FRIDAY 14TH MAY 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

OPEC: Nigeria’s Oil Sector Growth Declined by 19.8% in Q4 Cartel records lowest quota compliance in 12 months Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria’s oil and gas industry growth declined by 19.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, according to

data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). OPEC, in a countryby-country analysis of developments within its member countries in its latest

Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), said the previous month, it fell by 13.9 per cent, although the non-oil sector grew by 1.7 per cent. The report showed that Nigeria's real Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) grew by 0.1 per cent year-on-year in Q4, 2020, following a 3.6 per cent contraction in Q3, 2020, which was the first positive quarterly growth in the last three quarters amid the gradual

return of economic activities. “The non-oil sector expanded 1.7 per cent, recovering from a 2.5 per cent decline in 3Q,2020, mainly driven by growth in the telecommunications and

information services sectors. “Other important contributions came from the agricultural sector, which expanded by 3.4 per cent y-o-y Continued on page 8

FG Plans More Military Assets Deployment in South-east, South-south... Page 6 Friday 14 May, 2021 Vol 26. No 9532. Price: N250

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Bring Insecurity to an End Now, Sultan Urges Buhari, Governors President pleads for more understanding, says time needed to take delivery of weapons Vows to resist bandits’ threat to food security Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors to address the security challenges bedevilling the country. The Sultan spoke yesterday as the president pleaded for more elite understanding on raging strife in the country, explaining that time is needed

for equipment procured, to fight agents of violence to submission, to be delivered. Abubakar in his Sallah message in Sokoto yesterday said the security challenges had continued to remain a great concern to all. “We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and all the state governors to, as a Continued on page 8

Restructuring Should Start from States, Say Lawan, Gbajabiamila Deji Elumoye in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday took on the 17 Southern governors, who rose from a meeting on Tuesday in Asaba, canvassing, among others, restructuring of the country.

The duo, during an interaction with reporters in Abuja, challenged governors to start the restructuring from their states. Besides the call for restructuring, the Southern governors had also announced a ban on open grazing; Continued on page 8

PUSHING FRONTIER OF AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT... Chairman, BUA Group/Founder ASR Africa, Mr. Abdul Samad Rabiu (left), and President of Ghana, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, during their discussion on African Economic Integration, AfCFTA, Development and Social Impact in Accra, Ghana…recently

CAN Urges Islamic Council to Caution Extremists against Violence...Page 5

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NEWS CAN Urges Islamic Council to Caution Extremists against Violence Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) to caution those it described as extremists, who are not well-grounded in the faith and whose actions are giving Islam a bad name. It also felicitated with the NSCIA and all Muslims as they celebrated this year's Ramadan. In a congratulatory message yesterday by its GeneralSecretary, Rev. Daramola Joseph, CAN prayed that the aftermath of this year’s Ramadan would usher in peace and unity into the country. It said: "We are not unaware that your fasting was in obedience to the divine directive: ‘O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous’ -- Surat Al-Baqarah 2:183. “May God answer all your godly prayers offered throughout the month. "We appeal to the leadership of NSCIA to continue to advise and caution the extremists who are not well-grounded in the faith and whose wicked and ungodly actions are giving bad names to Islam. “It is trite to know that no godly person will engage in the promotion of violence, kidnapping, banditry and

terrorism or identify with the perpetrators." CAN said it recognised and appreciated the 'efforts' being made by the police and other security agencies towards ensuring peaceful celebrations. It said it would not relent in promoting religious tolerance, peace and unity in collaboration with NSCIA. According to it, "We remain partners in peace-making. Let us continue working together for peace, unity and progress of the country "May God put His fears into the hearts of our leaders to promptly do what is right, justly, and godly. We also pray that those who have compromised and are compromising the security in the country will have a change of mind and those who refused to change will be exposed and sanctioned by the Almighty God Himself." The Chairman of CAN in Kano State, Rev. Adeolu Adeyemo, also urged Nigerians to have hope in God and not give up on issues bedevilling the country. In a message to Muslims in the state, Adeyemo expressed the hope that the challenges facing the country will soon be over. “Our dear Muslim Ummah, it is our sincere prayers that God will rescue all those in the kidnappers’ den and the shedding of young innocent blood will come to an end in Nigeria,” he stated.

Malami: FG to Resuscitate Special Court for Terrorism Suspects Alex Enumah in Abuja The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said that the federal government will soon resuscitate special court for the trial of terrorism suspects. He reiterated the commitment of the federal government to end insurgency and other forms of insecurity ravaging the country. Malami, in his Eid-el-Fitr message to Muslims yesterday, said the Buhari administration is planning to resuscitate the special court for the trial of terrorism suspects in order to checkmate the menace. In a statement made available to journalists by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the minister urged Muslims to continue to be law-abiding, have sober reflection and exhibit the lessons learnt during Ramadan. According to him, Ramadan comes with numerous lessons, including sincerity, honesty, commitment, sacrifice, selflessness, introspection and empathy. "In addition to the prosecution of 400 suspected

Boko Haram financiers, the government has taken more measures to counter the twin troubles of insurgency and insecurity in the country. "Very soon, the federal government will, through the Federal Ministry of Justice's Complex Case Group, resuscitate and reinvigorate the existing special terrorism prosecution courts in the country in order bring to book all those found guilty so as to serve as deterrence to others," he added. The minister also saluted the commitment of clerics in enlightening their followers on various issues during the months, and urged them to maintain the tempo even beyond Ramadan.

PRAYER FOR PEACE... Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero (left), and Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, during the Eid-el-Fitr prayers in Kano…yesterday

Okowa, Tambuwal, AbdulRazaq, el-Rufai, Urge Prayers against Security Challenges John Shiklam in Kaduna, Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal; as well as Governors Nasir elRufai of Kaduna State and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State have saluted Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitr festival and called for prayers against security challenges. Okowa, in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, the state capital, urged Muslims and Christians to intensify prayers to complement federal and states' governments’ efforts at ending insecurity. He charged Nigerians to also pray for peace for the nation and to avert a possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged Muslims to extend the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which were love, peace and justice, to their daily living "as through this, they will be contributing to the development of the nation." Tambuwal also felicitated with Nigerians and urged them to pray against insecurity and COVID-19 pandemic. The governor, in a broadcast yesterday, thanked the people of the state for their continued prayers and support for his administration. He said: "Allow me to use this opportunity to thank you all for your continuous support and cooperation in running the affairs of our dear state. Suffice it to say that it had been challenging to all of us and the world at large as we battle with the COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant problems that affected the world economy. We remain ever

grateful to Allah (SWT) for his innumerable favours and pray that all those who lost their lives have attained the position of martyrs." He added that the nation is passing through challenges such as insecurity and economic hardship and enjoined them to pray for the country. Also, el-Rufai praised the spirit of sacrifice and resilience displayed by Muslims in Kaduna State during the fasting period. In an Eid-el-Fitr message, the governor congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of Ramadan and prayed that “Allah will bless the immense sacrifices that are being made.’’ The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, urged Muslims to keep hope alive and to celebrate Eid el-Fitr in compliance with public

health guidelines prescribed to protect everyone from COVID-19.’’ The statement appealed to all communities in Kaduna State to uphold peace and harmony. In his message, AbdulRazaq called for tolerance, mutual love and understanding among Nigerians to ensure peaceful co-existence and development. The governor, during an interaction with reporters in Ilorin shortly after Eid-elFitr prayers, said: "Nigeria is our fatherland. It is the only country we can call our own. "On this day and always, I join patriots to rally our people behind the singular agenda of mutual love, peace, unity and harmony". The governor emphasised the need for the citizens to embrace one another for peace to reign in the state and the country.

Buhari Mourns Dogonyaro, Says He Was A Thoroughbred Soldier Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has mourned the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (rtd), whom he described as a thoroughbred officer. The president, in a

condolence message by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, also described the demise of Dogonyaro as "a great loss not only to the Nigerian military but also to the country because of his patriotic sacrifices in defence of its unity and territorial integrity."

He said the death of the former ECOMOG Field Commander came as a great shock to him because as a soldier, he knows what it means to lose such an officer and a gentleman who gave his best in the service of the country. Buhari noted that as a

thoroughbred soldier, who had professionally distinguished himself in the course of his military career, "laying down one's life for the country is one of the greatest sacrifices any citizen can make to his country, General Dogonyaro’s incalculable contributions will be remembered for years to

come." The president also extended deepest condolences to the Government and people of Plateau State on the passing of ‘‘this legendary General.’’ He prayed to Almighty God to bless the soul of the departed and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

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NEWS

FG Plans More Military Assets Deployment in South-east, South-south Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The federal government has concluded plans to deploy more military assets, including troops, intelligence personnel and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to the South-east and South-south, THISDAY’s investigation has

revealed. The two regions, had, in recent weeks, come under attack by armed groups, who killed policemen as well as torched police stations and correctional facilities in Abia, Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. The security challenges in

Boko Haram Scare: Law School DG Insensitive, Says NBA Chairman Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Mr. Bath Aguegbodo, has accused the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Ciroma (SAN), of being insensitive to the danger students billed to write their examination next week at the Bwari campus of the school would be exposed to due to the scare of bandits' attacks. He said the students should be allowed to write the examinations scheduled to start from Monday at other campuses due to the reported security scare in the Bwari area. Aguegbodo stated this yesterday when he appeared on ‘The Morning Show,’ a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers. He said: “I think it would be out of insensitivity on the part of the director-general to continue to insist that the exams would be taken. If you look at the Chibok issue, there was intelligence information to both the security agencies and the management of the school that they were open to attack and they ignored it. I think it is important for everybody to apply pressure on the DG to see reasons.” The examination, he stated, must not take place in the Bwari, adding that there are other campuses where security concerns are not as serious as they are in Bwari. “It is a bit sad looking at things the way it is panning out; the security of students writing exams in Bwari should be paramount. I have listened to comments credited

to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and the guarantees are given that security will be provided for students who will write the exams in Bwari. “But the question on my mind in the issue is security from where? Just last week, we heard there were attempts in the Villa. The Niger State governor had also said on two occasions that there were some communities in Niger State, which is less than two hours from where the law school is located, that has been taken over by the Boko Haram people,” he said. Aguegbodo added that the argument that JAMB is located at Bwari and some other universities that are located there have not shut down does not hold water. According to him, the psychological state of the students writing the exams must be considered. He said: “What would be the mind of students writing exams when they have fears that they may be kidnapped? “The essence of the exams is to assess students as to their preparedness on what they have been taught. I do not see how a fair assessment would be done when a student is writing exams knowing fully well that the bandits are just about two hours away from them. “The unsettled mind would definitely reflect in the final result, which would not bring a fair assessment of what the exams are meant to achieve at the end of the day. If they could take their lecture in their various campuses, it would be the necessary thing for the government to look at it, that it is the safety of citizens first before the exams.

the two zones had engaged the attention of the National Security Council at its series of meetings held in Abuja and chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari. At the last meeting last Tuesday, the council had given the security chiefs a fresh ultimatum of three weeks to check the rising insecurity in the country. The council also announced that a new security strategy to contain violence in the two zones would be devised. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Alkali Usman, who also addressed State House correspondents after the meeting, declined to provide details about the new security strategy. Also, the IG, in a wireless message with reference CB: 0900/DTS/DOPS/VOL.47/812X, titled "Attack on policemen, snatching of rifles by IPOB" warned police officers and personnel not to accompany their principals to Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States until the security situation in the region improves. However, it was learnt that security authorities were finalising plans for a massive

troop and security assets deployment in the two zones to restore order. A similar deployment was done in the two zones under the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), codenamed Operation Python Dance in the South-east and Operation Crocodile Smile in the South-south and South-west. THISDAY gathered from security sources that the planned deployment is aimed at neutralising armed groups responsible for the killing of security agents and destruction of security formations in the two zones. There have also been concerns that 11 years of insurgency and the recent upsurge of mass kidnappings by bandits across the country and the killing of policemen by armed groups in the South-east and South-south have combined to stretch, significantly, the capacity of security forces to contain non-state actors, who have taken up arms against the state. A security source told THISDAY that the new security strategy for the two regions was

aimed at neutralising armed groups as a disincentive to further violence in the two regions. He said: "It is not more than deploying the Army because the police formations are overwhelmed. At the height of insurgency, police stations in Bauchi State were guarded by soldiers. "I don't see any other thing than the military, including the navy, air force playing the lead role in internal security in the regions instead of the police. "The idea is that when armed groups go and destroy security formations and there is no response, they will be emboldened to go to other places but when they are neutralised, it will serve as a disincentive." Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Yerima, declined to comment on the security arrangements for the two regions when contacted by THISDAY. However, senior retired security personnel said the security strategy for the two regions might also be linked with dialogue or a total, containment package.

He explained: "If they say they have developed a strategy, it is either government will seek dialogue or they go all out, armed resolution or both. "We are hoping that the new strategy will work. Whatever strategy government adopts, what we want is peace. "The strategy should be one that brings solution because the attacks are spreading. “For the government to find a solution, they must identify those behind the attacks. "Until you identify those behind these attacks, I don't think there is going to be any solution to it." A civil society activist, who spoke anonymously, said a security strategy that is hidden from the public may not be a workable strategy. "We are here. If they start killing and abducting people, we will know. If they start bombing people, we will know. “They have been going about doing the same thing. Any strategy that the government is hiding must be atrocious. "In any case, whatever the strategy will be the world is watching," he said.

DEEP BLUE… L-R: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NIMASA, Mr. Chudi Oﬀodile; Commander, 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Air Commodore John Laoye; and Commander, 301 Heavy Airlift Group, Air Commodore Patrick Obeya, during the receipt of one of the special mission aircraft under the Deep Blue Project in Lagos…yesterday

NCDC Rallies Nigerians to Stop Indian COVID-19 Variant Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chike Ihekweazu, has called on Nigerians to do more to curtail the spread of the Indian strain of COVID-19 virus in the country. He appealed to them to lead by example by wearing face masks and decline invitation to attend events where there would be mass gathering, which he described as supper spreaders. The NCDC boss made the appeal during an interview on ARISE NEWS channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers. He added that the information on the variant being in Nigeria, which is also in other 44 countries is not in itself a reason for concern.

“The reason for concern is what are we doing as a government and second as a people - what are we doing? “There is no point running around and attending weddings and at super spreading events without masks and then worrying about the emergence of a variant. We are advising Nigerians to do what they can do while we at NCDC would continue doing our very best 24/7 every day.” He stated that it was important for state governors to ensure compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, adding that “but we as citizens should make sure we do our best. We can only sustain the very fragile gains we have made if we continue to work together.” He said the federal government had taken steps to curb the spread of the Indian

strain (B1617 strain). “What government is doing is not enough to manage the risk of the pandemic in Nigeria. We have to do our own and we appeal to our citizens to do their part. It is one thing for the media to discuss the strain from India, but if the media ignores the mass gathering that is happening and having people appear without masks where they should be role models for the rest of the citizenry to manage the risks, we face collectively a huge risk. “I want Nigerians to look at what is going on in a few other countries and not externalise it. We would do our best from our side, but let us not drop the ball on this. We managed to get through a tricky situation last year and now our numbers are low; let us not get complacent and let us change the narrative by doing what we can do

collectively as a government and as a people," he added. He said the NCDC had been working very hard to mitigate the impact of the Indian strain. He said: “That there is a new strain in the country in itself is not enough to make a decision. We also look at the density of travel from every country. We look at the strain circulating in other countries and we then look at the risk assessment and a very carefully thought through the process within the center and based on this, we then advise the presidential steering committee on actions necessary to be taken.” Ihekweazu said the NCDC had two weeks ago, advised the government on a travel restriction from three countries: India Turkey and Brazil. He said the public health action was taken based on the

assessment done at the NCDC Ihekweazu stated that the sequencing on how to determine variant was a complex process, “and we have been developing that capacity in the country. I can assure Nigerians that we would be transparent as we possibly can on the numbers, testing sequencing and whatever we can at the appropriate time.” According to him, the numbers of cases have reduced while testing has improved significantly. He stated: “We test 40,000 people every single week and out of that, our test positivity ratio is about 1 per cent. So, one in 100 people tested come out positive. So, we are fairly confident in the robustness of our numbers. Also, the number of people with respiratory symptoms has reduced as well as the number of calls.

The data gives us confidence in the number we are sharing.” The NCDC, he said, had encouraged some testing centres to manage their human resources and always keep some surge capacity available. He said the NCDC had also been working to ensure oxygen supply is more efficient. “There are certain aspects of treatment and we have seen from India that oxygen supply is critical and we have to build up our capacities on that too. So, in order to build resilient, we are buying more than we need, we know that some of those might be wasted if they are not used by the time they have to be used but it is better we do that and have the redundant capacity in that area like in oxygen than end up in a situation where the system is overwhelmed,“ he stated explained.

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Ohanaeze Ndigbo Urges Sanwo-Olu to Ignore IPOB Attack Rumour Says it’s a ploy to distract gov Ejiofor Alike The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has advised the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to ignore the rumour that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are plotting to attack the state. It described the speculation as a ploy to distract the state governor and his administration from providing good governance to all residents of the state. Speaking yesterday in Lagos during a courtesy visit to Sanwo-Olu, the President-

General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador George Obiozor, said the “dangerous rumour or statement is aimed to cause division, crises and conflict amongst us.” Obiozor in his address titled “Violence in any part of Lagos State is violence on all of us,” said Ndigbo would not indulge in any act that would harm the harmonious peace and cordial relationship between Igbo and Yoruba, especially in Lagos, which he described as second home of many Ndigbo. He also commended

Sanwo-Olu for the exemplary leadership he exhibited at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged Nigeria, especially in Lagos State, adding that the governor deserved commendation for controlling and restricting the speed of the pandemic with his quick response. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, during a security town hall meeting, attended by SanwoOlu and other principal officials in Lagos State on Monday, had said there were alleged plans by some groups, which

include IPOB, to attack ‘soft spots’ in the state. But responding to the statement, Obiozor said the Igbo nation was renowned for being agents of development and not destruction. He added: “Today, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, in the company of Igbo Elders and Leaders in Lagos, are here to pay you (Governor Sanwo-Olu) a solidarity visit and to further reassure you that Ndigbo are not violent in nature, neither are we known for acts of violence anywhere we live.

“The constant and periodic dangerous insinuations, rumour, gossips and callous statements that Ndigbo in Lagos or any part of Yoruba land contemplate or instigate violence in Lagos or any part of Yoruba land; we wish to state clearly that anywhere this dangerous rumour or statement is emanating from is aimed to cause division, crises and conflict amongst us. “We think that this rumour is intended to distract the Lagos State Government from its efforts to provide good governance for all and cause

disaffection between Ndigbo who live in Lagos and their host community which is the second home of several Ndigbo. “The quick denial of this rumour by members of IPOB and Yoruba groups in Lagos and across the South-west was a source of relief.” Obiozor also reiterated Ohanaeze Ndigbo's support for the Lagos State Government and the security agencies' patriotic efforts to keep everyone safe in the state and throughout the country.

to aggravate the Saudis and other Mideast and African producers, which have hit their targets in recent months which could create a tense atmosphere during future negotiations about opening the taps in the second half of the year. Saudi Arabia is looking to unwind its voluntary cut of one million bpd in May-July, which will necessitate winning back market share that it ceded in Asia when the voluntary cut was enacted in February.

Also, oil prices dropped by almost three per cent yesterday and were set for the biggest percentage drop since early April, after the restart of Colonial Pipeline, eased some of the concerns about petrol shortages in the U.S. East. As of yesterday afternoon, West Texas International crude was falling by 2.94 per cent at $64.14 while Brent Crude was down by 2.64 per cent at $67.49. Oil prices snapped the winning streak from earlier

this week when reports from both OPEC and the International Energy Agency (IEA) reiterated the view that global oil demand would rebound strongly in the second half of the year with more economies reopening and increased travel amid higher vaccination rates. The IEA's bullish outlook on demand, coupled with a similar view from OPEC from Tuesday, sent oil prices to an eight-week high on Wednesday, almost hitting $70.

come from us regardless of what levels of leadership we are– whether at the federal level, state level, or even at the local government level. “I also want to take this opportunity to say that we have diminished the local government system. I think we can attribute the security issues to the absence of a functional local government system. “I think the time has come for us to take up the challenge and ensure that the local government system functions. This is as we look for ways to curb the security challenge. “We must never neglect the local government system. We must go back to our local government system to ensure they are autonomous and functional."

Gbajabiamila, on his part, described those championing the call for secession as misguided people who did not mean well for the country. He said while there might be genuine agitations, elected leaders and state governors should not be among the restructuring advocates without first replicating the idea at the state level. He, therefore, called for a national spirit of oneness, saying: “If truth be told, we all have equal shares in the blame for what’s happening today. “Whatever challenges we have, we must all come together to make sure that we resolve these issues we’re facing. We must imbibe that spirit of oneness, togetherness, unity and love that would take us through this."

long process,” the president stated. He appealed to Nigerians for more understanding of the current situation in the country. Buhari said: “I expect Nigerians to be more understanding on the issues involved, looking at the time and available resources. For example, when we came in, in the North-east, ask people in Adamawa and Borno States, and the South-south, in terms of security. Without security, you can’t do anything. Our big surprise and disappointment are what is happening in the North-west and we are dealing with it." Buhari and members of his family were joined for the Eid at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa by the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan; the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, cabinet members and the heads of security and intelligence agencies.

Buhari, Aisha Step out Together First Time in Months

OPEC: NIGERIA’S OIL SECTOR GROWTH DECLINED BY 19.8% IN Q4 in 4Q, 2020. Meanwhile, the oil sector dropped by 19.8 per cent y-o-y after a 13.9 per cent y-o-y contraction in 3Q, 2020,” the report for May stated. It stated that in 2020, the economy contracted 1.9 per cent y-o-y, following a 2.3 per cent y-o-y expansion in 2019, while inflation was still structurally high in the first quarter of this year, with the annual inflation rate jumping to 18.17 per cent in March 2021, the highest rate since January 2017 amid the continued impact of

the COVID-19 pandemic that has also weakened the currency. Meanwhile, a surge in oil output by Russia and Oman in April lowered the compliance rate to the OPEC+ production cuts, with the nine non-OPEC countries that participate in the cuts overproducing by 347,000 barrels per day, equating to a compliance rate of 85 per cent, the lowest level for the 12 months that the pact had been in force.

Compliance among the 10 participating OPEC countries, by contrast, was 123 per cent, thanks largely to the Saudis’ additional voluntary reduction of one million bpd in FebruaryApril, which came on top of its official OPEC+ cut of 1.88 million bpd. The average compliance rate for the entire OPEC+ group fell to 110 per cent in April from a record high of 113 per cent in March. The non-OPEC partners’ poor performance is certain

RESTRUCTURING SHOULD START FROM STATES, SAY LAWAN, GBAJABIAMILA demanded a national dialogue to address thorny national issues, and asked for key appointments into federal establishments to reflect federal character. Their decisions received applause from the Southern Senators’ Forum, members of the House of Representatives from the 17 southern states of the federation, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom. But Lawan and Gbajabiamila expressed reservations about the Southern governors' advocacy, saying their charity should begin from home. Lawan said the governors should not be the ones agitating for restructuring. He urged them to first, do in their states what they

are requesting the federal government to do. He added that leaders must come up with a holistic idea of how to make the system work. He said: “I believe that as leaders, especially those of us who are elected into office, (we) should not be at the forefront of calling for this kind of thing because even if you are a governor, you are supposed to be working hard in your state to ensure that this restructuring you are calling for at the federal level, you have done it in your state as well. "What you may accuse the federal government of, whatever it is; you may also be accused of the same thing in your state. “So, we are supposed to ensure that we have a

complete and total way of ensuring that our systems at the federal, state and even local government levels work for the people. We must allow people to participate in governance so that whoever feels he has something to offer to make Nigeria better does so freely without any let or hindrance.” While urging elected leaders to shun regionalism, Lawan urged all stakeholders to rally behind President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the nation's challenges. He said: “The president is reaching out to all the stakeholders. And I believe that as leaders, particularly those of us who were elected at all levels of government, we should avoid partisanship. “We should avoid

regionalism. We are all leaders and we are in this together. The solutions to our challenges must come from us regardless of what level of government we are - whether at the federal, state or local government level. I believe that Nigeria is going to come out of these challenges stronger.” He called on Nigerians to support efforts at ensuring autonomy for local governments. He stated that the lack of autonomy by the local government councils potentially inhibits solutions as well as efforts by the federal and state governments towards addressing the nation’s security challenges. According to him, “We are all leaders and we are in this together; the solutions must

BRING INSECURITY TO AN END NOW, SULTAN URGES BUHARI, GOVERNORS matter of urgency, bring to an end the insecurity across the country,” he said, adding: “As our leaders, you should continue to remain resolute and more committed to your various responsibilities of protecting the society.” The monarch cum spiritual leader said the president and the governors should enhance their commitment toward the restoration of the peaceful nature that the country was long known for. He called on Muslims to pray more for their leaders to cope with their responsibilities. He urged Muslims to continue to sustain the spirit of charity, generosity, hospitality and brotherhood that Eid-el-Fitr symbolises. “Today is a great day for all of us to celebrate, show love, support and relate with one another, as such we should sustain the commitment for our best desire,” he said. The Sultan urged the residents of Sokoto State to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines throughout the

Sallah celebration.

President Pleads for More Understanding Buhari, however, called for more understanding by Nigerians, especially the elite, as his administration battles to end the siege on the nation by non-state actors behind banditry, insurgency and kidnapping. He stated that the elite should understand the military operation as it takes time for equipment procured to tackle insecurity to arrive in the country. He expressed the readiness of his administration to resist the threat by bandits to disrupt national food production in the coming growing season. Speaking to newsmen yesterday after observing the Eid prayer to end the Ramadan fast at the State House, Abuja, the president pledged that his administration will use all available resources and manpower in dealing with bandits to ensure that they did

not create havoc against access to farms and food production. He assured Nigerians that the menace of bandits and kidnappers will be addressed to ensure that the nation’s food security is not threatened. The president, who hoped for a good rainy season this year, said: “The law enforcement agencies are working hard to regain confidence against bandits, so that we can go back to the land. This is very important. This is what the agencies are busy doing right now. We want people to go back to the land so that we can get enough food for the country and even export.” Commenting on ongoing efforts by his administration to tackle the security crisis, Buhari drew attention to the series of long meetings held in recent weeks, chaired by him, saying part of the resolutions reached at the meetings had been made public by the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), and the others kept secret.

He said: “With the resources and manpower available to us, we are working very hard. We are hoping Nigerians will understand the problem. Nigerians know at what stage we came in in 2015, what state we are today both on security and the economy and we are doing our best.” He commended the National Assembly for its support, saying: “The National Assembly is cooperating very well. Within the resources available, they are certainly giving us priority on our (military) requests.” Buhari appealed to the elite to show a better appreciation of the problems facing the country. “The elite should make the attempt to understand the military. If we order weapons and armoured vehicles, it takes time for the manufacturers (to produce them). It takes time to ship them and when brought here eventually, they are taken to training institutions, train the trainers before sending them to the field. This is a very

For the first time in months, Buhari yesterday stepped out with his wife, Aisha, to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr. Buhari shared many photos on social media where he and his wife were surrounded by their children and their spouses. In some of the photos, Buhari was also seen with his grandchildren. In a string of tweets, the president congratulated all Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Eid festival and prayed that it will bring with it peace, safety, security, brotherhood and love amongst others. He sought “unity and solidarity among all citizens, Muslims and Christians,” adding that these virtues are imperative “especially at a time when our country is faced with multiple challenges which are surmountable only when we come together as one.”

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

Featuring FEMI KUTI

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FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Gunmen Set Ablaze another Police Station in Abia Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia Abia State Police Command has confirmed that over 100 unidentified gunmen

attacked and razed Bende Police Station in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State on Wednesday night. The attack came barely few hours after the state governor,

Northern House Minority Caucus Backs Open Grazing Ban, Restructuring Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The members of the Minority Caucus from the North in the House of Representatives have declared their support for the Southern Governors’ resolution banning open grazing and calling for restructuring of the country. The caucus called on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the genuine advice of governors from the South and immediately address the nation to assuage frayed nerves. The caucus said it was happy that the Southern Governors had finally come to terms with the negative effects of open grazing, which states in the North Central and other parts of the North have been battling with for decades. In a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by Hon. Amos Gwamna (Kaduna), Hon. Solomon Maren (Plateau), Hon. Rimande Shawulu (Taraba),Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue), Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi) and Hon. Usman Sokodabo (FCT), the caucus stressed that the decision of the governors was apt. It added that the governors’ resolutions were the only solution to the worsening insecurity and general discontent among ethnic nationalities in the country.

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu left Bende LGA headquarters after a civic reception of a threetime immediate past House of Representatives member who represented Bende federal constituency, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje. The police station is situated few metres from the LGA field where the occasion the reception

took place. The attack followed the burning of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) office at Amaekpu by gunmen. The spokesman of the Abia State Police Command, Ogbonna Geoffrey, who confirmed the attack, disclosed that two police operatives were

shot on the leg. According to him, the generator house and multipurpose house of Bende Local Government Area headquarters were touched. The police spokesman further disclosed that two vehicles and three motorcycles, including a highlander vehicle belonging to Divisional Police Officer (DPO)

of Bende Police Station, were burnt down. The gunmen, who attacked the police station around 11pm were also said to have released all suspects who were detained at the station. However, heavily armed soldiers arrived in the area to restore normalcy when the attackers had fled.

It stated: “We, members of the minority from the north hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the genuine advice of governors from the South and immediately address the nation to assuage frayed nerves. “The president should also put machinery in place for the commencement of the process of restructuring the nation and initiate a legislation to end open grazing, which has been at the centre of the lingering insecurity across the nation” The caucus noted that in order to regain the confidence of the majority of Nigerians, the President must begin to redress his skewed appointments, which had unfortunately divided the nation along ethnic and religious lines. It said, “We commend the governors for taking the bold move to speak against open grazing and other ills bedeviling the nation. Benue State had the foresight and enacted a L-R: President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof. George Obiozor; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and law banning open grazing foremost entrepreneur, Dr. Pascal Dozie, during Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s courtesy visit to the Governor at Lagos House, Marina…yesterday and was closely followed by Taraba state.” The caucus said it was unfortunate that both States have not received the desired support from the federal government thereby creating room for Two unknown gunmen between the military and to rid the country of ravaging corpse. some elements to undermine have been killed in a joint the unidentified gunmen at insecurity. “We have one corpse but the implementation of the operation carried out by the Ikenanzizi in Obowo Local “It was a joint operation they escaped with the other law. Nigerian Army, Air Force Government Area of the state. of the Army, Air Force and one and it has been deposited and the Police in Imo State, He disclosed that two rifles, Police; two unknown gunmen at the Federal Medical Centre the state Commissioner of five motorcycles, a Lexus jeep were killed in the process Owerri, morgue,” he said. He Police in the state, CP Abutu and one 18- seater bus were and investigation is ongoing. called on residents of the state Yaro has said. recovered from the gunmen. He however said that the to remain calm and go about Yaro told journalists The commissioner further team could lay hands on only their lawful activities, adding yesterday in Owerri, the said that the operation was one corpse as according to that security agencies had She was rushed to the state capital, that the bandits carried out in line with him, the hoodlums were able the situation under “firm” University’s Health Centre were killed in a gun battle federal government’s resolve to escape with the second control. from where she was referred to other hospitals but she died this morning. The spokesperson of the “They can also demand on an unsuspecting victim. university, Victor Akinpelumi The Economic and Financial Mr. Ghali Ahmed, advised “They however ran out of confirmed the incident to Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nigerians to always report arrest warrant, as the has arrested two suspects and any suspicious operation to the commission does not embark luck as the commission, acting Channels Television. He expressed sadness on a Mobile Police inspector for nearest office of the anti-graft on any operation without a on a tip-off, swooped on them. warrant. The operations of “Items recovered from them the incident, noting that the impersonating officials of the agency. “We need to be wary of the the commission are usually include the fake EFCC ID cards, reasons for her action remained commission and extorting unknown but sources said it members of the public in antics of this gang of impostors in line with international best the jackets, the purported court and to report any suspicious practices.” order touted to have emanated might be connected to a failed Lagos State. The agency has asked “operations” to the nearest The suspects – Pascal from Mushin Magistrate Court, relationship. Chijioke and Sodiq Adekunle, a truckload of household According to the World Nigerians to be vigilant and EFCC office,” he said. The zonal head added, as well as the policeman – properties belonging to the Health Organisation (WHO), demand proper identification Nigeria has the highest suicidal from officers when confronted “Above all, we enjoin members Edwin Bassey – were arrested unsuspecting victim. “The suspects have made rate among African countries with the possibility of arrest. of the public confronted with at the New Horizon Estate Addressing reporters the possibility of arrest, to in the Lekki area of the state useful statements and will in 2016 with over 17,000 lives yesterday, the Zonal Head demand proper identification during an illegal operation to soon be arraigned in court,” lost to suicide. of the Lagos EFCC Office, from arresting officers. serve a purported court order Ahmed explained.

HANDSHAKE ACROSS THE NIGER …

Security Operatives Kill Two Unknown Gunmen, Recover Rifles in Imo

200-Level Ondo Varsity Student Commits Suicide James Sowole in Akure As Muslim faithful worldwide were celebrating Eid el-Fitri, the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko were in sorrowful mood as a 200-level student of the institution was said to have committed suicide. The 20-year-old Feranmi Fasunle of the Department of Political Science was reported to have taken a poisonous chemical which resulted in her death. According to a source from the university community, the deceased took the poison in her room and started gasping for breath.

EFCC Nabs Fake Operatives, Calls for Vigilance

Kidnappers Demand N30m Four Persons Feared Killed by Customs Operatives in Oyo Service (NCS) killed four people Customs officers started took to the streets protesting Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan with one other person injured. shooting indiscriminately after the killing of their kinsmen. Ransom for Abducted THISDAY learnt that those intercepting smuggled goods Efforts made to get the The sallah celebration to mark the end of Ramadan in Iseyin killed were hit by bullets when coming through the borders reaction of the Public Relations Deeper Life Pastor Officer (PRO), Oyo/Osun in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, men of the NCS exchanged into the town. Gunmen who abducted the Pastor of a Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Mayomi Ogedengbe in Irese Community near Akure have demanded a sum of N30 million as ransom. A family source disclosed to Channels TV that the abductors were insisting on the payment of the ransom before he would be released. The spokesperson of Ondo

State Police command, Tee-Leo Ikoro said the police were still in search of the pastor. Ogedengbe was kidnapped on Monday in his church located in Irese, a community near Akure, Ondo State capital. According to an eyewitness, the kidnappers came in with a black Corolla Sports Car and took the pastor away to an unknown destination.

yesterday turned into mourning as stray bullets allegedly fired by men of the Nigeria Customs

gunfire with some people believed to be smugglers. It was gathered that the

It was further learnt that following the death of those killed, youths in the town

Command, Mr. Kayode Wey, proved abortive as calls to his lines were not picked.

Kano Declares Today Work-free Day Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared today, Friday, May 14, as work free day to enable Muslim faithful continue with

the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. The announcement was made by Kano State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Muhammad Garba, in a statement he issued yesterday. Garba said the extension

of the public holiday was in consideration of the fact that Wednesday, May 12, which was part of the two-day Eid holiday declared by the federal government, fell within the 30 days of Ramadan fasting period.

The governor, according to the statement, urged residents in the state to use the occasion, particularly during Jummah service, to pray for peace to continue to reign in the state and the country in general

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021

COMMENT

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

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUHARI Tola Adeniyi argues that President Buhari needs some rest

Dear President Buhari,

t is with great pain but with deep concern as a fellow humanbeing and your age mate that I send you this private/public letter in the hope that you would be allowed to read it. I am in pain because the country that Allah has placed on your laps to nurture and protect has virtually slipped out of your hand and is heading to ruins and destruction. Every index that makes a country lay claim to development, survival, safety and security, unity and understanding, and justice and equity has taken a flight under your watch. You probably are not aware that the country called Nigeria is already up in flames. You may not be aware that you are being used by a clique of very powerful, egocentric and extremely wicked people for their selfish purposes and invidious agenda. And because position at the top of the pyramid is usually lonely, lonesome, and inaccessible, it has been very difficult for you to know and feel what is going on down-below. Those who are guarding the pyramid have made it extremely difficult for well-meaning individuals to have access to you or avail you a second opinion on several issues of state and statecraft. Worse still, you are afflicted with serious health challenges as evident in the video clips of your brief appearances. You know that you are not well and this is why you have had to be confined to hospital bed abroad for weeks and months on several occasions. Some of your ailments may not even be clear to you. But there is no big deal about being ill or having health challenges; most people, if not all, our age suffer one major health challenge or the other. It is only our reaction and management of these challenges that differ from one individual to the other. You are, to put it bluntly, have been rendered a glorified but pitiable prisoner as a result of the aforementioned. Those who are using your office for their own selfish advantage have taken full possession of you and have unfortunately blinded you to the realities on ground. Many atrocious and brutish atrocities are routinely committed in your name because they are fully aware that they would never be held accountable and that the buck stops at your table. You have been literally handcuffed and manacled as a result of your situation and the only option open to you is to cry out to be released from the prison in which you are. Your entire personal staff cannot help you because they are afraid of the superior officers/officials who are wielding the awesome powers of state hijacked from you. Even state governors are often bullied in your name.

NIGERIANS ARE WALLOWING IN UNPRECEDENTED POVERTY, WANT, UNEMPLOYMENT, CRASS NEPOTISM, ARROGANT AND CONDESCENDING IMPUNITY, HUMONGOUS CORRUPTION, HUMONGOUS DEBT, ALARMING INSECURITY, WORRISOME ABSENCE OF SAFETY, CONFUSION AND HOPELESSNESS

Your ministers and other career politicians will rather die in office than to have current position terminated because your office is their mainstay and breadwinner. All the powers and privileges they currently enjoy and parade are at your behest. If for any reason you leave office today, they know their fish will be out of water. And yet Nigeria is bleeding. Nigerians are wallowing in unprecedented poverty, want, unemployment, crass nepotism, arrogant and condescending impunity, humongous corruption, humongous debt, alarming insecurity, worrisome absence of safety, confusion and hopelessness. In the meantime, Nigerians everywhere are all crying out to you to rescue the ship of state whereas you yourself need to be rescued and rescued fast from the clique that holds you by the jugular. My hope and prayer are that your bold, brilliant and beautiful wife will summon courage to read this letter to you. Or at least one or two of your children will let this letter reach you. They certainly are aware of your health challenges. They know that several of the do-gooders who are allowed on rare occasions to see you for photo-ups hide the truth from the public. They must know too that those on such rare occasions who are allowed to see you say unpalatable things behind your back. In the name of Almighty Allah, the Most Benevolent, the Most merciful, let people of good conscience, led by your wife and children urgently release you from the world’s most guarded prison and take you back to Daura for needed rest and fresh air, or better still, take you to Germany or the UK for critical medical attention and total rest. That is all you need at this stage of your life sir. You have had a distinguished career as a soldier, officer, and military head of state. Allah has been most kind and generous to you. Please do not allow those who are embarking on ruinous path donate unenviable epitaph to you. No nationality in this 21st century can subjugate about 300 other nationalities in Nigeria. The once-upon-a-time Great Britain is sliding to become ordinary England once Scotland and Wales regain their independence and Northern Ireland reunites with its southern kith and kin. And Saudi Arabia, with all its petro-dollar and United States awesome firepower, has not been able to subjugate tiny Yemen Let the message sink. Ramadan Mubarak! With esteemed personal regards. Akogun Adeniyi is a former Managing Director of Daily Times

A TESTIMONIAL FROM ACCRA President Buhari has not lived up to his promises, writes Tunde Olusunle

wesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor of Ghana’s The Insight Newspaper, is most probably little known to us in Nigeria. But last week, he spoke from Accra where he is domiciled, and became an instant hit on the social media. He may not be resident in Nigeria, but in this age of globalisation and real-time information dissemination, Pratt is very well informed about Nigeria’s sociopolitics, especially because of the hallowed place Nigeria occupies, not just in West Africa, but across the continent and beyond. As guest on a current affairs programme on a Ghanaian television station recently, Pratt found himself dilating the recent virtual meeting between the United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and two African leaders, Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. It was an opportunity for Nigerians in particular to hear from a brother nation, impressions and perspectives about where we have found ourselves. Buhari by the way, had previously met with Anthony Blinken in the United States, when Blinken was Deputy Secretary of State in 2015, in the administration of President Barack Obama. Sonala Olumhense reminds us that “ironically, the issues that the two men “discussed” last week, are the very same that they covered in 2015 when Buhari was preparing for his first state visit to the US.” If the six-year span between Buhari’s first meeting with Blinken have only resulted in the regurgitation of the same issues discussed in 2021, Nigeria, simply put, has been rooted to one spot these six years, without any motion or movement, by the incumbent administration. Olumhense also reminds us with deep nostalgia, about the grand and lavish reception accorded Buhari at the White House on that visit, by an obviously elated Obama, against the backdrop of his sterling credentials which had been sold to the global community. Obama at that first encounter, acknowledged Buhari’s “reputation for integrity (and) to make sure that he is bringing safety and security and peace to his country... and a very clear agenda with respect to rooting out the corruption that too often has held back the economic growth and prosperity of his

country.” Six years down the line, however, Nigeria has so thoroughly underdeveloped itself that it has also been relegated in global sociopolitical reckoning. That is why a virtual meeting with a senior government official who is neither the US President nor his deputy, was what the Nigerian leader was subjected to. And this issue is at the root of Pratt’s anger. He is deeply miffed by the phenomenal disrespect accorded Africa by the US on this occasion and the acquiescence of African leaders in the denigration process. Reminiscing on the recent diplomatic overtures of top government officials in the new regime of the Democratic Party in the US, Pratt observed that Blinken, like his Principal Joe Biden, had gone round the globe meeting world leaders, from one continent to another. When it was the turn of Africa, however, Pratt noted that US authorities cited fears of the COVID-19 menace as a deterrent to Blinken’s physical journeying to the continent. This necessitated the setting up of a virtual engagement between the US Secretary of State, and Presidents Buhari and Kenyatta, respectively. In the specific case of Nigeria, issues raised at the non-physical interaction between Blinken and Buhari included global economic recovery; the effort against COVID-19 and the effects of climate change in the Sahel and Lake Chad region. A furiously embarrassed Pratt could not conceal his anger and indignation at the decision by the Nigerian and Kenyan leaders to subscribe to a virtual exchange between them and the US representative. Pratt noted: “African leaders appear to have lost their dignity. And because they have lost their dignity, they are being treated in a most shabby manner to their own applause.” Continuing, Pratt said: “I’m embarrassed by this so-called meeting between the Presidents of Nigeria and Kenya with the US Secretary of State. It’s embarrassing. Since Joe Biden came to power, he has been all over the world meeting his colleagues and foreign ministers of smaller countries, countries that don’t have the endowments of Nigeria. Nigeria is a major country. It has a population in excess of 200 million, that is what Nigeria is. Nigeria exports two million barrels of oil per day. I mean, Nigeria is a major player in world affairs.”

Pratt was not done. He continued: “Anthony Blinken is not talking to the Nigerian Foreign Minister, he is talking to the President. It makes me sick. Quite apart from that, Blinken has been travelling all over the world, meeting people and discussing US foreign policy and so on. When it comes to Africa, he says “no, I’m afraid of COVID-19, so we do a zoom call.” Proceeding, Pratt exclaims: “What rubbish. Is Africa the epicentre of the pandemic? It’s not. His own country is topping the world in terms of the figures. So when it comes to Africa, he’s unable to travel to meet African leaders. Rather, he would have a zoom meeting with them. And they are happy. Unbelievable.” Another issue which unsettles Pratt is the tacit admission of failure of Buhari’s government in its six-year battle with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, attacks on security infrastructure and random killings across the country, in his interaction with Blinken. Buhari, arms up in the air in despair, at that virtual meeting with Blinken, requested the relocation of the US Africa Command, USAFRICOM from its base at Kelly Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany to a proximal location in Africa! An inconsolable Pratt notes that this particular issue was of immense discomfiture for him. His words: “I felt so embarrassed, so disgraced, by the Nigerian Head of State and the kinds of things he said. I am embarrassed by Buhari.” Pursuing his argument further, Pratt said: “Listen, when Buhari was campaigning to replace Goodluck Jonathan, what did he say? What did he tell the people of Nigeria? He said he was a General, an astute General. And that if he got power, he will be able to stop the operations of Boko Haram.” Asking rhetorically, Pratt proceeded “Is that not the promise he made? Now the same Buhari is saying “Hey, I raise my hands, I can’t fight Boko Haram, America come and fight Boko Haram for us.” The festering inability of Nigeria in the containment of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria; banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen’s menace, killings in the North West and the recurring attacks on security infrastructure and personnel in the South East, have raised questions about the professional capability, preparedness and commitment of Nigeria’s military to root out these evils.

Comparisons are regularly drawn between the high-flying Nigeria military of the 1990s which, in collaboration with the militaries of sister West African countries, spearheaded the resolution of uprisings and civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, among others, as part of an Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). Those were the days when thoroughbred, toughened Nigerian Army Generals like Joshua Nimyel Dongonyaro; Samuel Victor Leo Malu; Rufus Kupolati; Ishaya Bakut; John Mark Inienger; Adetunji Olurin and others, burnished Nigeria’s image and respectability, internationally by their sterling performance. The Nigerian military also stood up to be counted in the Somalia crisis, as a component of a United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I). Brigadier General Olagunsoye Oyinlola (as a lieutenant colonel then), was commander of the Nigerian contingent. With the recent volte face from the Nigerian leader in the course of his engagement with Blinken, Pratt believes Buhari should resign from office. His words: “Buhari should be leaving office. He has not fulfilled his promise to the Nigerian people. In any case, if Nigeria, a giant in Africa cannot deal with Boko Haram, and has to go and beg Anthony Blinken to bring into Lagos and Abuja and other places, soldiers to fight Boko Haram, then what will other countries do, countries like Gambia and so on?” Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, Senator representing Osun East, has equally spoken along the same line. In a recent interview, Fadahunsi observed that Buhari has failed Nigeria in the critical areas of security and economy. According to Fadahunsi, it has almost become customary for the senate to begin its sittings, by rising for a one-minute silence, in honour of innocent Nigerians killed by insurgents, bandits or kidnappers. Fadahunsi alluded to the interaction between the legislature and the former military service chiefs who were cleared for ambassadorial appointments. He noted that the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, observed that ongoing insurgency in the North East, may subsist for another two decades, if the proper strategies were not adopted. Dr Olusunle is a poet, journalist and scholar

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021

EDITORIAL THE ATMOSPHERE OF CORRUPTION The anti-graft crusade of the administration is falling to pieces

ast week, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the suspension of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman over allegations of nonremittance of operating surpluses from 2016 to 2020 to the tune of over a hundred billion. While there are also counter-allegations of impropriety against the transportation minister, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, it is not lost on Nigerians that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that came to power to ‘ﬁght corruption’ are squealing on one another. In the process, this administration is now buffeted by several scandals. Last week, the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by a member of the ruling APC raised the alarm that some government-owned agencies have failed to remit over N2trn to the federation account from 2014 till date. The monumental scandal running into hundreds of billions of naira in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that has been hijacked by the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio on the pretext of ‘forensic audit’ is still simmerA WAR AGAINST ing. The allegation by CORRUPTION THAT IS the National Security GUIDED ONLY BY A BLANKET Adviser (NSA) against NOTION OF NAMING AND the retired Service SHAMING OPPOSITION Chiefs on the money voted for the purchase POLITICIANS WILL of arms that could ULTIMATELY EXHAUST ITS AMMUNITION AND RECORD not be traced has been swept under EPHEMERAL SUCCESS the proverbial carpet. The probe of the suspended Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Ibrahim Magu provided mere entertainment without any result. In all, the so-called war against corruption by President Buhari has been consumed by hypocrisy and duplicity. Prior to his election in 2015, Buhari’s campaign slogan was “if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria” and it resonated because a major pitfall of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was corruption. Six years into his administration, Buhari’s campaign mantra is gradually becoming a prophecy

Letters to the Editor

foretold. Corruption is killing Nigeria and the country is bleeding due to unwholesome practices in all facets of the sectoral life of the nation.

T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciﬁc publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

RE: SYLVA, ADDAX LICENCE AND FAIRY TALES

am one of those that strongly condemned the action of the minister of state for Petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva on grounds stated below. One, the minister cannot arbitrarily revoke or renew an Oil Prospecting or Mining License OPL/OML. Two, the minister does not have discretionary power to award or allocate a revoked OPL/OML3.The minister should put the interest of the nation first above the interest of any individual or company. Marginal fields allocation list approved by the President is questionable. The contractor/operator signed a Joint Venture (JV) or Production Sharing Contract (PSC) agreement with NNPC not DPR. DPR can only revoke or renew a JV or PSC agreement on recommendation from NNPC. This process was neglected by the minister. If for the above reason the license is revoked, the Blocks OPL/OML shall go for competitive bidding to determine its true value. It’s economic sabotage to assign a block free without competitive bids especially Oil and Gas Producing Block. Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) divested 45% of these Assets OML 29 $1.7billion, OML 30 $1.29billion, recently OML17 $533Million. (See

o be sure, some practical steps have been taken: Implementation of Treasury Single Account, Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and the Whistleblowing’ policy. But the fact remains that by 2019, Nigeria had dropped to 146 and by 2020 ranked 149 in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index. The TI ranks countries based on how experts and business executives perceive that country’s public sector. And it is a composite index, combining 13 surveys and assessments of corruption, collected by a variety of reputable institutions. We have at different times challenged the current administration that fighting corruption requires some underlying doctrines that will inform the battle plans with the overall objective of carrying the people along. But with a campaign that has no foundation in public morality or ethical good governance beyond empty propaganda, fighting corruption has been reduced to the arrest of some opposition politicians and telling tales. Sadly, where leadership misdeeds anticipate no consequences, democratic governance can only abide by rules made by autocrats and enforced by a rogue judiciary. What this administration ignores is the link between distortion of values and abuse of, or general disregard for, extant rules. Yet once rules are ignored, all templates lose their validity, submitting to collusions and arbitrary exercise of discretion that is nothing but grand corruption that has become very pervasive in the country, regardless of what officials are saying. Fighting corruption in an environment such as ours must go beyond the sensational arrest of some politicians to putting in place structures that will lead to trials and convictions of those that are guilty without tarnishing the reputation of innocent citizens. As we have consistently argued, a war against corruption that is guided only by a blanket notion of naming and shaming opposition politicians will ultimately exhaust its ammunition and record ephemeral success.

Table attached). How can Sylva justify giving out four producing assets to Kaztec Engineering/Salvic Petroleum Resources for free when Nigerian government is in dire need of revenue and borrowing massively to finance its budget? Secondly, Timi Sylva set up a predetermined Inter Ministerial Committee to inject government revenue to the tune of $650 million in a fabrication yard. Even now government is looking for funds for health care, security, etc. He took to FEC for approval multibillion dollar DPR Headquarters. All of the above are not reform agenda or in the Interest of the government. Finally successful companies in the marginal field were not attached to the companies in the document sent to the President for approval. These made room for manipulation and fraud. If you pay money then you will be paired and allocated fields. I challenge the minister to publish the list as approved by the President. From the above it’s obvious that the Minister of State, DPR Director were acting in their own personal interests. Their actions if implemented will deprive the country billions of dollars in revenue. Manga Enwezoh, henwezoh@aol.com

A SUCKER FOR A TEST

his week the students of Australia in years three, five, seven and nine are undertaking tests in Literacy and Numeracy and they don’t want to in many cases. One of the more unusual suggestions mentioned in the paper was giving the students a lollipop like when you get an injection. That was apparently the best suggestion for helping them to cope! These tests conducted worldwide by P.I.S.A., actually only in 80 countries, show that we are performing badly. The rationale for the local tests are that they will provide helpful information for parents, teachers and educational experts but all the teachers and parents actually get is a dot on a line that goes from below expected result to above expected result. The tests are done mid-year, by which time any competent teacher would already know their students and their abilities and the results are not available till later in the year. NAPLAN stands for National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy but I often called them NAPALM tests because of the damage they cause to the students’ confidence. As this occurs annually, so does the usual reporting of concerns with the tests, concerns with the quality of teachers and the hope for improvement next year. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

POLITICS

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

NIDCOM and the Dillemas of Our Diaspora Abiodun Adeniyi, a Mass Communication teacher at Baze University, Abuja, expresses concern that the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission might be moribund, after the tenure of its present charge, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa

t was interesting listening in, at a recent symposium organized by the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Entiitled ‘Mobilizing Nigerians in the Diaspora for National Development’, the symposium was supposedly another conversation around exploring the potentials of the absent citizens. It was valuable, and consistent with the image of NIDCOM as one that is rich in ideas, but often unfortunately weak in execution. This weakness is no fault of theirs, nevertheless, for some reasons. First is poor funding, and second because of a subtly loud indifference for its mandate. Third, is some suspected threat of a conflict of responsibility between it and the overarching Foreign Ministry, leading to a real but unacknowledged tension. Fourth is the poor structural and facility support it presently has, plus a disinterest in helping them out, or even a concern for denying them of the little they have, especially with the recent treatment they got from the penitent fanatic, and Minister of Communication, Dr. Isa Pantami. Fifth, is the hitherto inability to appreciate the full import of diasporic influence, aside from the short-term benefit of remittance. That said, NIDCOM actually also looks like an organization that might be moribund, after its present charge, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. Reason being that the evolution of the organization has substantially benefitted from the predominant brand of the chairperson, as a former television woman, a legislator, with a focus on diaspora matters, before becoming a presidential adviser on diaspora, besides her conscious or unconscious glamour. Her progress in the public sphere has arguably been synonymous with diaspora issues, making her a factor in the description of Nigeria diaspora. Add her passion, media initiative, and a level of influence she covets, plus her stimulus, and it would be tougher to deny the effect of her brand. Then remember how institutions come and go, how they are rather revolving around individuals, and personalities instead of growing a life of their own, plus the present marginal attention the organization is receiving, then you are likely to feel for the important organization in the postDabiri-Erewa years. The exception is if she probably becomes a foreign minister, vice-president, or a president; or just if she sustains an effect, strong enough to continue supporting them after her time. And then this: I am imagining the poor attention to the organization has resulted or is resulting into a suspected inability to lead a comprehensive or a more credible mapping of the supposed Nigerian Diaspora membership, in such a manner that skill sets will be identified, aside separating the wheat from the chaff. In doing this mapping, it would have been possible to differentiate between Nigerian migrants’ workers and education sojourners from the real diasporic community-a membership supposedly made up of citizens, largely settled and prosperous in the distant countries, but still respectful of Nigeria as inherited origin. A proper map would also enable the identification of those merely remembering the country as an imaginary ancestral home, never to be returned to, never to be appreciated, but which the government still takes for granted as members of the Nigerian Diaspora. How about knowing the celebrated professionals, predominating the media for their feasts, and doing a sectorial analysis of where

they can fit in, if not through physical return but through remote knowledge transfer, partnerships, corporations,

integrations and much else? Let’s see again: we also often assume that many members of the diasporic

Political Leaders Unite to Save Nigeria Businessman and presidential candidate in 2019.general election, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has called on political leaders and other stakeholders to unite and save Nigeria from imminent collapse

ore than ever before, now is the time for political leaders in the country, irrespective of their political or ideological leanings, to put heads together in order to agree on a workable agenda to stabilize our bleeding nation. In the past, we have worked with Nigerian patriots from sections of the country. This effort to forge broad based alliances and understanding has been the hallmark of our engagement in politics over the years. We demonstrated this with the Peoples Trust, the party on whose ticket we contested the 2019 Presidential election. More than any other Presidential aspirant in that contest, we painstakingly went through a rigorous process of reconciliation with the Igbos, of course the Chairman of our party, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba and my running mate, the late Dr. Arthur Nwankwo are eminent Igbos. The Forum of Middle Belt Leaders decided to back me after a thorough screening process. In the North-west, my ancestral heritage was a big factor. Leveraging on the support of the Awolowo dynasty really helped our campaign in the South-west. Therefore, as always, I am once again reiterating my believe in a united and indivisible Nigeria. Despite the ominous signs that are everywhere, unfortunately many are still carrying on as if it is business as usual, while it is not! The nation is on fire and we must put it out right now! Nigeria’s political leaders across political lines in government and out of government must urgently arrive at a consensus to secure the country and return it to a path of peace

and unity so as to give hope to the citizens who desperately need to be assured that their father land can still work for them. The challenges confronting Nigeria are larger than any particular party in government or in opposition, they are bigger than any group’s interest or ambition, they require the goodwill of all patriots to resolve, and our best collective wisdom as a people. On our own part we recommended a six point agenda as a pathway to security and peace in our land. Please permit me to restate them . Establish a Defence Co-operation Agreement (DCA) with a friendly nation to halt the enemy’s advance. Those who are fighting Nigeria are from all over the world, the enemy is multinational in its composition. We must put our house in order by resolving internal wrangling through dialogue, fairness, and justice. We must have a broad-based cabinet that can inspire hope, efficiency, and national unity. We must immediately create the framework for states and local governments to have their own police. All states should have concurrent jurisdiction over mineral resources within their state and pay taxes to the federal purse. We must decentralize electricity generation, transmission via local grid and distribution. This should be on the concurrent list. Time is running out for orderly resolution of the issues giving leadership on a road-map for peace and security at this critical time is the least we owe our people who have suffered to much deprivation. Every leader must get up to be counted.

community are ready to return. Maybe and maybe not. We can check: for a lot of them, the comfort of the distant location they are in, have to be replicated, if they have to return. What are these comforts? Constant power supply, security of lives and prosperity, good roads, good jobs, etc. This is about those doing well, and not those still negotiating integration, statutes, or economics. How about the assumption that Nigeria is still a home for many of them? There should be doubts on this. This is because home, in modern times, has become increasingly subjective, with instantaneous technologies, and motivations for travelling and dwelling, and with the heightened sense of co-presence, regardless of distance. For many, they have constructed another home overtime, through marriages, through encouraging and supporting and inviting family members, and home is no longer as missed. It is here-where we are at; and not where we are from (due regards to Gilroy). The myth of home has been shattered. They have demythologized it, as Robins and Akor describe it; and unhelped by the retrogression, or lack of development in the ‘home’ left behind. A proper map of the Nigerian Diaspora would help discern all these. There is also a reason Indians created structures for diasporic return and integration. It is essentially about harnessing their possibilities and potentials. The Chinese have been smart about theirs, largely encouraging return, if to contribute to the late century rise of the Asian Empire, even though nearly 200 Chinese students can still be counted in western universities, annually. This lot do not pretend about being a diaspora (like ours are easily classed), but only education migrants, returning soon after qualifications. The full effect of this on the Chinese are still being consolidated. Even continuing. Added to the above is the experience behind the easy integration of Australians in Earl’s court, London; and the Germans in Argentina; aside from the Hong- Kongers in Canada; the Indians in America; the Lebanese, Palestinians, Indians and Chinese in Nigeria and in West Africa; the Chinese in South–East Asia; the Greeks, the Mexicans, the Irish, and the Turks in America; the Pakistanis in Britain, and the Jews in Europe and the Americas. Where can we say Nigerians are, besides an initial assumption that the Igbos once preferred the United States, while the Yorubas fancy the United Kingdom, and that the Hausa/ Fulani desire countries in the Middle East? What are the migrants or diasporic citizens doing in all these places, assuming they are genuinely settled? What statistics do we have regarding the present-day rush to Canada, the crave for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the detours to China, including the traditional interest in popular traditional destinations like UK, the US, and other countries of the West? How about the circular migrants, those literally living excellently between the borders, moving hither and thither, perhaps for business, sports, entertainment, or for investment reasons? High-flying journalists Dele Momodu, Dele Olojede, Dapo Olorunyomi, Dupe Ashama, businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, and our sport exports are examples here. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

The Return of the Trumpster and the Sacrificing of Liz Cheney

Why Federal Government Must Address the Demands of Southern Governors

Kayode Ajulo, an Abuja-based constitutional lawyer agrees with the spirit and letter of the recent communique issued by governors of Southern Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline.com salutes Nigeria states after its meeting in Asaba the courage of Rep. Liz Cheney, recently removed by her colleagues from the Republican Party House leadership for repeatedly condemning former President Donald Trump for his provocative lies which claim baselessly that the 2020 Unites States of America presidential election was “stolen”

“I

t’s official- Liz Cheney has been fired from House Leadership and I was proud to vote against her,” Rep. Lance Gooden (Republican from Texas), yelled, literally on Twitter. Alongside a couple of right-wing hotheads and Trumpian junkies, a majority of the House Republicans were giddy and enthusiastic in booting out this Wednesday, May 12, 2021, the truly conservative Republican Congresswoman from Wyoming from her leadership post. Her crime? She challenged the errant, divisive and destructive lies and ways of the impeached former President, Donald J. Trump. That one; Trump, the messy and pugnacious god of the nativists and violent groups and rings of conspiracy theorists who have captured the soul of the increasingly race-baiting political group who nominally gather under the banner of the Republican. Liz, the 54-years old first daughter of the former Vice President Dick Cheney (under George W. Bush) has repeatedly condemned Trump for his toxic and false and provocative lies which claim baselessly that the presidential election was “stolen” due to (wait for it!) “massive voter fraud”. Trump riled up the violent mob that set upon and attacked the U.S Capitol on January 6, 2021— with the core goal of interfering and interrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The mob was assembled by Trump and his cronies —Including his “lawyer” Rudy Guiliani who raised the graeco-roman era “trial by combat”! as an option available for them and the congressional representatives at the Hill. He said this, openly, a few blocks that crazy and shameful afternoon near the Capitol. She was a portrait in courage and principle on January 6 when the Trump goon squads desecrated the congressional dignity and grace of the temples of American democracy. Liz, this Wednesday at the House shameful fix to oust the courageous congresswoman told her power hus-

tlers colleagues that “If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person; you have plenty of others to choose from. That will be their legacy…. But I promise you this, after today, I will be leading the fight to restore our party and our nation to conservative principles, to defeating socialism, to defending our republic, to making the GOP worthy again of being the party of Lincoln.” And, she warned that Trump’s rhetorics and nonsense about “stolen election” were threats to the democratic culture of these United States, damages the rule of law and short changes the citizens, diminishes the GOP brand, etc. Cheney was emphatic when she stated that: “Trump is seeking to unravel critical elements of our constitutional structure that make democracy work — confidence in the result of elections and the rule of law. No other American president has ever done this. The Republican Party is at a turning point, and Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution. In the immediate wake of the violence of Jan. 6, almost all of us knew the gravity and the cause of what had just happened — we had witnessed it firsthand. I am a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative values is reverence for the rule of law. Each of us swears an oath before God to uphold our Constitution. The electoral college has spoken. More than 60 state and federal courts, including multiple Trump-appointed judges, have rejected the former president’s arguments, and refused to overturn election results. That is the rule of law; that is our constitutional system for resolving claims of election fraud. The question before us now is whether we will join Trump’s crusade to delegitimize and undo the legal outcome of the 2020 election, with all the consequences that might have. I have worked overseas in nations where changes in leadership come only with violence, where democracy takes hold only until the next violent upheaval. America is exceptional because our constitutional system guards against that. At the heart of our republic is a commitment to the peaceful transfer of power among political rivals in accordance with law.” I believe that the fight ahead of the 2022 mid-term elections and the 2024 presidential elections in the U.S will be very interesting. Will these groveling, linguini-spine Republicans who whenever Trump screamed “Jump!”, they yelled back “how high”. It will be a showdown between the forces of democractic rights and multiracial empowerment against the followers of power-drunk thin-gods, loquacious, racially-polarizing and quasiautocratic movements filled with the ne-insurrectionists, nihilists and other uniformed hustlers.

t is incontrovertible that the communique released at the meeting of the Southern governors at Asaba has trickled a lot of reactions from different quarters of the federation, particularly from political pundits, legal minds and concerned members of the society. I have carefully and pensively spectated the content of the said communique and everyone with a right thinking mind should commend the Southern governors who, without prejudice to their various political divides, ideologies and idiosyncrasies have presented a common front to ensuring a prompt and lasting amelioration to the spate of insecurity which has beleaguered the country like cascading tumults. Snippet of the communique was hinged basically on the following: a. the imperative of banning open grazing of cattle across Southern Nigeria and the need for the Federal Government to support “willing” states to develop alternative and modern livestock management system; b. the imperative of a national dialogue by the Federal Government to resolve agitations on federal character; c. review of revenue allocation formula in favour of the sub-national governments and creation of other institutions which legitimately advance our commitment to and practice of true federalism; d. the need for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation leading to the evolution of state police; e. the need for greater coordination and cooperation between federal and state governments in evolving strategies for dealing with the pandemic; f. the imperative of addressing the nation on the state of insecurity by Mr. President in order to restore the confidence of the people. As a preliminary point, it is pertinent to state that while it seems that the country has been pushed to the brink of a precipice by the trajectory of banditry, kidnapping and attempted treason, collegial efforts must be put in place to save the country from the dire quagmire which we have found ourselves. What the Southern governors have assiduously displayed is a great milieu of nationalism. A fore-runner idea that what has been happening in the country in the past few years is not an ethnic affair nor is it right to call it an inter-party face-off”. It baffles the mind how persistently we fall prey to the divide-and-rule tactics! To be sure, we must admit that the actions and utterances of some sections of the country have lent credence to this unfortunate tribalisation of issues in Nigeria. The “our-son, our-own” syndrome, so prominent and agog in the Nigerian political landscape has aided an increasing sectionalisation of national issues. Let us be clear on a point: I believe the issue at hand is one of constitutionalism and rule of law not sectional or regional issues. We must eliminate the blindness which still obscures the truth of that position. Firstly, on the issue of ban of open grazing, it is an open secret that the herdsmenfarmers crisis in the Southern part is one of the underlining issues of insecurity in Nigeria. Placing a ban on open grazing will keep at bay the incessancy of the crisis. Secondly, on the issue of integration, it suffices to note that Nigeria is a country with more than 250 ethnic groups and with an estimated population of about 170,123,740, according to the 2006 census which makes it by far to be the most populated country in the whole of Africa.

Consequently, under this arrangement, the level of interaction between individual ethnic groups, cultures, traditions, religions from different backgrounds has translated into ethnic and political misunderstanding, mistrust, dominations, conflicts and crises as one may not be considerate with one another. As a result, there are fears, suspicions, intolerance, grieves and greed domination among most communities in the country and especially in the North which has so many ethnic minorities. The principle of ‘Federal Character’ has been largely recognised by the 1999 Constitution. Chapter Two of the Constitution is dedicated to fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy. With specific reference to section 14(1) (c) of the Constitution, the section provides that the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Section 14(3) provides that: “The composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies. Varying sections such as Section 15 to Section 24 give deference and credence to the need for all-inclusiveness in the running of the government at the federal, state and local government levels respectively. Thirdly, on the issue of the need to reflect true federalism, there is at present widespread discontent with the country’s federal structure and arrangements. All the constitutional, political and judicial aspects of the federal system need to be openly discussed. Issues such as revenue allocations from the Federation Account to the three levels of government; the position of local government in the federal system. Fourthly, on the issue of creation of state police, there is a need for the creation of state police which makes it imperative that the 1999 Nigerian Constitution be amended to give states of the federation the leverage to create their own police for better efficiency, faster results as this will lead to a tremendous improvement in state security and in general national security. It must be noted that Item 45 of the Exclusive Legislative List currently places Police and Security in the control of the Federal Government. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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Quick Takes

Air Peace Celebrates Eid-el-Fitri

AirPeacedelighteditscustomerswithnumerousin-flightgiftsduringthis year’sEid-El-Fitricelebration,justasitdidduringtheEastercelebrations. The airline said the objective of the gesture was to put smiles on the faces of the customers for choosing Air Peace. Passengers stand a chance to win gifts such as Thermo water-flask, Food flasks, Diaries, Umbrellas,NotebookBottle,RemoteorganisersandFreeHMO(Health Maintenance Organisation) cards starting from Wednesday, May 12 and will run through the week. The campaign entails placement of gift cards in random seat pockets andduringtheflightandpassengersweretoldtochecktheseatpockets in front of them to know if they have won a gift or not. Spokesperson of Air Peace, Stanley Olisa, reiterated the airline’s commitment to offering unparalleled flight experience while also expressing gratitude to all customers for their continued patronage. Headdedthatthepromowasanextensionoftheairline’sRandomActs of Love campaign which is geared at showing love to the customers for flying with the airline. Air Peace had initiated its Random Acts of Love scheme during Easter last month, to appreciate its teeming customers for their loyalty.

PROMOTING MARITIME LAW

L-R: Former President, Nigeria Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Mr. Louis Mbanefo; Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Vicky Haastrup; newly elected President of NMLA, Mrs. Funke Agbor, and immediate past President, Mr. Chidi Ilogu, at the inauguration of the new executives of the association in Lagos...recently

FG Moves to Control Low-ﬂying Aircraft in Nigeria’s Airspace Chinedu Eze In order to further secure Nigeria’s airspace and be able to identify every aircraft flying in any part of the country, the federal government has moved to complete the Wider Area Mulitlateration project, which is aimed at identifying low flying aircraft, which include single engine equipment, helicopters and others. Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) is a surveillance technology that works by employing multiple small remote sensors throughout an area to compensate for terrain obstruction, which enables air traffic controllers to apply more efficient separation standards for the aircraft operating in the affected airspace.

AVIATION The objective of the federal government in completing the project is to enable air traffic controllers identify aircraft flying below the radar or cannot be captured by the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON). There are reports that indicate that unauthorised aircraft may have been operating in Nigeria’s airspace below the height that could be captured by the radar. Although these reports have not been confirmed, but the federal government has intensified effort to complete the WAM project in order to have comprehensive identification of every aircraft in the airspace no matter the height

of the aircraft. This was confirmed by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu, who told THISDAY that when completed the equipment would capture all the low flying aircraft that have activated and correspondent transponders in the airspace. He said the major objectives of the project are to communicate to these aircraft while airborne and also to monitor movement of aircraft in the airspace, which is part of security checks. “We are installing Wide Area Multilateration in the old eastern region (including South South and South Eastern part of the country) and later we will extend the project to all parts of

the country. The installation is being done right now in these areas and we are hoping that the project will be completed before the end of this year after we have acquired the site for installation,” Akinkuotu said. He explained that acquiring the site involves dealing with third parties that must provide support for the project. The sites are the locations where the equipment would be mounted and it is expected that the sites would be fortified and protected. THISDAY learnt that the project would provide service to oil and gas flight services, helicopter shuttles and aircraft oil and gas crew movements in the Niger Delta area, where the mangrove and seaside terrain need special attention.

Shippers Council Seeks FG’s Support to Build N15bn Resource Centre Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has sought the support of the Federal Ministry of Transportation to build an international maritime resource centre in Jos estimated to cost N15 billion. The Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, disclosed this at the inauguration of the council’s North-Central Coordinating office complex in Jos, Plateau. The NSC boss said the centre on completion would include a five – star hotel, a shopping mall, a restaurant, multi-purpose halls and a fully automated conference centre with a capacity for 2,500 people. According to the NSC boss, “This project will be delivered through Public-Private Partnership and will be supported at

MARITIME all times by the NSC. This zone, this state, this city deserves no less than this. I am sure I will find support from the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Plateau State Government and the private sector.” Bello, while welcoming the private sector of Jos and its environs, was quoted in a statement to have said the office being inaugurated was built for them, dedicated to the upliftment of International trade, shipping and transportation. He thanked the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong for his economic pursuit and for believing that the Jos Dry Port is an economic investment, a catalyst for employment and an avenue to place the state on the global map of export. “Governor Lalong is the

first governor to visit the NSC Office to discuss the development of the Jos Dry Port. He is frank, patriotic and scientific. He believes in the strong economic pluralism of his state. We sincerely hope that the Jos Dry Port will be completed by the first quarter of 2022,”he said. He appreciated the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, for his sense of spotting economic ventures and sticking to them, adding that the rail revolution would have a profound impact on the economic ambition of the country. The Minister of Transportation, Amaechi, in his response, said that the Maritime Resource Centre that the council was promoting is a project with tremendous economic potential for the state in terms of employ-

ment, tourism, and intellectual development. He added that the centre would have huge socio-economic impacts on the state and urged the Plateau government to partner with the Council in actualising this project. “You have my assurance that the Federal Ministry of Transportation and its agencies are here to partner with the great state, Plateau, to achieve its potential,”he said. Amaechi said that the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the NSC’s activities highlights the benefits of the maritime sector as the best alternative for economic diversification. He added that the transportation sector had the potential for employment, investment and growth of the nation’s international trade.

Green Africa to Commence Operations

Upcoming domestic carrier, Green Africa has announced it would start direct flight connections from the commercial hub of Lagos (LOS) into Akure (AKR), Ilorin (ILR), Abuja (ABV), Enugu (ENU), Owerri (QOW) and Port Harcourt (PHC) as its launch route network ahead of entry into service. The airline made this known when it unveiled its plans to commenceflightoperationsfromitsLagosbaseattheGeneralAviation Terminal(GAT),tothesevencitiesaboveaftercompletionofitsongoing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) process with the NCAA which, it said, is now in advanced stages. Green Africa said additional cities within Nigeria would be added as the airline scaled its operations, stating that plans were already underway to establish two more operational bases outside Lagos to stimulate air travel and provide more options to customers. Theairlinefurtherstatedthattheroutelaunchwouldfacilitateincreased economic and trade activities within Nigeria. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Africa said, Babawande Afolabi,“Startingwithourlaunchroutenetwork,wearecraftinganetwork plan that will afford more customers the opportunity to pursue their economic interest or simply spend more time with family and friends. “Ourthreekeyproductofferings–gSaver,gClassicTMandgFlexTMwill afford customers the value of choice and flexibility.” Green Africa recently received its first aircraft with the second and third aircraft expected to arrive soon. Theairlinesaidfacilitiesandinfrastructuresarenowinplacetosupport commercial, flight, and airport operations.

Qatar to Participate in Economic Forum

QatarAirwayswillbeoneoftheleadinginternationalcompaniesattending the upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, from June 2nd to 5th. Now in its 24th edition, SPIEF is one of the largest investment and economy-focused event of its kind in the world and will feature the State of Qatar as a guest country. Held under the patronage of the Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin every year, SPIEF is organised by Roscongress Foundation and convenes individuals from leading Russian and international companies, political ﬁgures, and business leaders from around the world.The State of Qatar’s honorary position at the Forum as a guest country demonstrates the dedication and commitmentofbothcountriestofurthercementtheirexistingeconomic, cultural and tourism relations. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The St. PetersburgInternationalEconomicForum(SPIEF)isahugelyimportant globalevent,andeconomicdevelopmentwillbeofparamountimportance following the damage done by the pandemic. “Qatar Airways is proud to be among the key drivers of trade between the State of Qatar and the Russian Federation, as demonstrated by our continuous commitment to the Russian market throughout the years.We are looking forward to welcoming guests and visitors to our exhibition stand, where they can experience our world-class products and hospitality ﬁrsthand.”

“Nigerian airlines are trying to build their own aircraft maintenance facility. How are they going to attract market when there is proliferation of maintenance facilities?” CEO of Belujane Konsult,

Chris Aligbe

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BAGAIA to Develop Integrated Flight Data Analysis for States Stories by Chinedu Eze The Banjul Accord Accident investigation Agency (BAGAIA) is planning to develop a $1.5 million integration of Flight Data Analysis Capability for member states. It is expected to provide each state with a core analysis capability with Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB-N) existing Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (FDR/CVR) Safety lab as the central hub for expert technical support. BAGAIA Commissioner, Charles Irikefe Erhueh, made this known recently, when he was a guest of the Guinean Civil Aviation Authority in Conakry where he discussed the importance of the regional aircraft accident investigative body and steps taken to keep it thriving. Erhueh also pointed out the importance of establishing an independent Investigation body separate from Civil Aviation Authority in Guinea to investigate aircraft accidents expressing optimism that Guinea would show interest just as Sierra Leone and others have done. The commissioner also

called on the Guinea CAA to deepen the country’s membership of BAGAIA by meeting their obligations to the regional body, especially with regards to clearing their outstanding subscription. The Guinean Civil Aviation Authority Director General, Mr. Mamady Kaba, while welcoming the BAGAIA Commissioner to Conakry, promised that independent Investigation Agency would be established in few months to come, being that the Act is in the final stage to see to it come to fruition. He also said Guinea would clear its outstanding once the Act was signed into law. “That the papers for the creation of the AIG was created 3 years ago and they are looking forward for it assent into law” that they are willing to clear of the outstanding when the Act is signed into law with the measure they will put in place,” he added. The BAGAIA Commissioner was happy and assured the commitment of BAGAIA to member states in ensuring that the country is up to speed as aviation is global. They further deliberated on issues involving who pays for Investigation when it is delegated to BAGAIA, and the commis-

sioner in response stated that only logistics would be handled by the state of occurrence since they are contributing their quota as enshrined in the Agreement. He went further to say that there were so many values to tap or gain from BAGAIA activities with offerings of trainings and assistance in ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) activities and collaboration with other states as the case may be. On the proposal for Flight Data Analysis Capability for member states as highlighted in the commissioner’s presentation, the proposal once it reached fruition would provide each State with a core Flight Data Analysis capability with the world-class Nigerian AIB existing FDR/CVR Safety lab as the central hub for expert technical support. The BAGAIA Commissioner in his remarks thanked the DG and his cabinet for the warm reception received since his arrival. He also visited the Air Navigation Agency of Guinea and had brief meeting the Director General Mr. Soumah Ahmed Tidiane with the deputy Hadja Oumou Diallo where he was welcome.

Emirates to Participate in Arabian Travel Market Emirates will be showcasing its premium economy seats for the first time at Arabian Travel Market 2021 (ATM). The region’s leading travel and tourism exhibition will run from 16th to 19th May, and will be the first in-person travel industry event to take place since the onset of the pandemic. The Emirates stand will offer travel industry visitors from over 60 countries a chance to experience the airline’s product and recently introduced service enhancements across every cabin class onboard its iconic A380 aircraft, and is a reminder of the elevated onboard experiences in store for travellers once

they get back to the skies. The highly-anticipated Emirates premium economy seat will be on display for visitors to experience. The seat boasts of an abundant pitch of up to 40-inches, and visitors trying out Emirates’ premium economy seat will also notice its generous width of 19.5 inches and ability to recline into a comfortable cradle position with ample room to stretch out. The seats are covered in cream-coloured anti-stain leather with automobile inspired stitching details and a wood panel finishing similar to business class, all designed to provide optimal comfort and support

with 6-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests. Customers will also find other details including easily accessible in-seat charging points, a wide dining table and side cocktail table, as well as a storage area. Emirates will also showcase its Boeing 777-300ER game-changer First Class fully enclosed private suites exhibit, Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the newly refreshed A380 OnBoard lounge, along with other iconic products such the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of the game-changer Economy Class seats.

Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom Partners Ibom Air The Bayelsa State Government has opened partnership discussions with its Akwa Ibom counterpart on the use of the new domestic carrier, Ibom Air to start commercial flight operations at the Bayelsa International Airport. Speaking as the leader of a high-powered delegation from Bayelsa at a meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, noted that the choice of Ibom Air was informed by proximity and good bilateral relations between the two states. Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, explained that Akwa Ibom has proved itself as a dependable

neighbour to Bayelsa in so many ways over the years, which must be reciprocated “in the spirit of give and take”. He expressed optimism that the partnership deal would soon be sealed for the airline to commence flights to and from Bayelsa, Lagos and Abuja, describing the two routes as the highest in traffic for the people of the state. The Deputy Governor assured Bayelsans and members of the public of the present administration’s commitment to ensure smooth operations at the state airport, which is adjudged to be one of the best in the country by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). According to him, the state government was applying the

business principle of, “starting small to grow big,” by going for a 50-Seater aircraft in its present deal with Ibom Air to promote socioeconomic activities in the state. Ewhrudjakpo, who likened efforts for acquiring the operational licence to Nelson Mandela’s “Long walk to Freedom”, however, added that government, had plans to do business with other airlines in the near future. “Basically, we are here to discuss how we can have mutually beneficial partnership with your airline, IbomAir. And our target is on any of your aircraft that has the capacity of about 50 seaters because we don’t want to start too big,” he said.

As Marriot Hotel Opens in Lagos

Marriott hotel Chinedu Eze Multi-billion naira Marriot Hotel, Ikeja Lagos, would be opened next Wednesday to provide unique hospitality service to Nigerians and others who yearn for luxury, efficient service, good taste and entertainment. The new hotel, which has redefined the skyline of Ikeja GRA adds grace and aesthetics to the beauty of Joel Ogunnaike Street and environs and boasts to be the best Marriot Hotel in Africa. The hotel which operates under Mack Folly Limited, a subsidiary of Skyway Group is located about 15 minutes to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and is built as aviation hub of the group, which is into aviation, maritime, oil and gas and hospitality services. The hotel has inimitable structural design that stands out from other hospitality facilities in Lagos state and it targets to provide the aviation industry special services, which includes hosting airlines’ crew and providing secure and easy movement to and from the airport. The hotel is arguably the best in terms of lounges, restaurants, conference centres, high-class rooms and guest satisfaction. Managing Director of Mac Folly Limited, Chike Ogeah, during a media briefing disclosed that it took the Skyway Group about six years to complete the project, adding that it was built in accordance to the high standard of the Marriot legacy with attention paid to every minute detail to give the facility its uniqueness. “The hotel cost about N400-N450 billion and took about six years to complete. Every utility and equipment in the hotel is unique. Materials imported to build this hotel came to about 700 containers and it took relatively less time because Skyway is into Maritime. “We worked with Marriot to build the hotel and they inspected everything that was put into the facility to ensure that it meets their high, global standards. What we have here is classic luxury, the Marriot style and this is the first kind of structure in sub-Sahara Africa. “We want to use the hotel as aviation hub and bring in all the airlines. This is why we located the hotel very close to the airport. So we are bringing aviation and hospitality together,” Ogeah said. He applauded the Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi for bankrolling the multi-billion Naira investment, adding that his vision of a premium hospitality business in Lagos has manifested through the new hotel. “We took our time to tastefully select all

the materials and equipment that were used in order to serve our clients the best. As a man that has travelled all over the world and experienced first-hand hospitality at its peak, our Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, decided to build this hotel in Nigeria in order to promote the hospitality and tourism industry in Lagos and provide opportunities to further improve the economy,” he added. The hotel, built on 11 floors, has various modern facilities like exclusive crew lounge, VIP lounges, 1,000-capacity ballroom, executive meeting rooms, 400-capacity car park, 206 standard rooms, 44 suites (including three presidential ones), well-equipped gym and continental restaurants, among others. The General Manager, Lagos Marriot Hotel, Rudi Janse Van Resnburg said the nine meeting rooms occupies about 14,864 sq ft of total meeting space. He said the hotel maintains Marriot global standard, tinged with African and Nigerian signatures, adding that in addition to many restaurants, it also has outdoor restaurant with Nigerian style where guests can go and get their suya, roasted fish and chicken and where guests will experience Nigerian cuisine. “The hotel carries African and Nigerian feel to maintain our heritage. So it is international hotel with African and Nigerian influences. It has different lounges and places where guests can stay out of their rooms and still maintain their privacy and also a ball room that can host 1000 people,” Resnburg said. He said the desire to offer premium hospitality services to the Lagos market was responsible for the huge investment in the hotel. “Every client of Lagos Marriott Hotel is set for an unimaginable premium experience like never before. We assure them of world-class hospitality, super customer satisfaction and royalty treatment. Frequent travelers who have points using the Marriott hotel franchise globally can also redeem their points here in Nigeria too. We have an in-club system for our premium members located on the first floor of the hotel. “The unique selling propositions of this hotel are the various amazing products we offer our clients which are non-existent in the country’s hospitality industry. The security of our guests is very paramount to us and that’s why every door and window in the facility is bombproof. Our pricing is also very commensurate with the quality that we offer.” Rensburg further noted that the hotel, which is in the classic premium category on the Marriott quality ranking, will be managed by the franchise owner, Marriott Hotel, for quality assurance purposes.

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ANALYSIS

Hope Rising for Leasing Company The Ministry of Aviation recently notified the industry that the federal government’s plan to establish aircraft leasing company is still in progress. Chinedu Eze writes that the initiative will significantly improve capacity of Nigerian airlines and could bring down airfares. he Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika recently announced that the federal government has progressed in its plan to establish aircraft leasing company and make it easier for Nigerian carriers and others in West Africa to lease aircraft. Government said the leasing company would provide opportunities for Nigerian and African airlines in order to boost fleet size; alleviate the problems of aircraft leasing and the attendant high insurance premium charges. The Ministry of Aviation said the aircraft leasing company has been structured as a joint venture between the government and the private sector, adding that its business objectives would be to initially lease aircraft from international lessors and subsequently sub-lease to African airlines and in the future acquire and own its aircraft. “Government is considering providing financial guarantee and ensuring fiscal incentives to facilitate the success of the leasing company,” the Ministry said. Government also said it is at advanced stage in the procurement phase and that a preferred partner has been selected and negotiations would soon commence, adding that the next move would be to commence negotiations with the preferred bidder.

be a problem anymore because the lessors would like to know who they are giving their aircraft so they usually engage the services of referrals but in Nigeria this will not be difficult. Your bank knows you; the leasing company will be able to identify you. So you eliminate the distrust on whom you are dealing with. “Do you know that in the past Nigerian companies register companies in the countries where they hope to lease aircraft from and use those companies to lease the aircraft; just to overcome the problem of identity? So this hurdle will be scaled when a local leasing company I established,” he said. Akpan also stated that such leasing company would enhance the leasing of engines, other aircraft parts, even handling equipment, remarking that Nigerian handling companies liaise with foreign partners in order to lease heavy-duty equipment, but now it would be easier for such Nigerian handling companies. “Another benefit is that it will be easier for the leasing company with government backing to access foreign exchange than by individual companies. This will be a big advantage. In addition to that local companies can interact easily. A lot of bottlenecks will be eliminated and negotiations will be done at the level of knowledge,” he said.

Difﬁculty in Aircraft Leasing Before now it has been very difficult for Nigerian carriers to lease aircraft because of trust issues between the lessors and the Nigerian carriers. This has forced Nigerian airlines to buy and own their aircraft at a huge cost and this is also why many Nigerian operators acquire older equipment because it is what they could afford; except now that Air Peace has blazed the trail by acquiring new aircraft. But in his early public statement when he took over as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) last year, Captain Musa Nuhu, had promised that the agency would smoothen the process of aircraft leasing and also bring down insurance premium on that score. He said Nigerian airlines might soon begin to lease aircraft without high insurance premium and rigid, outrageous leasing rates, as the federal government had stepped in to rebuild relationship between airlines and lessors. Nuhu confirmed that after series of default on leasing agreements by some Nigerian carriers, lessors had stopped giving out their aircraft to operators despite the fact that Nigeria is signatory to Cape Town Convention, which enables airlines of member countries to lease aircraft at low rates. The inability to lease aircraft has led to a reduction in the number of operating aircraft before the COVID-19 lockdown and heightened the cost of airfares, as number of operating aircraft was not meeting the demand of passengers, forcing airlines to cancel and delay flights, besides the exorbitant airfares. Nuhu had said the agency would guarantee lessors that it would protect their equipment leased to Nigerian carriers and with the new assurance, lessors could now give out their aircraft to Nigerian operators at relatively lower rates. “We will work with Nigerian airlines that lease aircraft and if there is any disagreement we will intervene and resolve the issues without having serious negative consequences on the Nigerian aviation market. “Of recent there was an airline in Northern Ireland that has issues with an operator in Nigeria over leased engines, we stepped in, intervened and we were able to resolve it and the engines were returned to the lessor. “Honestly, from that singular act I got a lot of positive responses from the international community. People are more relaxed to do business with Nigerian airlines, knowing that if their equipment got stuck in Nigeria; they are able to get their equipment back with the help of the regulatory body,” he said. The Director General had said it would rebuild the confidence lessors have in Nigeria

Reinforcing Cape Town Convention In addition to establishing a leasing company, the former CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, suggested that government should also reinforce the Cape Town Convention, which would assure the leasing companies that whenever there was a default on leasing aircraft by airline operators it would step in to recover the aircraft. He said government must have to inform the judiciary about the Cape Town Convention it signed and why courts should not stop the recovery of aircraft by the lessor after a default, noting that once there is a default, the lessor must recover his aircraft and the issue should be resolved afterwards. Industry experts said leasing is the easiest way commercial airlines acquire aircraft in other parts of the world and major airlines, including well-known mega carriers, operate largely leased aircraft.

Sirika

and could now lease aircraft to Nigerian airlines without stringent measures that described Nigeria as risky environment, which ups the insurance premium and leasing rates. “If we continue to intervene for a longtime, it is going to make it easier for Nigerian operators to lease equipment, be it aircraft, engine or whatever, it will also come at a competitive global rate rather than adding premium because Nigeria is considered a high risk market. These are part of the things we are doing,” Nuhu said. Root of Distrust However, aviation economist and the Managing Director, Flight and Logistics Solutions, Amos Akpan, told THISDAY that that there was negative perception about the country in the global business transactions, noting that transactions with Nigerians carry a high possibility of fraud and corruption. “This false propaganda makes those leasing aircraft to Nigerian airlines install unnecessary, difficult clauses which are not found in their lease agreements with airlines from other countries. The situation is tilted against the Nigerian to the extent that when the lessor is in default, he gets away with it because of the preconception that the Nigerian should be in default. “The Cape Town Convention addressed this anomaly. The convention stipulates that all aircraft lease agreements be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the contracting states. “It further stipulates in case of default by the lessee in the agreement, the CAA shall grant permission to the lessor to fly out her aircraft to a destination of her choice. Simply put, if the lessor applies to NCAA, she shall be granted permission by NCAA to ferry out her aircraft. “There have been instances that NCAA successfully implemented the Cape Town Convention protocol. Also, there are instances where the Nigerian courts have barred the NCAA and the Lessor from implementing

this protocol in Nigeria,” Akpan explained. He said the major problem was that the lessors refused to lend to Nigerian operators after series of failure of some airlines to abide by tenets of agreements signed when they leased the aircraft. Some airlines in Nigeria had gone to court when the NCAA attempted to help lessors recover their aircraft. The Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment, or Cape Town Treaty is an international treaty intended to standardise transactions involving movable property. The treaty creates international standards for registration of contracts of sale (including dedicated registration agencies), security interests (liens), leases and conditional sales contracts, and various legal remedies for default in financing agreements, including repossession and the effect of particular states’ bankruptcy laws. The treaty came into force on 1 April 2004, and has been ratified by 57 parties. The Aircraft Protocol (which applies specifically to aircraft and aircraft engines) took effect on 1 March 2006 when it was ratified by eight countries: Ethiopia, Ireland, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Pakistan, and the United States. Beneﬁts of Proposed FG’s Leasing Company Akpan told THISDAY there would be invaluable benefits if government in collaboration with the private sector establishes aircraft leasing company. He said there would no more be those stringent conditions give to Nigerian airlines by international lessors. He added that this would remove the hassles in identifying the applicant because enough information would be available about the potential lessee; so the lessor would no more depend on referrals. “Having a leasing company locally will have immense benefits for Nigerian carriers. One, we won’t be exposed to lessors overseas with their stringent conditions, which are difficult to meet. The idea of identity will not

Current Challenges Former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and current Rector, International Aviation College, Ilorin, Benedict Adeyileka, highlighted challenges currently faced by domestic airlines in leasing aircraft. Adeyileka, stressed that getting forex remains a challenge for the airlines, disclosing that while waiting to obtain dollars for the payment the leasing window may elapse, as other airlines may also be leasing aircraft from the lessor. “If you have your naira to lease aircraft, the regulator and your bank will be the problem. They will be the stumbling block because of the scarcity of dollars. Another problem you will face is the exchange rate. The exchange rate is very high that you must have a lot of money in naira to earn the dollars that will enable you to lease,” he said. Adeyileka pointed out that another major challenge was the leasing conditions, which is stringent for Nigerian carriers because Nigeria is designated as high country risk. “You may even have the money but the lessor will not allow you to bring the aircraft to Nigeria. Even if he allows you, he will slam high returns to it that you won’t be able to pay. When you look at what you could be generating with the aircraft, you will find out that you won’t be able to raise the leasing cost. “Then, another issue is that when you lease the aircraft, NCAA has its own stringent conditions that you must face. The officials will do pre-inspection of the aircraft and on arrival of the aircraft they will carry out post arrival inspection in which the inspector can ask you for anything about the aircraft, including manufacturing documents,” Adeyileka said.

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MARITIME

Of Piracy and Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project Eromosele Abiodun writes that the International Maritime Bureau report describing Nigeria as most volatile in the Gulf of Guinea, accounting for half of the 38 piracy incidences seems to have made a mockery of the $195 million Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project

ast week, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) once again described Nigerian waters as most volatile in the Gulf of Guinea, accounting for half of the 38 piracy incidences reported in first quarter (Q1) of 2021 in the Gulf of Guinea. The bureau made this known in its Q1 2021 report for the period between January and March. It said pirates had often raided ships in Nigeria to kidnap crews for ransom around the water regions. IMB urged vessels to take additional security measures, adding that several attacks have gone unreported. According to the IMB, “Nigeria (Lagos-Apapa, Off Bayelsa-Brass, and Bonny Island-Port Harcourt): Pirates/robbers are often well armed and violent and have attacked, hijacked, robbed ships and kidnapped crews along far from the coast rivers, anchorages ports, and surrounding waters. “Incidents have also been reported up to about 200 nautical miles from the coast. Generally, all waters in or off Nigeria remain highly risky. Vessels are advised to be vigilant as many incidents may also have gone unreported; kidnapping for ransom remains the biggest risk for crews. Vessels are advised to take additional measures in these high-risk waters. In the past, tankers were also hijacked and part cargo stolen (gas oil).” IMB in the report added that 38 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported between January and March. It noted that the Golf of Guinea suffered the highest attacks within the period under review. Countries located around the Gulf of Guinea include: Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola. “The Gulf of Guinea accounted for nearly half (43 per cent) of all reported piracy incidents in Q1 of 2021.Thirty-eight incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in the period of 2021, compared with 47 incidents in Q1 2020. “The Q1 2021 figures are broken down as 33 vessels boarded, two attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon and one vessel hijacked. Violence against crews continues with 40 crew kidnapped, two each threatened and taken hostage and one killed.” Also, in January last year Nigeria was rated number one in pirates attack in the Gulf of Guinea by the International Maritime bureau (IMB). The IMB revealed a 40 per cent increase in the number of kidnappings reported in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. The report showed that the pirates armed with guns and knives had abducted bigger groups of seafarers off the West African coast. The IMB said there had been 132 attacks reported since the beginning of 2020, up from 119 incidents in the same period of the previous year. It added: “Of the 85 seafarers kidnapped from their vessels and held for ransom, 80 were taken in the Gulf of Guinea, in 14 attacks reported off Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana. By the end of the third quarter (Q3), seafarers reported 134 cases of assault, injury, and threats, including 85 crewmembers being kidnapped, and 31 held hostage onboard their ships. A total of 112 vessels were boarded, and six were fired upon, while 12 reported attempted attacks.” IMB warned that pirate gangs in the area are well organised and targeting all vessel types over a wide range. It added that the furthest attack from shore also involved the most crew kidnapped from a single vessel in 2020. “On 17 July 2020, eight pirates armed with machine guns boarded a product tanker underway around 196 nautical miles southwest of Bayelsa, Nigeria. They held all 19 crewmembers hostage, stole the ship’s documents and valuable

Amaechi

items, and escaped with 13-kidnapped crew. “The tanker was left drifting with limited and unqualified navigational and engine crew onboard. A nearby merchant vessel later helped the tanker to sail to a safe port. The 13 kidnapped crewmembers were released safely one month after,” IMB said. Failed Project It is sad to know that Nigeria has invested massively in maritime security assets to tackle the menace with any tangible result. At the height of piracy and criminality in Nigerian waters in 2017, the federal government embraced the Deep Blue project initiated by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. Since then, the government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars supervised by the minister and the reward for the investment has been increased piracy and criminality. To this day, the $195 million maritime security contract approved for the same purpose by the government in 2017 is yet to be executed by the same minister. The federal government had in 2017 approved a $195 million maritime security contract with an Israeli firm, HLS International Limited under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project. The contract was in line with efforts to curb increasing criminal activities such as piracy, sea robbery, kidnapping, oil theft, illegal bunkering, smuggling and illegal trafficking in drugs and persons within the Gulf of Guinea, especially Nigeria. Under the initiative, the government was supposed to have commenced the deployment of security assets first week of January 2019 to curb maritime criminality. Since then, several dates have been announced by Amaechi without anything to show for the federal government’s investment. To the trepidation of all stakeholders and in a move that negates the anti-corruption posture of the president Muhammadu Buhari administration and waste of scare foreign exchange, Amaechi again last year wrote to the federal government seeking a whopping $22.99 million to hire fast intervention vessels to check insecurity in Nigeria’s waters. Pundits

alleged that the Deep Blue Project has become a drain pipe calling on Predident Muhammadu Buhari to probe the project. In a memo to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) dated July 22, 2020, Amaechi had asked for the government’s approval for the renewal of lease of fast intervention security vessels for a period of one year, claiming the $195 million already approved for the same purpose has been put on hold due to COVID-19. The memo reads in part: “The purpose of this memorandum is to seek the consideration of the FEC for the extension of the contract for the lease of 6 no. units of fast intervention security vessels (FISV) on the same terms and conditions as earlier approved by the FEC in 2018 in favour of the following six no. service provider: Pearl HPW Limited, Thamson Energy services Limited, Fairway Offshore Limited, Aquashiled Oil & Marine Services Limited XPO Marine services Limited and Peace Marine and Energy Limited. “Council is invited to recall that at its EC(2018)40 meeting held on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, it considered and granted approval for the renewal of the contract for the lease of six (6) fast intervention security vessels for a period of one year, at the reviewed daily rate of $10,500 per vessel-making a total sum of $22.995, 000.00 on an annual basis which is equivalent to N7,013,475, 000.00, at the exchange rate of $1.00 to N305.00, inclusive of all taxes.” But stakeholders in the maritime industry are querying the motive behind the latest development when the same minister told the world in February this year he has received some of the equipment for the Deep Blue Project and that 80 per cent of the equipment will arrive Nigeria few weeks after. Stakeholders in the maritime sector are worried that the hundreds of millions of Dollars spent by the minister in hiring fast moving vessels over the years is enough to acquire better and sophisticated brand new vessels for the country. Also, they are worried that despite the multi-million dollars spent in hiring vessels, insecurity in Nigeria’s waters is at all-time high. Unhappy Security Agencies THISDAY learnt that top brass at the Nigerian Navy are very unhappy with the development

Nigeria has made huge investments in the establishment of a comprehensive maritime security infrastructure. The Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also called the Deep Blue Project, is designed to secure our waters, up to the Gulf of Guinea

but are constrained to remain silent due to political pleasures. Sources at the Navy, who pleaded anonymity said the vessels been hired by the minister are in deplorable state and not sea worthy. Some stakeholders are of the opinion that the $195 million contract breached procurement process adding that there was no open tender before it was awarded. “If so which other company bided with the Israeli firm? Did the minister just muscle his way through by bypassing lay down procedure? These are questions begging for answers, “said a top player in the industry. Recently, the former chief of naval staff, Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba, said the $195 million maritime security contract entered into by the federal government and an Israeli firm, Messrs HLSI Security Systems and Technologies would fail. Ezeoba, who also frowned at the government’s stance of contracting maritime security contract to a security firm, said the government should instead provide adequate funding for the Nigerian navy. He said: “I feel pained because having been an active participant in all these matters, it becomes disheartening to note that we are still in a country where people play to the gallery. We have a constitutional mandate that anything that has to do with maritime security is the sole responsibility of the Nigerian navy and the country owe us as a constituent people a responsibility to fund the Nigerian navy adequately to discharge its responsibilities but instead, they go through the backdoor to create some façade and instead of funding the lead agency that should create the initiative to do the needful, they do the more you look, the less we see.” Ezeoba also stated that with Falcon Eye, there wouldn’t have been any reasons to contract security of the nation’s waterway to a foreign security firm. Admission of Failure Meanwhile, in a startling revelation last year, the Director General of The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, expressed worry over the activities of the Somali pirates on Nigerian waters, while reiterating the determination to curb criminal attacks in the nation’s waters and the Gulf of Guinea. He said the pirates often navigated through Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, and sometimes came through the land borders, adding that the recently-established, Maritime Intelligence Unit, to help nip sea crimes in the bud through the identification of early warning signs, had revealed a relationship between crimes in the Nigerian maritime domain and the Somali pirates. He said: “We discovered a correlation between crimes in our waters and the activities of the Somali pirates. They have a means of navigating from the coast of Somalia to Nigeria, through the waters of our West African neighbors. In some cases, they enter through the land borders and commission boats to carry out their activities.” He said Nigeria had developed an action plan to monitor the progress of its National Maritime Security Strategy, saying, “Our goal is to achieve a sustainable end to criminal attacks in our territorial waters.” Jamoh said the Nigerian government placed a high premium on the safety and security of shipping on its waters and the Gulf of Guinea. To confront the menace of maritime criminality head-on, he said: “Nigeria has made huge investments in the establishment of a comprehensive maritime security infrastructure. The Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also called the Deep Blue Project, is designed to secure our waters, up to the Gulf of Guinea. “The project is nearing completion, with more than 80 per cent of the assets, comprising Special Mission Vessels, Fast Intervention Boats, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Armoured Vehicles, already in the country.”

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NDDC’s Ondo Transmission Station Project Reaches 85% Completion James Sowole in Akure Work has reached 85 per cent completion for the 132/33kv transmission sub-station being constructed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Okitipupa area of Ondo State. The transmission station on completion, would provide supply power to over 2,000 communities spread across five local government areas of Ondo South Senatorial Districts of Ondo State. The Interim Administrator of the NDDC, Mr. Efiong Akwa, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the project site in company of the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and the Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, as well as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The five Ilaje, Eseodo, Okitipupa, Irele and Odigbo

government areas of Ondo State, had been without electricity supply for more than 12 years. The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said he was excited that the Commission was constructing a power station in the oil-producing area of Ondo State, noting that both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio were interested in seeing to the completion of the project. He said: “What I have seen here is massive. I didn’t want to stay in the office and send directors to inspect the project. When the contractor presented an update on the project to us, I insisted on coming to see things for myself. From what is on ground here, this is a massive electricity project and a lot of money have been sunk in here. “We have gotten to a point of no return. For this project, I can tell you that there is no retreat, no surrender. We have to complete this project and put it to use as soon as possible. As it is now, we have done about

85 per cent of the job.” Akwa promised that the NDDC would assist the contractor to tackle the challenges of sourcing foreign exchange for the procurement of some of the equipment that needed to be imported, stating: “We will be a bit practical to address the issue of getting foreign exchange for the importation of some of the equipment. We will authorize the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to debit our dollar account, so that we don’t have issue of foreign exchange short falls. “This project is very important because it will serve five local government areas in the oil production belt of Ondo state. When you provide light to a people, you have provided life. So we are committed to providing life to the people. In his remarks, Governor Akeredolu praised the NDDC and the Interim Administrator for making efforts to release the necessary funds that would facilitate the completion of the project.

GPHA Commends NPA, INTELS Facilities at Onne Port Stories by Eromosele Abiodun Officials of Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) have commended the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Intels Logistics Services for the impressive facilities at their terminals at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) and Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT) in Onne Rivers State. The delegation, which was led by Director of Port of Tekoradi, Ghana, Captain Ebenezer Afadzi, gave the commendation during a one-day visit, to Onne Port. Addressing the delegation, Onne Port Manager, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said Onne Port is big and accommodates four major ‘Terminal Operators’, who are also concessionaires. The concessionaires, he said, are: Intels Logistics Services, Brawal Oil Services, West African Container Terminal and ICTNL.

He said there are other operators in the oil and gas sector, which include West African Ventures (WAV), INDORAMA, Dangote among others. He remarked that Intels contributes positively to the development of the maritime activities in the country. He noted that they enter into concession agreement for 25 years with the company, which allows them to develop the facility, and operate same, though with options to review the agreement at the end of 25 years. Dantsoho said that Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), at Bonny constitutes another huge revenue earner for NPA and Federal Government (FG). “Onne Port is the most modern port in Nigeria. Intels came in 1988, while other concessionaire came in from the year 2006, “he added.

The Port Manager, who said he has visited ports in Ghana, commended them for the visit, and wished them well. He assured them that they will get better insight when they arrive Intels Terminal on facility tour. In his response, Afadzi, thanked NPA for the honour accorded them, adding that Nigeria is Ghana’s big brother and have a lot they share in common. “We are here because Nigeria is our big brother. We need help from Nigeria to grow our maritime and shipping sector. And we are here to learn a lot from your port and to see things for ourselves in Onne Port”, Capt. Afadzi said. He added that their coming is to learn what has made Onne Port thick. He requested to get more clarifications on the operations of service boats and container vessels and how they help NPA to generate more revenue.

NIMASA, Army Collaborate on Training for Journalists The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Army have announced a plan to cooperate on the training of journalists and other public communication practitioners in the country’s security sector. This was the highpoint of a meeting in Lagos between the management of NIMASA, led by the Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, and a team from the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), led by the Acting Commandant, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, at the agency’s headquarters. The Nigerian Army delegation said the courtesy call was to explore areas for further collaboration with NIMASA. Jamoh stressed the cordial relationship between NIMASA

and the Armed Forces, especially the Nigerian Army, which plays a leading role in the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (the Deep Blue Project), domiciled at the Agency. He said: “We have a very cordial relationship with the Armed Forces. Both establishments are working towards the same goal of national security and development. The Nigerian Army is a strategic partner in our search for maritime security; it plays a critical role in the Deep Blue Project. We are happy to work with you in the dissemination of information on national security issues. We have a responsibility to manage security information in ways that would engender confidence in the polity – and

not endanger the country.” Jamoh restated the plan by NIMASA to set up a media academy for the training and retraining of professionals that report the maritime industry. He said the Agency’s Public Relations Unit would interface with NASPRI to come up with a robust curriculum and information sharing method that would serve NIMASA and the Army in the implementation of their respective mandates. Yusuf, earlier in the meeting, commended the warm relationship between the Nigerian Army and NIMASA, saying he looks forward to more partnership between the two establishments. He said NASPRI had trained many maritime journalists, members of the Armed Forces, and others involved in security reporting.

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Austin Adigwe: Passion to Change the World through Music

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COVER

Austin Adigwe: Passion to Change the World through Music Austin Adigwe is not one to do things in half measures. As a manager with a new generation bank and part-time lecturer with the Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo, his one true passion, however, is changing the world through music. The third child of the late Mr. and Mrs. MichaelAdigwe, from Idumu-Osume Quarters of Ubulu-Uku, inAniocha-South Local GovernmentArea of Delta State, the award-winning musician started his musicalcareerataverytenderage.Intentionallytailoringhismusictobringhopeandspreadlove,hehascontinuouslyappealedtoyouthstoshun violence, noting that all the vices prevalent in Nigeria are consequences of sustained absence of love for one another. In this interview, Adigwe, who came into limelight with his debut album in November 2019, spoke on the journey so far, as well as other issues. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports

ow did you start your music career? Passion for music resonates in my childhood and teenage memories, coloured with membership of various cultural dance groups, church choir and college brass band. I began playing instruments like the clarinet/tuba at age 14, drums at age 16 and the keyboard at 20. In 2013, the inspiration to transform thoughts to songs began to manifest significantly and I could communicate with songs. Then came the bigger challenge of how best to channel the newfound energy. By 2016, I had started using my situation and immediate environment to compose inspirational songs with perfect characterisation in gospel music. Convinced that nothing was too much to give back to God for life and his provisions, I created a sinking fund, managed by my wife, to support the initial take-off in the years ahead. So, when, in 2019, I decided to start recording, I had a pool of over 30 songs, each speaking to a specific aspect of life with biblical reasonings to inspire, support and encourage oneness. I had to search online for music producers and God ordered my footsteps to my prolific producer Duktor Sett. That is my story. How do you combine music with lecturing and other occupations? First is the undisputable grace of the Almighty God in every of my endeavours. Secondly, with good time management and discipline; so much can be achieved within a short time. You see, it is not how long but how effective you are in turning prospects to opportunities and then to results. If you see time as a resource, you would optimise it but if you see time as a mere prompt for different activities, you would abuse and misuse it. While no one can claim 100 per cent proficiency in time management, there are some skills that help one improve his/her optimisation level. I could combine my jobs because of my unwavering passion for them and the ability to discover their interdependence and interrelatedness. This ensures that one job feeds off the others in such perfect harmony that is mutually beneficial to the different goals and bottom lines. In so short a time, your music has made impact around the globe, what is the magic? God is universal, no doubt about that. So, when you commit your resources (time and materials) to his service genuinely, he becomes your ultimate promoter. My songs are making impact because they carry his grace, message, teachings, inspiration, and incentive to love as Christ commanded us. I am always conscious of my lyrics to ensure that the messages are received and interpreted as intended. Every song of mine has lyrics that depict the letters and spirit of the Holy Bible to create congruence between what God desires of us and the contents of my music. Other important factors are originality of my songs, simplicity, absence of conflict with established teachings of Christ and intensity of promotion. You have won some awards and nominations, including the coveted Silent Heroes Initiative Award,”which is not a tea party, how did it happen?

Adigwe

Silent Heroes Award is truly coveted and priceless to my high sense of motivation and immensely integral to the giant strides I see in my music career today. It is the platform of unsung heroes and recognises the contributions of ordinary Nigerians who toil daily to make life better for others. Unlike the other awards we see on display that celebrate the mighty, the connected, the rich and famous; Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards targets good-spirited people who are impacting lives positively with little or no societal recognition nor connection to the powerful. A Nigerian that was impacted by one of my songs, “Jesus Never Fails,” contacted the organisers of the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards with my nomination, so I was contacted and informed that someone nominated me based on my song for the awards and the nomination would be confirmed if the song passes through scrutiny. A few weeks later, I was contacted that the entry was successful and that I was an awardee. So I return all the glory to God. What is your message to Nigeria during this period of trial with banditary, kidnapping, killings and terrorism. Perhaps, you would do some songs for Nigeria? We are on a journey that is exploding before our eyes without the prescription of the real solution in sight, even though we all know the consequences of our generational disdain for one another along religious and ethnic divides. Our problem as a country is multifaceted but from the same root, which is complete absence of genuine love for one another as instructed by all the holy books and teachings. You can give these social vices different names such as corruption, banditry, kidnapping, killing and terrorism, they are all direct consequences of sustained absence of love for one another. Let me take you to Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” So, clearly, any generation that elects to hate instead of to love already knows the verdict of their choices. We cannot claim to love God that we have never seen and yet hate one another (1 John 4:20). You can clearly see the growing wrong and misleading diagnosis of our problems as a people, much of which we attribute to our diversity (religion and ethnicity). Can we not see clearly that our God is a God of diversity? The God that made the night and day? Land

and sea, mountains and valleys, wet and dry seasons? The God that created us tall and short, fat and slim, black and white, male and female, etc? Is it not the same God that created different languages from where we derive our identities, which translate to culture? It is senseless that we go to war because of our God-given diversity. Are we not telling God by our actions that the breath we take is a huge mistake on his part? I hear all sort of solutions opined by supposed experts in various endeavors of life. Like use technology, buy more weapons, hire more police and army, without addressing the root cause of the crisis. These are positions that aggravate, rather than ameliorate. We need to talk, listen, persuade and enforce. Whoever is aggrieved needs to be heard with an open mind for peace, love and harmony to return to our beloved country. There is a saying that the person whose home is peaceful is the one that sees and forgives. We must stop fighting God in the name of fighting our diversity. Nobody chose how, where and when he/she was born nor his/her first language. If God distributed us on the surface of the earth without our consent and input, how naïve we are trying to alter the works of God. I have released two songs in response to the hate crisis in the world and Nigeria in particular. These songs appeal to our conscience to drop all forms of detestation and embrace love, for a happier and better world. They are titled “A Great God” and “Love in Crisis,” on free download, just google Austin Adigwe or visit the official download site for all Austin Adigwe’s songs at allbaze.com. You can stream the videos on my YouTube channel, Augustine Adigwe, and be richly blessed by the ministrations. So, love is your only passport to salvation. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” What is your message to Nigerian youths who seem to have lost hope and taken to all sorts of criminal activities? Tough times should make us better people. Joseph was put in charge of the entire land of Egypt because, in his most grievous trails, he did not resort to crime but remained steadfast with all the right virtues that pleased God. Difficulty is not and will never be a justification for any crime, as most victims of the these crimes are also victims of the same failed system. Yes, I must acknowledge that things are extremely difficult for us, the youths, no support system for creative minds, lack of care for the wellbeing of the youth, unending harassment, etc. However, the solution to these problems is not crime. Even in these difficult times, we can apply our creative minds towards providing solutions where we find gaps to make legitimate income. How do you see the future of gospel music in Nigeria? The Nigerian gospel industry is growing astronomically because the message of Christ is food for the soul and the path to salvation. Do you charge when you perform for

churches or crusades? Yes, I have been receiving invitations and performing in different gatherings of worshippers in church programmes, concerts and weddings. No, I don’t charge to minister the gospel of Christ to worshippers. However, some churches do offer their token to help offset the logistics of bringing my team (band members) for ministrations. How did Nigerians welcome your music? The feedbacks from my listeners are overwhelming and a major source of inspiration to do more. What are you doing to make sure that your music gets to millions of people across the globe? My songs air on over 15 TV stations, more than 50 radio stations, on free download in more than 40 major gospel sites, on all digital stores, in 2,000 copies of complementary CDs, in more than 500 Alaba mixtapes, on DJAN Lagos playlist for Radio and Street DJs, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I have fans that follow my music from Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and other English-speaking countries in Africa. How many hits do you have to your credit and which one do you regard as your best? I have singles that are building up to the first album. These singles include “My Praise”, “Chioma”, “Jesus Never Fails”, “Nonso”, “We Adore You”, “Love in Crisis”, “A Great God”, “You Alone Can Heal”, “In You Alone I Trust”, “A Call to Love” and “The Risen God”. I do not have any favorite, as they speak to different circumstances of life. My mood determines my preferred song at every given time. “My Praise” inspires the culture of gratitude to God. “Chioma” is a multilingual thanksgiving song. “Jesus Never Fails” restores hope and faith in God. “Nonso” is another powerful praise song. “We Adore You” supports the act of total submission to God, while “Love in Crisis” speaks to the need to love one another. “A Great God” is a prayer for self and country Nigeria. As for “You Alone Can Heal”, it is the perfect song that supports every healing process, “In You Alone I Trust” is an affirmation of faith. “A Call to Love” speaks to the essence of humanity, and “The Risen God” encapsulates Christ’s passion for our salvation at the cost of his life. What of your educational qualiﬁcations, do you plan on going further? My highest level of education for now is an M.Sc in Economics from University of Lagos, Akoka. Yes, I am working towards my P.hD in Economics as well. On the home front, does your family support your music career? Yes, I am happily married and my entire household supports my vision of musical evangelism. What are your social media handles and how can people support you? People can support by following me on Instagram, @austin.adigwe, Twitter, @ausglo, Facebook, Austin Adigwe, and YouTube, Augustine Adigwe. You can also have me minister at your church events to bless lives.

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NEWS

SoberReflectionsasCCCMarks40th AnniversaryamidstNationalUncertainties Stories by Mary Nnah It was a mixed feeling of sober reflections and thanksgiving to God Almighty for His sustenance as members of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Covenant Cathedral, Amuo-Odofin, Lagos, gathered recently to mark the 40th anniversary of the church amidst uncertainties in the nation. Speaking during the occasion the Parish’s Patron, Most Senior Evangelist Soye Oluremi Oniagba, Oniagba who was quick to comment on state of the nation as regard insecurity, kidnapping and banditry being witnessed in the nation in recent times, averred that the problem with Nigeria is the leaders and had nothing to do with the ordinary man on the street. “The problem is our leaders, they are the ones dividing us for political purposes”, Oniagba said noting that “what is happening in Nigeria is that people who wanted power; those used to taking Nigerian money no longer have access to it; the people who said they are going to take us and savage us, they are doing worse than the people they took over from, so what is happening is like they say when two elephant fight, it’s the grass that suffers. “The masses are suffering and being killed because of the deeds of our leaders. So let the average man on the street know that this is not a war between Yoruba and Igbo, or between Igbo and Hausa or between Hausa and Yoruba it is the leaders that are manipulating us. I believe in God’s own time, everybody

L-R: Rector, RECTEM, Dr. Stella Mofunanya; RECTEM Chairman Governing Council, Pastor Funso Odesola; Pastor Samuel Olaniyan and Assistant Pastor RCCG Region 1, Dele Jayeoba, at the event

‘ShunCultism,Hooliganism,Corruption’, RETECMRectorChargesYouths

Women Leader, Prophet Temitope Adeuti; Parish Patron, Most Senior Evangelist Soye Oluremi Oniagba and Chairman, Church Management Committee, Honorary Senior Evangelist Nosa Giwa-Osagie at the event

will get according to what he sow, what you sow is what you reap”. He said, however, that the role of every church is to preach peace, noting, “we do not only preach peace here but we also put it in action in everything we do. We run a totally detribalised church. We have all tribes here and there is no discrimination amongst us”, he noted. Giving a historic tale of development of the church since its inception 40 years ago and the achievements it has made so far, Oniagba said the journey has indeed been a glorious one even though it came with numerous challenges. “The movement has not been all rosy from where we started to where we are today but our strength has been the grace of the Most High that has accompanied us”, he noted. Collaborating Oniagba’s

take on the state of the nation, Chairman, Church Management Committee, Honorary Senior Evangelist Nosa Giwa-Osagie, said, “This is not the Nigeria I know in the 50s and 60s. “After the civil war, when I was growing up, I had the opportunity to move around the country with my uncle because he was a civil servant. When we were in Abeokuta we were treated as Yorubas, when we moved to PH we were treated as Rivers people, when we were at Enugu, the same thing, Kaduna the same thing. “ But now, that kind of love has withered away and the spirit of greed and bad leadership has taken over the whole system.” Speaking on the significance of the church’s 40th anniversary, Giwa-Osagie, said, “After many years we have to take a record of

what we have achieved, the shortcoming and the falloff. “We are going to remember what has transformed for the past 40 years and it’s always good to have record of the past and future.” Women Leader of the church, Prophetess Temitope Adeuti, said the anniversary occasioned a special thanksgiving to God for what He has done for every parishioner. “We are celebrating because we are hopeful that this is another beginning of greater and better things that would happen in the life of every parishioner. We are thanking God for bringing us this far and for where He is taking us, to His glory.” Adeuti revealed further that the church has a good record of the women department, noting that the impact of women on the church has been tremendous right from the onset.

Adegunwa Anticipates More Grammy as Rite Food Backs Nigeria Idol Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, Managing Director of Rite Foods Limited, Nigeria’s leading food and beverage company, has predicted that the country will win more Grammy Awards in the years to come because the country is littered with great talents in music , comedy and spoken words. Speaking with content drivers and journalists recently in Lagos, Adegunwa explained that his company is in support of the ongoing sensational music talents show the Nigeria Idol because it will bring out the best of many talents across the country. He added that the gesture is also to express his company’s commitment to talent discovery in music through the Nigeria idol and secondly to express interest in the

L-R: Bigi Media Idol Judge, Obi Asika with Entertainment Editor of Nigerian Tribune Newspapers, Rotimi Ige, winner of the grand prize of N250,000.00; Bigi Media Idol Judge, DJ Sose and Brand Manager, Rite Foods Limited, Boluwatife Adedugbe at the event

creative industry generally. According to him, the recent Grammy by Nigeria Burna Boy which imme-

diately put the country on the global honour roll, is a validation of the many talents that abound across in Nigeria

Adegunwa said however that for the best to be discovered, young artists have to be given the necessary push. “There must be a propelling platform which we believe the Nigerian Idol provides. For us at Rite Food Limited, we are committed to the Nigerianess of positive energy , talents in music, creative art and ideapreneurship that will earn Nigeria the international accolades”, he said . At the events, many of the participants tried their talent in the first Bigi media Idol where the sum of N250,000 was given to the best singer, N150,000 was given to the second position and the third position got N100,009. Seven other participants went home with the sum of N50,000 as consolation prizes.

The Lord’s Chosen Commiserates with Adeboye over Son’s Death The General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement Pastor Lazaus Muoka on behalf of the Lord’s Chosen ministry has expressed his most sincere sympathy to the G .O of RCCG Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye and the entire members of the RCCG over the passing away of Pastor Dare Adeboye, a son and co-worker in God’s Vineyard.

“We understand how difficult it is to bear the loss of a loved one but we want you to take consolation in the fact that there is life after death and God being with you, the fortitude to bear the pain is assured” Muoka stated in a release made available to THISDAY. Pastor Muoka posited further that “all true believers felt the pain given

the fact that a good soldier in the army of the Lord, of which we are among the conscripted, is no longer physically with us in spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we are consoled with the fact that we shall meet again to part no more.” “In his exhortation to all believers, Apostle Paul asserts to the Thessalonians,

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1 Thes. 4: 14)’. This should be enough for our consolation.” “May the joy of the Lord be your strength and comfort all of you during this difficult time in Jesus name”, he added.

Conscious of the fact that young people have been found to be involved in and also used by unscrupulous elements in the society to commit various disastrous acts in the nation especially recently, Rector, Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM), Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Mofunanya, has appealed to young people to shun cultism, hooliganism, corruption and other forms of social vices. She made this appeal during the college’s third matriculation ceremony which took place, last Friday at the Redemption Camp, Ogun State. While stressing that RECTEM has zero tolerance for cultism, hooliganism, corruption and other forms of social menace, Mofunanya advised that, “It is integral that you continually remember that the distance between today’s ceremony and your convocation seems far but in reality it is close. “It is very important that as champions, you conclude this journey in triumph and success. To achieve this, you need to be regular in attendance at lectures, serious with your continuous assessment, shun deviant behaviours and other vices and resist the temptation to commit examination malpractices and fraud”.

Boma Akpore, New Yorkbased Nigerian Actor Plans Big for Nollywood New York-based Nigerian model turned actor, Boma Akpore, has big plans for the Nigerian movie industry, as he recently revealed plans to return home soon to invest in Nollywood. Akpore, who is so excited about coming back home to be part of the country’s ever flourishing film industry, ventured into acting after an injury cut short his professional football career, just before signing to play against the Boma Akpore Scottish Premiership team. “I’m presently working on three films I plan to submit to film festivals in December and next year. These are stories that are very near and dear to my heart. “ This is the next step for me, to start creating work and showing my fans and audience how creative I can be. I’m very excited for what the future brings”, he noted recently. Akpore, a New York Film Academy alumni, also recently joined the cast of Hollywood’s first all-Black Egyptian Film ‘Protector of the Gods.’ Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, now residing in New York City, having lived in 20 countries across three continents, Akpore has built strong support for his crafts. Coming from modelling, Akpore represented Nigeria in Mr. Imperial Universe contest in 2016, winning Best Body and second runner-up overall. He steered away from modelling and went on to play semipro football in Europe, and turned to acting after an injury hindered his professional football career, just before signing to play pro in Scotland. Since then, he has found solace in the movie industry having begun his acting career with a big break on NBC’s crime thriller, ‘The Blacklist.’ He also featured in episode 616 of the critically acclaimed show. His modelling career has also taken him through pageantries with the likes of New York Fashion Week, Nike, Adidas, Dior, Chase Bank, American Express amongst others.

PFN Consoles Adeboye Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has described as tragic the demise of Pastor Dare Adeboye, the son of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). In the PFN’s condolence message issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, the body lamented that the news of the death of the son of the Redeemed Church’s General Overseer, was shocking. “Our heartfelt condolences to baba and mama Adeboye, and the entire members of the RCCG worldwide.May the Lord uphold them,” the fellowship prayed. The PFN further prayed that God would give the family and the church, the fortitude to bear the loss. “The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria under the able leadership of His Eminence, Bishop, Dr. Wale Oke,deeply mourned Pastor Dare Adeboye’s departure at such a tender age of 42,” he added.

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Appraising Lagos State Interventions in Entertainment Sector

Vanessa Obioha looks at the various interventions of the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the entertainment space as he marks two years in office Entertainment is one of the key pillars of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s economic agenda T.H.E.M.E.S. During his election campaign two years ago, the governor pledged to improve the creative industry which it said contributes seven per cent to the GDP, while acknowledging that Lagos is the capital of Nollywood. In a detailed document at the time, the present administration listed some of its plans for the sector which included collaboration with local and foreign experts and institutions to establish world-class training institutions for all relevant skills and expertise required to improve the creative arts industry; seek the support of the private sector to develop well-distributed purpose-built entertainment spaces around Lagos for music, plays, cinematic viewing and events over the next four years; and provide tax incentives, rebates and waivers on filming permits and streamline tax and approval processes. A consistent message of the administration is that it is going to build an entertainment village for the creative industry. This village, it said, will have access to the needs of the trade so that it can contribute to the state’s GDP. Given the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that derailed some of the projects of this administration, it is necessary to look at the various interventions of the government in the entertainment sector as the second anniversary of its tenure approaches. So far, Sanwo-Olu has been able to fulfil his promise to collaborate with local and foreign experts and institutions to establish world-class training institutions for all relevant skills and expertise required to improve the creative arts industry. This year, it opened the Lagos Ebony Academy, a partnership with EbonyLife, the film and media company of media mogul Mo Abudu. The academy is to train film producers, editors and all other professionals involved in the filmmaking process.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Another collaboration of similar hue is the partnership with Del-York Academy, run by Linus Idahosa. The Lagos State government sponsored 1500 talents for online training with the academy where they will hone their skills in the art and business of filmmaking. The selected trainees are expected at the end of the day to make creative projects that will add value to the film industry. Recently, Sanwo-Olu set up a nine-member committee to manage its film production empowerment scheme. Headed by veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, the committee is to help identify

First Moments of The Voice Nigeria Knockouts Stage The Knockouts stage of the third season of The Voice Nigeria kicked off last week with Yemi Alade talents. The singer did not only launch the next stage of the music competition but also dazzled with her looks which dominated conversations on social media platforms. From the make-up to the costume, Yemi looked ravishing as she guided her team members on their vocal strength. The artists performed individually in front of the coaches and other team members with the hopes of getting a vote from their coaches or a steal from other coaches. For her team — Vanilla, Loven, Ewaoluwa, Toeseen, Tim Ayo and Kitay — only three advanced to the Battles. Vanilla, also known as the powerhouse of the team, was the first to clinch a spot in the Battles after performing Sia’s ‘Titanium’. She would later be joined by Kitay, the last performer of the night. Toeseen’s rendition of ‘What Now’ by Rihanna opened the show but didn’t save her from going to the Danger Zone, a place where artists with low-performance rate are sent before finally knowing their fates. However, she would later be saved by Yemi, leaving Loven, Ewaoluwa and

Team Yemi Alade

Tim Ayo as the only talents who didn’t make it. Tomorrow’s episode airing on Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, will see Team Falz knock it out on The Voice Nigeria stage. Fans can also catch up on episodes on Sunday on AIT, Wazobia TV and Wazobia Max, and Views Channel as well as The Voice Nigeria YouTube channel. Beyond the wow moments on TV, First Bank Nigeria is also creating exciting moments for fans on their social media pages with First Bank Moments. Fans are asked trivia questions and if answered correctly are rewarded. For instance, for last week’s episode, fans were asked the song Vanilla performed. The bank said it is committed to investing in music talents in the country and The Voice Nigeria is one of its ways it is fulfilling that pledge.

and support struggling filmmakers with grants made available by the government to get their film to a completion stage as well as distribution to either cinemas or digital platforms. “If we can support them, they can employ a lot of people. It is one of the places where we can create employment for a lot of our citizens,” said Sanwo-Olu in a recent media briefing. However, the administration has not clearly spelt out how it is helping the music industry which also makes up the entertainment industry. Its attention is focused on Nollywood. But like

Nollywood, Lagos is also a hotspot for musicians. A great number of the country’s famous musicians either started their musical journey or are based in the state. No doubt, the music industry stands to gain from the state’s 3000 Metropolitan fibre optics that will ensure internet and data availability in the state, as music revenue in the past few years is generated from streaming and mobile services. Since the beginning of the new millennium, technology is a great enabler of the music industry. Apart from distribution, it enables content creation, talent scouting and management. Take, for instance, singer D’banj’s CREAM platform that encouragesp people to sell creative content. The subscription-based platform helps to scout for talents who are then mentored to become artists. The government can initiate similar incentives for record labels or successful artists with good business acumen. It should extend its grants to the music industry as innovation-driven music enterprises are proven to help attract investments in the state. Since it is already in partnership with Google and Facebook to build Yaba Tech Hub, there should be incentives for the music industry to tap into such partnerships. It should also collaborate with all key stakeholders that significantly help in developing effective regulatory and business environments that allow music to thrive in the city. There are numerous examples of how music helps cities grow. Therefore, the government should not renege on its promise to build an entertainment village in Lagos. This village may become a cultural hub for the state and help Lagos become a global music city in Africa. As Sanwo-Olu has clearly noted, it is better to build the future now. “You build an infrastructure so that people coming behind will see what you have done for them. If you fail to do so, they will build a more expensive model in the future.”

BabyDramaWillConnectwithCouplesStruggling withConception,SaysGraham-Douglas Actress and art promoter Bikiya Graham-Douglas believes that couples battling with conception will easily connect with her character in the new Africa Magic TV drama series ‘Baby Drama’. Graham-Douglas played Esosa Essien, a woman who has been trying to conceive since being married for seven years. She and her husband (Oscar Essien) have had their hopes dashed after trying everything from IVF to alternative medicine. “Trying for a child in marriage is very difficult for the couple,” she said in a brief chat. “I have had people very close to me struggle with this, and it takes a toll on them and their relationships. I believe couples will connect with ‘Baby Drama’ and Esosa as she is telling their story. They will understand her desperation and will also empathize with her. Hopefully, our society can be more supportive of families struggling with conception.” The romantic drama series centres on the lives of five women - Iye, Kese, Amara, Esosa and Oni - from different walks of life, as they deal with the reality of how a baby or lack of one will affect their futures forever.

Who Will be Saved on Nigerian Idol this Weekend?

Nigerian Idol Top 11.

Bikiya Graham-Douglas

Known for her roles in movies, plays, and TV shows such as ‘Battleground’ and ‘Shuga’, Graham-Douglas revealed that the most interesting thing about her character ‘is that she is full of surprises and will do things you don’t see her doing. She is also a very compassionate woman, not a pushover. I can relate to her qualities.” ‘Baby Drama’ airs every Wednesday night on Africa Magic Showcase.

After weeks of intense competition, the top 11 contestants finally had their first live performance last week. They were selected from a pool of 3,000 hopefuls who auditioned for the singing reality competition. With the theme ‘African Legends’, the contestants showed their vocal prowess on stage to get a vote from the audience who will now determine their fates. From Akunna’s rendition of Angelique Kidjo’s ‘Wombo Lombo’ to Beyonce’s performance of ‘Agolo’ by Kidjo too. This week’s episode will reveal who has been saved or not from the show. The voting lines closed on Wednesday night. Fans can relive the live performances on DStv Channel 198 and GOtv Channel 29.

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Miss Abia Beauty Pageant Receives Star Prize from Organisers Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo When Gee Concepts Modelling Company successfully organised the MissAbia Beauty Pageant 2021 on April 11, not a few regarded it as one of those shows that glitter and fade. But the government of Abia State, which authorised and collaborated with the company to stage the pageant in Umuahia looked beyond the glitz. The government said that it recognised beauty pageants as a form of youth empowerment given the prizes that come with such shows. The star prize of the pageant, a car, was last Friday presented to the winner of Miss Abia 2021, Chikaodi Agidi, a student of Abia State University Uturu(ABSU). Handing over the car keys to Miss Abia 2021, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Friday Ikpeoha, explained that

the beauty pageant was in consonance with the mandate of the ministry to build, develop and empower the Abia youth. “So, we can’t bring out Abia youths to what won’t benefit them. The company registered with the Ministry of Youth Development, we brought state government officials to identify with the (pageant). “Government was fully involved because we saw that what he(Gees Concept MD) was doing was real. What the company did is a kind of empowerment, just like the winner was given a car, there was consolation prices,” he added. Ikpeoha, who commended the company for sincerity in redeeming the prizes to the pageant winners, pledged that “the ministry and Abia State government will continue to partner the company in doing more programmes that will benefit the youth and the state”.

Permanent Secretary, Minstry of Youths and Sports Development, Mr Friday Ikpeoha(in white); Miss Abia 2021, Chikaodi Agidi (center); and CEO, GEES Concept Modeling company, Mr. Felix Onuiri, handing over the car to Miss Abia

Managing Director of Gees Concept Modelling Company, Mr. Felix Onuiri, noted that it was a difficult task convincing the girls that the pageant was for real. According to him, the activi-

ties of fake modelling companies that had in the past come up with fraudulent pageants had made the girls to lose faith in participating in pageants. Onuiri therefore called on Abia State government to set

up a taskforce that would monitor the modelling companies to checkmate the fraudulent ones. He advocated that whoever intends to organise a pageant should be made to bring out the prizes first before the show

would be allowed to hold. He said the Miss Abia 2021 pageant was free and fair, noting that the eligibility criterion, which stipulated that contestants must have lived in Abia for at least two years, irrespective of where she hails from, was strictly applied. The modelling company boss said the car presented to Miss Abia 2021 was fully insured and with a clause that the car won’t be moved out of Abia State until after a year. He further stated that the branding on the car would remain for a year after which “the car totally becomes the property of the model”. In turn, Abia beauty queen, Miss Chikaodi Agidi, said she would devote the period of her reign to visit secondary schools and educate students on how to resist sexual harassment and other forms of abuse.

Schneider Electric Unveils Cost-efficient, Ultra-smart Features on APC UPS Stories by Chiamaka Ozulumba Determined to ensure that power is provided at constant, acceptable voltage, current, and frequency, APC by Schneider Electric has added new features to three of its existing Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), to enrich customers’ experience. Interrupted power supply is a common problem in Nigeria. Also, common are power surge, which is a temporary increase in voltage on a power line, usually 10 per cent to 35 per cent above normal voltage and can last between a few milliseconds

Mr. Oluwaseun Oloyede, Channel Sales Manager - APC by Schneider Electric , West Africa

to several minutes; and spikes which is a dramatic increase in voltage lasting less than three nanoseconds. Surges, short-term increases in voltage levels associated

with lightning or utility problems, can travel along utility and data lines damaging electronic devices and destroying valuable data. It can also degrade the performance of electronics and shorten their lifespan. But with APC Back-UPS, Line Interactive UPS, and On-Line UPS, electronics, and devices are protected. According to the Schneider Electric Channels Sales Manager, Oluwaseun Oloyede, the APC Back-UPS is applicable for a home environment, especially for basic appliances like personal computer, projector,

television, security camera, and home automation systems. Unlike the Back-UPS, the Line Interactive APC Easy UPS and Smart UPS is a business power UPS. It is designed for critical application such as servers, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) --- company’s ATM. In other words, it is for critical business devices. It comes in series, which include Easy UPS SMV, Smart UPS SMC, SMT, and SMX. Similarly, APC Easy UPS SRV and Smart UPS SRT/ SRTG Online series are designed for a harsh power environment, especially on a

critical mission equipment like medical equipment, servers, and storage devices. “This time around, we are starting from the entry-level. We are increasing the capacity, giving more power and voltage range, adding features for customers to interact with the UPS, and helping them to be able to get value for their money. “Our UPS comes with two years warranty standard, but this time around, they get value much more for money, more power at a cheaper price,” Oloyede said. He further explained that with the Switch Outlet Group,

which both the Line Interactive Smart UPS and Online UPS come with, and the Smart Slots that allow for network management card to be used on the USP, the UPS attends to the specific individual needs of a customer at every point in time. On the lifespan of the UPS, Oloyede said that it is designed to last for a minimum of six to eight years, adding that depending on the usage, the battery is supposed to last for close to three to five years. However, if it runs down in two years, the company will give the customer a replacement.

Coronation Asset Management Releases its Report on Mutual Fund Coronation Asset Management has released its report on ‘Comparing Mutual Funds – Apples and Oranges’. This new report addresses developments in Nigeria’s fastgrowing Mutual Fund industry where the total assets under management grew by 50 per cent to Naira 1.57 trillion last year. In the report, the Coronation Research team, headed by Guy Czartoryski, examined

what happens when an investor seeks comparative information on Mutual Funds, and takes the example of Naira-denominated Fixed Income funds. The results are surprising. The data reported by these funds is very diverse, with different accounting methods used to arrive at very different unit price performance data. This means that investors lack the kind of easy compari-

sons between funds that exist in developed markets, comparisons that can be found on the Morningstar and Financial Times websites. “In our view, Nigeria’s diverse measures stand in the way of the development of the industry” says Guy Czartoryski, Head of Coronation Research. “Although it is growing rapidly, we believe that Nigeria’s Mutual Fund

industry requires several more years of growth to reach the Naira 12.3 trillion total size of Nigeria’s Pension Funds”. Harmonisation of its reporting may be a difficult task, making the effort now will lead to Mutual Funds becoming a significant force in Nigeria’s financial infrastructure. Coronation Research is a division of Coronation Asset Management which offers

full-fledged investment services across various asset classes to the entire spectrum of investors: major institutions, smaller niche institutions & corporates, public sector family offices, cooperatives and high net-worth individuals. The firm’s services include fund solutions (money market fund, fixed income fund and balanced fund), portfolio management (discretionary and

non-discretionary), advisory services as well as fund administration and trustee services offered through its subsidiary, Coronation Trustees Limited. In recognition of its product innovation and sound corporate governance practices, CoronationAsset Management was awarded the Fastest Growing Fund Management Company in Nigeria at the 2020 Global Banking & Finance Awards.

The Africa Soft Power Series to Hold Sessions on Africa’s Creative Industries The 2021 Africa Soft Power Series officially launched last week, with speakers including Ambassador Rama Yade (Director, Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and Former French Minister of State for Human Rights), Mona Eltahawy (Award-winning Journalist, Author, and Commentator &International Lecturer), and more. This week, the series continues with nind phenomenal sessions taking place between Tuesday, May 11 to Saturday, May 25.

On Tuesday Siba Mtongana, Culinary phenomenon, Multiaward-winning celebrity chef, Author & Founder, The Siba Co.; Marc Kwesi Farell, Founder & CEO, Ten To One Rum & previously youngest VP at Starbucks and others on ‘Stirring The Pot: The Globalisation of African Cuisine And The Stories Within The Flavours’, while Thebe Ikalafeng, award-winning Founder & Group CEO, Brand Leadership Group, Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter

and Wikimedia Foundation’s Khanyi Mpumlwana will join a separate panel on presenting positive African narratives, moderated by Rachel Hislop; Editor-in-Chief, Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. On Wednesday, Susan Chapman-Hughes (Ex EVP, AMEX), Tenu Awoonor of Blu Penguin, and thought leaders from PayPal, MTN, FSDH Holdings, Lori and Nairametrics will speak on the intersections between finance, technology and

creativity. On Thursday, the remarkable Nontando Mposo, Editor-In-Chief, GLAMOUR, Africa’s leading women magazine and Leyla Hussein OBE, Social Activist and Co-founder, Safe Spaces for Black Women will feature in sessions on the business of beauty. On Friday, Victor Williams, CEO, NBA Africa; Goabaone Taylor, CEO, Botswana Football Association; Tunde Folawiyo, Sports Investor &

CEO Yinka Folawiyo Group and influencers from ESPN and the BBC, and SuperSports, former NFL and NBA players will take the centre stage on sports. On Saturday, the focus will be on the music industry with a snazzy session on ‘Black is King: Of Culture & Rhythm’. Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter said: “We need to have these important conversations about the things that underpin the things that matter. The Africa

Soft power series is doing an excellent job curating conversations about cultural influence in Africa.” Susan Chapman-Hughes, Fmr, EVP/GM, Global Digital Capabilities, AMEX added “building connections between Africa and the global black community are critical for the diaspora to be on the cutting edge of digital transformation and will ensure competitiveness and connection for generations to come.”

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Shadare at 50: Salute to a Jazz Custodian

The CEO of Inspiro Productions and Convener, Lagos International Jazz Festival, Ayoola Shadare marks his golden years today with a virtual edition of the festival and blissful moments of reminiscences. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

Bada Murya, a six-month digital fellowship for writers and poets from the Northern region is set to connect Northern conversations to a global audience in a way that challenges stereotypes and empowers a new generation of storytellers. The

is traditional, most of the issues raised in the series have contemporary relevance. The Canadian-based producer has consistently positioned himself as a socially committed film maker whose cinematography is in itself a visual catalyst for societal change. The story in this edge-of-the-seat horror is a metaphor on the Nigerian state and how its under-development shares the semblance of a people making barbarism a way of life. ‘The Mystic River’ is also a visual commentary on the poor state of Nigeria’s public health sector. “There are some things we don’t like in our country today and we can stand up and do something about it just like the doctor stood up to fight tradition. We don’t have to leave everything to the government. I believe that standing up, saying something or making a change will go a long way,’’ he said. Starring leading actors such as Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, Joke Muyiwa, each episode is wrapped in suspense.

Ayoola Shadare

quite smoothly,’’ Shadare said, whilst reflecting on the challenges of the 2021 LIJF festival. “We had booked venues and studios, scheduled time for the acts to perform. Except for hitches with the timing and finance, things have been so far so good. And I want to point out that even the support for the LIJF has been good. We are backed by a committee of friends who support us and make this happen by their contributions in one way or another to allow this virtual edition to happen. I am also using this medium to thank Shaddie at 50 Committee of Friends who we requested that they show support for the virtual edition of the festival.” Apart from jazz music, Shadare is also very passionate about Nigeria and her untapped resources in the creative industry. At 50, the kind of Nigeria that he desires is one where the citizens can reach their full potential. “Nigeria is always on my mind. The older I get, the more I worry about Nigeria meeting its potential. I dream for a Nigeria that works. One that cares for its citizens, harnesses the potentials- both natural and human resources and realise its full potential. I want to see a Nigeria where the citizens fear God and operate justice and equity. The creative and cultural industries and all the allied industries are big businesses are abroad and things are beginning to open up. There are royalties. One of the biggest challenges in our entertainment industry is that there is no structure. There is copyright issue, piracy. We don’t know the amount of billions if not trillions of naira that is being lost. Government should try and understand how the industry works put in policies and invest in same,’’

he said. In his view, the jazz scene in Nigeria has developed rapidly in the last two decades although, there is still room for improvement. Shadare also thinks that concerts will not be the same. “I think what we will have will be a combination both hybrid and live for obvious reasons. That is the new norm,’’ he added. The LIJF physical stages were often named after music legends. And if he was to bring any artists to the stage, he has at least three favourites namely Dr. Victor Olaiya—the ‘evil’ genius of highlife, Bob Marley and Hugh Masekela. Right from his childhood, he has been an optimist. He is always willing to take chances and risks while maintaining a good attitude despite any setback. When asked what he would miss about childhood, he simply answered, ‘The simplicity of things.’ “Modern life is so complex now and energy sapping but life is to be much simpler, easier if there is more co-operation. But right now, it seems like everything is competition and daggers drawn but life goes on.’’ Shadare remains charming at 50 and yes, still very single. He revealed the secret behind being happily single. “If you are not happy being single and you go into marriage looking for happiness, then it is going to be problematic. I am happily single. I am fulfilled. But I look forward to falling in love with someone, getting married and sharing my life. I believe in traditional family values but I think you need to be happy before going into the marriage, have a purpose, drive, know the reason why you are doing what you are doing.’’

Fellowships for Writers, Poets Kicks oﬀ this May Yinka Olatunbosun

Yinka Olatunbosun The 26-episode horror series titled ‘The Mystic River’ hits Netflix today. Shot in Ijebu Ode, the series tells a gut-wrenching story of a young couple who newly relocated to remote village. Unknown to them, the village has an abominable cultural practice of sacrificing pregnant women to the gods for prosperity. The intrigue of intuition, discovery and helplessness constitute the conflict of this dramatic adventure on screen. At the press screening of the series, held last weekend at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, the producer, Roger Ofime described the series as a story of good and evil. “I want to be able to tell African stories. I want to be able to tell stories that have some impact, that will provoke people to think, to do something, to change something. That’s the niche I’m trying to carve for myself,’’ he said. Although the setting of the drama

e is a cocktail of jazz and Jesus. Ay o o l a S h a d a re is an unapologetic lover of jazz music, having been weaned on a rich variety of jazz music from his father’s collection. With about 30 years in the sphere of media and entertainment marketing, he bears a magic touch to both indoor and outdoor events. ‘No one does the sound better than Inspiro,’ says his friend and associate, Nseobong OkonEkong with whom the idea of LIJF was conceived. Even at that, he keeps his faith in God at a high voltage. This is why his 50-year journey so far had been exciting, though eventful. “I know that my best is still yet to come so we will do more. Like I said, we are not retiring. The idea for LIJF was brought up in 2005 and it has always been traditionally held in April which is Jazz Appreciation month climaxing international Jazz day which is April 30. We couldn’t organize it in 2020; it was meant to happen. Cape Town was chosen as jazz capital for 2020 but the pandemic had them cancel it but we don’t want to allow another year to go by without holding ours,’’ he said. Over the years, Shadare had replicated the LIJF experience in other parts of Nigeria pioneering jazz concerts including the Bayelsa International Jazz Festival. With Naijazz, he hoped to promote the Nigerian brand of jazz music and attract even popular music artists to the jazz stage. Due to the global experience that the festival personifies, Shadare has already been thinking of how to reach global audience long before the pandemic struck. But the continuous ban on large gatherings had propelled that plan into action with a 2-day pre-recorded jazz festival that kicks off today and ends tomorrow, May 15. “Virtual show is what we had even been planning to do long before the pandemic. But the pandemic moved a lot of people online. We are also adapting to that. That does not mean that in years to come, it won’t still happen as a live event. It will happen as a hybrid event which gives it more opportunities and possibilities,’’ he said. The headliners this year include The Afro-indie band Afrosonics, Roforofo jazz (from Paris) and Afrojazz band, Mike Aremu (UK), Nthabiseng Motaung, Phebean, Bright Gain, Tosin Alao, New Revelations, Ekundayo Dbass, DJ Jimbo, Kwitee, Adeh, and more. No fewer than 20 acts slated to perform and out of these are four DJs. “This year, the pre-recordings went

New Horror Series ‘The Mystic River’ Debuts on Netﬂix

fellowship which begins on May 18 is created to invoke the power of storytelling to shift perceptions and preach accountability. A total of 15 fellows had been selected from 438 entries. The class will be facilitated by the award-winning writer and journalist, Abubakar Adamu Ibrahim. Other facilitators include Wana Udobang, Aisha Osori, Dike Chukwumerije,

Efe Paul Azino and Sadiq Dzukogi. The Creative Director for Creative Africa, Efe Paul Azino observed: “There is a strong tradition of literary, cultural and artistic production from the North and we are happy to contribute to it,’’ he said. The participants will produce an anthology and be given a special showcase at the Lagos International Poetry Festival.

Inaugural National Arts in Health Conference Holds in Lagos Yinka Olatunbosun The maiden edition of the National Arts in Health Conference is set to hold in Lagos from May 24 till May 30. Convened by Kunle Adewale, the founder of Arts in Medicine Projects in Nigeria, the conference will be held in partnership with health and art institutions as well as faith-based organizations. Created to strengthen institutional ties and bridge the gap between the arts and health sector, the conference will feature 21 events including paper presentations, talk sessions, master classes, short film screenings, community project presentations, art exhibitions and the commissioning of the first Arts and Health innovation hub in Africa. “It is going to be a gathering of students, professionals, cultural organizations, healthcare institutions, community members and stakeholders in the health and community well-

being,’’ the convener said. Designed as a bi-annual event, this edition will be a hybrid experience with online and on-site participants. The keynote address for the conference will be delivered by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi on May 26. The event will kick-off with opening remarks by the United State Consul-General, Claire Pierangelo with a goodwill message from the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire. The conference is organized in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Health, Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Lagos, US Mission Nigeria, RCCG Freedom Court, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, African Artists’ Foundation, Gabi William Alzheimer’s Foundation, Asido Foundation, Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SUPRIN), Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria amongst others.

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METRO

…Your city life in print

Reward for Loyalty Emplacing value on the spirit of giving back, the United Bank for Africa Plc has continuously reiterated its commitment to its numerous loyal partners- the customers. Recently, the Pan African financial institution rewarded 10 of its loyal customers with a total sum of N10 million in the quarterly draws of the ongoing savings promo, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports

ymbiotic relationships are often key in sustaining commitment between two or more people. For the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, its symbiotic relationship with its customers is

sacrosanct. Infact, one of their key derivatives is passion for overall development and success of its customers. This they have constantly shown over the years through several economic empowerment programmes, essentially giving back to the customers who have entrusted their money to the bank. By placing value on their customers, the bank has shown its commitment to its partners, thereby helping them attain their goals and dreams, particularly at a difficult and trying economic time as this. Putting action to words, the Pan African financial institution recently rewarded 10 of its loyal customers with a total sum of N10million in the quarterly draws of the ongoing UBA Savings Promo. Reward for Loyalty This promo, which is held every quarter, is intended to appreciate loyal customers of the bank, who have stayed with the bank over the years, and offers fresh opportunities for potential and intending customers to join the growing number of UBA millionaires who have in the past benefitted from several Promo. This unique promo intends to appreciate loyal customers of the bank, who have stayed with the bank over the years, and will also offer fresh opportunities for potential and intending customers to join the growing number of UBA millionaires who have in the past benefitted from the ongoing Promo. Requisite for Qualification To qualify for the promo, new and existing customers of the bank are expected to make a one-time deposit of at least N30,000 before each draw date. Savings account holders eligible for this draw include Target, Bumper, Next Gen, Savings, Teens & Kiddies. Apart from the savings promo which is held every three months, the bank also has the UBA Bumper Promo which is held monthly, where the first three winning customers are rewarded with N2million, rent for a year at N1.2m and N500,000; with 20 others winning N100,000 each as consolation prices. Past Winners Some past winners who cut across all regions of the country and have previously benefitted from the promo include; Nnadumije, Ebube Dawn; Onwochei Christiana Okwukwe; Eze Mathias Nnaji; Christian N Orie; Uka, Okwudiri; Okata Stephen Uche; Okafor Onyinye Esther; Nwanekezi Chimezie Jude; Ayomide V Yahaya and Olanegan, Oyetunde Keji. Others are Emmanuel Onu Chidozie; Mohammed Fatima; Aminu, Mustapha; James Nanre; Pahinti Albert; Emmanuel O Adeniji; Jaki Movihinze Mercy; Saminu Muritala Mohammed; Ezeh Raphael Uballa; Uchenna Iheji. Already the winners have claimed their cash prizes and are currently spreading the news so others can take advantage of this once in a life

Group Managing Director UBA, Kennedy Uzoka

time opportunity. 2021 Promo Prior to the 2021 promo, UBA’s Head, Personal Banking, Ogechi Altraide, said that without a doubt, UBA’s passion for the growth and overall success of its customers cannot be overemphasised, adding that this has consistently been proven in numerous ways. She explained that the bank has consistently invested in cutting edge technology to improve its service delivery and its overall aim of delighting customers. She said, “With customer-centric promos like the UBA Savings Promo, we have created an ever increasing list of millionaires who continue to join the UBA customer millionaire club. For this edition of the promo, we decided to pick the month of May, which is the month that workers are celebrated across the world for their efforts at contributing to the growth of the economy. We know that this promo will put lasting smiles on the faces of our customers and will also assure them that UBA truly values them’” Altraide said. UBA’s Head, SME Banking, Sampson Aneke, spoke of UBA’s continuous commitment to give back to its customers especially during these challenging economic periods, where people need all the support they can get to make life more meaningful. “With this in mind we decided to prioritise them in as we always do at UBA, by giving them plenty to cheer about and that is the reason for the Promo. I have been privileged to visit some of the customers who won in January, and we were more than fulfilled to see happiness and gratitude on the faces of the lucky ones when their cash prizes were presented to them. That feeling is special. So I enjoin those who are yet to join the winning team, to do so.

You never can tell, the next big millionaire could be you,” Aneke said. Draw This year, the virtual and transparent electronic draw which was held last week Friday, was transmitted live via zoom and the Facebook platform in strict compliance with social distancing rules as directed by the Federal and Lagos State governments. UBA’s Head Personal Banking, Osita Ede, who addressed participants just before the draws, said there is no better time to give back and delight customers than this challenging economic period where people need all the support, they can get to make life more meaningful. He said, “As a bank, UBA has been rewarding customers, we have been doing this for several years now; from the Wise Savers Promo, Bumper Draws, and now this. We have been doing this to touch lives and to show appreciation to our customers to tell them we are grateful for their business. This is also an opportunity to reward them for their loyalty to the bank.” Ede, who stressed that the promo is a way of encouraging savings in a bid towards promoting financial inclusion, as statistics show that a lot of Nigerians are still largely under-banked, added “our key objective is to encourage our customers to save regularly. We are here to support them and encourage them to save and ultimately grow as well, because we are aware that they are invaluable to all that we do”. A representative of the National Regulatory Commission, Peace Ibadie, who witnessed the draws, congratulated the 10 winners and commended the bank for its efforts at rewarding loyal customers especially in the tough economic and business environment.

“Congratulations to all the winners, I am glad to be a part of this; UBA is always transparent in their promos and we can fully attest to this. It is important that the bank is also actively encouraging the savings culture. Again, I say congratulations,” she said. Current Winners The winners who cut across all the zones of the country are Emeka Onyemauche; Ezeigbokwe Oluebube Purity; Omoniyi A Jaiyeola; Olawale Omotayo Idowu; Zaharadeen Yandaki Umar; Aliyu Yaro Bakari; Samuel Enan Esua; Joseph Eze; Deborah Folusho Adebayo and Lucia Chinyere Adim. When contacted via their mobile phone, the winners expressed their gratitude to the bank as they said the winnings will go a long way in meeting their pressing needs especially in these trying times. One of the winners, Samuel Enan Esan, who was delighted at the news that he just won N10million was full of praises. “Thank you UBA,” he stated. Aliyu Yaro Bakari, who was extremely excited at the news, said, “Oh I am very happy, UBA is the best, you are the best, thank you very much,” he remarked when he learnt he was also one of the beneficiaries of N1million. United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London and Paris, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

POLSCOPE

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Arms, Arms Everywhere, But None to Protect us

o much has been said about the insecurity in Nigeria. Everybody, including those in the hitherto strong-walled Aso Rock Villa, are all now on the edge. As they say, if fire can burn the tortoise with the iron coat, how much more the hen with a feathery gown. These dare devil criminals, be they bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, or terrorists, would be jelly-fished fellows without the arms they wield. Put differently, if we are able to control the influx of arms, more than half of the problem would have been solved. Arms and ammunition are the oxygen of violence and.; war. So, the question is : how is it that these arms—light or sophisticated, find their ways into Nigeria without stress or hitch? It is easy to talk about porous borders. It is even easier to talk about illegal routes. But hey, where are the immigration personnel that are supposed to man the borders? How come they allow, knowingly or out of negligence, these caché of arms into the country, whilst yet claiming to be on duty? It beggars belief to claim that these avalanche of arms being used to wreak havoc in the country are either all local weapons or all smuggled in through illegal routes. Is it therefore safe to believe that these immigration personnel are conniving with these terror agents to flood the nation with arms? Not long ago, there was a story about bandits using camels to ferry arms into the country, as they strap arms on the body of these camels, covering the arms up with other harmless luggage. But despite this intelligence report, we have never been told of any arrest of arms-laden camels in the country. In May 2017, the Nigerian Customs intercepted a 20-feet container at the Lagos port, loaded with 440 arms and ammunition of different sizes and caliber. Four months later, in September of the same year, another 1,100 pump action guns concealed in container from Turkey was intercepted at Mile 2, Lagos. That particular consignment had negotiated its way out of the ports, but still got caught on its way to a warehouse. Four years down the line, Nigerians were never told who the importers of those arms are, neither do they know what eventually happened to those arms or their importers. Were they (importers) ever arrested and prosecuted? Were the arms destroyed? Were they added into the armoury of the Nigerian military? Were they released to their importers? Many a times, it is argued that the announcement of such interception of arms get to the public’s ears only when there is a failure in “settlement” between the importers and Customs personnel. Yes, the argument has been rife about Nigeria becoming the preferred destination of all the arms and light weapons from Libya, DRC and Sudan, where wars have been fought or still being fought. But it is worrisome that despite the fortification of the land borders, illegal arms and ammunition still flow into the country unhindered, thus putting a big and multiple question marks on the efficiency and patriotism of the men and women in the Nigerian Immigration Service whose duty it is to police our borders. And that explains why today, AK47, a high caliber rifle, is now such a common weaponry in the country, as if it is a kitchen knife or even catapult. Just everywhere, you hear and see AK 47. Otherwise young and feeble fellows get lionized and can take a whole community captive, just because they have arms, most times even more

Canticles….

More Women for Lawmaking?

think the national lawmakers deserve a special commendation for always rising to the occasion of public expectation.

Really? These same lawmakers in the 9th Assembly?. So, what have they done to deserve this special commendation? I am surprised you are asking this. You mean you didn’t hear of the great resolution they recently passed concerning the need to have more women in the National Assembly? Naaaaa, it was not a resolution. It was just a Bill presented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejocha, and 85 other lawmakers; the motion merely passed through the second reading. It has the third reading to contend with before it becomes a law, after a concurrence by the senate. But I can tell you that the motion appears popular among the lawmakers. I think the sponsors f the motion did a lot of lobbying before the presentation.

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

IG of Police, Usman Baba

sophisticated than the ones of our policemen. Even when there is a presidential directive criminalizing bearing it by unauthorized persons, nobody has ever been shot at because he/she is bearing AK 47, despite the presidential order to that effect. So, is there a conspiracy to protect such persons? Already, the Akwa-Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, in a video that went viral, this week, has lamented how the police commissioner in the state has ordered the release of 18 AK47-bearing persons arrested by vigilante men in the state. The 18 persons were said to have fake army uniforms and the rifles, yet the police ordered that they be released. How is this explained? Little wonder that former Head of State, Gen Abdusalami Abubakar recently disclosed that about six million illegal arms are floating in Nigeria. How did those arms get into Nigeria? Stories have been making the rounds of how certain helicopters have been dropping arms, ammunition and even food items in some forests, for bandits and other violent criminals. Nobody has been able to assuredly verify the claims. But it may not be impossible. Although denied, a former Head of State has also been linked to the ownership of one of such helicopters. Just last Sunday, people going to church ran into a truck which fell in Onitsha and spilled all of its content on the road. The content happened to be live bullets. Reports say it took a hired tipper three trips before it could clear the bullets off the road, amidst guided protection by the army and

the police.. Again, who owns the bullets? Where were they taking them to? And for what purpose? The Anambra governorship election is just six months away. The driver of the truck was arrested while the conductor escaped. Nearly one week after, the public has not been updated on the matter. Yet, this is a zone where violence and attack on police stations and correctional facilities have continued unabated. Is it any wonder that the rave of attacks in the South East has continued unchecked? Obviously, it is an attempt to arrest the ugly development that the federal government recently established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). It is hoped that this agency will be able to not only halt the influx of illegal arms into the country, but also work assiduously hard to recover most of the illegal arms in the country. Needless to say that the large caché of arms in the hands of unauthorized persons is a precursor to war. Those who doubt this should ask Somalia and Sudan. Many people like Prof Pat Utomi believe that another civil war has already started in the country, what with the scale of killings and violence ravaging every part of the country. To save the nation from the imminent unrest and conflagration, the NCCSALW should get cracking by raking in most of the illegal arms in circulation. Unless and until that is done, our skies will continue to be lit with the sparks of illegal bullets as we sleep with just an eye closed.

Femi Gbajabiamila

the face of the dwindling economy? Do you know that the lawmakers presently consume over 37 % of the national budget to the detriment of many other critical sectors? And So, by your own afﬁrmation, it is you are supporting the creation of a motion that enjoys great support. more senatorial districts and federal So it is to be expected that going constituencies across the country? Are through the third reading won’t you alright? be such a herculean task. That is Look, I am very alright. All we are why I think the lawmakers must be commended for thinking ahead. asking is that the Beijing DeclaraThey have argued that given tion should be respected. How do the huge population of women you explain that out of 109 senain Nigeria (47 percent ) the 4.4% tors, only eight are women, and that representation at the National As- out of 360 House of Reps members, sembly is dismal and unacceptable. only 13 are women, whereas they They bemoan the fact that out of even vote more in number during 109 senators, only eight are women. elections? And that out of 360 House of Reps So, if they have more voting populamembers, only 13 are women. Therefore, the representation tion at elections, let them use that suplevel of women at the National port base to elect their fellow women. Assembly should be deliberately They don’t have to have separate and shored up by altering some sec- exclusive seat either in the senate or tions of the 1999 constitution, as House of Reps. Let them go out there amended, by creating additional and contest and strive to be elected. You mean in the face of the dauntsenatorial districts in every state of the federation, plus the FCT, ing problems facing the country, the just as two additional federal concern of some chauvinists is how to constituencies should be created swell the rank of the parliament with in each of the state plus the FCT, more gele-tying women? across the country and that both Are you implying that it is Okay the extra senatorial seat and two additional seats (per state and the for the men to keep lording over FCT) at the House of Reps, be oc- women in the National Assembly? Do you realise the roles they play cupied exclusively by women. That way, women shall have minimum in National development? Do you of 37 senators in the senate and know they are better managers of 74 women in the House of Reps. scarce resources? That is the general framework of the Bill. It still has a long way to go to become a law. The lawmakers do not need to waste any time in passing such a Bill. We indeed need more women in the parliament. With more women, there will be less friction and throwing of chairs or boxing of themselves. Indeed, more women will make the tone in the parliament more reconciliatory than combative. We need more women. And don’t forget that their soft appeal to national issues always have great effects. Who knows with more women in the parliament, this spate of violence threatening the country, would be a thing of the past when they activate their motherly mode in appealing to those bandits and Boko Haram terrorists. We really need more women, and we don’t care if it will cost us addition N7.8 billion to service them annually. After all, is it not better to spend that money on our women and achieve peace than expend more than thrice that amount, and yet get no respite? You are talking rubbish. You mean we should knowingly undertake to spend another N7.8 billion to service the narrow interest of selfish women in the name of gender balancing, in

Please leave out the issue of managing scarce resources. We have not forgotten the case of Patricia Etteh, former Speaker of the House of Reps. The nation is currently contending with the case of the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman on the issue of under-remittance of NPA funds to the federal till. Don’t drag in extra-territorial matters here. It is a democracy. The people want more women in the parliament. If it goes through the process, so be it. And there is nothing you can do about it from the sideline. I am a stakeholder. Tell these women not to be in a hurry. Once upon a time, it was just Franca Afegbua as a female lawmaker in the country. Today, they are about 21 female lawmakers in both chambers. It is growing. They should not be faster than their shadows. But talking seriously, how many of the women have you heard being legislatively aggressive in canvassing a position that is of greater benefit to majority of Nigerians? Don’t you know that many of them are bench warmers? Or did you not hear the other day, how a female senator rebuked a fellow senator for bemoaning the security situation in the country, asking the colleague if he was a PDP member? Are those the myopic sentiments that will encourage more female representation?

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

FG Clueless on Economic Revival, Says Bauchi Gov Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government of lacking ideas on how to address the various economic challenges bedeviling the nation. Speaking yesterday to journalists at the Government House, Bauchi, shortly after performing the Eid prayers to mark the Sallah celebration, the governor said the federal government should stop the

blame game and look for a way forward. “I think the federal government has lost any idea to grow the economy. What they are best known for is the blame game. They are not even fighting the corruption they claimed to be fighting” “There’s more corruption; perceptions are built that there are sacred cows; there are tin gods in this country who cannot be touched,” Mohammed declared. Mohammed, who blamed the nation’s backwardness on

nepotism by the Buhari ledadministration, added there is no fairness and equitable allocation of appointments across the six geopolitical zones. The governor also stated that the Southern governors were right in some aspects of their resolutions reached at their Asaba meeting on Tuesday, adding that only one section of the country was being given positions in government.

“If you are not fair and equitable in your administration, in your management, if there is nepotism where only one section is given positions in government, what the southern governors said smacked of some aspects of truth where some people were given too much attention to the detriment of the other side. “What we know in this as a federalist; there is always a balance in terms of appointment

of federal offices, even in the local governments. “If you don’t practise fairness at the top then you cannot get it at the lower table and people will begin to think of self-actualisation, self-determination and so on and it will reflect negatively. Unless we ensure fairness and equity in the leadership of the country we cannot grow the economy,” he asserted. He said: ”There are sacred

cows and small gods who cannot be touched in Buhari’s government but if you are not fair and equitable in your government, If there is nepotism where only one section is giving positions in your government, then there will be problems. “There is an iota of truth in what the southern governors said on some sections being highly favoured at the detriment of others.

Nigeria Showing Signs of Failed State, Ozekhome Laments Says no need for fresh national dialogue David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, yesterday stated that Nigeria is showing all signs of a failed state. Ozekhome also faulted the call by 17 southern governors for a constitutional conference, saying the call for a new conference was unnecessary, especially considering that the recommendation of the one held in 2014 had not been implemented. He said: “I was at the 2014 National Conference headed by late Justice Idris Kutigi, and the over 200 recommendations we made at that conference was yet to be touched. “The conference consisted of 492 Nigerians drawn from all strata, and the report has never been touched by this government, even with a 10 foot pole. So, when I heard the 17 southern governors talking about another conference... I knew they mean well for the

country, but we do not need another dialogue.” He was the keynote speaker at the 25th law week of the Awka branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Anambra State, where he spoke on the topic: ‘Legal profession in a lawless society: Rediscovering law as a tool for social change’. The senior lawyer, who decried the near state of anarchy in the country, lamented that there are already signs that Nigeria was sliding into a failed state, regretting that President Muhammadu Buhari was nowhere to be found in all the troubles in the country. The legal expert said: “Let me tell you, one of the ingredients of a failed state is when nonstate actors like bandits and kidnappers challenge the state security. With bandits just two hours away from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that is the greatest ingredient of a failed state, and that is where we are today.

A NEW INNOVATION …

L-R: Member, Photo Journalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN), Website Committee, Mr. Sunday Adedeji; Chairman, PJAN, Lagos Chapter, Mr. Kola Olasupo; CEO, Webtek, Masters Innovation, Mr. Victor Adeshile; and member of the Website Committee, Mr. Kehinde Shonola, during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Pjan and Webtek Innovation to build Pjan website in Lagos...recently

South-east Youths Urge FG to De-proscribe IPOB David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Youths of the South-east zone of Nigeria have called on the federal government to immediately de-proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). IPOB, a group championing the independence of a sovereign state if Biafra, was in 2017 designated a terrorist group by a

court, leading to its proscription. But in an emergency meeting held in Awka, Anambra State, yesterday, the young South-east stakeholders said there was need to return peace in the region, stating that part of the steps towards peace would be to de-proscribe IPOB and release any of its members held in prison. This stance was contained in a

communique signed by leaders of various youth organisations, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth, National Youth Council of Nigeria (South-east), Nigerian Youth Congress (South-east), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) among others, which was made available to THISDAY in Awka yesterday. It said: “Having considered the state of the nation, the

increasing state of insecurity, and the overall development of the Igbo nation, it is hereby resolved as follows: ‘The heightened insecurity in the South-east region, which has resulted in the loss of lives of our people, security agents and property, is highly regretted, as we deeply commiserate with the families of the bereaved.

The governor said that his southern counterparts had chosen the right path to address insecurity. He maintained that Nigeria remains a great country with huge potentials and should, ordinarily, have no business with poverty if only there were guaranteed security for lives and property and the people are allowed to remain stable in their localities. Ortom expressed

and Muslims in Benue State as well as residents for being supportive of his administration just as he acknowledged the good reportage of government policies and programmes by the Directorate of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi. The governor also disclosed his administration’s plans to commence teaching of vernacular in schools in the

that children must be trained and supported to inculcate reading in them, even as he described communication as key in the society. On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Reverend Wilfred Anagbe, said that social communication was meant to uplift humanity and the society, emphasising that it remains a positive aspect of reality of life and not the other way round.

NEMA Hands over Relief Materials to 24,925 Ortom: Anyone against Southern Govs’ Open Grazing Ban Has Hidden Agenda Households in Niger Diocese of Makurdi. appreciation to the Church next academic session, adding Says 14 LGAs in need of support

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday hinted that it has commenced direct distribution of relief materials to 24,925 household of displaced persons affected by banditry in Niger State. This is even as it revealed that 14 local government areas of the state affected by banditry are currently in need of food and support. The Director-General of NEMA, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd), flagged off the relief distribution in Kuta, the headquarters of Shiroro Local Government Area of the state. The NEMA DG, who was represented by the Head of Minna Operations Office, Hajiya Zainab Ahmad Saidu, while sympathises with the affected persons, stated that the relief materials approved by President Muhammadu Buhari were delivered to compliment the efforts of the state government and others, to provide succor over their situation. Muhammad in a statement made available to journalists

in Abuja, yesterday by the Head of Media and Public Relations of the agency, Mr. Manzo Ezekiel, explained that a joint assessment recently conducted by staff of NEMA and Niger State Emergency Management Agency showed that the displaced persons are in stable condition. According to him, “It was on this basis that the presidential approval was obtained and the requisite materials comprised of 5,412 bags (10kg) of rice, 5,412 bags (10kg) of beans, 500 kegs of vegetable oil, 500 cartons of seasoning cubes and 500 bags of iodized salt were delivered to them.” He further explained that the materials would be distributed directly to the affected persons in the IDP camps and host communities by NEMA staff in collaboration with officials of the state emergency management agency. Muhammad noted that the beneficiary LGAs include Rafi, Shiroro, Bosso, Munya, Paikoro, Mariga, Kontagora, Magama, Mashegu, Wushishi, Rijau, Borgu, Lapai and Lavun.

George Okoh in Makurdi

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday said any Nigerian opposed to the Southern Governors’ decision banning open grazing of cattle has a hidden agenda. Ortom made the remark at Holy Ghost Parish Hall in Makurdi while delivering his speech on the occasion of ‘Media Week and Communications Day 2021’, organised by the Catholic

India Kicks against ‘Indian Variant’ Tag on Strain of COVID-19 Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Indian Government has taken exception to the description of one of the COVID-19 variants as “the Indian variant.” A statement issued on Wednesday by the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India with

heading: “WHO has not associated the term ‘Indian Variant’ with B.1.617, now classified as Variant of Concern,” said that to name one of its variants as Indian would be wrong. The statement reads: “Several media reports have covered the news of World Health

Organisation (WHO) classifying B.1.617 as variant of global concern. “Some of the reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the COVID-19 as an ‘Indian Variant.’ “This is to clariify that WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 variant of the COVID-19

on its 32 page document.” “In fact, the word ‘Indian’ has not been used in its report on the matter. It described India’s recovery rate of 83.26 per cent and 177 million vaccinations are among the highest while the country’s mortality rate of 1.09 per cent is among the lowest in the world.

FG Urges Israel, Palestine to Live in Peace Micheal Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has called on Israel and the Palestine to guarantee the rights of their citizens to live in peace and end the hostilities between the two countries.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the federal government also urged the two parties to de-escalate the hostilities. The statement signed by the spokesman of the ministry, Mr.

Ferdinand Nwonye, read: “The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that the Federal Government of Nigeria is watching with great concern the unfolding developments with Israel and the State of Palestine and urges both parties

to see reason and de-escalate the hostilities. “The federal government further urges the two parties to remain committed to the two-state solution and, in the meantime, guarantee the rights of all citizens to live in peace and dignity.”

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

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World Bank: Foreign Sponsors Driving Major Projects in Nigeria Dike Onwuamaeze A new report by the World Bank has indicated that the execution of major infrastructural projects in Nigeria was being driven by foreign sponsors. The report titled ‘Private participation in infrastructure 2020 annual report,’ noted that a sizable 2020 PPI investment commitments in Nigeria were mainly due to a big-ticket natural gas pipeline projects. “Nigeria has managed to report PPI investment commitments for five consecutive years since 2015. Sizable 2020 PPI investment commitments in Nigeria were mainly due to a big-ticket natural gas pipeline project. “The $2.6billion pipeline will transport up to 3,500 million cubic feet of gas a day from various gas gathering projects in southern Nigeria. “Projects with foreign sponsors, especially from China, have played an

important role in developing sizable infrastructure projects in Nigeria.” The report identified the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline project as one the four natural gas projects in some countries with $6.9billion in investment commitments in 2020. The Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano pipeline is being developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to transport natural gas from southern Nigeria to central Nigeria. “The $2.8billion pipeline project represents phase one of the 1,300-kilometer TransNigerian Gas Pipeline project, which is being developed as part of Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan to utilise the country’s surplus gas resources for power generation as well as for consumption by domestic customers,” it stated. “The pipelines will provide a faster, more economical means of delivering natural

Omo-Agege Canvasses Strict Observance of COVID-19 Protocols Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, has canvassed for strict observance of COVID-19 protocols as Muslim faithful celebrate Eid el Fitri in the country. Omo-Agege in his Sallah message yesterday emphasised the need for careful observance of COVID-19 protocols, noting that while Nigeria has been relatively safe thus far, the world is yet to overcome the pandemic. He stressed that even with the conclusion of Ramadan fasting, Nigeria and the world need a continuation of the self-control, godliness and generosity towards one another. While felicitating with Nigerian Muslims as they celebrate Eid-el Fitri, Omo-Agege commended them for their passionate observance of the Ramadan

fasting and adherence to holy injunctions. According to the senator, “I felicitate with all Muslims across the country as they celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitri which was begun by the holy Prophet of Islam. It is a special day to express gratitude to the Almighty God for all that we are and all that we have. “The lessons of this period, including the virtues that the holy month of Ramadan emphasises are worth being sustained towards making our country and indeed the world a better place. “I, therefore, call on all our Muslim brothers and sisters across Nigeria to continue to reflect on how their spiritual lives and cultivation of human virtues can contribute more towards fostering peace, unity and progress in our dear country.”

gas to locations around the world,” it stated.

According to the report, investment commitments

in 2020 stood at $45.7billion across 252 projects, marking

a 52 per cent decline from 2019 levels.

IN PURSUIT OF COMMON INTEREST…

L-R: Enugu State, Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting in Asaba… recently

PANDEF, Igbo Youths Differ on IG’s Withdrawal of Police Personnel Escorting VIPs The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Niger Delta region, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL) have expressed opposing views on the recent directive by police authorities withdrawing all police escorts to Senators, House of Representatives members, Speakers and other political office holders in the South-east. Which PANDF has backed the suspension of police personnel from escorting VIPs, in the Southeast, and some South-south states, the Igbo youths have condemned

the decision, saying it would expose their leaders to harm. The National Chairman of PANDEF, Senator Emmanuel Ebok-Essien who spoke yesterday in Uyo explained that it was wrong in the first place for representatives of the people to be going with police escorts. His words, “In the first place I never subscribe for the police escorting VIPs or anybody. I never supported the idea. And it is not right. If you are representing the people, and you are acceptable by the people, you should be free with the people. “You don’t need to

carry people with arms to protect you. Sometimes, you observe that somebody doesn’t move with an escort before, but once you are elected or appointed, suddenly you start going with the Police. Why must we go with the police? “For me, a representative of the people should not be scared of the people he or she is representing. Representatives of the people should be free with the people that they are representing.” The PANDEF Chair advocated the amendment of the Constitution of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria, to allow states to operate State and Local government police. On its part, COSEYL condemned the recent directive by the police authorities. Speaking to journalists in Owerri, Imo State capital, the coalition leader, Mr. Goodluck Ibem who faulted the directive said the zone at this point in time needed security the most. He argued that the directive was a calculated attempt to expose the political office holders in South-east to harms and attacks by hoodlums and unknown gunmen.

Unknown Persons Vandalise Newly Constructed Itakpe-Warri Rail Tracks Kasim Sumaina in Abuja Barely five days after the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), announced the arrest of two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line, the corporation has raised the alarm over the vandalism of the newly fixed Itakpe-Warri rail line by yet-to-be identified persons, who cut off several sections of

the track. In a viral video circulating online, the vandals used saw-like object to cut through the rail line to a point where the pieces could be carted away, thereby exposing passengers to danger The Managing Director/CEO, the NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, confirmed the development to journalists yesterday Okhiria stated that vandals

perpetrated the act on the WarriItakpe standard gauge line around KM 30 Adogo, Kogi State section of the rail. The NRC boss, while confirming the incident, said the train was still being operated as there was an alternative. According to him, “the incident happened two days ago. “But we are still in operation because we have an alternative”

NRC Northern District Engineer, Mr. Haruna Sabo, had recently told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Zaria that two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line had been arrested. He had also stated that the corporation had deployed patrol teams along the rail line following the repeated vandalism of the rail tracks.

TCN Restores Power Supply after Nationwide Blackout

Those Beating Drums of War, Not Patriotic, Says Kogi Gov

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has described those beating drums of war in Nigeria as unpatriotic elements, stressing that there is no other country for them to live in than Nigeria. Bello stated this while fielding questions from journalists shortly after he observed the two Rakat congregational Eid

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said that it had completed the restoration of power to the national grid after a nationwide system collapse on Wednesday. A brief statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs of the government-controlled entity, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, noted that normalcy had returned after the incident. “TCN restored bulk power to all the 330kV transmission stations across the entire grid by 5.54pm yesterday. The Kainji - Birnin Kebbi line however tripped on a fault but was restored. “TCN’s 330kV substations feed 132kV substations, through which distribution companies off-take electricity they deliver

to electricity consumers nationwide,” she stated last night. The country’s electricity grid had suffered another system collapse on Wednesday, throwing Nigerians into darkness and leaving businesses to hook on to alternative electricity sources. Nigeria’s erratic power grid, along with the resulting precarious energy supply, is said to be a key issue hindering growth in the continent’s largest economy. Operators have said that a “spinning reserve”, the amount of unused capacity in online energy assets which can compensate for power shortages or frequency drops within a given period of time, holds the solution to the occasional collapses.

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

el fitr prayers, signifying the end of Ramadan at the Lokoja Township Stadium yesterday, adding that Nigerians must unite to save the country from disintegration. The governor, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to remain united, and continued to pray against the current challenges facing the country, noting that Nigeria’s greater achievements

as a country lies in being united and not allowing ethnic, religion and political party affiliations divide it. According to him, “Today, we are witnessing worsening insecurity in the land; lack of cohesion and seeming disunity among our people. I want to urge everyone to remember that we have only one country. We must unite and come together

to preach peace and unity. We must realise that those beating drums of war today are not patriotic .We must remain patriotic and resilient. “Many things may not be working as expected, but let everything start perfectly from our homes. How are we ensuring we can improve our lots .We must respect authorities.

Ilorin Emir Urges Nigerians to Adopt Measures against COVID-19 Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has urged Nigerians to always adopt preventive measures and protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to check the third wave of deadly virus.

Gambari stated this yesterday while delivering his Sallah message to Muslim faithful shortly after he observed the two Rakat prayers marking the end of the 2021 Ramadan fasting on the Ilorin Central Eid praying ground. The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji

Muhammad Bashir Soliu. According to the emir, “We give thanks to Almighty Allah once again for granting us the grace to observe the Ramadan fasting successfully.” He added: “Religious misunderstandings in the state should be addressed by the two main religious leaders.

“The society had gone far enough to prevent leashing violent reactions on any matter that ought to have been settled amicably. “The fasting has come and gone. All restraints exhibited while it lasted should continue, and the end of fasting should not be the end of personal discipline.”

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

Mimiko Backs Southern Govs’ Open Grazing Ban, Restructuring

James Sowole in Akure

A former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has expressed his support to the resolutions arrived at by southern governors after a meeting held in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Tuesday. In a statement issued yesterday, Mimiko urged the southern governors to meet with their northern counterparts to resolve the areas of differences and save the country from its current predicament. “It is also salutary that members of the Southern Caucus

of the National Assembly have weighed in. It’s all a reflection of the realisation of the fact that the nation may be perching at the precipice, and of the urgent need to pull her back. “The next step is for the southern governors to meet with their northern counterparts to iron out what may just be minor areas of difference in substance and timelines. “There cannot be any reasonable arguments against decentralisation of policing to ensure the emergence of compact and efficient subnational forces under state

(sub-national government control). “There surely cannot be any disagreement amongst the governors on the issue of devolution of resources from the centre. As a matter of fact, the present revenue allocation formula has long been statutorily due for review. New sources of revenue will surely be needed for state policing, and to address ongoing security challenges in the states. Mimiko advised all the stakeholders to act on the Nigeria issue when it was time to do so.

Benin Disco Provides Meters for 25% of Targeted Customers Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc (BEDC) has installed more than 25 per cent of the 90,870 meters targeted for customers under the first phase of the National Mass Metering Programme (NNMP) expected to be completed in the next three months. The company disclosed this in a communiqué issued at the end of a Town Hall meeting on “Facilitating metering and Combating Electricity Theft in BEDC states” organised recently by the Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN) for critical stakeholders in the electricity sector in Benin City, the Edo State capital. According to the communiqué, BEDC plans to eliminate estimated billing for unmetered customers in its four franchise states of Delta, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo over a period of six months as part of the NNMP. “BEDC is now installing meters on the pole for customers

in Bands A, B and C, as the initial focus to curtail energy theft and meter bypass while the company has also began community metering where transformers of over 600 communities have been metered so far,” the communiqué said. The communiqué, while noting growing joint efforts by communities in combating electricity theft in the BEDC coverage areas, added that metering under NNMP is free and customers do not have to pay. It warned that BEDC and industry stakeholders could sue and be sued on accounts of electricity theft and consumer rights violation. “The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is carrying out electricity consumer education and interfacing between customers and Discos for complaints resolution,” the communique said.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formally known and address as MISS OLUWASEUN AYOMIPO ARIYIBI, now wish to be known and address as MRS OLUWASEUN AYOMIPO HAASTRUP. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as MISS EKPENYONG KEZIAH YEMISI , now wish to be known and address as MRS ODIAKA KEZIAH YEMISI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as ANYIKE BEAUTY CHINOTU, now wish to be known and address as ERHIMU BEAUTY CHINOTU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as FATIMA SANUSI FARI now wish to be known and addressed as FATIMA MUSA AHMED. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formally known and address as SHITTU GBEMISOLA ABIODUN, now wish to be known and address as ABUTU GBEMISILA ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as JEGEDE ADEFUNKE TAIWO, now wish to be known and address as MRS ADEFUNKE EZEKIEL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as FLORA, ADA NNENNA, UMUKORO, now wish to be known and address as FLORA ADA, NNENNA UMUKORO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JOSHUA TAIWO OLANIYI now wish to be known and addressed as ADESUNLOYE JOSHUA TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. This is to notify the general public that I, EMMANUEL MOSES SUNDAY. Henceforth, wishes to be known and addressed as NWUNA MOSES SUNDAY. All documents bearing all names remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as MISS. UNUO-TARA VERA AKHIDENOR, now wish to be known and address as MISS. UNUOTARA VERA-OSASERE OSAROBO-IDAHOSA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formally known and address as MISS EJELUA SALOME, now wish to be known and address as MRS AKAJIOFOR SALOME OKWUCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take. I formally known and address as MISS OGBOLU UCHE JOSEPHINE, now wish to be known and address as MRS OKONJI UCHE JOSEPHINE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take.

The communiqué listed the challenges being confronted by BEDC during the NNMP installation process to include meter tampering, rejection of meters by some customers, aggressive and violent customer behaviour and extortion of some customers by some unscrupulous agents for meter installation and procurement. The communique noted assurances by the BEDC to customers that corrupt members of staff would be punished and urged electricity customers approached by its agents for the purpose of extortion to utilise the company’s whistle blowing channels to report such corrupt acts and electricity theft.

Southern Govs’ Summit: VON DG Appeals for Caution Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has called on Nigerians to look beyond the frenzy of restructuring as canvassed by the Southern Governors Summit in Asaba, Delta State. Okechukwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warned that conceding more powers to the governors would put the country’s democracy in grave danger. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the VON boss advised Nigerians to tread carefully, and not to see the socio-economic and security challenges facing the country as a reason to give more powers to the governors, “who are already mismanaging their powers as Emperors.” According to him, “Giving more powers to state governors will by omission or commission create Frankenstein monsters which will put our democracy in harm’s way.” He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 endorsed the amendment of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, granting financial autonomy to the state judiciary and state legislatures, as foundation for real restructuring, “but painfully, two years down the line, the governors have refused to implement it.” Okechukwu maintained that Nigerians cannot expect good governance when the governors acting as ‘Emperors’ had locked up all democratic institutions in the state.

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

May the Spirit of Ramadan Remain By: Sadullah Khan/IslamiCity We usher in Eid-ul-Fitr by saying farewell to the blessed month of Ramadan and reflect on how our devotions through Ramadaan have effectively impacted on our attitudes, our relationships, our bodies, our hearts, our minds and our souls. As Muslims, we are well aware that Islam has always been a comprehensive and an all-embracing movement. It has at the head of its program spiritual development, sincere devotion, observance of divine guidelines, sustaining a wholesome environment, reform of human society and empowering of human beings. An essential component of the mission of all prophets has thus been reinstituting of the natural balance and the implementation of social justice [Qur’an 57:25]. We are inheritors of that prophetic movement; a movement that, of necessity, has to be relevant. Relevance of Faith dependant on Practical Action We need to realize that the relevance of Islam is not determined by the importance we as the “faithful” assign to our faith, but rather how our all-embracing faith responds to the realities of our times. Relevance is not measured by teaching the shahaadah (testimony of faith) to a starving person, or merely praying for those who are impoverished or simply by cutting off the hands of the thief. Relevance is rather determined by the desire to feed the hungry at the time of need, alleviating the suffering of those in pain at the time of hurt and the general commitment to remove the need to steal. The relevance of

Islam depends on how the ummah practically engages the world. Other people see Islam through the Muslims, and if Muslims fail the world then Islam would seem to have failed. Our Qualitative Contribution We often feel a sense of ascendency primarily because Islam (in some areas of the world) is the fastest growing religion. But it has never really been about numbers, it has rather always been about ihsaan (goodness) and itqaan (excellence). It is not what quantitative numerical position we occupy, it is what qualitative contribution we make. It is about bringing hope to those people or situations that may seem helpless. Prophet Muhammad advised; “Allah disdains hopelessness. It is incumbent upon you to take a hopeful stand with an intelligent resolve.” [Abu Dawud] Nothing affirms our humanity more than our capacity to empathize. It is this frame of heart that enables us to feel the agony of the pains experienced by others, and to treat others as we would like to be treated, and to do our best to make the world a better place; one good deed at a time. Faith and religion can only truly manifest as leading positive forces if we as people of faith realize the need for the spiritualization of our being, the moralization of our consciousness, empathy in our attitude, and goodness in our conduct. Wise ones have said that faith is not manifested by mere wishing; rather it is rooted in the purity of heart and verified by beneficial action. May the empathic spirit of Ramadan endure in all of us. Eid Mubarak!

Eid al-Fitr: An Introspective Celebration By: Sadullah Khan/IslamiCity We are bidding al-wida/farewell to the blessed month of Ramadan, the month of the Qur’an, the month of siyam/fasting, the month of qiyam/night prayers, the month of ghufran/ forgiveness, the month of ihsan/goodness and the month of karam/generosity. We bid farewell to the month that hosts Layla-tul-Qadr/Night of Power, a month that harbors Yawm-al Furqan (The Day of Criterion occasioned by the Battle of Badr). We bid sentimental farewell to a shahrun mubarak, a hallowed month indeed. In bidding farewell to Ramadan, we are faced with three question. Are we also bidding farewell to all the good deeds we did in Ramadan? Will we maintain the key practices of patience, humility, compassion, solidarity and generosity throughout the year? As Ramadan departs, will we let the spirit of Ramadan leave us as well?

Reﬂection of a Spiritual Wayfarer Let each one of us open a page from the book of our individual muhasabah/self-examination and reflect as to what was achieved through this month. What benefits were derived, which behaviors were adjusted, what good practices have been adopted, which bad habits have been relinquished; and how did the prayers and fasting of Ramadan influence our attitudes and perspectives; how has it improved our relationships; with Allah, families, friends and neighbors; how did it affect our bodies, our hearts, minds and souls? We have been spiritual wayfarers/as-sa’ihan on the transcendent journey towards the attainment of piety. Where did that journey take us? Have we become better human beings; more considerate, more caring, more compassionate? Have we journeyed from self-centeredness to social consciousness, from self-righteousness to righteousness? Where did we start and how far have we journeyed; if at all. We have fasted in pursuance of taqwa, which is the continuous process of character development coupled with Allah-consciousness. It entails purification of the self from the evils of bad intention, deceit, hypocrisy, egoism, cowardice, conceit, prejudice. It becomes manifested in positive attitude, good behavior and lovable

character. This leads to a degree of moral, ethical and spiritual elevation towards piety. The one who has truly benefited from Ramadan is the one whose condition after Ramadan becomes better than it was before Ramadan.

Renewed Commitment We should emerge from the month of Ramadan with hopefully a better personality and a stronger character, confident of our ability to subordinate our desires to our will, our emotions to our intellect; our lower self to the higher self. Ramadan has filled our lives with blessings, awakened our slumbering conscience and hopefully purified our souls. We have abstained from the three fundamentals of life; food, drink (necessary for daily survival) and from intimacy (which facilitates the perpetuation of the human race). We have done this unquestioningly from dawn to dusk for one whole month. Now the auspicious day of ‘Eid al-Fitr approaches; every conscientious soul should be ready to face the year that lies ahead with renewed zeal, unwavering will, devoted fervor, enthusiastic dedication, higher vision; accompanied by an enhanced spirit of universal goodwill. Be ever cognizant of the fact that next Ramadan may or may not come; even if it does, we may or may not be around.

Mindful Celebration Islam teaches us how to celebrate through ‘Eid; a celebration incorporating worship that brings Muslims together in harmony, remembering Allah’s bounties and celebrating His glory and magnificence. `Eid is an opportunity to multiply good deeds, bringing delight and pleasure to the hearts of families and friends; without forgetting the less privileged. We do not start our ‘Eid festivity until sadaqatul fitr/ charity of ‘Eid has been paid; thus remembering the poor and downtrodden even before we start our celebration. Let the day of ‘Eid al-Fitr be an opportunity to purge ourselves from grudges and suspicion, an occasion for eliminating rancor and hatred; a time of renewed kindness to dear ones, a time for fostering love among Muslims and compassion for humanity. ‘Eid Mubarak!

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

FA C U P F I N A L

Rodgers Charges Iheanacho, Ndidi, Others to Make Leicester History Tomorrow Super Eagles duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi look set to join legion of former and present Nigerian football star players to have won the prestigious English FA Cup when Leicester City play FC Chelsea in the final of the competition tomorrow at the Porto Stadium in Portugal. On record, Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu and John Mikel Obi are former Super Eagles players that have won the cup before with Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea respectively and history beacon on the duo to do same with Foxes. Team’s Manager, Brendan Rodgers, yesterday said his players can “create an incredible legacy” if they

become the first Leicester side to win the FA Cup on Saturday after four previous defeats in the final. Leicester face Champions League finalists Chelsea in English football’s premier cup competition – the first time the Foxes have reached the showpiece occasion since 1969. Several players, including talisman Jamie Vardy, remain from the team that produced one of the biggest shocks in English football history by winning the Premier League in 2016. But many of the current crop were not in that side and Rodgers said they now had the possibility of making their own slice of history for

the Thai-owned club. A crowd of 21 000 will be at Wembley, with Chelsea and Leicester allocated 6 250 tickets each as part of a pilot to test the return of big crowds to venues during the coronavirus pandemic. “We have earned the right to be in the final and we will arrive with an opportunity to make our own history,”

Rodgers said yesterday. “We have watched it (the cup final) all through our lives. To be able to lead Leicester out for the first time in 50-odd years will be a real privilege for me. “These weeks you always have to stay calm. This is a game where you can create an incredible legacy, you write your own stories in

these games.” Rodgers, whose side is also on track to qualify for next season’s Champions League, is hoping experienced central defender Jonny Evans will be fit to face Chelsea after missing two games with a heel injury. “We’re giving him another day,” said Rodgers. “He has progressed really well in the last 24 hours. He looked very

good and we’ll see what the reaction is after that and make the final decision tomorrow (Friday). “It’s just a discussion between myself and Jonny. You always have to speak to the players and Jonny is a warrior. “If there is any way he can play – even if he is not 100 per cent – he will be out there.”

Nigeria’s Female Rowing Team Departs for Switzerland Nigeria’s female rowing team arrived Lucerne, Switzerland on Wednesday to participate in the final qualifier for the Regatta event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to the Secretary

General of the Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing Federation, Bunmi Oluode, “The team made up of two athletes and one coach departed for Lucerne, Switzerland on Wednesday night to participate in the

female finals of the rowing event. The the Swiss Embassy issued the visa Wednesday afternoon, to enable them departed with Turkish airline.” She commended the Minister of Youth and Sports

Development, Mr Sunday Dare for ensuring that the team travelled against all odds. The final rowing Olympic qualifiers will take place in Lucerne, Switzerland from 12th to 17th May.

Team Nigeria Kisarazu Gerrard Extols Joe Aribo’s Makeshift Role in Rangers Win Camp to Open July 3rd Femi Solaja with agency report

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has unveiled a comprehensive plan for Team Nigeria towards a podium success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics . According to the roadmap released by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and sports Development Mr Nebeolisa Anako, The final stage of local camping will take place from May 15th and July 6th in Bayelsa, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Track and Field National Olympics Trials takes place June 17- 19th, African Athletics Championship from June 22- 26th, 2021. The last phase of the camping will be in Kisarazu from July 3 and 23rd when the 1st batch of athletes will enter the Games Village for

the Olympics proper. Nigeria will present about 80 athletes in 10 Sports at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Badminton, Male and Female Basketball are some of the events Nigeria has qualified. Others include; Track and Field, Weightlifting and Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing. Nigeria decided to narrow down her participation to sports where she has competitive advantage in winning medals. Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare has repeatedly maintained that Team Nigeria will improve on her performance of the last two Olympics, where she won only two bronze in Football and Track and Field.

Youngster Kuti Eager to Dominate NTTF National Championships Twelve-year-old Mathew Kuti has been in fine form after claiming two titles at Aso Cup Tournament in Abuja and with the kick-off of the 2021 NTTF National Championships, the Ayangburen High School student believes he has the wherewithal to extend his dominance at the tournament. Kuti claimed the U-13 and U-15 titles at the 14th Aso Cup

Young Mathew Kuti...ready for Lagos Open

in Abuja and he will be on duty at the national tournament from May 18to 22. “It promises to be exciting, particularly playing in Lagos in front of my fans. I must also admit that it is not going to be an easy task for me because I know most of the players are on the lookout for me after my performance in Abuja. I am always ready because I am not only playing to win but I am hoping to get a national call-up with my performance,” the Ikorodu-based player said. Kuti who will be listed by Lagos State for the five-day tournament said he would relax as he has been training ahead in order to raise his game. “When I returned from Abuja, I did not relax as my coach insisted that I must continue training because the champion is always under pressure to retain his status and I know all eyes will be on me and I am also ready to prove myself in front of the national handlers,” the National Youth Games bronze medallist added.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is in awe of Joe Aribo’s inspiring performance at left-back in Wednesday’s 3-0 away defeat of Livingston. In the absence of Borna Barisic, the No. 10 was drafted to play a defensive role against David Martindale’s men. Even at that, he excelled as he perfectly linked up with Jack Simpson, Connor Goldson, and James Tavernier to help the Gers keep a clean slate. As a result of that, the Liverpool legend reserved special praise for Aribo, while labelling him his ‘man-of-thematch’. “What can I say about Joe Aribo? Gerrard was quoted by the Rangers website. “I tell you what I’ll say about him - good players can play football, and top players can play anywhere on the football pitch and a manager can ask a player to do a role. “Good players can do some and can’t do some, but Joe Aribo is a top player, so whatever I ask him to do, he goes out and gives it his best shot. “He is my ‘Man of the Match’ tonight just because when you think about it, he is a number 10 and he is just so comfortable at left-back and cruised it and breezed it. “That left-back performance is as good as we have seen in my three years that I have been here. “So well done to him for parking his ego and doing a fantastic job for his teammates - well done.” Gerrard also talked about the freedom his players played with against Livingston: “I think that comes with confidence and belief and time. “We have been working ever so hard to build this team and we have tried to build it on style, of course, as our fans demand that and they want to be entertained, but we have also got to find steel as well. “When you come away

from home and the pitch is a leveler and conditions are changing, you have got to find your steel first. “If you get your steel, that allows you to get comfortable and then you trust your good players to go and win you the game, and that is what

happened today.” After featuring for 85 minutes, he was substituted for Leon King, whereas, his compatriot Leon Balogun and South Africa’s Bongani Zungu were ruled out owing to injury issues. The game against the

Lions was the 24-year-old’s 30th Premiership game of the 2020-21 campaign with seven goals to his credit. Aribo is expected to be in action for Rangers when they take on Aberdeen in their last game of the season on Saturday.

Friday May 14, 2021

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Bauchi Gov to FG

“I think the FG has lost any idea to grow the economy. What they are best known for is the blame game. They are not even ﬁghting the corruption they claimed to be ﬁghting” – Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, attacking the federal government’s inability to address the economic challenges bedeviling Nigeria.

AKINOSUNTOKUN What is the Exit Strategy? DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

n a recent characteristic demonstration of miscue and confusion within the presidency, (which sounded more like a confession of helplessness in articulating a plausible exit strategy for the Muhammadu Buhari presidency), Vice President Yemi Osinbajo unloaded on the Nigerian elite for keeping mute and fiddling while Nigeria literally burns. He lamented: “If the political elite do not speak up, if we don’t see anything wrong in what is going on, if we allow it to continue to slide, we will endanger ourselves and endanger the future of our country. I know that every conflict is a result of elite failure, the elite failure to speak up and tell the truth to their communities, that’s the cause of every one of these civil conflicts. So, I would urge that we speak up. I would urge that we stand for something. Sometimes it’s dangerous to stand for something. But the greater danger of course, is to keep quiet.” He was echoing the Yoruba admonition that ‘agba kii wa nilu, ki ori omo tuntun wo (It is incumbent upon elders to speak out when things are going wrong) Osinbajo had hardly finished delivering his homily before his plea was rudely controverted by the presidency on whose behalf, he labours in vain. Aiming to cow into silence the leading lights of the same national elite the presidency took recourse to the Abacha playbook and roadmap. A phantom coup plot in the making was quickly invented as the sword of Damocles against an emergent national consensus on the way forward. According to the blustering spokesman, Femi Adesina “The Department of State Services (DSS), on Sunday alerted on sinister moves by misguided elements to wreak havoc on the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of the country. Championed by some disgruntled religious and past political leaders, the intention is to eventually throw the country into a tailspin, which would compel a forceful and undemocratic change of leadership. Further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are now recruiting the leadership of some ethnic groups and politicians around the country, with the intention of convening some sort of conference, where a vote of no confidence would be passed on the President, thus throwing the land into further turmoil. Nigerians have opted for democratic rule, and the only acceptable way to change a democratically elected government is through elections, which hold at prescribed times in the country. Any other way is patently illegal and even treasonable. Of course, such would attract the necessary consequences”. I don’t know for certain those the presidency had in mind when it bellowed this typically vacuous allegation but I’m privy to efforts being made by eminent Nigerians to hold a conference on the state of the nation with a view to generating and forwarding a constitutional review bill to the national assembly. Pray, how does following the stipulated democratic procedure for seeking constitutional amendment amount to plotting coup? Is it really plausible for the likes of General Yakubu Gowon, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, General Ibrahim Babangida, Cardinal Onaiyekan, Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Anya O Anya, Obi of Onitsha, Dr Edmund Dakoru, Chief Afe Babalola and prominent sociopolitical groups including Afenifere, Northern Elders’ Forum, PANDEF, Ohanaeze and the Middle Belt Forum

Buhari to band together to foster a military take over of government and do their consultations over open telephone lines and conspicuous physical interactions? For that matter, the president was kept informed of this “coup” effort right from the get go to which he detailed a high ranking official of the presidency as liaison officer. Tragically, Nigeria has trodden this path before and this development would have struck a sense of de javu for the convener. Under the military dictatorship of late General Sani Abacha, the contrivance and orchestration of phantom coups became the choice weapon for silencing opposition and terrorising the nation. This Abacha regime trademark bespeaks a primitive and callous mindset and signifies the absence of a legitimate and nationally plausible exit strategy. It is a syndrome of a loss of grip and initiative on legitimate governance by the incumbent power. It is not an excuse but at least Abacha neither seek nor obtain the consent of Nigerians to become president and owes no constitutional obligation to account for his deeds and misdeeds. He bludgeoned and shot his way to power and held the rest of us to ransom. The critical albatross on his neck was that his intervention was a preemptive coup against a popularly elected president and the reintroduction of civil democratic rule. Being of little enlightened inhibition, groomed and grounded in the ideological school of the balance

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

of terror power politics fostered by the 1966 counter coup, there was logic to his zero sum style of military dictatorship. I refer you to the role he played in the blood soaked counter coup of 1966; the July 1975, the 1983 and the 1985 coups detat. Under the institutional norm and tradition of the professional military rather than the political military Nigerian version, Abacha would never have attained to the officers corps. It took a few minutes in the company of his American and Russian chief of Army counterparts for them to arrive at this conclusion. In hindsight, one of the prior significant red alerts given by candidate Muhammadu Buhari as to the kind of president he would be was his legitimisation of Abacha - that “Abacha did not steal any money” and kept on repeating this insult even as his government was lapping up the reparation of hundreds of million of dollars Abacha loot stashed away in the secretive vaults of European banks. This mindset explains the president’s impervious disposition to the humongous corruption being perpetrated right under his nose. If he could will himself to believe that Abacha did not steal any money why would he care and act against the furious and nation wrecking theft to which the Nigerian public till has been subjected since 2015? Where is the logic in appointing the Director of Finance to the probity-challenged Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority as acting managing director upon the latter’s suspension? How would this chief executive have stolen any money without the complicity of her exchequer? Given the unprecedented nepotism and tribalism in appointments to the so-called lucrative MDAs, what is the body language being remitted to these appointees other than taking a cue from the see no evil, hear no evil disposition of the president towards the Abacha precedent. What a self-fulfilling prophet President Buhari has become in his dire premonition that corruption will kill Nigeria if Nigeria does not kill corruption. Other significant companion warnings which Nigerians ignored to their utmost peril bears repetition “I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement all over Nigeria”. “The declaration of state of emergency in the three Northern states to fight Boko Haram is an injustice against the North”. In the light of these brazen pseudo religious parochial outbursts, it is clear that

Without a consensual and corrective response to all these nation demolition challenges, it is in hope rather than expectation that there will be a presidential election come 2023. At the moment, I’m unable to see the conducive atmosphere that will guarantee the realisation of this objective. Reinforcing the political quagmire is the independent variable of economic determinism

Buhari was coming to office with a monumental grouse and sense of injustice against the North. And as president, he wasted no time and spared no concern in making the point that he had come to govern in the near exclusive interest of a constituency he deemed has been denied its privileged entitlement. The point to note is that the president is more the demagogue and less the genuine Islamic missioner. There is the element of the instrumentalist view of religion to his politics which panders to ethno religious sentiments only as an instrument of political mobilisation. And in this ploy, he has succeeded beyond measure but inevitably, the anticlimax has set in and he now has to contend with the raging fire of the smoke he ceaselessly stoked; the pent up mindless revolt of the famished society underclass politicised with religious politics. They have become the falcon that no longer heeds the falconer. There is also the complementary instance of what started as a social media creation but soon attained to probable cause- given unfolding corroborating evidence. A weird utility of social media dysfunction in Nigeria is how it has become predictive of the Nigerian penchant of reality imitating fiction. This instance - of reality imitating fiction was the account credited to a Nuhu Ribadu (DSP)- not the Nuhu Ribadu we know as retired AIG. The claim was made that in anticipation of President Goodluck Jonathan steamrolling his way to spurious victory in the 2015 presidential election “2,000 Fulani fighters were brought in from Mali, Senegal, Niger Republic, Chad, Libya to name but a few. Further 4,000 fighters were stationed in Niger and Chad on standby.” to unleash terror and render Nigeria ungovernable. It then transpired that Jonathan refrained from acting to this expectation and conceded victory to his opponent- thus creating the headache of what to do with the recruited Fulani insurgents. In the circumstance, the employers chose to look the other way and abandoned the mercenaries to their fate-who then morphed into a Fulani army of occupation in sundry Nigerian locations. The rest, as they say, is history. Without a consensual and corrective response to all these nation demolition challenges, it is in hope rather than expectation that there will be a presidential election come 2023. At the moment, I’m unable to see the conducive atmosphere that will guarantee the realisation of this objective. Reinforcing the political quagmire is the independent variable of economic determinism. The prevailing regime of dire economic straits is negatively universalising and will exacerbate rather than mitigate the political crisis-thus creating a perfect storm scenario. I was therefore taken aback at the level of political incompetence that precluded this government from seeing the utility in collaborating rather than demonising the coming together of status quo stalwarts to help fashion a plausible exit strategy. To be sure there is really no viable alternative to the option of restoration of federalism aka constitutional restructuring. And I can put it no better than the grieving General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the highly respected Pastor Enoch Adeboye (please accept my condolences sir) when he posed the equation as restructuring or break up. It will take the affliction of a virulent variant of political obtuseness for anyone to believe otherwise- the kind that purports to reduce the Nigerian crisis to the depredations of climate change!

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