THEWILL JULY 25-31 EDITION

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JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2021 VOL . 1 NO. 24

NATFORCE: A Man, His Plan & Mission For Insecurity, Youth Unemployment

Adewale Ayuba BONSUE FUJI EXPONENT

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TERRORISM

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Commercial Air Operators, Passengers Jittery Over Shooting of NAF Fighter Jet

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NEWS

Envoy Assures on Korean Investments in Bayelsa

FROM DAVID AMOUS - OWEI, YENAGOA

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outh Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Kim YoungChae, has said that Korean companies would invest in the agricultural sector of Bayelsa State and other areas of interest to boost the state’s economy.

The envoy stated this at an exhibition tagged, “Made in Bayelsa Agricultural Products: A Pre-Bayelsa Agric Summit 2021” held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Daniel Alabrah, quoted Young-Chae as assuring Governor Douye Diri of support to enable him realise his vision and economic blueprint for the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari (M) with NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari (2nd R); Mohammed Kyari (R),; MD NNPC Trading, Lawal Sade (2nd L), and Sadiq Kyari, as the GMD NNPC pays Sallah homage on the President in Daura on 22/7/2021.

Cross River Set For Wet Season Green Carnival T FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR he Cross River State Government has said that all is set for this year’s Wet Season Green Carnival.

The carnival is an initiative of the Ben Ayade administration aimed at sustaining the natural resources of the state.

The Commissioner for Tourism, Eric Anderson, said this year’s edition of the carnival would take place on July 27, 2021.

The event is themed ‘Go Green’ and it will be held simultaneously in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

Anderson said, “We need to go green to replenish our degraded forest stock, enhance aesthetics and by extension mitigate climate change. The Green Carnival is a programme aimed at creating awareness in the citizenry to imbibe the culture of tree planting. Cross River State is not only rich

in biodiversity, it plays a leading role in climate change mitigation both in Nigeria and Africa as a continent.

“This is the only state in Nigeria that is a signatory to the Under 2 Coalition. It is the only state that is a member of the Governor’s Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) and a regular attendee of the conference of parties (COP) organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“With the rich profile in forest potential and climate change mitigation, it is only wise for the state to sustain and replenish this nature’s huge resource.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of International Donor Support, Dominic Akwaji described the future of the state’s economy as green.

He added that the state was on course to earn carbon credit and studies had been concluded in this regard.

Court Jails Man in Rivers For Impersonation

FROM SAMPSON ITODE, PORT HARCOURT Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced a man identified as Ogbonda Derrick Subumichi to two years imprisonment for impersonating his victim known as Walter Shepherd.

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Subumichi was arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on July 17, 2021, before Justice P. M. Ayuba on a one-count amended charge bordering on impersonation.

A statement issued by the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren yesterday, disclosed that the convict committed the crime in June, 2021 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, thereby contravening Section 22 (2) (b) i of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) iv of the same Act. Uwujaren noted that the accused pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him, prompting the prosecution counsel, N. A Dodo to request the court to immediately convict and sentence the defendant as charged, while the counsel for the defendant, Ikechukwu Ogbonda prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that his client was a first time offender.

The presiding judge, Justice P. M. Ayuba however sentenced the convicted and sentenced the convict to two THEWILLNIGERIA

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The ambassador said he was impressed with Governor Diri’s passion to engender economic prosperity through agricultural and infrastructure development of the state.

He urged the Bayelsa State Government to study the Korean and other East Asian markets with a view to producing crops such as cassava, rice and seedlings for export.

The envoy said, “I will do my best to bring Korean companies to invest not only in the agriculture sector but also in ship building and manufacturing. It is a promise that we will work with the governor to help transform the economy of the state.

“During my meetings with him, I felt his energy, love and drive to bring about economic development for the state. So I thought we can help him to realise his dream for Bayelsa.

“One way you can achieve this is by carefully studying the Korean and other East Asian markets in Japan, Phillipines, Indonesia and China to know the kind of rice, cassava and seedlings like Sesame seeds that you can process for export and make huge profits.”

Calling on Nigerians to avoid imported food, Young-Chae added, “it is dangerous for Nigeria to continue to rely on imported food. Nigeria can be self-sufficient and it can feed the whole of the African continent because it has the potential and it is possible.”

While declaring the exhibition open, Governor Diri expressed the state’s readiness to create partnerships in order to attract foreign direct investments into the state.

He assured the Korean ambassador that his visit to the state would further strengthen the relationship between Bayelsa and Korea.

years imprisonment with an option of fine to the tune of N300, 000 payable into the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government.

He said the visit had also given him the opportunity of having first hand information and knowledge about the peaceful and hospitable nature of the people of the state.

The charge reads, “That you Ogbonda Derric Subumichi (a.k.a Walter Shepherd) on or about June, 2021 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonates one WALTER SHEPHERD with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) i of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) iv of the same Act.”

The governor said his administration cherishes the ambassador’s passion for development of the state and expressed the optimism that all the promises he made would come to fruition.

Ortom Has Failed in Benue, Says Ihomun

FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI resident of the Benue Patriotic Front (BPF) DanMorgan Ihomun has declared the Samuel Ortom administration in Benue State a monumental failure.

Ihumon, in an interview with THEWILL in Makurdi, said the governor has not been able to live up to one of his campaign promises as contained in his policy document.

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According to him Benue was worse off under Governor Ortom as basic issues, such as payment of salaries to civil servants and pensions to retired workers had become a mirage.

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“Bayelsa is ripe and ready to attract foreign direct investments.

This collaboration would bring forth fruits for Bayelsa and South Korea.

Ihumon equally advocated the scrapping of branches of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the 36 states, pointing out that their creation had greatly undermined democracy at the grassroots level.

“Ortom has not been able to implement 50 percent of the document he presented to Benue State indigenes. This is not a personal judgment, but it is based on what he promised Benue people. That is why I score him below average,” he said.

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COVER

Terrorism: Commercial Air Operators, Passengers Jittery Over Shooting Of NAF Fighter Jet

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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ommercial air operators and passengers in Nigeria are now in a panic mode, following the shooting of a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet, penultimate week, and the narrow escape of the pilot, who had to eject from the aircraft after coming under intense gunfire from terrorists.

A solo military offensive in the notorious Zamfara forest area of the North- West region of the country nearly turned fatal for the NAF pilot, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, whose experience has since sent jitters down the spines of commercial air passengers who felt that even the skies may no longer be safe from the activities of the dare-devil terrorists that have totally taken over the northern flanks of the country.

THEWILL reliably gathered that most stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry, including air passengers, operators, experts and other players are beginning to express fears and worry over the brazen downing of the Air Force fighter jet after what the military authorities described as a “successful interdiction.” Their fears and worry, it was gathered, stem from their reasoning that if a military fighter jet could be brought down in such a manner, the terrorists would do anything imaginable to ordinary commercial planes.

Not even the latest announcement of the arrival of the first set of Tucano military jets from the United States - six in number - could assuage the fears of most Nigerian commercial air passengers about the capability of terrorists currently operating in northern Nigeria.

Passengers’ mood monitored at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, showed that no day passes without discussions of the recent NAF jet crash.

The fact that bandits could shoot at a fighter plane with impunity worries passengers to no end as they contemplate what could happen during landing when the aircrafts are usually within easy reach of possible attacks.

According to them, continuous plane crashes in military operations are a bad omen to the safety of the airspace in general, be it civil or military.

These stakeholders have equally appealed to both the civil and military authorities to adopt new precautionary measures to avert more disasters that have to do with air mishaps.

The latest crash, which is the last among a series of plane crashes, occurred on July 18, 2021 while Dairo was returning from a successful mission at the boundary between Zamfara and Kaduna

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Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo (2nd left) embracing Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao (middle); while Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (right) and other military personnel welcome the gallant pilot at the NAF Base in Kaduna on 19/7/2021.

States, an area believed to be the hot bed of terrorism and kidnapping in the North-West.

According to an official statement from the office of the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet, the aircraft had come under intense enemy gunfire which led to its crash.

Although, Flight Lieutenant Dairo, successfully ejected from the aircraft, the incident seems to have left a sad and frightening impression in the minds of users of military aircraft and air passengers in commercial flights.

Earlier reports by THEWILL showed that the military recorded quite a number of crashes in 2021 alone. It would be recalled that in May, an air mishap claimed the lives of serving Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and other principal officers. On February 21, a Minnabound military jet crashed, killing all seven people on board. This is even more worrisome, considering that misery still surrounds the crash in Borno on April 2, of another Alpha jet during a similar military operation against Boko Haram terrorists. Of all the incidents, NAF plane crash is the one that is giving air passengers, including commercial customers the jitters.

REGULATION Nigeria has a civil aviation regulatory body known

as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

However, Part 10.1.1.1. of the policy document of the regulator stipulates that regulatory requirements are applicable to the operations of any civil aircraft, including aeroplane or helicopter, for the purpose of commercial air transportation operations by any air operator whose Air Operator Certificate has been issued, among others.

Part 10 does not, however, apply to aircraft when used by the military or customs, and police services, which are not used for compensation or hire.

Apparently while the NCAA regulates civil aviation, the military is self-regulated by its own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Yet, certain circumstances have created the opportunity for both parties to work together.

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION Two years ago, the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on collaboration and support in aircraft accident investigations and other mutually beneficial arrangements.

Based on the MoU, AIB-N was invited shortly after the crash of a Beechcraft King Air 350i which killed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other military officers.

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COVER The General Manager, Public Affairs, of AIB-N, Tunji Oketunbi, had told THEWILL that AIB-N’s mandate include investigating civil aircraft and the Bureau cannot investigate military aircraft except when invited to do so.

Oketunbi, however, explained that they were invited by NAF to come in, because of an existing MoU signed by both parties a few years ago.

Only recently, AIB announced that the bureau was set to release a preliminary report of NAF Plane Crash, involving Beechcraft King Air 350i. But the bureau said that it was not within its purview to make its finding public, saying NAF would decide on what to do with the report.

Engr. Akin Olateru, the Commissioner, AIB, who disclosed this while releasing the preliminary report, said AIB had already analysed the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

“The decision to make it public or not is with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). We don’t have that mandate. Our mandate only covers zero accident,” he said.

The import of it all is that with the MoU both parties can work together and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to guarantee the safety of passengers of civil and military aircraft.

STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEWS Aviation experts who spoke to THEWILL have suggested an independent investigation of all recent crashes in military operations, public disclosure of findings and recommendations, so as to guide future occurrences and set the minds of curious air passengers at rest.

Aviation security consultant and former commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (retd), advised that with the recurrent nature of the air mishaps, it was high time the military intelligence body properly reexamined the strength of insurgents and other terrorists, prior to deploying combatants.

He said, “This aircraft was on a conflict mission

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into an enemy occupied area. It was a 50-50 chance of survival. Thank God, he survived the attack.

What it means to me is that military intelligence needs to know more about the capability of the enemy before any further pre-emptive attacks.

Again, thank God for his safe return from the lions’ jaws,” Ojikutu said.

A regular air passenger and a former member of staff of Nigeria Airways, Mr John Monye, said that the frequent involvement of military planes is not the issue. Monye told THEWILL that his fears are hinged on the involvement of bandits attacking aircraft.

Diocese (Anglican Communion), Enugu State, Nigerian can only check insecurity in the country if our leaders are honest.

Speaking in Enugu on Friday, Onyia decried the spate of insecurity in the country, particularly the recent dimension it has taken with the downing of the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft.

“I was not worried about the series of incidents and accidents. I became afraid when the issues of bandits came in,” he said.

Speaking on the side-lines of activities marking his 46th birthday and two years and three months of his consecration as Bishop of the Diocese, at the Trans Chapel of Resurrection, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, the Bishop said, “Nigerian leaders must wake up now. They must call a spade, a spade, in terms of dealing with all known troublemakers or groups operating like terrorists, irrespective of creed, tribe and affiliations.

Another air traveller, Moji Adefuye, stated that there is cause for one to be afraid because terrorists are looking for ways to cause unnecessary havoc.

“Previously, we believe that the airspace is safe, but with the recent shooting of a Nigerian Airforce Jet in mid-flight, our airplanes are no longer safe.

“You don’t blame any air passenger that is afraid.

Yes! This is because the bandits are looking for ways to cause havoc,” Mrs Adefuye said.

“We have to be honest with ourselves to tackle the current security challenges. What has kept us where we are today is dishonesty to ourselves.

For Bishop Christian Onyia, Bishop of Nike

“We do not speak the truth to ourselves and you know the scripture says `it is only the truth can set one free’.

“

The latest crash, which is the last among a series of plane crashes, occurred on July 18, 2021 while Dairo was returning from a successful mission at the boundary between Zamfara and Kaduna States, an area believed to be the hot bed of terrorism and kidnapping in the North-West

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“If we need to be free from the oppression of the terrorists, I use the word terrorists to put all people and groups disturbing and terrorising the peace of the country together; our leaders must come together and tell themselves the truth,’’ he said.

History is full of passenger aircraft that had been shot down either by terrorists or countries whose military was convinced that their airspace had been violated, either its military headquarters or, perhaps, its financial centre, forcing on a course of action that would prevent the interception of that restricted area without prior authorisation.

It is a different case with a country in which terrorists can shoot down a military plane with impunity and probably seize the initiative on the ongoing insecurity to threaten the safety of the Nigerian skies.

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GLOBAL NEWS Covid-19: Moderna Jab Approved For Teenagers in EU

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he European Medicines Agency has approved use of Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children aged between 12 and 17. It is the second Covid jab to be approved for adolescents by the EU’s medicines authority. In May, the Pfizer-BioNTech one got the go-ahead.

The US-made Moderna jab requires two doses, four weeks apart, the EMA says. The European Commission is expected to widen vaccination with Moderna to young people now, based on the EMA’s recommendation.

But the move is likely to have its critics, as the vaccination rate in most of Asia and Africa - where millions of adults risk serious illness or death from Covid - is far lower than in the EU, where more than half of adults are now fully vaccinated.

Unrest Mars Funeral of Assassinated Haitian Leader

STORIES FROM ZACHEAUS SOMORIN IN TORONTO

with three of her children.

he sound of gunfire on Friday interrupted the funeral of the late Haitian President, Jovenel Moïse, who was shot dead two weeks ago. The US and other delegations left early after shooting rang out as the event got under way.

“Cry for justice. We don’t want revenge, we want justice,” she said, according to Reuters news agency.

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Protesters blamed some of those at the service for the leader’s death. Authorities accuse foreign mercenaries of the killing but questions about the attack remain.

The president’s widow Martine, who was injured in the attack and treated in hospital in the US, was at the funeral

The president’s coffin was carried by men in military uniform. It sat on a stage in a Haitian flag, surrounded by white flowers. A Roman Catholic priest blessed it.

But even the funeral could not escape the unrest suffered by Haiti for so long. Protesters clashed with police outside the venue and witnesses smelt tear gas at the ceremony, but it seems nobody was hurt.

Some officials faced the anger of demonstrators, with police chief Leon Charles accused of being an “assassin”.

The World Health Organization has urged wealthy countries to spread vaccines much more widely globally.

Haitian police have accused a group made up of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans of carrying out the killing. At least 20 have been detained, while three were killed by police and five are still on the run.

However, supporters argue widening vaccination to children is important now that the highly infectious Delta variant is widespread in Europe and cases are rising sharply in some areas. Children also have to be included if the goal of herd immunity is to be reached - that is, when a high level of vaccination slows the virus’s spread in the population.

Moïse, 53, had been president of Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, since 2017.

His time in office was rocky as he faced accusations of corruption and there were widespread demonstrations against him earlier this year.

Most children do not get seriously ill from Covid, but they are still at risk and can pass it on. The EMA says a study with the Moderna jab, involving 3,732 children aged 12 to 17, found responses similar to those in young adults aged 18 to 25.

Also this week, a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, was sworn in after a political row with a rival. He has called for unity and said he would form a temporary government until elections, due in September.

In that study, none of those who received the vaccine got Covid-19, whereas four given a dummy vaccine did get Covid symptoms.

The study’s small size meant uncommon side-effects, such as the risk of heart inflammation, could not be assessed among the 12-17 age group. But the EMA judges that the benefits of vaccination with the Moderna jab outweigh any risks.

Chinese President Visits Tibet, First in 30 Years

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resident Xi Jinping has visited the politically troubled region of Tibet in the first official visit by a Chinese leader in 30 years. The president was in Tibet from Wednesday to Friday, but state media reported the visit after it ended. China is accused of suppressing cultural and religious freedom in the remote and mainly Buddhist region.

The government denies the accusations and says Tibet has developed considerably under its rule. In footage released by state broadcaster CCTV, Mr Xi was seen leaving his plane and greeting a crowd wearing ethnic costumes and waving the Chinese flag.

He arrived in the south-east of the country before travelling to the capital Lhasa on the high-altitude railway.

While in Lhasa, Mr Xi visited the Potala Palace, the traditional home of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. People in the city had “reported unusual activities and monitoring of their movement” ahead of his visit, advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet said on Thursday.

Mr Xi last visited the region 10 years ago as vice-president. The last sitting Chinese leader to officially visit Tibet was Jiang Zemin in 1990. State media said Mr Xi took time to learn about the work being done on ethnic and religious affairs and the work done to protect Tibetan culture.

Many exiled Tibetans accuse Beijing of religious repression and eroding their culture. As a result, there have been a number of protests including self-immolations, making the topic of Tibet very sensitive to Beijing.

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India: 110 Dead After Heavy Rainfall in Maharashtra

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t least 110 people have been killed in landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rains in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The rains overwhelmed hundreds of villages, sweeping away houses and leaving residents stranded.

Rescue crews have been racing to evacuate survivors but many people are feared missing. The Indian military has been helping the efforts, which have been hampered by difficult conditions.

The western state has recorded its heaviest spell of July rain for decades. Many factors contribute to flooding, but experts say climate change caused by global warming makes extreme rainfall more likely.

On Friday Indian officials said most of the deaths had been caused by landslides and flooding in two districts. The officials said at least 38 people died when a landslide flattened a small village to the south-east of Mumbai, India’s financial capital.

cut off after bridges and mobile towers in the area collapsed.

Authorities have asked stranded residents to go to rooftops from where the rescuers in helicopters can spot them.

In Mumbai, two people died and 10 others were injured after a residential building collapsed in a region of the city on Friday.

Train services have been suspended and the city’s low-lying areas have turned into flood zones.

Weather experts say heavy rains will continue to lash the city over the next few days. Heavy rains in Mumbai are not uncommon. The city experiences flooding every year during the monsoon season, but the intensity of the rains has increased in recent years.

Thousands of people migrate to the city every day in search of jobs. This fuels rapid - and often unregulated - construction, forcing many to live in poor quality buildings.

The state’s chief minister, Udhav Thackeray, called an emergency meeting, where he asked officials to provide aid to those affected.

He said authorities were evacuating people from vulnerable areas as they released water from dams that were threatening to overflow.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “anguished by the loss of lives” and would provide assistance to the affected. The Indian navy and disaster authorities have been sent to help rescue operations in coastal areas.

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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION Accreditation Palaver

Anger, Frustration as UNICAL Demotes Final Year Students “This is simply unimaginable. Instead of making us to pay for this, management should do the right thing by making those who advertised these programmes account for their recklessness,” she said.

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

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undreds of final year students of the University of Calabar are reeling in anger and frustration, following a decision by the university authorities to delay their academic progress by two years.

Another affected student, who craved anonymity for fear of victimisation, also blamed the institution for the poor management of the entire affair.

The students, who were caught in what looks to many as a web of administrative laxity, are mostly students admitted to the school during the tenure of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof Zana Akpagu.

The student maintained that his colleagues, who applied for the advertised programmes and got admitted, were not at fault. According to him, although the institution may want to grant the students a waiver, considering that they had already paid fees, it does not equate to some other expenses incurred in the course of pursuing the programmes.

THEWILL investigation showed that in Akpagu’s bid to expand the reach scope of the institution and introduce some contemporary courses, a number of new departments were created from the existing ones.

The departments included Pharmacy, Engineering, Mass Communications, Fine and Applied Arts, Music and others.

He said some of the affected students live off campus, pay exorbitant house rents, pay transportation and sundry expenses, while their parents are not pleased with the development.

After seeing advert placements by these departments in the mass media, prospective students had applied to them and were admitted to commence their quest for education.

He called for a holistic resolution of the verification issues so as not to make students who innocently applied for these programmes suffer double jeopardy.

Unknown to the students, it was gathered, the departments did not complete the requirements spelled out to them before commencing full academic programmes.

In spite of this, the students were admitted.

They completed their registration, paid fees and commenced full academic programmes till they got to their final year, for those undertaking four and five-year programmes.

However, to the dismay of the students and their parents, the university notified them that the departments lacked the prerequisite accreditation from the National Universities Commission. They were given the option of withdrawing from the institution or forfeiting two academic years so as to enable the authorities resolve the resource verification challenge. Unfortunately this implied that the students’ efforts and financial commitment over the past years had come to naught.

This development, THEWILL learnt, did not go down well with some of the affected students who have expressed their disappointment with the university management over the management of the entire affair.

They contend that the fault is not theirs as these courses were duly advertised and they fulfilled all the conditions for undertaking the affected programmes.

One of the students, who simply gave her name as Juliet, described the development as devastating. According to her, what is particularly painful is the fact that the students have been made to suffer for an administrative lapse that they never caused.

“I am devastated. I think the management of the institution has not treated us fairly. It’s no fault of ours that these courses were not properly accredited and the problem is squarely that of the management of the institution.

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Efforts to get the official reaction from the institution proved abortive as no replies to inquiries have been received as of the time of filing this story.

“

They ought to have found a way to consider the resources, time and efforts that we have committed to the programmes. How does it feel, after you have put in so much and you’re preparing to round up, to be moved backwards by two academic years

“They ought to have found a way to consider the resources, time and efforts that we have committed to the programmes.

How does it feel, after you have put in so much and you’re preparing to round up, to be moved backwards by two academic years?

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However, addressing students during an interdenominational church service in the institution, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Florence Obi said the present management of the institution is doing everything possible to resolve the problem.

She advised the affected students to make sure they comply with the directive to step down to 200 Level, adding that without this nothing can be done from her end.

Prof Obi said, “We are trying to solve that problem and please take what we have done very seriously. Make sure you comply by going to do your first and second semesters exams in the years you have been stepped down to.

“If you do not do so, there is nothing I can do from my own end because we cannot award marks you did not earn. We have gone to Abuja and are trying to solve the problem.”

She further advised the students against any planned demonstration and wilful destruction of properties on the campus.

Last Thursday, THEWILL called Yakassi Ibrahim Mal, Director, Public Affairs at the National Universities Commission, on phone to know whether his Commission was aware of the development at UNICAL. Mai said he had no details about the Resource Verification challenges at the University and promised to get in touch with the University management before responding to the issues. However, he did not get back to our correspondent as promised as at press time and calls made to his phone were not answered.

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FEATURES Stakeholders in Search of Peace in Plateau contain modules of engagement with stakeholders and modules of how to sustain peace in a state where inter-ethnic relations have been at fever pitch and often exploding into sectarian violence and bloodletting.

UKANDI ODEY reviews peace efforts and challenges in Plateau State

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wo major peace events took place in Plateau last week: An emergency meeting of the Plateau State Inter-religious Council and a pact between the Irigwe and The Fulani in Bassa Local Government Area, which was signed by both parties last Monday in a desperate search for communal fraternity, inter-ethnic understanding, tolerance and collaboration.

It was also instructive that during President Buhari’s meeting with leaders of thought in the state, issues, such as peace, indigene/settler status, herdsmen/ farmers clashes, land ownership and speculation dominated discussions. The discourse was as heated as Governor Lalong’s welcome address was bold, distinct, and unambiguous in its description of land grabbing as unacceptable and an affront to the people’s heritage and inheritance.

Both events are a major indication that all is not yet well with the state, in terms of mutual coexistence.

These ad hoc concepts and paradigms are being conceived to complement and strengthen the day-today engagements and initiatives of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency.

Three years on, for the state government and the PPBA, the quick sands of crisis have refused to go away, with old sentiments and surmises consolidating into renewed fears with twists and appendages that only suggest there is still work to be done.

It certainly has not been a good season for indigenes of the state as nocturnal attacks and killings have continued in Bassa, Ryom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South LGAs unchecked. This spate of killings and clashes between the natives of the state and Fulani herdsmen have continued to justify the relevance of the Special Military Task Force code-named Operation Safe Haven, whose area of coverage and operation now extends to Southern Kaduna, which is also bedeviled by such atrocities.

The strain in communal relations between the native population and herdsmen is worsening with each passing day. Acts of terrorism, characterised by kidnapping, ambush, genocide and burning of homesteads have made life in these rural settings brutish and indeterminate.

Security and policing of the affected areas have been quite inadequate, to the extent that a humanitarian crisis of monumental proportion has become intrinsic in the rural sociology of these traumatised natives that are daily harassed, displaced, and forcefully made refugees in their ancestral homes.

The aggressor targets homes and kill mostly women and children in a well articulated and barbaric strategy to deplete their reproductive potential, decimate its work and fighting forces, subdue and subjugate the identity and values of the natives, and eventually superimpose socio-economic and political structure to confirm the natives as both conquered people and endangered species.

Thus, the onus lies on the Plateau State Government and other stakeholders to deal with the twin problems of land grabbing and internally displaced persons, especially in the Plateau North Senatorial District, with emphasis on Jos South, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs where some of the natives have been displaced and several villages taken over by herdsmen.

The problem of land grabbing is so notorious in the Plateau crisis that some overrun villages, like Mahanga in Barkin Ladi, has been allegedly renamed ‘Palestine’ by the aggressor settlers who are feigning immunity from the constituted federal authorities.

The State, through legislation, has criminalised land

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Yamsat was not pretending as he said, “We need not belittle the insecurity problem in our hands for any reason. The insecurity is getting worse by the day. It is consuming the big, the poor in the villages and the rich and the religious leaders of any faith or affiliation. Destruction of farmlands, livestock, wanton killing of sacred lives are on the increase, with severe effects on the socio-economic life of the people.

One of the destroyed farms

A very dangerous twist to the aggression by Fulani herdsmen is evident in their penchant for unprovoked attacks and destruction of whole farms and assorted crops spanning several hectares of land. These sustained acts of terrorism have prevented the endangered natives from undertaking daily trips to their farms, to the effect that food insecurity has become a present and real danger even beyond Plateau. This habit of destroying farms and crops has been identified as full scale war by other means or war by hunger and starvation.

In last week’s emergency meeting of the Plateau State Inter-religious Council, its Chairman, Prof Pandang Yamsat, was unmistaken in his preamble: “The deteriorating peace and security situation in our dear state and country, which necessitated this gathering, is one that is not only burdensome, but also covets our prayers as well as deliberate actions on the part of all of us to arrest the situation”.

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Destruction of farmlands, livestock, wanton killing of sacred lives are on the increase, with severe effects on the socio-economic life of the people

grabbing by any group under any guise in the state. But this is different from the urgency on ground: the imperative to recover the several villages usurped by the predatory aggressor and restore the natives languishing in refugee camps with their indigenous politico-economic and social system intact to enable them redefine their identity and dignity as a people.

In 2018, during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the State, part of his itinerary was the public launch of a peace document formulated by the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) titled, ‘The Road Map to Peace’, which

“It is my belief that our work at the level of the Plateau State Inter-religious Council is fundamental in stemming the tide of societal ills. Societal ills as evident in the pattern of killings and destruction of crops and cattle, which, to say the least, are our common wealth.

As government and council, we cannot allow this menace to continue. We must take deliberate steps to address the root causes of these issues with a view to evolving enduring solutions to them”.

This is certainly tasking the stakeholder on a broad-based approach to enduring peace in Plateau. The PPBA may be in need of innovation and pragmatism in the implementation of its Road Map to Peace, while the state government should also determine whether the agency’s funding is adequate to enable it achieve the desired results.

Again, scanty policing of the rural areas can be addressed by the option of state police and community policing, which was popularly canvassed during the recently concluded constitutional review consultative interface.

Yamsat noted, “The situation in some communities in Plateau State, with its tendency to spill over to other neighbouring localities, presents a litmus test of our resolve to work closely regardless of the odds against us in halting further degeneration of the situation….We must be seen to be building bridges of mutual understanding and cooperation, as well as tolerance”.

Above all, equity and justice, transparency, accountability, and good governance generally must be allowed to permeate and drive our socio-political system. If the political leadership cannot resemble the people and their values, it should at least reflect their aspirations by securing them.

Socio-economic and political development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace. Good governance must be given a chance THEWILLNIGERIA

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Uba

Soludo

Ozigbo

POLITICS

Anambra 2021: Internal Crises Rock PDP, APC, APGA FROM CHARLES IKE, ABAKALIKI he All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are all grappling with internal crises, ahead of the governorship election in Anambra State.

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Elections in Anambra have been a three-horse race so far, as both the PDP and the APC have tried in vain to wrest power from the APGA as the dominant political party.

Anambra is the only state outside the control of either APC or PDP in the South-East. However, if the events of the last few weeks were to be the yardstick to determine who wins the forthcoming governorship election, the state could well be out of the reach of the two major parties for the umpteenth time.

PDP Two primaries were conducted by the two splinter groups within the PDP in Anambra: The Ejike Oguebego-led faction, which is supported by Chris Uba, and the Ndubuisi Nwobu-led group.

While Senator Ugochukwu Uba emerged as the winner in Oguebego’s group, Valentine Ozigbo emerged as the candidate of the Nwobu faction.

Although Ozigbo appears to be the choice of the mainstream PDP, the fact that the party is split into two factions could affect its chances of winning the governorship election scheduled for November. Perhaps, it was this confusion about who is the authentic candidate of the party that made the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to omit the PDP when it announced the names of candidates representing each of the parties at the election.

APC: NGIGE vs ANDY UBA Despite having only one candidate so far, the APC is also having its own baggage of woes. Senator Andy Uba emerged as the candidate of the party in the election conducted by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has THEWILLNIGERIA

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disputed the election, saying that the election did not take place.

SOLUDO AND CRISIS-RIDDEN APGA The APGA is also having its fair share of internal problems.

Like the two other parties, it is currently embroiled in a crisis ignited by the emergence of two factions. Although Prof Charles Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, emerged as the candidate of the Oye-led faction, which is recognised by INEC, the crisis within the party has reached a point where a court pronouncement is required to end it.

THE DARK HORSE There is an indication that a dark horse may emerge from the Anambra governorship election. In this case, some pundits claim, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, is likely to be the one.

Although Ubah is the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, a relatively small party at that, they argue, he has the capacity to be a dark horse. At the 2019 general election, he defeated incumbent, Andy Uba, alongside Chris Uba and others.

While the governorship election is a different ball game entirely, as it stands, all the candidates of the major parties are from Anambra South. Just as Prof Soludo has the APGA structure, Val Ozigbo/Sen Ugochukwu will have the PDP and former governor Peter Obi structures, while the APC can count on federal support and other advantages.

However, these other parties are battling with internal wrangling, some with cases in courts.

Speaking on the current situation and possibility of a dark horse emerging, Achilles-Chud Uchegbu a senior journalist, says everything is possible in the coming elections. The outcome of the governorship election, he adds, will depend on how the masses view the dark horse in the race.

“The crisis rocking the political parties are not insurmountable. This is Anambra politics,” he says.

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ROTATION Rotation among the three senatorial districts has been a major part of the politics of Anambra State since 1999. The chances of any of the candidates emerging victorious will depend on how they are able to garner votes outside their senatorial districts, as all the major contenders are from the same zone.

APGA will be counting on the incumbent governor Willie Obiano to deliver Anambra South, while Chris Ngige and Peter Obi will have to battle it out in Anambra Central.

Interestingly, almost all the players are familiar faces.

Obiano and Obi, once political allies turned enemies, will continue their battle for supremacy.

Obi paved the way for Obiano to emerge as his successor, but their relationship turned sour almost as soon as Obiano assumed office. The last battle ended in favour of the incumbent who defeated Obaze the PDP candidate in the 2017 governorship poll.

THE UBA BROTHERS CONNECTION The three Uba brothers, Chris, Andy and Ugochukwu, are all involved in the governorship election. Andy and Ugochukwu, both former members of the National Assembly, are candidates of the APC and PDP (factional candidate), respectively. The other Uba, Chris, backs the PDP faction that produced Sen Ugocbukwu as its governorship candidate.

It would be recalled that Chris Uba was the political godfather that gave Chris Ngige certain stringent conditions in 2003 and the alleged mastermind of a subsequent plot to kidnap the labour minister when he was still a sitting governor of Anambra State.

Andy Uba was governor of the state for 17 days before a Supreme Court judgment removed him from office in June 14, 2007. He was replaced by Peter Obi. It is now a four-man horse race for the governorship position in Anambra State. The battle is fast approaching.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

2023 Elections Already Structurally Rigged – Nyiam Tony Nyiam, a retired Colonel in the Nigerian Army, speaks on issues as they affect the country in this interview with AYO ESAN. Excerpts:

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s a former senior military officer, how do you see the insecurity ravaging Nigeria?

It is very bad. It is the worst in the history of this country. That is how I see it.

How do we get out of it? What would you advise the Federal Government to do to solve the problem?

The problem can be viewed at different levels: The political-economy leadership level, which is called the ground strategic level; the operational level, which is a higher security management level and the practical operational level.

The ground strategic level usually includes many spectators because that is where the root causes of crises are found. Having said that, the first problem is that Nigeria has a political economy order of structure, which engenders causes for national insecurity. For example, you can’t expect the people of Apapa in Lagos to have a port in Lagos and that port is now hijacked by the Federal Government. The people in Apapa, who own the port, are not participating in the ownership of the port. Yet they are treated as if they are a colonised or conquered people. Obviously, they will be resentful.

I am giving an indication as to the causes of resentment, which leads to agitation, protest and more agitations.

That is an example. In the same way, you cannot for example, take the resources of the people in the Niger Delta. You cannot take what they have and say that what is underneath their soil does not belong to them.

You now forcefully use laws to take it from them.

Meanwhile, as you are doing your oil exploration, you are degrading the environment and making the people poorer. These are causes of resentment and grudges that will eventually lead to insurgency.

Basically at the political level or ground structure level, we need to have an appropriate political structure. We need to restructure to true federalism as we had prior to 1963. That is at that level. At the second level, we have a national security architecture, which is not fit for people. For example, the kind of crises we are facing now are not the usual security challenges by armies from foreign countries. What we are facing

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now and in the foreseeable future are non- state armed entities or actors. In other words, we are facing irregular armies or unconventional armed forces whose mode of operation is by far unorthodox. The military we have now is trying to fight conventional forces in the main. We don’t have the forces to fight the kind of war we are fighting. So, like I have said before, it is like someone who is a boxer punching at you and you are trying to wrestle. So the asymmetry, that is the asymmetrical war, we have now requires a new national security architecture. That is at that level.

At the third level, which is the operational level, the manpower and the force we have is too low and too small for a country of our population and boundary.

Let me illustrate this with a country like Egypt.

Egypt’s population is between 80 and 100 million and we are over 200 million people. Egypt has half of our Gross Domestic Product, yet her army has more than 27 battalions. We have almost less than one third of that. We do not at the moment have what we call a full-fledged army. A full-fledged army is made up of non-combatant divisions. The term non-combatant division means that you don’t include geographically located divisions like the 81 Division in Lagos because it is merely a garrison division. By garrison, I mean a permanently located division. I am talking of armies that are combat ready, which have a high level of readiness to fight at any time. Egypt has three armies of that kind, we don’t have one yet. What we have is an army that is not more than seven divisions and of those divisions only about four or five are combat ready at any time.

So the problem we need to solve now is to beef up to have a bigger army. We also need to have a mixture of conventional and the unconventional troops. This is because, for example, we need to devolve national security power. The military is purely for the defence of the citizens against external aggression.We do not have armies that have the capacity to deal with homebound security. When you use the army for all this, it makes the soldiers to be overstretched and fatigued. Of course, with time, the people have them as an army of occupation. So what I am saying is that we need to have a security architecture that has three lines of national

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Those of us in the South and the Middle Belt who are educated are being insulted. For example, 2023 has already been structurally rigged. There is nothing you do in the election that will not be determined by the fraudulent census THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW delegate power to it to make laws . But when it comes to the issue of existential questions, the citizens vote directly through a referendum to determine what they want. So what do I mean? For example, you cannot have constitution that is not approved by the people themselves. It is only when you have referendum that the constitution can be started with “We the people.”

What we have now is falsehood. So when you have a government that starts with falsehood and is also sustained by pretence, what do you get? It’s what we are getting now.

You talk about restructuring the country, but the government of the day is clearly not positively disposed to restructuring. Where do we go from here?

That is the problem. It is because we forget that there are three levels. There is the level of the people who are sovereign. There is the second level of nation states and there is a third level of government.

The government is the pool of nation states. It is a servant of the nation states. Both the government and the nation states are the public servants of the people.

So where you have the reverse, as in this case whereby a government refuses to listen to the people, it is an abnormality. The government cannot be telling the people what to do. It is abnormal. It is only in a military dictatorship that a government will refuse what people are saying. And here we are, we have a case where most of the state governors are asking for restructuring.

By that I mean the governors of the South-West, the South-East, the South-South and the North- Central.

So why would a government that is democratic refuse to listen to its people, if it is not a dictatorship?

security. At the outskirt, that is, in the first concentric cycle, we need a local government-based self-defence troop recruited. And they will become what you may call first responders to any threat and form the bulk of the human intelligence. In other words, if anything happens to Igbo Ora , they would react first. Rather than a threat coming from there, as it is happening now and then, the military drives all the way from Ibadan or somewhere. Havoc would have been caused and moreover, we have the army, which may not desire as responsive to Igbo Ora as the local would be in her defence. So we need to have an army that involves the locals at the first level of response.

You then have the second line of national security made up of what I would call a mixture of conventional and unconventional paramilitary forces. The example, one could use is that of the National Guards in the United States of America. The U.S National Guards are civilians who are also part-time soldiers. They are owned and managed by the different nations that form the United States. That is why they are called National Guards. They are like the homeland security THEWILLNIGERIA

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of a state. You do not have a National Guard in Oyo State, for example, that will be made up of people from Igboland. It is the last and ultimate line of defence.

So the problem we have is that we get it wrong. We are still having the colonial mentality of the Army. So we need to correct that, so that the people can be involved in their own security. We are only paying lip service to the slogan, ‘ Security is everybody’s business.’ At the moment, we have a national security architecture that is self-serving to those who want to control power.

The issue of constitution amendment by the national assembly is currently generating controversy.

Some people are saying that the National Assembly cannot give the country a better constitution through the amendments and they are clamouring for a people - oriented constitution. What is your position on this?

Actually, this has been an old story. There are two aspects of democracy. There is what we call direct voting democracy and indirect voting democracy. In other words, citizens can vote House of Representatives,

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The Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the National Assembly also generated tension, as members could not agree on electronic transmission of election results by INEC. How do you see the development?

Well, there is a saying, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’ What do I mean? I am saying that it is because we have a constitution that favours certain people more than the others. The constitution we have now gives the NorthWest of Nigeria, for example, more voting power than two regions put together in the South. Now, the constitution was made in such a way that it gives more slots in the National Assembly to two regions, the North-East and the North-West. Therefore, they have what you may call the veto power. As a result, when anything is put up for debate, they will dictate the tune.

That is what I mean by garbage in, garbage out. The structure we have now is such that does not promote equity and fairness. It means that anything the NorthWest and North-East want becomes the norm. They structured and backed it up with a fraudulent census.

What you now find is that the South and the NorthCentral have been caged in by the structure. That is why every time you hear President Muhammadu Buhari saying go to the National Assembly. It is like telling someone to go and enter a cage and be locked up. The people are insulting our intelligence. Those of us in the South and the Middle Belt who are educated are being insulted. For example, 2023 has already been structurally rigged. There is nothing you do in the election that will not be determined by the fraudulent census. That is one.

Even when they should give room to a situation in which people can ventilate and decide what we want, like we had in the past, they don’t want that. People are now caged. You hold a stranglehold on a people and you don’t give them room. For example, if the South-West is allowed to be, it would be as developed as Malaysia in six or seven years. But when you put the South-West, the South-East and the South-South in a system that gives a child from the South-East, who scores over two hundred marks in a public examination but cannot go into a university, while someone who scores less than 100 marks gets admitted, this does not allow for growth. So the system we have now is the major cause of insecurity in this country.

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Gbajabiamila

Lawan

POLITICS

Media Bills’ Amendment Act of Controversy

BY AMOS ESELE

process for more consultation,” he said.

or the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO) the Olusegun Odebunmi-led House of Representatives Committee on National Orientation, Ethics and Values should drop and not suspend the move to amend the Act of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigeria Press Council (NPC).

Making a veiled reference to his meeting with the NPO, Odebunmi added, “What I’m saying is that the NUJ cannot gag the activities of the National Assembly by saying ‘No you must drop it’, because obviously that is not the way.

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Officials of the NPO, comprising the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), who met with Odebunmi, Chairman of the Committee in Abuja, two weeks ago, told him without mincing words to drop the bill and, out of courtesy, urged him to draft another with inputs from the stakeholders.

The meeting, which was attended by Chairman of the NPAN, Malam Kabiru Yusuf; National President of the NUJ, Mr Chris Isiguzor; President of the NGE, Mr Mustapha Isah; Mr Azubuike Ishiekwene, Editor-in Chief of Leadership Newspaper and Mr Gbenga Adefaye, Rector of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, drew the attention of Odebunmi to a serious gap in the bills, with regard to the non-consultation and the pending case in the Supreme Court over 17 clauses in the NPC Act, being challenged by the Federal Government at the apex court.

Speaking with THEWILL on their meeting, the President of the NGE, Mr Mustapha Isah, said the NPO would stick to its guns that the bills should be dropped.

He said, “We have told him to drop the bill. He should first consult with the stakeholders so that we all agree on it. If his motive is not sinister, why should he insist on going ahead with the bill in spite of the readiness of stakeholders to discuss the provisions we consider draconian and obnoxious? He kept telling us to go and bring inputs and we said no he should drop it in its entirety and consult.”

Faced with a barrage of opposition, especially after the newspapers front-page blackout of last Monday heightened the protests, Odebunmi on Tuesday said that the bills for the amendment to the laws establishing the NBC and the NPC had been suspended.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on that Tuesday, Odebunmi said he initiated the suspension of the bills to allow for wider consultation with stakeholders in the industry. “Personally, I’m suspending the

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“We have suspended the process for more consultation to happen on it. They demanded a lot of time and I said ‘no problem, we have given you; even if you spend three, four to five weeks’. So far, more consultations from critical stakeholders and many people have been submitting their memoranda to the National Assembly even within the industry.”

The federal lawmaker also said he has since recognised the lapses in the practice of journalism in Nigeria and the fact that the amendments are aimed at fixing those problems, stating that his intention is not to gag the press but to regulate those activities he considers obsolete in the profession.

“My intention is not to gag the press and unless all the practitioners can say all is well with the industry, to the best of my knowledge I know all is not well. And I know the National Assembly has the power to look into the existing act,” he said.

In his reaction, Isah said, “Suspension of the bills is not enough. He should drop it completely.”

The two bills have generated so much protest, campaign for and against, especially from media stakeholders, since the senior lawmaker muted it and the committee he heads called for a public hearing on June 16 and 17, 2021 at the committee’s office in Abuja.

Media stakeholders have described the steps taken by the lower legislative chamber to amend the NPC and the NBC Acts as “draconian” and an attempt to stifle free speech in the country.

Supporting Isah’s position, #FixPolitics censured Nigeria’s National Assembly for suspected moves against press freedom and democratic voices in the country.

In a statement made available to THEWILL and signed by the #FixPolitics Co-Chair, Constitutional, Political and Electoral Reforms, Prof Remi Sonaiya, and its Executive Director, Anthony Ubani, the group expressed support for the media against undemocratic tendencies.

“We take our stand firmly alongside the Nigerian press, particularly the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria and other civil society bodies that have equally expressed consternation at this unacceptable development,” #FixPolitics stated.

The group stressed that the two bills sponsored by Mr Odebunmi were “outright authoritarian and constitute a blatant attempt to stifle free speech and the voice of Nigerian citizens,” as they seek to hand over control of the press to the Ministry of Information.

“This move must be properly understood in the context of a government, which is increasingly intolerant of criticism and divergent opinions and which continues to fail in its primary responsibility of providing security and basic services to the Nigerian populace,” it added.

They contended that recent developments in Nigeria have raised concerns globally about the deteriorating state of press freedom in the country. These include the harassment and arrest of journalists, the ban of Twitter, the closure of media houses and imposition of fines due to spurious allegations.

“The bills being proposed are intended to impose very strict conditions on journalists and media houses seeking to cover government proceedings. For example, journalists’ access to the National Assembly will be restricted, while media houses will have to prove that they have a daily hard copy circulation of 40,000 copies or substantial online presence, with at least 5,000 daily views.

“There are several other restrictions proposed in the bills, with the intention of disqualifying journalists from gaining access to government news and reporting such to Nigerians,” #FixPolitics further stated.

Expressing shock at the draconian bills, the group lauded the outrage expressed by the press as portrayed on the front pages of several independent newspapers across the country on July 12, 2021.

WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD? Isah said the NPO has written to President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, for a meeting. “We are expecting their reply and hope we will be able to resolve the issues involved,” he said.

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ENCOUNTER NATFORCE: A Man, His Plan & Mission For Insecurity, Youth Unemployment

the activities were banned and I also banned the activities of those who called themselves Special Squad.”

BY MICHAEL JIMOH aba Mohammed speaks like most well-read people from northern Nigerian. Once you meet them, you know them at a glance: A confident mien, almost always in their traditional flowing gown and a matching cap with a depression to the right or left and the direct gaze of someone who knows his onions.

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“We felt the activities were not in tune with the aspirations and objectives of NATFORCE,” Mohammed went on.” Unfortunately, “they continued. What did I do as DG of NATFORCE? I wrote to the Inspector General of Police to complain about the continued activities of the group. I also requested that if you are providing leadership for an organization like this, it is only nice and proper for you to have a data base: how many people do you have, how many are they? But for you to be able to hold all the staff, you need to carry out a verification exercise.

So, I directed all the commands to carry out verification exercise in all the thirty-six states and the FCT.”

Up close, like for instance in this interview THEWILL had with him late Wednesday afternoon on July 14, 2021 in the cozy and cat-quiet ambience in the sitting room of Hajia Fatima Mohammed Goni of PMB’s campaign fame and grassroots politician, we were drawn in by Mohammed’s articulation as he explained his plans and mission.

He has had high profile spells in government, in private and public concerns, certificate of corporate governance from NSE, Special Assistant at BPE, SA still for Nasir-el Rufai, served on the board of Afribank, Nigerian Security and Minting Corporation, in the same capacity at Mobile Telecommunications, NICON, Aladja Steel Complex, Sheraton Hotels, Transcorp, Acting Director, Ministry of Mines and Steel. His international resume include working as a member of the Canadian/ Nigerian Bilateral Relations.

What more could such an individual want, having run the gamut of upscale jobs and positions for more than three decades as a public servant?

It is not that Mohammed is angling for any more of those private or government agencies. No! Still, there is one he holds dear to heart and his mission is to make it work with legal backing from the government.

By his own admission, the certified accountant is passionate about two things at the moment: insecurity and unemployment in the country.

True, no one can deny that the security situation is getting progressively worse. It has become something of a routine – bandits attacking Nigerians everywhere from north to south like they are going to the community market for purchases; herdsmen striking fear into the hearts of local farmers anywhere from the Middle Belt to the South west and up north; kidnappings of school children and their senior citizens.

It has never been so bad, some analyst contend, since Nigeria became an independent country almost sixty-one years ago.

So, what can be done to check these marauders roaming free all over the country?

That is the question Mohammed hopes to provide an answer to. And what is his answer? To start up something close to a paramilitary force that will assist other agencies in checking the excesses of the bandits, killer herdsmen or kidnappers.

Mohammed’s plan is simple enough: form a National Strike Force – NATFORCE, for short – that will complement the existing security agencies to put an end or reduce drastically the menace of the bandits.

NATFORCE is something close to unorganised militias of America where private citizens bear arms to compliment the National Guard and some such regular armed forces.

“National Task Force,” he began by telling THEWILL, “is basically out to solve two major problems in Nigeria. One: to help tackle the insecurity in Nigeria and two, unemployment.

I am passionate about those two problems.”

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Mohammed

He is stocky, a little more than five feet in socks with the confidence of a professor in any institution of higher learning anywhere in Nigeria. If he wanted, he would have found a place as a teacher in any institution of choice in the country.

For one, he has an intimidating array of degrees, in accounting from the University of Jos, Financial Management from Stanford School of Business, Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

To be sure, NATFORCE has been in existence for some years now. It was headed by Chief Emmanuel Osita Okereke. He recently passed on and was succeeded by Mohammed only last January.

“I just resumed as DG of NATFORCE in January and when I came in I said let’s put some necessary administrative structures in place,” The current DG continued. “The first thing I felt we needed to do was to have the legality which was what informed my decision to go to the National Assembly.”

He insists the NASS has had one, two, three readings of the Bill proposing that NATFORCE be given legal – government backing. The man was simply elated when he confided in this newspaper that, so far, progress has been made in that direction. “It is gratifying to note at the moment that they were able to pass the first and the second reading and a third reading. Now, the legality is about to be approved and thereafter Mr. President will assent to it.”

If by any means, PMB gives the bill a nod, then Mohammed would have had his wish, mission fulfilled. Still, there seems to be hurdles along the way. The most recent reared its head early last month when the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno proclaimed that no such thing as NATFORCE exists. In fact, he declared flatly that they should cease operations wherever they are. In other words, NATFORCE is not a recognised security apparatus as far as the Nigerian government is concerned.

As the DG of NATFORCE, the NSA’s outright proscription should be cause for concern to Mohammed. All through, he remained unruffled, as inscrutable as a diplomat at the negotiating table. For one, he says, and quite rightly so, the NSA didn’t communicate with him in any form the ban placed on NATFORCE. But he did admit there are “some people parading themselves as NATFORCE members, carrying out some nefarious activities. When I came in as DG,

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According to him, there are directors providing leadership in all the states. And what about the current staff strength? “That’s what I am going into. The Special Squad were staying at Nyanya, Karou, Karimu with vehicles. I did not inherit any vehicle from anyone. They were using three or four Hilux to carry out their activities.

Neither did I inherit headquarters from them.

Nothing! An organization like that needs to put up structures in place. Number one, we had to go to the NA to have a legal backing. Two, we need to have a place we can call our own office, which we have done, 13, Lord Lugard Crescent, Abuja. Three, we needed to come up with organizational structure for you to know who is reporting to who, from the national to the zones, from the zones to the states and within the state to the senatorial and from the senatorial to local governments and to the communities because it is a community-based organization.”

In his words, NATFORCE is also an initiative of ECOWAS “because all member countries have virtually keyed in apart from Nigeria. So, it’s actually doubly justified. First, Nigeria needs it. Two, the ECOWAS initiative also require that Nigeria will be able to come out with a commission to ensure we are able to combat the importation of arms, ammunitions and light weapons into the country. In doing so, you need intelligence for you to be able to cooperate and collate information from other sister countries to give you information as to what is coming into the country. And at what time so that you can even prevent them from coming in rather than waiting for them to come in before you combat them.”

To him, verification of potential members “is important because if you say you are from Abia state, which village are you from? If you are verified, it will be easy to track you, especially if you commit any offence. We should be able to identify and say, yes, this is one of us because we have your particulars in our system.”

But isn’t NATFORCE likely to usurp the role of already established agencies like Nigeria Customs Service? Not in any way, he replied. “We have so many agencies charged with the responsibility of securing our borders. Yes, they have been doing their best, yes, they have done so much.

But the question is there are still so many gaps to be filled.

NATFORCE is to complement these agencies. NATFORCE is out to fill those gaps, identified gaps, the security architecture of this country so that we can go to bed and sleep like babies. What we are doing is the right thing to do for the country. As far as we are concerned, we educate those that need to be educated and as Nigerians they are already seeing it themselves. The security agencies have been putting in their efforts. But the question is: are there gaps? If the answer is yes, then NATFORCE needs to come.”

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EDITORIAL Before Presidential Assent to Petroleum Industry Bill T rue to Senate President Ahmed Lawan’s promise, the Ninth National Assembly finally passed the much-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) on Thursday, July 1, 2021.

While the House of Reps went on to increase the mandatory fund for host communities from 3 per cent to 5 per cent, the Senate passed 3 per cent, thereby giving room to heightened resentment and dissatisfaction among the people.

Introduced by late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008, the bill had been delayed for about 12 years due to the inability of past National Assemblies to come to terms with some of its provisions.

It is obvious that in their haste to rework the bill, the authors failed to take into consideration the suffering of the host communities, the bulk of which are located in the Niger Delta, who have for many years since the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri borne the brunt of oil exploration alone.

When presenting the bill, Yar’Adua told Nigerians that it was meant to reposition the nation’s oil and gas industry in such a way as to enable it compete favourably with similar sectors in the world.

According to him, the bill would also encourage the international community to continue to do business with Nigeria, particularly in the oil and gas industry, and restore the confidence of investors in the industry.

Prior to the passage of the bill by the two chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, a provision, namely Section 240 of the bill, which recommends 3 per cent equity funds for host communities from oil companies, as against the 10 per cent in the original bill presented under the Umaru Yar’Adua administration, and 30 per cent to aid oil search in frontline states in the North, on the other hand, had attracted intense objections and condemnation from Nigerians, especially in the oil producing areas.

In case they have forgotten too soon, decades of oil prospecting and exploration has impacted negatively on the Niger Delta and caused untold harm to the biodiversity of the region. Oil spillages, gas flaring and exposure to harmful chemicals used in the production processes have resulted in the degradation of the environment and more.

Perhaps there is a need to draw the attention of the lawmakers to the fact that research has shown that continued exposure to hydrocarbons is detrimental to the development of the human foetus and this explains why infant mortality is on the rise in the Niger Delta.

Over the past decades, residents of oil producing communities have been exposed to health hazards resulting from dermal contact with polluted soil and water; ingestion of contaminated drinking water, crops, fish or inhalation of vaporised products or partly burnt hydro-

carbons produced by fires.

Apart from increasing the rate of environmental degradation, oil exploration in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country has given rise to food insecurity. The constant death of fish and crops, as well as loss of farmlands and viable rivers for fishing activities, means the people are left with no means of livelihood.

By apportioning a paltry 3 per cent of oil profits to host communities, the National Assembly has shown that it lacks understanding of their potential role in a developed and prosperous Nigeria. As a matter of fact, it has failed to fully define what it means by ‘host communities.’

Is it lawful to lump a community where crude oil deposits have not been discovered, especially in commercial quantities, in such category?

While we find nothing wrong with prospecting for oil in any part of Nigeria, it is pertinent to note that reserving 30 per cent of the country’s earnings for oil exploration in parts of the country where no positive results have emerged after a 30-year search is, to say the least, counter-productive.

We maintain that oil producing communities in Nigeria deserve more than this. A deserved increase in the mandatory fund for the communities from 3 to 10 per cent and possibly more, will certainly go a long way to boost security around oil installations and strategic infrastructure, clean-up of affected commities as well as restore the people’s confidence in the Federal Government.

AUSTYN OGANNAH

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala News Editor (Online) – Felix Oboagwina Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @THEWILLNG +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com] PAGE 14

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OPINION

BY DAMILOLA ADEPARUA

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report claiming that a woman was beaten to death by her husband after she denied him sex, which recently popped up on the Internet, portrays the exact way women are seen and treated in this part of the world.

The report also brings to mind the fact that many women are still going through such experience in their matrimonial homes, but have decided to be silent about it in an effort to protect their husbands and children while ignoring the fact that their lives are at stake.

The report stated that the deceased had endured physical abuse in her marriage for a long time, but she decided to stay out of her husband’s way on the fateful day by locking herself up in her room. Yet, he went knocking on her door at midnight.

The woman must have made an effort to run for her life when she realised that the husband was about to break into her room with an axe. Unknown to her, he had heard the sound of the window opening. He caught up with her and hit her head on her head, beat her blue black until she lost consciousness.

The couple’s neighbors did not show up until everything had died down. Eventually they took her to a hospital, the third one at that, where she was finally admitted for treatment. Unfortunately she gave up the ghost after writhing in pain for many days at a stretch.

This is a sad and heartbreaking story, a shocking example of domestic violence. How could a so-called husband descend to such demeaning level to hurt his wife? For the record, such a case is not limited to Nigeria; violence against women is also common in other parts of the world, even in developed countries. According to the findings of the United Nations office on Drugs And Crimes (UNODC), the largest number (20,000) of women killed worldwide by intimate partners or relations in 2017 came from Asia, followed by Africa (19,000), America (8,000) Europe (3,000) and Oceania (300).

However, with an intimate partner/family-related homicide rate of 3.1 per 100,000 female populations, Africa is the region where women run the greatest risk of being killed by their intimate partners or relations, while Europe with 0.7 per 100,000 population is the region where the risk is lowest.

The intimate partner/family-related homicide rate was also high in the Americas in 2017 at 1.6 per 100,000 female population, as well as Oceania at 1.3, and Asia, at 0.9.

It is widely known that women generally encounter violence almost everywhere in the society. Research established that globally, an estimated 736 million women, almost one in three

Women’s Lives Matter Too women, have been subjected to intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence or both, at least once in their life (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older).

Current or former husbands or intimate partners perpetrate most violence against women. More than 640 million women aged 15 and older have been subjected to violence by their intimate partners (26 per cent of women aged 15 and older).

It is estimated that of the 87,000 women who were intentionally killed in 2017 globally, more than half (50,000) were killed by intimate partners or family members. More than one third (30,000) of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by their current or former intimate partners.

It is high time African men changed their mentality on bride price because most of them see it as nothing other than an exchange for a woman’s life and this gives the men authority over women, who are denied their fundamental human rights.

Among African men, it is common for the husbands to be extremely jealous and this makes them to interfere with their wives’ freedom of movement.

After getting married, most African women no longer have freedom of association or movement. Some of them who decide to forcefully regain their freedom are seen as arrogant and they get beaten and maltreated. In some cases, the mistreatment of such women eventually leads to their eventual deaths.

Some husbands stop their wives from practising what they have spent years studying in the university. Women who refuse to idle away at home, who work tirelessly to improve their financial status, get home most of the time to meet angry husbands who act as time keepers monitoring the length of time spent at work or other places as a prelude to starting arguments that might lead to violence.

One of the causes of violence is male dominance, which is more prominent in Africa. Africans attach more importance to masculinity than femininity. In fact, female children are not seen as important or valued at all in some African societies.

They are seen as a burden to the family and this explains why they are married off at a very tender age.

Since the male children are exposed to dominance right from home, they in turn see themselves as superior to their partners in marriage. Cultural differences can also contribute to violence

in a relationship that involves people with different cultural backgrounds.

Alcoholism and drugs can also contribute to violence in marriage. Partners who drink to stupor or indulge in drug abuse are most likely to be violent to their partners because of the effect of drug and alcohol on their mental balance. According to a source, 92 percent of men who assaulted their female partners had used substances on the day of the assault. About 67 per cent of such men had used both cocaine and alcohol. In situations where men try to kill their partners, alcohol is involved in more than two-thirds of the cases, just as a quarter of those who committed murder had consumed alcohol and drugs.

Notwithstanding, if penalties for violence towards women are consistent and firm, there will be a drastic decrease in domestic violence. In some countries, justice is not prevalent as some of the perpetrators go unpunished while in underdeveloped countries, law enforcement agents take bribes and sweep such matters under the carpet.

Also, if couples are made to sign an undertaking not to be violent in any way to their partners and to willingly surrender themselves to the law if such happens, it will reduce the rate of domestic violence and the mortality rate among women.

Cases of violence against women should not be trivialised by any means. But it is surprising how law enforcement agents wave the issue of violence aside but go on to arrest offenders when the victims die, leaving their children and loved ones to fate.

Majority of the women who endure to the point of death, do so because they are financially dependent on their husbands.

If women were empowered, they would be independent and easily walk out of an abusive marriage.

Reports have it that a staggering 97.2 percent of abused women do not report the crime to the authorities. There is no point in proving to the society that one is a submissive wife when one’s life is at stake because in the end,it will only turn the husband into a criminal after taking one’s life.

Women are not animals and should in no way be treated as such. They deserve every possible love and care they can get from the society, especially from their partners. Give them their rights and stop killing them because their lives matter not just to their children but also to the society at large.

Insecurity: Time to Support Police, Other Law Enforcement Agencies

BY IFEANYI OKALI

of people.

he Nigeria Police sometimes finds itself at the receiving end of verbal attacks and scathing criticism as a result of the unprofessional conduct of a few officers whose actions have continued to portray it in a bad light.

There is hardly a day a policeman does not get killed in the course of performing his tasking duty of protecting law-abiding citizens. In Abia State, for instance, the recent a series of vicious attacks leading to the deaths of several police officers really got Governor Okezie Ikpeazu concerned when he declared and demonstrated total support to efforts aimed at apprehending the criminal elements behind the unjustified killings and bringing them to book.

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When the law enforcement agency delivers incredible milestones in an effort to make the rest of us and our families sleep with our eyes closed, it hardly attracts catchy headlines in newspapers.

Irrespective of the position from which we may view its dayto-day performance, the police are the number one law enforcement agency and the first point of protection for the civil populace.

How many Nigerians have thought of a situation where they are being randomly harassed, molested and trampled upon without an organ or instrument of the state to complain to?

Have they imagined how often they would be at the mercy of knife-wielding miscreants in the absence of the police? Interestingly, the force is made up of our brothers, sisters, friends, fathers and uncles. They are no strangers but part and parcel of the society. They are humans and as such feel the same way we feel. They receive and feel all social problems bedeviling us in one way or the other. They go to the same markets with us, send their children to the same schools, use the same road and live in the same neighbourhood with us. In all these, they put their lives at risk to ensure the corporate security and protection of the weak and strong, the rich and poor and indeed, all manner THEWILLNIGERIA

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Okezie did not stop there. He went ahead to place a bounty on the killers to aid their easy arrest. From Aba to Omobo, Isuikwuato, Ohafia, Ukwa and indeed, virtually all parts of the state, the stories left a sour taste in the mouths of law-abiding Nigerians.

Even with the constant felling of their colleagues, the gallant officers and men of the Nigeria Police ensured that they do not rest on their oars in protecting our lives and investments. While this intervention is not aimed at deodorising the failings of the police, it is important to state that appreciation for excellent service is a virtue and indeed, a morale booster. The peace we enjoy in Abia today is largely on account of the vigilance, commitment and sacrifices of men of the Nigeria police and other security personnel who daily risk their lives for the good of their country.

There is a remarkable reduction in the crime rate, particularly kidnapping and armed robbery, which was largely considered to be a recurrent decimal in the past. The Isuikwuato Akara Road, which used be a preferred hangout for criminals operat-

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ing in the state, is now a safe haven. Residents of communities adjoining the road can now move about their legitimate business without fear of harassment and intimidation.

Constant attacks on POS operators around Aba and Umuahia are rapidly on the decline. We cannot forget in a hurry how Miss Ezinne Iroh, a 23-year-old POS operator in Aba, was callously killed in cold blood by a deadly gang after robbing her. She was just one of many victims dispatched to early graves by bloodthirsty men of the underworld. Cheeringly, the police have launched an aggressive and comprehensive manhunt for Iroh’s killers. Indeed, they appear determined to severely deal with the cold-blooded murderers. This is commendable and worthy of support every law-abiding resident of Abia. Fortunately a number of the criminals have been arrested and they are cooling off at the moment, awaiting their day in court.

Undoubtedly, the 2020 #EndSARS protest was an eloquent testimony that the police need to do more in the area of checkmating extra-judicial killings, flagrant abuse of human rights, extraction of ‘confessional statement’ through duress and torture as well as bribery. This was not only necessary, but also speaks volume to the humongous power, which citizens wield in making their voices count in matters that challenge them and wave unanswered questions in their face on daily basis.

Of course, the protest was followed by prompt action from the police top hierarchy that announced the immediate dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) accused of largely perpetrating most of the abuse of human rights against citizens.

•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

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How Emission Tax is Dampening Global Aviation Industry

Nigerian Shippers’ Council: Jime and The Task Ahead

PAGE 33

Dangote Cement Becomes Pacesetter In IFRS Taxonomy PAGE 35

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Pension: 63% Contributors Unhappy With Scheme – Survey

BY SAM DIALA otwithstanding the glowing encomiums passed on Nigeria’s reformed Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) by experts and stakeholders, a recent survey by this newspaper has revealed that 63 percent of those contributing to the scheme are unhappy with it.

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Many of the respondents earn about N10,000; some earn between N5,000 and N7,000 per month after the initial 25 percent lump sum. This applies mainly to those that retired on low salary and whose contributions are equally low.

Although they commend the initiative that gave birth to the scheme 17 years ago, during the former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led government in 2004, majority of the concerned contributors lament over a deficiency in the scheme which they consider critical to their life after retirement – paltry pension receipts.

“The whole system is beautiful on paper; but in practice it does not. What will N10,000 do for me? Though I have finished training my children; they are not earning enough income to sustain us. I still support them and their families financially. This is what I do not like about the scheme, the monthly take-home pay after the so-called lump-sum is nothing to write home about,” said a Jos respondent who retired from a federal government educational institution as a junior worker.

THEWILL had on April 6, 2021, embarked on a satisfaction survey to determine the level of contentment haboured by Nigerians who contribute to the scheme and also identify the key area/s of improvement. The three-month survey which ended on June 30, 2021, sampled a population of 5,620 members of the CPS in the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The survey questions bordered on general acceptance of the scheme, the level of employee/employer contributions, prompt payment of lump-sum, amount of spread monthly/ quarterly pay and service of Pension Fund Administrators (PFA). Respondents were also asked to state three key areas of improvement opportunity in the scheme. The towns surveyed are Lagos (SW), Port Harcourt (SS), Owerri (SE), Kaduna (NW), Jos (NC), Bauchi (NE) and FCT Abuja. The bulk of the respondents came from Lagos and Abuja.

Of the total respondents, 3,540 representing 66.55 percent, are women; while 1,780 or 32.34 percent are men. They range from age brackets 50-70 years and have worked in both the private and public sectors.

A total of 3,352 respondents, representing 63 percent, expressed dissatisfaction over the monthly/quarterly pension which they largely considered as too “paltry and negligible” to make an impact on their lives. The surveyed respondents were reluctant to state the region of their total pension contribution at retirement even when their names were not required. “This should be kept secret because this information could slip into the wrong hands, such as tax people and they begin to behave funny”, a Lagos respondent stated during a telephone interview.

Majority of the respondents deplore the “peanut” they receive as a monthly pension because it does not meet their basic needs in the present economic realities. They argue that their contributions are invested by the PFAs to earn them huge returns for their owners and their workers while those that created the money are left with a little amount.

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The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews, telephone, WhatsApp and SMS messages, e-mail and telegram channels. THEWILL detailed a total of 15 field investigators for the exercise. Five key questions were posed in which respondents were requested to rank their answers on a scale of 1- 5; 1 being the lowest or least impactful while 5 is the highest or most impactful.

THEWILL findings revealed that inflation is wrecking severe havoc on the paltry pension proceeds of the retirees who are members of the CPS. The respondents in unison lamented the eroding effects of inflation on their pension which they had received in the past five years.

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Unfortunately, the implementation of the new contributory pension scheme across the 36 States of the Federation and Abuja as at September 2020 according to a publication by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is hardly encouraging as more than two thirds of States were yet to make significant record in the implementation of the new scheme in their States They describe this as a fly in the ointment of the pension scheme.

Section 7(1)(a) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 allows for 25 percent lump sum to be paid to a retiree (above 50 years) provided that the amount left after the lump sum withdrawal will be sufficient to fund a programmed withdrawal or annuity over the expected lifespan. The total pension contribution attracts a 5 percent or more investment yield. Thus, a contributor whose total contribution plus yield is N5 million, would be left with 3,750,000 after the lump sum withdrawal of N1,250,000. The 10 years spread earns a contributor about N20,000 per month or N60,000 per quarter.

“Rising inflation has a corrosive impact on pension investment and on the actual pension payment; so it is a double tragedy”, said an RSA operator, Jude Anyachor.

“It is still better than nothing. If the federal government can consider a cash payment of N5,000 or N10,000 as big money, a retiree who receives it regularly should be thankful”, Anyachor added in a telephone chat.

Fifty-five (55) percent of the respondents agree that the CPS is commendable , while 58 percent are not satisfied with the untimely payment of the lump-sum, especially those who retired from public service where the scheme has not fully taken place. Many states of the federation are yet to key into the CPS with the result that the traditional pension mess is further complicated for such individuals.

Over 70 percent of the respondents want improvement in the scheme by increasing the lump sum and allowing contributors access their contribution for specific projects, especially housing, even while in active service. Some countries operate this system and it has helped workers build their own house while in service without waiting for the retirement lump-sum which could be eroded by inflation or impacted by other negative effects.

Under the new Contributory Pension Scheme, the minimum rate of contribution for all employees in the private and public sector is 18% of the employee’s monthly emoluments with the employer contributing 10% and the employee 8%.

In the case of the military, the employer contributes 12.5% while the employee contributes 2.5%. Government contribution is funded through a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

The CPS covers employees in the public service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory, States, Local Governments and private sector organizations with 3 or more employees. *Continues on Page 35

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AVIATION Taxation will destroy jobs. Incentivising SAF will improve energy independence and create sustainable jobs. The focus must be on encouraging the production of SAF, and delivering the Single European Sky,” Walsh added.

Canvassing that the most practical near-term solution to reducing emissions is SAF, Walsh added that energy transitions are successful when production incentives drive down the price of alternative fuels while driving supplies up.

“The EU ‘Fit for 55’ proposal does not include direct measures that will achieve this. Without specific measures to reduce SAF costs, it does, however, propose a mandate to increase SAF utilisation to two per cent of jet fuel use by 2025 and at least 5% by 2030.

Aircraft Emission

“Making SAF cheaper will accelerate aviation’s energy transition and improve Europe’s competitiveness as a green economy. But making jet fuel more expensive through taxation scores an ‘own goal’ on competitiveness that does little to accelerate the commercialization of SAF,” Walsh said.

How Emission Tax is Killing Global Aviation Industry

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR he International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the reliance on taxation as the solution for cutting aviation emissions in the European Union’s ‘Fit for 55’ proposal is counter-productive to the goal of sustainable aviation.

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IATA is of the view that EU policy needs to support practical emission reduction measures, such as incentives for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and modernisation of air traffic management.

Commenting, IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, said that aviation is committed to decarbonisation as a global industry.

According to Walsh, IATA does not need persuasion or punitive measures in the form of taxes to motivate change, stressing that taxes siphon money from the industry that could support emissions’ reducing investments in fleet renewal and clean technologies.

To reduce emissions, Walsh hinted that IATA needs governments to implement a constructive policy framework that, most immediately, focuses on production incentives for SAF and delivering the Single European Sky. Walsh opined that a comprehensive approach achieving aviation decarbonisation requires a combination of measures which include sustainable Aviation Fuels which reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent, compared to traditional jet fuel.

Walsh also added that insufficient supply and high prices have limited airline uptake to 120 million litres in 2021, a small fraction of the 350 billion litres that airlines would consume in a ‘normal’ year.

Noting that there should be market-based measures to manage emissions until technology solutions are fully developed, Walsh said that the industry supports the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as a global measure for all international aviation.

“It avoids creating a patchwork of uncoordinated national or regional measures such as the EU Emissions Trading THEWILLNIGERIA

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“

We should all be worried that the EU’s big idea to decarbonise aviation is making jet fuel more expensive through tax. That will not get us to where we need to be. Taxation will destroy jobs. Incentivising SAF will improve energy independence and create sustainable jobs

Scheme that can undermine international cooperation.

Overlapping schemes can lead to the same emissions being paid for more than once. IATA is extremely concerned by the Commission’s proposal that European States would no longer implement CORSIA on all international flights”.

The DG also pointed out that Modernizing European ATM through the SES initiative would cut Europe’s aviation emissions between six and 10 per cent, but national governments continue to delay implementation.

While it is unlikely that electric or hydrogen propulsion could have a significant impact on aviation emissions within the EU ‘Fit for 55’ timeframe of 2030, Walsh stated that the development of these technologies is ongoing and needs to be supported.

“Aviation’s near-term vision is to provide sustainable, affordable air transport for all European citizens with SAF-powered fleets, operating with efficient air traffic management. We should all be worried that the EU’s big idea to decarbonise aviation is making jet fuel more expensive through tax. That will not get us to where we need to be.

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Meanwhile, IATA has equally called on governments to take action to address the high cost of COVID-19 tests in many jurisdictions and urged flexibility in permitting the use of cost-effective antigen tests as an alternative to more expensive PCR tests.

IATA also recommended governments adopt recent World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance to consider exempting vaccinated travelers from testing requirements.

According to IATA’s most recent traveler survey, 86 per cent of respondents are willing to get tested. But 70 per cent also believe that the cost of testing is a significant barrier to travel, while 78 per cent believe governments should bear the cost of mandatory testing.

“IATA supports COVID-19 testing as a pathway to reopen borders to international travel. But our support is not unconditional. In addition to being reliable, testing needs to be easily accessible, affordable and appropriate to the risk level. Too many governments, however, are falling short on some or all of these.

“The cost of testing varies widely between jurisdictions, with little relation to the actual cost of conducting the test. The UK is the poster child for governments failing to adequately manage testing. At best it is expensive, at worst extortionate.

And in either case, it is a scandal that the government is charging VAT,” said Walsh.

The new generation of rapid tests cost less than $10 per test.

Provided a confirmatory Rrt-PCR test is administered for positive test results, WHO guidance sees Ag-RDT antigen testing as an acceptable alternative to PCR. And, where testing is a mandatory requirement, the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHRs) state that neither passengers nor carriers should bear the cost of testing.

Testing also needs to be appropriate to the threat level.

For example, in the UK, the latest National Health Service data on testing arriving travelers show that more than 1.37 million tests were conducted on arrivals from so-called Amber countries. Just one per cent tested positive over four months. Meanwhile, nearly three times that number of positive cases are being detected in the general population daily.

“Data from the UK government confirms that international travelers pose little to no risk of importing COVID-19, compared to existing levels of infection in the country. At the very least therefore, the UK government should follow WHO guidance and accept antigen tests which are fast, affordable and effective, with a confirmatory PCR test for those who test positive. This could be a pathway for enabling even unvaccinated people access to travel,” Walsh said.

Restarting international travel is vital to supporting the 46 million travel and tourism jobs around the world that rely on aviation. “Our latest survey confirms that the high cost of testing will bear heavily on the shape of the travel recovery.

It makes little sense for governments to take steps to reopen borders, if those steps make the cost of travel prohibitive to most people. We need a restart that is affordable for all,” said Walsh.

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MARITIME

NSC: Jime and The Task Ahead

Partnership (PPP) have potentials to create jobs and improve on trade facilitation in the country and should be taken seriously. To stakeholders, the economic value is enormous.

BY FRANCIS UGWOKE

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TASK The key point of expectations from industry stakeholders is one of continuity on the statutory obligations of the ports economic regulator. Over the years and even on acquiring the status of the ports economic regulator, it has not been easy confronting the service providers for obvious reasons. Relying on the high level connection of their principals, some of the service providers could be difficult to regulate. This is the same for some of the government agencies who fall under port regulation as service providers. Among these agencies include the landlord, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who deal with the terminal operators, shipping companies and the shippers as well. The NSC as umpire in the ports regulates these two agencies, among others to ensure smooth trade facilitation.

Undoubtedly, most of them are difficult to regulate in view of their status in the industry. For any leader, a lot of wisdom is required to get them to flow along.

COST OF DOING BUSINESS/CHARGES The crux of most issues in the shipping industry has over the decades revolved around the cost of doing business. In the early days of the NSC, the statutory regulation has been to protect shippers from the shylock service poviders, mainly the multinational shipping agents and their conference liners. It was not until the ports were concessioned in 2006 that the NSC expanded its scope to also try to police the NPA as the landlord of the system. This was to protect the interest of terminal operators who are also under check against illegal shipping charges. This has been challenging from every indication because of what I had earlier pointed out in terms of the Nigerian factor which tends to weaken the power of regulation at some point and in respect of some particular operators.This has been the scenario in the case of NSC and the shipping service providers in respect of charges. While the agency may be willing to push the case, there could be instances of the lack of political will from the side of the presidency or other powers.

It had happended at one instance when the NSC at a stage as recounted by the former Executive Secretary, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, was asked to hands off a particular case against shipping companies over illegal charges. The decision was simply to protect political interest. In the current case between the Council and some service providers, it appears the latter are lucky. Having lost in the High Court and Appeal Court, the service providers had gone to the Supreme Court while continuing the collection of their charges which the Court had ruled against and ordered them to refund.

The amount of refund runs into hundreds of billions of Naira. The Nigerian court system in addition to the Covid-19 crisis as well as the judicial workers industrial action for some months earlier may have been a blessing for the service providers. For more than three years, it has been speculated about planned settlement out of court between the parties in the case to no avail. Early this year, one of the parties in the case was said to have indicated interest in settling out of court with the NSC. The extent to which this has become a reality is not known. The new ES/CEO of NSC needs to understand the importance of the case. What this means is that the outcome is crucial and for the best interest of consumers of shipping services because of the issue of cost.

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Jime

or the ports economic regulator, it is indeed a new dawn.

The local slogan is: “government come, government go” in what describes change in every bureaucratic setting of the public service. Over a month ago, Barr Hassan Bello retired as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) with fanfare. In the same manner, another Barrister, Hon. Emmanuel Lyambee Jime, was appointed by the federal government to continue the mantle of leadership in the Council. With the pains of missing Bello for his 8 years of meritorious service, it is also with enthusiasism that the staff of the Council and industry stakeholders welcome his successor to the new seat. The job of the Executive Secretary of NSC carries a lot of weight and responsibility because of the peculiarity of the shipping industry often adjudged as a ‘mafia sector’ apparently because of the craze or intrigues to maximize profit by both the service providers and consumers of shipping services, including the policemen of the system at the detriment of the state. For Jime, the task has begun and he has so far demonstrated determination to deliver on various expectations.

Looking at his background, Jime does not appear new for this type of task having been the Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA). He was former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly from 1992 to 1993 and member of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2015.

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There is no doubt that Jime is equipped to do the job. But he needs advice where necessary. This was part of the secrets of Bello as he sought advice from predecessors and other industry experts on issues which guided him in reaching certain decisions

CARGO TRACKING NOTE Electronic Cargo Tracking Note Cargo (ECTN) was introduced and managed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) until it was suspended by the government. The suspension was as a result of costs associated with it. The federal government later changed its mind and reintroduced the policy but directed that it should be managed by the NSC. The CTN as it is popularly called which was earlier opposed now enjoys the support of many stakeholders.

This is following the understanding that CTN remains a key factor in addressing issues of fraudulent practices in goods declaration and gross registered tonnage of vessels used in determining duties to be paid by importers and ships. There is the need for the new leadership of NSC to ensure its take-off.

DRY PORTS/TTPS The idea of Inland Dry Port (IDP) was conceptualized in 2005 as part of the efforts to bring shipping services closer to the hinterland.

On the other hand, the Truck Transit Part (TTP) followed some years later in what was to rise to the challenges of infrastructure and lessen the burden of truck drivers involved transporting goods from the ports to different parts of the country.

In the case of dry ports, initially, there were six locations, but three more dry ports have come up, bringing the number to nine. The dry ports are to improve on trade facilitation for shippers who are not close to the seaports. Two of the dry ports are currently in operation. They include Kaduna Dry Port and Dala Inland Dry Port, Kano which was expected to start with skeletal services in June this year. The TTPs on the other hand are to serve as places of rest for drivers on far journey to deliver goods. Each TTP will serve as stop over where the driver could park and rest before continuing his journey. This is for safety reasons. It will have restaurants, lodging facilities and other facilities. Both dry ports and truck transit parks which will be under Public, Private

PORT PROCESS MANUAL The introduction of the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) in December was part of the efforts of the federal government to achieve efficiency at the nation’s ports. It came some years after the introduction of the ease of doing business in every sector of the national economy, including the nation’s seaports. This time, the NSC was specifically singled out as the lead agency in the implementation. This means a lot of task for obvious reasons.

So much fraudulent practices could be found in the ports. But the biggest problem is the delay in goods delivery, part of which could be for poor infrastructure. Other times, it could be for the reason that the importers failed to do the right thing in which they are expected to perfect to take delivery of their consignments. In the ports system, the importers are culpable for trade malpractices in terms of under-declaration, under-valuation and outright concealment in a bid to maximize profit. Personnel of agencies of government, such as customs officers who are supposed to check these malpractices are also culpable for the continued trade crime.

The point is that the officers are easily influenced to look the other way while the fraud continues. Importers claim that even if they do the right thing, they will still have to settle customs officers and others at the ports. With the NPPM, the NSC is saddled with responsibility of addressing these problems because of its negative effect on trade.

The Council has been involved in enlightenment campaign to compel importers to end decades of fraudulent practices. The ports economic regulator has also been involved in getting the NCS to discourage their officers against corruption in the system which will go a long way in raising revenue from the ports. The NSC has been having an interface with the customs leadership on this.

To ensure that there is an efficient service delivery at the ports, the NSC has also been having equipment audit on terminal operators to ensure that they provide modern cargo handling equipment. This will facilitate in fast discharge of vessels and position containers for examination by customs officers.

It is expected that the NSC under the new leadership sustains this effort as it will impact positively in creating efficiency at the ports.

Similarly, protection of the shippers remains very paramount as their saviour remains the Council. Already, the NSC now has an Enforcement Unit which has been able to compel some shipping companies to refund arbitrary charges imposed on some shippers.

The Council under Jime should continue on this path and advance further for the interest of the industry. In all this, there is the need to ensure that CTN which promises to aid in checking all fraudulent declarations, whether as it affects importers of ships should be deployed. This will also reduce the bribery and corruption in the system as a clean declaration on the part of the shipper will put him in a position to resist any attempt by customs officers to seek ‘settlement’ before treating documents for release of goods.

JIME There is no doubt that Jime is equipped to do the job. But he needs advice where necessary. This was part of the secrets of Bello as he sought advice from predecessors and other industry experts on issues which guided him in reaching certain decisions. The Chairman of the Nigerian Ship Owners Forum, Barr Mrs Margret Orakwusi, who is also a member of the Board of Shippers Council, said such advice is necessary.

Orakwusi is of the view that when necessary, the new ES should reach out to Bello for advice. She said, “one good thing about Hassan is that he also shares his knowledge, he’s forever there to help. So, the new executive secretary is a lucky man to have taken over from Hassan Bello. I can tell you if he humbles himself and seeks advice from his predecessor he’ll make way”.

Orakwu also said she is optimistic that the new ES will not have problem as the personnel of the NSC is blessed with depth of knowledge as far as maritime is concerned and can offer advice when necessary.

She said, “NSC is the heartbeat of all other agencies in the Ministry of Transportation, technical and professionalism is their watchword. So, the new boss will be inheriting a huge staff, dedicated management staff and our guardian angel in the person of Hassan Bello will always be there to ensure that NSC be on that progressive path. So, that makes it easier for all of us”.

•Ugwoke is Editor-in-Chief, SHIPPING DAY NEWS/Online/ Magazine THEWILLNIGERIA

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BUSINESS NEWS NETCO Posts N3.37bn Profit For 2020

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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he National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has reported a profit before tax of N 3.37 billion for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020.

Mr Adeyemi Adetunji , Chairman, Board of Directors, NETCO, made the disclosure on Thursday at the company’s 2020 Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

Engr. Adetunji noted that 2020 witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic which led to socio-economic and humanitarian crisis worldwide thereby bringing economic activity to a near standstill.

He said, “In spite of these challenges, NETCO has posted a total profit before tax of N3.37 billion which represents an increase of 53.94 per cent from N2.20 billion in 2019.

L - R,: Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Group Managing Director/Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) Plc; Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CON, Past President, NSE and Chairman, Coronation Capital and Ms. Tinuade Awe, Chief Executive Officer, NGX Regulation (NGX RegCo), during a condolence visit to Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede, to commiserate with his family on the death of his mother Mrs. Emily Aig-Imoukhuede in Lagos on 20/7/2021.

Dangote Cement Becomes Pacesetter in IFRS Taxonomy

BY SAM DIALA

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angote Cement has become the first Nigerian listed company to report its financial results using IFRS taxonomy.

The highly capitalised firm announced that its financial information has been made available to investors in Xtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) format using the IFRS taxonomy.

XBRL enables companies to standardize the preparation, publishing, and exchange of financial information in a machinereadable format. It is mainly used by publicly listed companies which are required to use it by law, such as companies listed in the USA, Europe, and South Africa.

Data contained in the company’s third quarter 2020, Full Year 2020 and first quarter 2021 financial statements are now available in XBRL format.

Michel Puchercos, Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement, on the execution of XBRL, said “We believe that adopting XBRL reporting will strongly benefit Dangote Cement’s existing and potential investors. It represents another step in Dangote Cement’s continuing efforts to modernize and enhance transparency of, and access to, companies’ disclosures.”

According to him, the adoption of XBRL will “enable our publicly available financial information to be captured accurately and promptly, thus bringing uniformity of our results on all the

*Continued from Page 16

platforms and ensuring that investors and analysts who use these platforms have the correct information. Although XBRL reporting is not mandatory for companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange, it is becoming a universal format to exchange financial data and promotes the coordination of international reporting requirements.

“The implementation of XBRL demonstrates Dangote Cement’s strong dedication to reaching international reporting and corporate governance standards. As Africa’s leading cement producer, we are leading the way with our commitment to sustainability and best practice. We are driven by the goal of achieving the highest level of governance and building a prosperous and sustainable brand for all our stakeholders. Transparency and consistency are at the core of every part of our business culture.”

XBRL is a language for the electronic communication of business and financial data which is revolutionizing business reporting around the world. It provides major benefits in the preparation, analysis, and communication of business information.

It offers greater efficiency, improved accuracy, and reliability to all those involved in supplying or using financial data. It is already being put to practical use in several countries and implementations of XBRL are growing rapidly around the world.

For Dangote Cement, XBRL increases the usability of financial statement information. The need to re-key financial data for analytical and other purposes are now eliminated. By presenting its statements in XBRL, the company offers a lot of benefits to investors and other stakeholders.

“The company recorded a total revenue of 18.02 billion in the year under review, which represents 52 per cent decrease compared to 2019 revenue of 37.21 billion.”

Adetunji said it was noteworthy that NETCO secured the contract award for the Project Management Consultancy/ Owner’s Engineer Services for NNPC’s three Refineries Rehabilitation Projects as the Main Consultant for the first time.

He said it was also laudable that the company’s performance on several projects in the year under review was undeterred by the lock down and harsh economic terrain occasioned by the pandemic.

Adetunji commended the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, the NETCO management and staff as well as other stakeholders for the efforts towards achieving the company’s mandate.

Also, Mr Usman Baba, Managing Director, NETCO, explained that foreign exchange gains constituted 18.43 per cent of the 2019 profit before tax, while it accounts for 121 per cent in the year under review.

Baba noted that the pandemic resulted in negative growth in global businesses leading to low crude demand and reduced investments in most sectors, especially in the oil and gas industry.

He said the reduced industry translated to reduced industry activities for NETCO and other players in the sector, while some existing contracts were either suspended or renegotiated.

Baba said despite these challenges, NETCO was currently executing 15 key contracts in the industry and had continued to contribute to the development of in-country Engineering and Technical capacity.

He said NETCO also concluded training programme for 17 youths from Iru land who were provided with entrepreneurial skills in Fish farming, Computer Application/Web Design, Catering, Leather works, Beads making and Events Management.

...Contributors Unhappy With Scheme – Survey

Unfortunately, the implementation of the new contributory pension scheme across the 36 States of the Federation and Abuja as at September 2020 according to a publication by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is hardly encouraging as more than two thirds of States were yet to make significant record in the implementation of the new scheme in their States.

In April 2019, retirees, under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Contributory Pensioners, petitioned the House of Representatives to lament the delayed and non-payment of pensions to beneficiaries under the current scheme.

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In the memorandum submitted to the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Activities of the National Pension Commission, the NUCP condemned the CPS as being administered by PenCom, while calling for a reversal to the old system.

The pensioners particularly blamed pension laws and PenCom’s policies, alleging that the scheme was created to enrich PFAs while earning pittance for the contributors.

At a recent forum, the 3rd Annual Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria and the National Assembly Joint

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Committee for Establishment and Public Service of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Pension in Lagos, the participants agreed to push for a review of the RPA to increase the lump-sum being paid to retirees.

“There was a consensus that the lump-sum amount should be reviewed to address issues of adequacy and address contributors’ agitations”, the forum said in a communique issued at the end of the meeting.

Nigeria’s Pension Fund assets stood at N12.34 trillion as at March 2021 with above 70 percent borrowed by the Federal Government to finance infrastructure.

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK PHOTO EDITOR: PEACE UDUGBA [08033050729]

Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (left), with Emir of Daura, HRH Alh. Umar Faruk, during a courtesy visit to the palace by the Speaker on 22/7/ 2021.

Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Joseph Ari (L), presenting a souvenir to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Plateau State, Hussaini Pai, during the visit of the Commissioner to ITF in Jos on 19/7/2021.

L-R: Mr. Akin Osuntoki, Vice-President Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC); Mr. Kayode Falowo, immediate Past President NBCC; Mrs Bisi Adeyemi, President and Chairman of Council NBCC; Mr. Ray Atelly, Deputy President NBCC , and Mr. Seyi Adeyemi, Vice President NBCC., during the 2021 NBCC Annual General Meeting in Lekki Lagos on 21/7/2021.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (4th L), and his wife, Dolapo (3rd L), with the organizers of the ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organization’s inaugural dinner at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on 16/7/2921.

Former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (L), leading the Eid-El-Kabir prayer at the Murtala Mohammed Square praying ground in Kaduna on 20/7/21.

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L-R.Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu/ Vanguard Newspaper personality of the year, (left), congratulating Mr. Sijibomi Ogundele, Managing Director Sujimoto Construction Limited/ Vanguard Newspaper Young Entrepreneur of the year, during Vanguard Newspaper 2019/2020 award, held at Eko Hotel and Suite Lagos on 17/7/2021.

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ADEWALE AYUBA BONSUE FUJI EXPONENT THEWILLNIGERIA

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Artistes No Longer Make Money From Albums – Adewale Ayuba Bonsue Fuji musician, Adewale Ayuba, also known as Mr Johnson, speaks with SHADE METIBOGUN on the music industry, the state of the nation and his new role as the Bobaselu of Ikenne Remo. Excerpts:

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he last time you released a music album was in 2015.

What have you been doing since that time?

I released Reloaded four years ago. The delay in releasing another album is not my own making. It is due to a societal problem. You will spend so much money producing an album, but copyrights violators will not allow you to enjoy your work. I can’t even recover the money that I spent producing the album because they will steal the songs and reproduce them. Every Nigerian musician is a victim of piracy. We don’t make money from albums any more. It is a wasted effort.

We don’t want to keep wasting money, but our fans keep requesting more music. In fact, no record label will sign us now because they won’t make any profit from it. Record labels can only make their money through the sale and release of new albums, but they are also affected by piracy. Except government helps us to solve this problem, there is nothing that we can do about it. What we do nowadays is to remind music fans that we still exist. We can record a three-minute song and circulate it on social media, especially on YouTube, so that people will remember we still exist. Whenever we perform at an event, we make some videos so we can distribute them.

Do artistes really make money nowadays?

I am one of the luckiest artistes in Nigeria right now because of the type of music I play. I get invited to different functions, such as house warming parties, funerals and wedding ceremonies. Every blessed week I am always busy and they spray cash at most of the events. That is the only way we make money now. Recording new music albums is now a thing of the past.

Traditionally, a recording artiste should have about 20 staff.

Unfortunately, most artistes cannot afford it because they are barely making enough money to sustain themselves, not to talk of 20 other people. If an artiste engages 20 people to work for him, he has automatically reduced the number of unemployed people on the streets. Just imagine the number of artistes in Nigeria and the number of people they would have, under normal circumstances, taken off the streets.

As an artiste, one must also have a lawyer who will take care of the legal aspect of the business. Sadly, many of us don’t have the means to pay for the services of a lawyer. One should have a stage manager and a public relations manager, but I can’t afford them right now.

What is the way out of this challenge?

If there is a problem in this country who will Nigerians turn to? Of course, it has to be the government. Every state is supposed to enact a law that will take care of piracy. When one pirate is caught, the others will naturally run away, especially PAGE 38

when they realise that the government is after them.

The problem of piracy is beyond stakeholders in the entertainment industry. Stakeholders are losing a lot to pirates and other copyrights violators. We are not asking government to pump money into the entertainment sector or to release our albums for us. Many marketers are ready to do that for us if piracy, which is the major challenge facing every Nigerian artiste, is finally eradicated. It is our intellectual property that is at stake. If anybody steals our property, we are asking the government to help us put them in jail. If government can do this for us, we would be able to pay tax. If a government official comes to me now and demands tax, I will ask him where he wants me to get the money from. Even government is losing a lot of revenue in taxes to piracy.

Is that why people are no longer interested in making music?

That is it. About 15 years ago, record labels regularly signed new artists and splashed money on them.

That cannot happen again. When last did you read in the newspapers that a new artiste was signed? They are killing talents.

Sometime ago, I had an interview with an artiste and she said there was no record label in Nigeria anymore.

What is your take on that?

What is a record label? Is it not when you get signed and they spend money so that you can go to the studio and make good music? The record label expects to recover its capital and make profit through sale of the album. But pirates will not let them achieve this. You cannot blame record labels at all.

It doesn’t look as if the younger generation is interested in Fuji music nowadays. Why is this so?

Fuji music is very expensive to produce, compared to other genres of music. My band boys are 35 in number. Who can afford to take care of them? When I am performing, 22 are always with me on stage and they are all functioning at the same time. One of them takes care of the music equipment.

I have a stage manager and the one that will pack the equipment. How do we pay them? We do that through praise singing. How many star artistes can do that? They can’t play Fuji. They will prefer to go to the genre that they can do from their laptops. They will generate a tune and sing to it. When I started getting involved in the music industry, things were not like it is today. Sony music signed us and put N40 million on the table. Everything went on smoothly, but it was only for a while. Things are no longer like that. A record label is the number one destiny helper for every artiste.

Since the present crop of Nigerian artistes are not interested in Fuji and Apala brand of music, don’t you think that those genres are slowly dying?

It is still the same problem. They cannot manage whole music bands.

I can count the number of Juju musicians who are still active in this country. Only a few musicians are currently playing Juju.

The women call their brand of Apala music, Waka and they are also few. My studio is right here. I have spent a lot of THEWILLNIGERIA

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money on it. I have no other job I am doing, but if I dare it, I won’t make money from the album.

At what point did you break up with Akinlaja to sign a deal with Sony Music?

I produced five albums with Tijani Akinlaja. He is a very good man. He is like a father to some of us, but everything in life has its level. You cannot compare Sony Music to Success Records. Sony music is International, and they have all the packaging that can push you. My exit from Akinlaja’s Success Records was based on a mutual agreement. It was like leaving secondary school for the university. When I left, he wasn’t annoyed. He is my father till date. If you go to Ketu today, you will find him there. He printed all my oldies and I didn’t collect a dime from him. I didn’t take royalty from him.

Everything is in the hands of the government. We should all rise and tell the government what to do.

Many journalists have come to me and requested that I should sing about the state of affairs in the country, but I told them to also use their pen too. It is not about one person alone; we should all raise our voices until we are heard. When Abiola was in prison, I sang that they should release all political detainees. Abacha was looking for me after that. How many journalists reported that I was rotting away in America because of Abacha’s crisis? It was after Abacha died that I returned to the country. I have done my part. They should also do their part. You can’t write stuff again.

That is the state of things in this country now. We have mouth, but we cannot talk.

What is the secret behind your youthful looks?

I give God the glory. Let me also say that self-discipline is the secret. In all the time I have known King Sunny Ade, I have never seen him eating more than twice in a day. He eats just a small quantity of food. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. I attend social gatherings, but can’t see me getting drunk. I have never been to a nightclub.

If you happened to meet me there, it would be that I was there on duty, either to sing or to collect an award. That has always been my lifestyle. A lot of people ask me the same question. I just believe it is the way I live my life and the peace of mind that I have.

Would you say that life in exile was a blessing in disguise for you?

Yes, I will say it was a blessing in disguise for me, although I didn’t plan to relocate abroad. We all pray that we have the financial strength to send our children abroad because the education system in Nigeria is not working. Thank God that the government of Abacha sent me away. If not, I would not have found my wife.

My children and I wouldn’t be American citizens today. It was as if God knew where Nigeria was going and He decided to prepare me for it. I am really grateful for the opportunity.

It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a big blow on global entertainment. How has it affected you?

It has really affected us. In the early days of the pandemic, there were restrictions on the number of guests who could attend an event at a time. We had to cancel up to 20, if not more than 30, shows at the time.

I thank God that the hosts didn’t demand a refund of their money, only postponed the events.

You launched Bonsue clothing line some years ago, but we have not seen clothes made by that company for a while now. What happened?

When you don’t make enough money, all your plans take time to come to fruition. I had the dream about 15 years ago, but things did not go as planned. So, I had to focus on other priorities.

How did you come about the word Bonsue, the dance steps and the music style? What does it mean?

I give glory to God and my mother. That word Bonsue is the word they normally use to abuse me back in the days. When I was young, anytime my mother sent me on an errand, I would sing and dance all the way. By the time I reached my destination, I would have forgotten what I was asked to do. I would just stay there and not return home for fear of getting the beating of my life.

Each time she wanted to send me on errand, my mother would say to me, “Don’t go there and do bonsue. Just get what you were sent to get and come back home.”

I don’t know where she got that word from, but it just stuck with me and I decided to use it when I started singing professionally.

At first, it wasn’t easy. You know Nigeria record labels don’t really care about their artistes. They just want to make money from them. They don’t want someone they can groom from the scratch. Each time I went to them, they would ask me the kind of song I wanted to do. If I mentioned Bonsue, they would ask why I didn’t want to sing like Barrister. They mentioned other big names in the music industry and asked why I can’t sing like them. In the end they would ask me to THEWILLNIGERIA

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Do you plan to feature younger artistes in your works anytime in the nearest future?

How many of them are still singing now? It is the same thing affecting all of us.

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That word Bonsue is the word they normally use to abuse me back in the days. When I was young, anytime my mother sent me on an errand, I would sing and dance all the way. By the time I reached my destination, I would have forgotten what I was asked to do. I would just stay there and not return home for fear of getting the beating of my life

get out of their offices, but I thank God for my life and the journey so far today.

How were you able to break even with your kind of music?

There is a man called Tijani Akinlaja. He is the owner of Success Records. I went to him after I was rejected by different record labels. He said the same thing that others told me: that I was not a super star. But he offered me a partnership deal. He said I should raise 50 percent of the money required for recording my songs. I agreed and went to my mother and requested financial assistance. I told her about my conversation with Akinlaja and here we are today.

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When a man is conferred with a chieftaincy title in his home town, it means that he is nearing retirement and ready to settle down in the community. Does this explain why you were installed Bobaselu of IkenneRemo?

It is based on good will. After they had seen my achievements, the elders of Ikenne in Ogun State decided to honour me with a chieftaincy title. To me, it is like an award. As the Bobaselu of Ikenne Remo, it means that I am qualified to rule together with the king.

I have been doing that through my music. Now that I have a house in Ikenne, it means they want me to come home more often. I normally go but since I have my own house there, I may be frequenting the place. I am grateful for the honour and privilege given to me.

Do you think President Muhammadu Buhari would have performed better in office, if he was much younger?

You see, I can’t lie to you. Everything is not from Buhari. The man is just unlucky and at the same time, we Nigerians are stupid for electing someone who is this old as president. What can we do? Your votes don’t count anymore in Nigeria. Everything is based on corruption nowadays.

As Nigerians look forward to the 2023 general election, what is your advice to them, based on the collective experience under the present Federal Government?

I love this country, but Nigeria is too big to be one nation.

I also support restructuring 100 percent. I am not saying that Nigeria should divide or we should change our name so that everyone can go their separate ways. No, that is not what I mean. We have a system that worked for us in 1963 and that is regional government. That is the platform Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikwe used to give us free education, the best education in Nigeria and other good things that we enjoyed in the past. We didn’t have oil then. Abuja shouldn’t be the centre of everything. Let us go back to the regional system of government. If this fails to work out, then we should split.

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STORIES BY SHADE METIBOGUN

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Iyabo Ojo Celebrates Daughter’s Graduation

Dekalu

Tony Okoroji Hosts Wedding Party for Son in New York

Where is Lady Cobbler Boss, Tosin Dekalu?

The Okorojis

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his seems to be the question on the lips of clients and fans of Tosin Dekalu, a law graduate from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom, who relocated to Nigeria to resuscitate a shoe business her mother closed down some years ago. Not much has been heard about the beautiful lady who runs Lady Cobbler, the upscale shoe repair company in Lagos and people are wondering what she has been up to.

A quick check on Tosin’s social media pages indicates that her last post was in 2019, while her official business handle was updated in May this year. She was also last seen at a public function in 2019. She attended the Lagos Leather Fair where she was part of the master class conversation. The Ajose Adeogun branch of her business was closed down in 2020 when Covid-19 ravaged the world. Tosin cut her teeth in the shoe repair business under the tutelage of her mother, Lande Dekalu when she was a teenager.

She later left Nigeria to finish schooling abroad and came back later to start her career. She started in the banking sector before moving to Oil and Gas. In 2006, she resuscitated her mum’s shoe repair business “Lady Cobbler” and also opened branches across the state. The successful entrepreneur who was a regular face at social functions and shindigs has however recoiled into her shell and nothing has been heard about her in recent time.

Ojo & Daughter

ollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, recently rolled out the drums in celebration of her daughter, Priscilla Ajoke’s graduation from Babcock University, Illishan-Remo in Ogun State. The graduation party took place last Friday at Iyabo’s popular night club, Fespris Lounge in high-brow Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The event had in attendance friends of the actress, her daughter’s friends and some of her course mates. Earlier, Iyabo had announced that she was planning to host a party to celebrate her daughter’s achievement. She shared a video on her social media space to give her fans a glimpse of what to expect at the party. It was gathered that she spared no cost to ensure that all had more than enough to eat and drink at the party.

Celebrities who graced the occasion danced to live music from selected bands. Peter Okoye, aka Mr P, of the defunct Psquare, was there to celebrate with the Ojos. Priscilla is Iyabo’s second child and only daughter. She graduated from the Department of Media and Theatre Arts at Babcock University. Congratulatory messages and best wishes have been flooding her time line since she shared the good news with her fans and friends.

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bout two weeks ago, intellectual property activist and Chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria, Chief Tony Okoroji, hosted a glamorous wedding party for his only son, Anthony Okoroji, who got married to Andrea Azoro in New York, United States of America. The much talked about event took place at Jericho Terrace in Mineola, Long Island, New York.

Guests of the former PMAN President were camped for almost three days at the Hilton and Marriot Hotels, quite close to

the venue of the event. It was gathered that singer Bankole Wellington’s older sister, Didi George, was the wedding planner.

Apparently the Okorojis and the Azoros spared no cost to have a grand event as capable hands were on ground to ensure that all went smoothly and the party would be remembered for a long time. The three venues of the wedding ceremony were exquisitely decorated in such a manner that left many deeply impressed and gaping in wonder at the sheer flamboyance displayed by the hosts.

The event started with a religious ceremony officiated by a Nigerian Pastor, Foluso Akinbola and his wife, Toyin.

Afterwards, guests were treated to a cocktail and tasty chops before they proceeded to the banquet where Tony Okoroji thrilled guests and celebrants to a performance of his old hit song, Oriaku. The elated groom who couldn’t contain the joy joined his dad on stage for a rap rendition of the song before guests were treated to another round of delicacies on display at the event. Anthony Okoroji is based in Dallas, Texas. He works as a quality assurance specialist at Wells Fargo, an American bank, while his bride, works as a nurse in New York.

Tosin Martins Turns Minister Of The Gospel

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Toplis & Akwukwegbu

ollywood actress, Chioma Toplis has alleged that her sister, Grace Nkem and her husband, Uche James Akwukwegbu, also known as Bawas, are after her life.

According to the actress, her sister’s husband arranged some men to rape her, snap her naked pictures and ordered her killing,

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but one of the men he sent disclosed the secret to her.

The actress reported the case to the Police in Abuja and they started their investigation. However, some unknown gunmen dressed up in Police uniforms invaded her residence near the University of Lagos, Akoka campus and whisked her away to Abia State.

It was gathered that the men in uniform who came to arrest the beautiful actress were from the Assistant Inspector- General of Police office, Zone 9 in Umuahia.

They failed to present a warrant of arrest or any letter of invitation before picking her up. She was illegally detained for five days and granted bail on the sixth day.

Before she was granted bail, her health had deteriorated so much that she had to see a doctor. Her legs, which were in iron fixtures, were already swollen. It was gathered that the actress was referred to an orthopedic specialist who noticed some irregularities which she had to treat. Chioma’s case was reported to the AIG and Bawas’ arrest was authorised. The latter tried to evade arrest but was eventually invited to Abuja IRT office where he was detained. He was later released on bail after they were both interrogated by the Deputy Controller of Prison, Sunny Abu who issued a warning to the warring parties that they should allow the Police in Abuja to investigate the case without interference.

However, words of the DCP fell on deaf ears as Bawas continued his intimidation tactics. He allegedly sent Zone 9 men to arrest Chioma’s uncle who has been her witness and the one responsible for bailing her while she was in Police custody.

Martins

Chioma Toplis Alleges Death Threats From Sister, Brother In-Law

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onorous singer, Tosin Martins, has dumped his singing career for the gospel ministry. The handsome dude, who temporarily disappeared after releasing some hit singles, has set up a church in Lagos State. Known as the Franchise Church and located in Victoria Island, Tosin is the founder and Senior pastor of the church which he oversees with his wife.

Tosin Martins was a force to reckon with in the Inspirational music scene in mid 2000. His hit single, Olomi soon became an anthem after its release. It became the toast of every bride on her wedding day and most wedding ceremonies were incomplete without couples dancing to the sweet lyrics.The singer also released some other songs such as I do, O ti ya, Ololufe but they didn’t receive the kind of applause his first hit, Olomi had. The singer tried to resuscitate his career by staging a concert with Ebenezer Obey. It was a huge success but fans never heard much of him after that concert. Also, the love album project which would comprise of love songs the singer promised to release never saw the light of day till the father of two decided to go into ministerial work.

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JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY IVORY UKONU & SHADE METIBOGUN

he decade-long feud between Nollywood actresses, Genevieve Nnaji and Kate Henshaw, was finally quashed on July 20, 2021, same day the latter joined the golden jubilee club.

Genevieve took out time to post Kate’s photo on her page and wished her nothing but the happiest of birthdays she had ever experienced. Many were undoubtedly shocked at this gesture. This is quite understandable.

So bad was their feud that when Genevieve celebrated her 40th birthday a few years ago, she invited herself and Kate’s mutual friends, all of who are of the old Nollywood school, to her beach party which trended for days and conspicuously missing was Kate. Well now, all that is in the past as the single mothers are now back to being friends again.

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Genevieve Nnaji Reconciles with Kate Henshaw

First, Genevieve is a recluse who hardly keeps friends. While she has only one or two people outside of the entertainment industry she calls her friends, she isn’t exactly friendly with her colleagues and only relates with not more than three of them whom everyone knows.

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Nnaji & Henshaw

Also, even with the ones she relates with, she would never be caught celebrating them and their milestones on her social media page. So it came as a pleasant surprise when she not only decided to end her beef with Kate, but also celebrate her on her page as Kate clocked 50.

Expectedly, Kate was besides herself with joy as she quickly acknowledge the show of love from Genevieve.

The duo, who used to be very good friends, became sworn enemies almost a decade ago for reasons they are not willing to reveal. Sources say their mutual friends have tried to wade in to resolve the issue between them, but it always proved abortive.

Yewande Zaccheus Makes Nollywood Debut

Why Jim Iyke Rarely Appears in Nollywood Movies

Iyke

First Award for Ikorodu Bois

ewande Zaccheus, the founder of foremost event planning company in Lagos state, Eventful, has launched her movie making career with the release of her debut effort, The Wait. Yewande, whose event planning business seems to have taken a back seat, released the muchanticipated movie some weeks ago and it has been applauded as a brilliant effort. The movie was first screened in her church, The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju about two weeks ago and it is already showing in cinemas across the state. The newest movie producer in town is not stopping at producing just one movie as she is ready to embrace more opportunities as they come her way. The movie was inspired by Yewande’s faithbased book titled, ‘God’s Waiting Room’ and the challenges of combating nine years of secondary infertility before having her second child, Iretidayo. The movie revolves around the lives of different individuals and families as they try to navigate the disappointments and obstacles while waiting for their moment of change. It parades a cast comprising notable Nollywood actors and actresses, such as Nse Ikpe-Etim, Deyemi Okanlawon and Jimmy Odukoya, as well as some up-and-coming actors in Nollywood. Besides her new found love, Yewande is also the convener of Fiesta of Flavours, an annual food and beverage fair; The Beauty Souk, a niche fair for beauty enthusiasts; The Fashion Souk, a fashion fair showcasing the value chain of the fashion business and The Street Souk, a fair for millennials featuring urban street wears.

Ikorodu Bois

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opular social media mimickers, Ikorodu Bois, are reaping the reward of their creativity. The group recently clinched their first award. They were recently presented with the Force of Virality Award by Trendsupp Africa, Nigeria’s first-ever influencer and content creator company that rewards creative social media platforms with support by publishing their exclusive content and building direct relationships with their fans. The award was given to Ikorodu Bois, based on the fact that they had mastered the art of making lasting impressions with contents that command a large number of reposts, likes and shares on the social media. The elated Instagram influencers, who THEWILLNIGERIA

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couldn’t hide their joy, thanked their fans for supporting and encouraging them in the course of their journey to greatness.

The talented Ikorodu Bois had earlier been featured in a Netflix advert displayed on Broadway, Manhattan and Time Square, New York City. The advert had a clip of one of their trailer remakes. Made up of five boys, Abdulganiu (16), Muiz (16), Fawas (13) Maleek (11), Babatunde (22) and their younger sister Faridah (5), they came into the limelight after the oldest member, Babatunde, posted a video of his brothers mimicking American rapper and designer, Kanye West. The video got the attention of people and started a conversation about how talented they were.

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nce upon a time, James Ikechukwu Esomugha, also known as Jim Iyke, was the toast of ladies and Nollywood producers whose movies weren’t complete without his presence on the cast. His rise to prominence was swift, ultimately earning him a tag as the ‘bad boy’ of Nollywood due to the stereotypical roles he played in the movies. With his acting skills and handsome face, many movie lovers thought he would grace the screen and rule the movie industry for many decades, but they were disappointed when he took a long break from the industry. Jim Iyke later returned to acting, appearing in a few selected movies, while also producing his own movies. With scripts coming in almost every day, he soon became one of the highest earning actors and producers started avoiding him because they could no longer afford his fees. He joined a certain class of high-profile actors and actresses, such as Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola JaladeEkeinde and Rita Dominic, who rarely got movie roles due to the exorbitant fees they charge. Sources claim that the actor charges up to N1 million for a major role in a movie and this is often beyond the budgets of most producers. As a result, the University of Jos graduate decided to venture into music. He launched a music label ‘Untamed Records’ and also released his first music album, Who am I, in which he featured Tuface Idibia. Now a serial entrepreneur, the talented actor has said he would gladly accept a movie role if the money is right.

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JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

LIFE

Danger of Using Earphones on Busy Roads

BY JOY ONUOHA

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alking on a busy road with earphones turned on can be quite dangerous. The number of people, whose lives are endangered by earphones, investigation shows, have increased in recent times.

Earphones and similar gadgets, no doubt, have been elevated to the level of a fad nowadays and walking on major roads have become a cultural habit amongst Nigerian youths. Many lives have been lost to road accidents and domestic accidents triggered by the use of such gadgets, while others have been kidnapped sustained severe injuries.

In September 2020, for instance, a female corps member reportedly was knocked down by a speeding train in Ikeja, Lagos. The tragic incident occurred right in the presence of passersby. Eye witness accounts claimed that the corps member was walking down the railway line, oblivious of the approaching train and calls from other pedestrians to get out of the way.

The young woman had been unable to hear the sound of the train’s horn honking desperately because her ears were already stuffed with a pair of earphones. Although shouts rang out from different directions, she was already deaf to the bedlam around her.

When she was a few inches to the rail line, some desperate onlookers, in a last-ditch attempted to save her from certain death, tried to physically drag her to safety. Instead she ran away, to the chagrin of all. The passing train, which had at this time slowed down because it was going to make a stop at the Ikeja train station, hit her and flung her off the rail tracks.

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Although the corps member was still breathing when passersby rushed to her, her right leg and left arm were already mangled and she sustained serious injuries on her blood-soaked face. She was rushed to a nearby hospital.

But it was too late, she died.

There have been similar incidents across Nigeria, all of which are pointers to the danger posed by earphones to human lives. For example, a 23-year-old final year student, Fisayo Ajibade’s world almost came tumbling down due to unguided use of earphones.

In an interview with THEWILL, he disclosed that he once had a close shave with death in a road accident, no thanks to a pair of earphones he had on while driving.

Ajibade confessed that since the incident he has kept a safe distance from earphones and now speaks against their use.

Another victim named Nonso Chikodi narrated her experience to THEWILL. Chikodi, who was an addicted user of head phones had them in her ears one fateful Thursday when the building where she lived suddenly caught fire. All the other tenants were evacuating the premises except Chikodi whose ears were stuffed and who was in the dark about what was happening around.

She did not hear the shouts and cries of her neighbours until it almost became too late. The fire got to her apartment and for a while, she was unable to find her way out. Eventually, she did but not without severe burns whose scars are visible on her body to date.

Also, Mr and Mrs Ekene, in another interview with TheWill, expressed their displeasure for the constant use of earphones and headphones by their children. The couple recounted how one of their sons, Julius, over time

developed a problem in his ears and after several tests, they were informed by a doctor that it was caused by constant exposure to loud noise over time.

According to Mrs Ekene, Julius’ ears were always releasing smelly fluid and they had to spend a lot of money on his treatment in a specialist hospital. That experience was what prompted the ban of that item in their home.

Similarly, Mrs Ronke lamented that her 17-year-old son, Jide, was once knocked down by a motorcycle due to his addiction to earplugs. Fortunately, he was rushed to a nearby hospital by some good samaritans and was treated.

Jide’s Mum also shared with THEWILL that even with that experience, her son still sleeps, eats, goes to school and does everything with his plugs on.

Mr Femi Akinsanya, a father of two also shared a not so different experience. Akinsanya said he was made to stay outside the gate of his residence for more than two hours because his son wouldn’t hear him honking his car horn and his phone’s battery was flat. According to him, he was out until his wife came back and dialled he boy’s phone number. After that experience, Akinsanya said he employed the services of a gatekeeper and banned the use of earplugs in his house.

There are other harmful effects associated with the excessive use of earphones.

According to research, hearing loss and ear infection (persistent itching, ringing in the ear, (tinnitus), discharge (an oozing substance that keeps appearing), sound distortion, severe pain in the head and the feeling of stiffness or fullness in the ear canal), have been largely identified as the effects of excessive use of earplugs or headphones.

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JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

NEWS EXTRA Online Registration: INEC Captures 9,261 New Voters in C’River

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR he Independent National Electoral Commission in Cross River State has captured the biometrics of 9, 261 new voters in the state.

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The voters were captured during the online voters registration process embarked upon by the commission.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, Emmanuel Hart, disclosed this in Calabar after a meeting of the Cross River State Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.

L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Sen. Smart Adeyemi; Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Sen. Nnolim Nnaji, during the committee’s visit to the Governor in Ibadan on 22/7/2021.

930,000 Women, Children to Receive Free Health Services in Cross River

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

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o fewer than 930,000 women and children are expected to receive free health services and kits in the state as the Cross River State Government flags off this year’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week.

The annual exercise is a high impact health intervention with artnership with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and other development partners. It was flagged off by the wife of the governor and Chairperson of Cross River State Women Empowerment Initiative, Dr Linda Ayade, at Bogobiri, a Muslim dominated suburb of Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

These comprised 30, 000 pregnant mothers who will be given mosquito nets and other supplements while 900,000 children will be vaccinated against polio.

“During this year’s MNCHW, 900,000 will be given the Inactivated Polio Vaccination while 30,000 pregnant women will receive medical kits and access services. This is an opportunity to ensure that pregnant women have access to all supplements and also ensure that children are dewormed and access needed vaccines,” she said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said the idea was to reach women and children with the best services.

Mrs Ayade called on women to key into the exercise as it had immense benefits to their health, that of their unborn child and their children.

She said the injectable polio vaccines would be administered so as to prevent a possible outbreak of the disease in the state.

Giving details of the exercise, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, the Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said it would target 930, 000 mothers and children.

She said the state government was committed to reducing the mortality rate among pregnant women and children to a very insignificant level and ultimately achieve universal health coverage.

My Appointment As Sarkin Dawaki, Call to Duty – DCP Sule

FROM MUSA DISO, KANO

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he newly appointed Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta Gaya, DCP Balarabe Sule, has thanked the Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir, For choosing him to serve in the Emirate Council.

Sule Assured that he would justify the confidence reposed on him by embarking on activities that will raise up the standard of the people in the area.

The new Sarkin Dawaki described his appointment as a call to duty and service, saying that no responsible and illustrious son of Gaya would run or sit to watch or refuse to serve his peoples at a time when society needs him most.

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The DCP Kano command lamented that the symbol of serving the traditional institution must be supported by all the sons and daughters of Gaya.

He explained that he accepted the added responsibility with a task in mind, knowing fully well that he had less time for himself.

He said the exercise thus far has been widely acceptable, user friendly and yielding results.

The new voters from Cross River, he noted, were among 752,011 Nigerians registered online across the country.

He said, “The online system has proven to be widely acceptable and user friendly and already yielding results as a total of 752,011 Nigerians has registered online nationwide within three weeks out of which 9, 261 enrolled in Cross River”, he said.

He also disclosed that the second method of registration, the In-person (physical registration) will commence from the 26th of July and will be carried out at the state office and the 18 local government areas across the state.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Cross River State Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, Sikiru Akande, assured of maximum security during the exercise.

Akande, who is also the Commissioner of Police said the security agencies would continue to partner with INEC.

‘Father of Adult Education’ Dies @ 74

FROM MUSA DISO, KANO he Founder, proprietor and director of Masallaci Adult Education Centre, Shahuci Kano, Malam Garba Babanladi Satatima, has passed on .

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Aged 74, Satatima died penultimate Tuesday, after a protracted illness. He is survived by three wives, 47 children’s and many grandchildren’s. The late Barden Madakin Kano was the first northerner to be awarded by the famous Nigerian university of Ibadan for initiating a private non-formal adults education centre purposely to enhance public awareness in the mass literacy.

He urged the people of the Emirate to support the emir in his effort to move the Emirate to a greater height.

In his condolence message, Abdullahi Garba described the death of Satatima as a great loss to Kano State and Nigeria as a whole. According to him, the passing of the deceased is a testimony to the transient nature of human life, especially on this side of the globe.

Alhaji Balarabe commended the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for creating more Emirates in the State and this will Definitely boost the socio-economic development of the Kano State.

Garba also described the late Satatima as a good father and mentor whose philanthropist gestures cut across cultural, religious and ethnic boundaries, adding that he would be remembered.

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JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

ARTS Austin Avuru: A Safe Pair of Hands by Peju Akande and Toni Kan, Lagos, Radi8 Limited, 223pp

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

Sweet Smile of Success

woman, Austin Avuru had hoped to read Business Admin in university. But Abba persuaded the brilliant chap to study Geology.

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nglo-Irish writer, Elizabeth Bowen, once mused that “writers do not find subjects, subjects find them.”

Nothing could be truer of this admirable bio about one of the best oil and gas men in Nigeria. It is just very possible that, given his immense contributions to the O&G industry in the country and beyond, one or two individuals would have approached him to write his biography.

Needless to say that by the time Austin Avuru got admission to read Geology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he continued his streak of academic excellence, graduating the top of his class and giving the valedictory address – mother, uncle, sister and wife-to-be present in the auditorium. “The first four years I spent at Nsukka have been the most interesting years of my life,” the subject told his biographers. Why not?

Somehow, his path crossed with Toni Kan’s, co-author of Austin Avuru: A Safe Pair of Hands after a previous publication in Vanguard newspaper in September of 2018.

Austin Avuru, erstwhile CEO of Seplat Petroleum, was bowled over by the piece in the Nigerian daily. By the time he was ready for a bio, he looked no further than the pair of Toni Kan and his partner, Peju Akande, lending credence to Bowen’s quip that subjects do, indeed, find writers.

Apart from being a university valedictorian, he also broadened his social horizon for as the authors write, “it was in Nsukka that he came of age and discovered that there was a much wider world beyond the provincial locale of his beloved Abbi.”

Something must be said for the duo of Toni Kan and Peju Akande. Apart from running the same public relations company, Radi8, they are fast becoming the biography couple of Nigeria, if not the only one. Together, they have written no fewer than half a dozen bios of prominent Nigerians, among them Julius Agwu, Ali Baba, Oba Elegushi, DJ Jimmy Jatts, Newton Jibunoh. SO Shonibare, and ghost-written some more.

Austin Avuru would also distinguish himself in his professional career, starting from his youth service with NNPC, subsequent employment there, his stint with Allied Energy founded by Kase Lawal, his mentor and former boss.

Like Abba the Mathematics instructor at OGS, Austin Avuru considers Lawal as the man that had the most influence in his life professionally. And the authors capture this largerthan-life entrepreneur deservingly: An entrepreneur, they write, “who brought Conoco into Nigeria;…is reputed to have facilitated the coming of MTN into the country, friend of presidents, confidant of princes and best friend of kings.”

Austin Avuru: A Safe Pair of Hands is the latest addition to their oeuvre. It is a remarkable story about a remarkable man told in sequential order from his early years through adolescence to adulthood. At every point, there is something to surprise, sadden or delight readers, the story of a complete man who experienced the rough patches of life as well as the sail overs.

From the portrait painted by the authors, Austin Avuru is clearly a dynamo of a man destined for greatness despite the odds stacked against him right from childhood. He was only six-plus when his father, Stephen Chukwusa Avuru, died of peptic ulcer in their natal town, Abbi in Delta state.

Though a migrant farmer in faraway Ipetu-Ijesha in Ekiti/ Ondo state, Avuru Senior fell ill at his place of work, returned home to Abbi with a young wife and four children in tow. Operated on at Baptist Hospital Eku, a nearby town to Abbi, he was asked to come for post-surgery check-up.

He died before the appointed day. Thus was Austin Avuru, not yet seven, denied paternal love and care most of his peers enjoyed.

Worse still, there was no photograph to remember his father by. The only memory of him, Austin Avuru narrated to his biographers, is sitting astride his shoulders and making the rounds at Ipetu-Ijesha, “the smell of the pomade his father applied generously to his dark, curly hair” filling his nostrils.

Nothing destabilizes a growing lad most than losing a parent as a child, no father out there to hug you, to playfully ruffle your hair, tickle you in the ribs or even regale you with nighttime tales. It is even worse if you don’t have any photograph of the deceased to jog your memory, at least what he looked like. Austin Avuru endured all that from very early on in life, having only uncles, aunts, mother and sisters to look up to as family.

Thus did his mother step in as a father, providing all her children’s needs, completing her husband’s nine-bedroom, unroofed building in Abbi. An uncommonly industrious woman and widowed at 32, Cecila Idodo Avuru had to remarry for obvious reasons: first of, she was too young to be a single parent. Second, she needed some possible assistance to take care of her growing brood, provide something like a father figure for them.

Enter a wealthy Abbi merchant, Aniujem Ifekam, who already had children of his own from a previous marriage to two wives. By the time Cecilia joined Ifekam in his home, she became the mother of the house caring for close to a dozen children: five males and six females. Unlike a typical querulous and divisive stepmother, Cecilia treated all the

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children equally. “She really took care of us,” Austin Avuru recalled of those growing up years in a stepfather’s home.

“Her children for the man, the man’s nephews, all 11 of us who lived in that house…there was no discrimination.”

True, Cecilia doted on all the children in the house, gave them equal opportunities to excel in life. Before her husband died prematurely at 51, he had promised to educate his children, especially his only son, Austin. Mrs. Cecilia Avuru made that possible.

A Safe Pair of Hands is helpfully sectioned into chapters that segue into one another seamlessly such that it will not task any reader’s intellect, in easy to read and flowing prose. If you read the chapters independently, readers will still have a hang of the story. This is the beauty of this book.

The chapter on the matriarch, for instance, shows her like mother hen aggressively protective of her brood. On one occasion after her spouse’s demise, an intruder rapped on their door at home in Abbi. It was late in the night. It would have scared even some male folk in the house. But not his mother! Machete in hand, the matriarch made for the entrance to confront whoever was out there.

The book is pretty much about the oil man himself but the authors show how much of his mother’s influence and guidance rubbed off on him. But it is Austin Avuru who took direct control of his academic life right from the onset.

Born with uncommon intelligence, Austin Avuru demonstrated his intellectual superiority early on in school, in primary school and then Orogun Grammar School, Orogun, an institution founded by Chief Demas Akpore, an institution he “conceived as a place of learning and sporting excellence devoid of religious ideology.”

It was at OGS that Austin Avuru would experience a defining moment in his life by way of a chain-smoking, Mathematics teacher, Solomon Abba who is now Professor emeritus at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. As a student at OGS Austin Avuru was drawn more to the social sciences.

But once he and his townsman, Pius Opute met Abba as students, his destiny was shaped for good. Son of a business

Taking his early lessons from his mentor, Austin Avuru would make the best of the companies he himself set up, first Platform Petroleum and then Seplat, which he cofounded with ABC Orjiako. Of course, in no time, Austin Avuru made Seplat into one of the best O&G industries in the country, listed both on the NSE and LSE. If his professional life ran smoothly, it was not exactly so with his personal life in the beginning. He was married for more than 24 years without a child because his first wife, Alice, suffered several miscarriages. As an only son and weighed down under an impossible culture where people frown on childless marriages, Austin Avuru could do nothing but bear the situation with the calmness worthy of a stoic philosopher. And then the same wife died due to a sudden asthma attack right in his hands.

In one of his numerous misadventures caused mostly by nature and sometimes his wanderlust, Ali Baba of the Arabian tales was comforted with the immortal phrase: “Close thine eyes and whilst thou sleepest, heaven will change thine fortune from evil to good.”

It was so with the unruffled Austin Avuru. Before his wife died, he had met and fathered a child with another woman, a doctoral student at University of Ibadan. They both had a daughter. But the former CEO of Seplat is now happily married with children, all of them in a photo-ops with their parents in some of the pages in A Safe Hands.

Which brings up the title of the book. Any discerning reader will know why the authors chose it. It is the subject’s magnanimity in helping others – individuals, institutions, churches and just about whoever he deems fit to be assisted. Asked once what spurs his generosity, Austin Avuru replied thusly: “It gives me a lot of satisfaction, so much satisfaction, probably more than anything else. When you give and you see the satisfaction in the person you have given to , something beautiful happens.”

A Safe Pair of Hands is all of a piece, from what readers encounter in the book and the cover photograph itself. It is sometimes said you can judge the content of a book from its cover. That is completely true with A Safe pair of Hands.

A medium shot of the subject smiling, in a three-quarter pose, hair sprinkled with sagely white, an angled visage with a direct gaze, it is a smile of confidence, a smile of one who has seen it all – the rugged terrain and the smooth rides – a sweet smile of success for sure.

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TOURISM

African-French Dialogue Set to Promote Nigerians Creativity, Unveils Summit 2021 Plans

being guards of their own works. They keep saying whom they are and what they tend to do with sincerity of purpose but there is no financial support for them to carry on. We pay attention to have representation from other fields in other people to engage in cinema, poetry and others.

We actually had always given some funds and there are some programmes between France and Nigeria at different levels, at state and there is also French institutions partnership with Nigeria institution and the idea is to develop more and more of this kind of relationship.

Macron

“It is the very first time this kind of summit would be taking place. We are very optimistic about the outcomes so far.

Those who are in the France and those who aspire to work at international level can achieve that. The expectation is to give a platform in showcasing them to have right partners which will enable them build their desired talents.

STORIES BY JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR ngagement and Interaction at the debut NigeriaFrance dialogue all formed essential starting points that will foster relationship between both countries.

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The round table discussion recently organised by the French Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, took place at Alliance Française of Lagos. And the general purpose was to promote Nigerian’s creative industry through upcoming artistes.

With the theme “Isn’t Africa already at the heart of creativity” it is meant to encourage organisers to share or disseminate ideas and opinions from the creative industry with participants present at the forthcoming 2021 October Summit in Montpellier.

THEWILL observed that the dialogue was to value the ideas from people that are working daily on that field, find new way for collaboration in order to deploy more balance in terms of partnership between France and Nigeria.

Members of the panel discussion include Judith Okonkwo, Founder of Imisi 3D, a creation lab, Kolapo Oladapo, Head of Technology & Strategy for Clout Africa, Kenneth Gyang, Director as well as Wana Udobang, Storyteller. Meanwhile

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the event witnessed Derin Ajao, journalist as moderator.

Cultural Attaché, Embassy of France, Cooperation and Cultural Affairs European Union, Christelle Folly, said that, “Nigeria for France is quite important, especially for our President because he knows Nigeria and he came first here when he was a student and lived in Lagos for three months.

So there is a special link between him and Nigeria and this thing is still active since days back. And I am sure the idea of this new summit is also to renew the relationships between France and African countries and especially Nigeria…we can imagine the new part together and to develop more sustainable partnership.

“For France, Nigeria and Africa culture is very good and there are lot of platforms and spaces. And we are very willing to work with Nigeria’s artists and creatives and I think this is the way to achieve co-operation, co-creation and to also to create more project together and to make money also because at some points we need money. Idea is very important and essential but we need money also to achieve this.

“We are really thinking that they are upcoming artists and they have a singular way of thinking and way they have

Hospitality Suffers Revenue Fall

s the world heads back to business, hospitality sector, one of the sectors that has suffered most at the hands of COVID-19 is progressing with difficulty, such that hotel revenue generation has dropped by 50 percent.

THEWILL newspaper gathered that even on the verge of Lagos State through Federal Government was easing lockdown, hotels remained the last to unrest. In a bid to reduce spread during the pandemic, authorities in Nigeria banned people from accessing hotels across the states.

Meanwhile, hotelier lamented that government taxes kill their business. And in a bid to tackle the side effect of the pandemic, one of the sector players has called for a thriving hospitality environment.

President, Lagos State Small and Medium Enterprise Hotels, Mr. Jamiu Talabi, has revealed that the hospitality customers were potentially pleasure seekers but that hoteliers have been financially trapped.

According to Talabi, the main patronage came from those with disposable income. And those set of people are being affected.

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“We are still there and we have not got over them because during the lockdown there are some expenses we were incurring, which include electricity bills and staff wages.

During the lockdown we asked some of our staff to stay back despite the fact that we are not making money but we retain them especially the maintenance and the security people.

We kept on maintaining them and these categories of staff would be needed to retain and of course we maintained them.

There is also other challenge such as government taxes and levies, although, Lagos State Government was considerate enough that they waved some taxes and levies at the easing COVID-19 lockdown. But we have not started seeing the effect of the waver in our business and this is because the economy is bad, hitherto patronage is low.

Virtually all the spectrum of government have one levy or more to collect from the sector. Particularly, after lockdown we came to business and we all knew the thing affected government revenue, some of them even increased what we were been paying before and some of them were magnanimous enough to reduce and some waved to 2021.

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Audio/Visual Attaché of the France Embassy, Yoann Talhouame, pointed out that the embassy organised first dialogue in the framework of upcoming African summit friends that would take place in October, 2021, as the first dialogue, the idea was centered on creative sector in Nigeria.

The idea is to pick panelists that would represent sectors that are already booming in Nigeria such as music, cinema, literature and the sectors are important to us and that’s the sector of importance to France. They are sectors that are commonly interesting between the two countries. We also picked the panelists with the way creation is working in Nigeria and how the sectors are developing and how relationship with France could be either creative developed or even input.

“We will be having up to five dialogues before the summit with different topics such as climate change, innovation, creativity among others.

“It will really be going to create a better understanding between the two countries. We have really talked about authenticity of keeping and preserving Nigerian specialties and it is really important to note that as much as Nigeria and France relationship is green both would also promote their culture.”

Plans Afoot to Make ‘Hoteliers Smile’ Again

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he Jamiu Talabi-led executive members have been writing to about four government parastatals and initiated discussion with them as regards the association’s intent or intention to move hotel business forward. We are with the management team of Lagos State Environment Protection Agency, Lagos State Safety Commission, Lagos Waste Management Authority and Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, said Talabi, Who already understood government saddled with the responsibility either to pay salaries, or have bills to pay. It means they equally need to cover the damage infrastructure around but it has to be reasonable. They should deem it fit to put into consideration how the business owners are surviving.

What was more, he said, for example you give someone bill of a 100,000 to pay and the person is unable to pay and you want to clampdown and you want to seal the business premises. Instead, he asked would that seal be able to bring the money, while they were operating they couldn’t meet up and now you want to clampdown.

“Hoteliers are law abiding citizens and we want to fulfill our own obligations as business operators but there is need to be reasonable and consider us.”

A CALL FOR ‘INNOVATIONS’ There are quite a number for ourselves. I have rolled out something we have to do. We intend to take some of the things to do the doorstep of our colleagues and for some of them that feel unconcerned and for them to see what we are doing.

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SportsLive

Tokyo Olympics: Team Nigeria Ready to Do Country Proud

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

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s Odunayo Adekuoroye, one of Nigeria’s medal hopefuls at the Tokyo Olympic Games, marched excitedly in front of the country’s 60-athlete strong contingent at the opening ceremony of the event, the pride of Nigeria’s best was on display for the world to see.

Resplendent in their sport attires, these men and women had an extra year of great expectations with the postponement of the Games from the previous July 24 to August 9 schedule from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They toiled in self sacrifice, pushed themselves beyond their limits on endurance and resilience to achieve their goals of crossing the line to become Olympians.

As Nigerian athletes have done since the country made its debut in the 1952 Summer Olympics, the XV Olympiad, that held from July 19 to August 3 of that year in Helsinki, Finland (apart from African boycott of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal), they held aloft the Green-White-Green flag as it fluttered above the summer breeze of the host city to announce the presence of Africa’s only Football gold medal winner with her ambassadors ready to do more.

Nigeria’s hope for medals in the 10 sporting events that will feature at the games rests squarely on the shoulders of these ambassadors. In the absence of representation in football, Team Nigeria will challenge for podium-finishes in events ranging from Athletics to Wrestling and from Basketball to Taekwondo.

Below, THEWILL has collected the ultimate guide to follow the Nigerian contingent with information about the athletes that will be competing for medals in each of the 10 events and, where applicable, the groups they have been drawn in including their opponents in each group, standing in their way towards the ultimate Olympic success: gold.

Barring unforeseen occurrences, such as injuries or COVID-19 positive tests, all 60 athletes that are flying the country’s flag will face opponents in Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, Gymnastics, Rowing, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo and Wrestling.

Nigeria will be represented at the 100m event by the trio of Enoch Adegoke, Usheoritse Itsekiri and Divine Oduduru.

THEWILL recalls that Oduduru holds a personal best record of 9.86 seconds for the 100m and the Nigerian national record of 19.73 seconds for the 200m, a distance for which he is the sole male athlete for the country in Tokyo. He is also a two-time Nigerian national champion and four-time NCAA champion in American collegiate competition, running for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

In the women’s events, Nigeria’s only 100m hurdles ambassador is Tobi Amusan, while Africa’s sprint queen Blessing Okagbare and Rosemary Chukwuma will compete in the 100m dash.

Okagbare is a strong medal contender for Nigeria. The long jump Olympic and World Championships medalist and 200m world medalist also holds the Women’s 100m Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds. But, she will be up against Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price’s record time of 10.63s.

Favour Ofili and Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha will compete together with Okagbare in the 200m and Patience Okon George will challenge in the 400m race. Meanwhile, the quartet of Chukwuma, Nwokocha, Ofili and Okagbare will chase the country’s 4x100m relay glory.

In the other relay event, the 4x400m, the athletes to race for gold while exchanging their batons are Samson Oghenewegba Nathaniel, Chidi Okezie, Glory Patrick and Imaobong Nse Uko. For the Field events, there is only one male in contention: Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who is entered in the Men’s shot put event. In the rest, Ese Brume will compete in the Women’s long jump, Annette Echikunwoke in the Women’s hammer throw, Chioma Onyekwere in the Women’s discus throw, Ruth Usoro in the Women’s long jump event on the one hand and the Women’s triple jump on the other.

There are three badminton players for Team Nigeria at the

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Badminton events in Tokyo. The Men’s Doubles event will see two of Africa’s best Godwin Olofua and Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori represent Nigeria against Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe of Japan in the first group matchup and against the pair of Kim Astrup Sorensen and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in the second. In the third, their opponents will be Russians Vladimir Alexandrovich Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov.

Nigeria’s female badminton player, Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan, will face Clara Azurmendi of Spain and An Se-young of South Korean in her Women’s Singles Group games to have a chance at the elimination stage of the competition.

Basketball will be an interesting event to watch for both the male and female teams of Nigeria. This was made even more appealing after D’Tigers, who qualified as the highest-ranked African squad, gave the world champions and highest ranked team in the world, the US basketball team, the shocker of the year with a winning-streak breaking victory during their preOlympic warm-up exhibition matches recently in Las Vegas.

Although they later lost by a huge margin to the most improved side this year, the Boomers of Australia, they hold a lot of promise coming into Tokyo. Their report card from the 2019 Basketball world cup that qualified them for Tokyo illustrated their African leadership and the edge to go far at the Olympics, especially with the difference the NBA coach Mike Brown has made to the squad.

The same can be said for the D’Tigress as well. They may have lost their own exhibition match against the U.S team, which happens to be in their group at the Olympics, in just the same way Australia is drawn in the same group as D’Tigers, Nigeria’s female basketball team has been able to recruit some foreign talent that Nigeria’s coach, Otis Hughley Jr. can blend together with his squad to produce some beautiful results at the Games.

Although an appeal to the world basketball governing body to allow former American basketball players with Nigerian origins, Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams, to play for D’Tigress and bolster their chances in Tokyo was denied, the female squad of Hughley Jr. will include Erica Ogwumike and a cast of good players including Elizabeth Balogun and Promise Amukamara.

The rest are Adaora Elonu, Atonye Nyingifa, Ezinne Kalu, Victoria Macaulay, Ify Ibekwe, Oderah Chidom, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah, Aisha Mohammed and Amy Okonkwo.

And they are up against Group B opposition in Japan, France

and the USA for a spot in the next round to be keep their podium finish objective intact.

The men’s squad forged through the crucible of coach Brown’s determination to see D’Tigers make a difference for Africa and for Nigeria in this year’s Games include some experienced and talented Nigerians playing basketball at the top of the Basketball food chain whom Brown has reposed the confidence of improving on their sensational victory over Team USA. Of the 12-man final squad only four: Caleb Agada, Ekpe Udoh, Obi Emegano and Ike Nwamu, play outside the NBA. The rest are at the top of their game in America’s most prestigious basketball competition plying their trade with the best of the best including Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Gabe Vincent, Jordan Nwora, Precious Achiuwu, Jahlil Okafor, KZ Okpala and Miye Oni. They will hope to survive Group B challengers, the strong Australia, Germany and Italy to progress.

Nigeria will mount a maiden challenge in canoeing after Ayomide Emmanuel Bello qualified for the single boat Women’s C-1 200m competition. The brilliant canoeist obtained her slot in the Olympics by her gold winning performance at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco. As a result, she goes into the records as Nigeria’s first ever Olympian in the event whilst marking the country’s Olympic debut in this sporting discipline as a whole.

There is another debut for the country because an artistic gymnast travelled along with Team Nigeria contingent.

Male gymnast, Uche Eke, successfully booked a spot for his event with a third place finish at the men’s individual allaround and apparatus events at the 2021 African Gymnastics Championships in Cairo, the other first for Nigeria.

In the Women’s Singles Sculls event, Nigeria also qualified one boat in the B-final while securing the last of five berths available at the 2019 FISA African Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia. This means Esther Toko will represent the country in Tokyo.

Team Nigeria is in the swimming event as she received a universality invitation from world governing swimming body FINA to send a top-ranked female swimmer in her respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021. Swimming for Nigeria in the 100m freestyle therefore will be Abiola Ogunbanwo. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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