriev, which the anonymous source quoted by CNN disowned, and had to be retracted by the CNN. Four days later, on June 26, 2017, three top CNN journalists, including Eric Litchblau , a Pulitzer Prize winner, journalism’s highest recognition award, were forced to resign their roles in

the article. Today, the menace of Fake News has become a global issue of interest, thanks to Donald Trump.

Now, to the second segment – the public affairs commentary on the saga that pitted ageing Alake/Onanuga against the younger Abati/Oseni with Obaigbena providing backup for his boys. Rufai Oseni, in his early 40s is the youngest. He carries on with a cocky arrogance, apparently conscious of his high standing with the audience. I have not read any record of his journalism training, except that he has worked in several radio and TV stations, majorly as sports reporter and analyst. And sports is about entertainment, so he brought the titillating touch to anchoring an interview programme which is a serious business. Oseni read Animal Anatomy and Physiology, and given the clinical way he confronts guests on the Arise TV programme, perhaps the Jagaban is afraid the young man may dissect his political anatomy and expose his innards to public view ! The $460,000 Tinubu forfeited in connection with a drug trafficking investigation in the U.S. remains a major burden that won’t go away, in spite of the strenuous efforts of his propaganda team. Oseni has the nickname ‘ Ruffdfire’ , surely the Jagaban won’t want fire to burn him in an Oseni incendiary !!. So, is Tinubu afraid to “ lule “ ( crash ) to ambush questions from Oseni ? Reuben Abati read Theatre Arts (PhD) but at least had a minimum professional qualification with a certificate in journalism from University of Maryland, United States (1996-97) As a Theatre artist, Reuben is a master of word play, beautiful spoken English, except that he often forgets that his duty, as anchor, is to ask questions, not sermonizing his guests in long, winding sentences, laced with editorializing. He apparently has not read Larry King, of the famous ‘Larry King Show’ on CNN who gave the injunction that if it takes more than three sentences to ask a question, it is a bad question. Dele Alake is the pugilist per excellence who must have infected Onanuga with his stridency. He is aggressiveness personified and Tinubu seems to be his new God, after Chief M.K.O Abiola. I sympathise with Alake. In spite of serving Tinubu loyally, he had not been able to go beyond state level appointment while those who came on board the political train after him have become governors and ministers. Somebody said maybe villagers from his Ikoro-Ekiti hometown are ‘’ following him’’ ! Alake loves to project intellectualism, posturing as a scholar. I sympathize with him. You see, with a 1981 Masters degree in Mass Communication, Dele Alake has been stuck in the halfway station on the intellectual train journey to PhD destination. He is apparently putting all he has in this last-stand political battle for a last laugh to get a federal appointment in a Tinubu Presidency, hence the noholds-barred dogfight with Obaigbena and his THISDAY/ARISE NEWS crowd.

Bayo Onanuga qualifies as a journalism professional not only by mass communication academic training and media practice, but by the integrity

and ethical conduct he has brought to journalism practice. For instance, he resigned from Concord newspaper rather than accept MKO Abiola’s directive to apologise for a factual story the military leadership considered offensive. That is passing the integrity test. He did an investigative report on an investment icon of his Ijebu-Ode hometown, based on principle, devoid of ethnic consideration, and also got a reporter who fabricated a story fired when he was Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, despite opposition from vested quarters. That is passing the ethical Journalism test. But at age 65, Onanuga and Alake , 66, are ancients in active mass and strategic communication practice, but who have failed to display the maturity that age bestows.

Overall, the media is on the ropes, world wide, largely because journalists have become partisans, guns for hire to vested interests. The public spat between the Tinubu and Obaigbena camps has highlighted the self-serving, but unmerited self-righteousness of many journalists, that bothers on irrationality. This is manifested by the two warring camps breaching the ceasefire agreement of letting bygone be bygone brokered by Chief Segun Osoba and Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu, the Vanguard publisher, as elders of the journalism profession and the leaders of the Nigerian Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ ). This is disrespect and intransigence of the highest order, and exposes the fallacy of preachment of press freedom as freedom from any restraint, either by government or professional body, which media scholars term negative press freedom. Journalists and other media practitioners must be made to understand that the media is a strategic industry that at some point, risks government intervention, as warned by the Hutchin’s Commission Report of 1947 on the Freedom of the Press in the U.S where the media failed to self regulate and be professionally, ethically responsible in its conduct.

Dr. Bisi Olawunmi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, is former Washington Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria.

Phone(SMS ONLY) 0803 364 7571 Email : olawunmibisi@yahoo. com.

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Russian Athlete Natalya Antyukh stripped of London 2012 Olympic gold medal