EYES
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu; the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Kashim Shettima and the party's Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, when Adamu and members of the APC National Working Committee visited the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in Abuja...yesterday.
Chinedu Eze and James Emejo
Wants commitment to serving one term put in writing Calls for alteration of northdominated PDP NWC; Ayu and deputy (North) must go Atiku mulls requests, will get back in two weeks
Charles Ajunwa in Lagos, Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his allies at loggerheads
Promises
2023: We Won’t
Continued on page 5
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Unyielding Wike returns from London, says he’s seeking remedies that will restore enduring hope in Nigeria
A National Commissioner of INEC and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made the promise in Abuja during a post-election roundtable and public presentation of the final report on the observation of 2022 Ekiti and Osun Governorship Election, organised by a human rights organisation, Yiaga Africa. The commission also maintained its ground not to Lower the Bar, INEC Assures Nigerians jettison electronic transmission of results and that political parties found to be violating electoral not to jettison electronic transmission of results To punish political parties violating electoral timelines
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday promised Nigerians that it would not lower the bar in the 2023 elections, in the light of its achievements in the off-season Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, and that it would be bold and courageous in prosecuting the elections.
www.thisdaylive.com Saturday 27 August, 2022 Vol 27. No 10000 TRUTH & REASON Continued on page 5 with the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, increased their demands on the party’s N250 Wike’s Group IncreasesDemands on Atiku High Commission Alerts Nigerians as South Africans March against Immigrants... Page 8 Shettima: I Deliberately Wore Sneakers to NBA Conference to Offset Hostile Crowd... Page 8 Continued on page 5 Trapped Revenue: CBN Bows to Foreign Airlines’ Pressure, Releases $265m
ALL ON 2023…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday released $265 million to foreign airlines operating in the country for the remittance of a part of their revenues trapped in the country. A number of foreign airlines had raised the alarm over their had threatened to withdraw their services in the face of unremitted funds for outstanding sale of tickets.Reacting to the payment by CBN, the President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs. Susan inability to remit their revenues in Nigeria said to be around $450 million. Last week, Emirates Airlines announced that it would suspend all flights to Nigeria from September 1, 2022 over its stuck $95Themillion.Nigerian government bowed to the foreign airlines’ pressure yesterday. A breakdown of the figure indicates that $230 million was released as special foreign exchange intervention while another sum of $35 million was released through Retail SMIS auction.Confirming the development, CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, in a statement said the apex bank’s governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and his team were concerned about the development and what it portends for the sector and travellers, as well as the country in the comity of Henations.pointed out that the central bank was not against any company repatriating its funds from the country, adding that what the bank stood for was an orderly exit for those that might be interested in doing so. The statement added that with the latest development, it is expected that operators and travellers would heave a huge sigh of relief as some airlines
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“I am excited. The CBN has announced that it would pay the money, but the airlines will announce their own reaction. The money is specifically for the airlines. The airlines will go to their banks. It is bank-to-bank transactions. The banks will send the money to the airlines. Once they do the transfer, their account in Naira will be debited. The money is there in their accounts in Naira but they want it to be converted to Dollars. The banks will transfer the Dollars and debit the airlines’ Naira account” In June, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) drew the attention of the world to the inability of Nigeria to release about $450 million Dollars then, which was 25 per cent and the highest of the total amount of the trapped funds held by largely African countries, which were adversely affected by the global economicEmiratesdownturn.saidthen that it was owed over $95 million in Nigeria, which it could not repatriate due to scarcity of Dollars and it was indicated that other foreign airlines might increase their fares to Nigeria and subsequently withdraw their service to Africa's most populous nation. Yesterday in a meeting with travel agencies, British Airways indicated that it would suspend flight operations to Nigeria by December 2022 and urged that travel agencies should not sell British Airways tickets beyond December.TheUK based mega carrier has been operating to Nigeria for 85 Emirates,years. in a statement last week, announced that it was suspending all its flights from September 1, 2022, saying, “Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible," the airline said. The airline further hinted that if there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, it would re-evaluate its"Wedecision.remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations," the airline added.
Because constitutionally, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum, should become Chairman if Ayu resigns, the source said the Wike camp also demanded for the resignation of Damagun, so that another person from the north would not become chairman.“Wike's people said Ayu and Damagun will have to resign and pave the way for the man they are planning to put forward, i.e. Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (South), to be in charge of the party,” said the source. At the end of the meeting, Atiku allegedly told Wike and his team that he would think about the demands and get back to them within two weeks. It was also gathered that Wike’s team’s meeting with Tinubu and Obi was used to explore the possibilities of strengthening the
IATA's Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi, had stated, "IATA is disappointed that the amount of airline money blocked from repatriation by the Nigerian government grew to $464 million in July. This is airline money and its repatriation is protected by international agreements in which Nigeria participates.”
“We believe that with what is going on, it will be for the interest of Nigerians at the end of the Wikeday.”decried the situation where standard, training and competence had always been traded for mediocrity. He said leadership should not be about one individual and the interest of his family, but about the collective interest of everybody. “Consultation is still ongoing. Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this “Leadershipcountry. is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody. It’s unfortunate that we are in a country now where a man finishes eight years as a governor and brings his own son as a governor too and as a member of the National Assembly.
“We plead for the understanding of Nigerians, we plead for the cooperation of Nigerians because we recognise the fact that the 2023 election will be challenging, but we have the capacity, and we also have the courage to face those challenges in a very broad and courageous manner.”Restating its commitment on electoral monitoring, Yiaga Africa’s Board Chair, Hussaini Abdu, urged INEC to take a cue from the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections, seeing that elections were held in those states just after the 2022 electoral act was passed. Abdu, stating that poor logistics had been a major bane in the history of Nigeria, tasked INEC onHeimprovement.said,“Many times, particularly in the last three rounds or cycles of elections, these ones that we categorise as off-season elections shape the character of what to expect in the forthcoming general elections.
“But our assurance is that this commission will not lower the bar and we are going to improve and will continue to improve with every“Allelection.thegood practices we deployed in prosecuting the elections under review will also be deployed for the prosecution of the 2023 general election.
findings, both elections (Ekiti and Osun) signify progress in Nigeria’s elections journey based on the significant improvement in the management of election logistics, openness of the voting process, transparency and accuracy of the election results, and compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC Guidelines and Regulations forYiagaelections.”Africa adds in the report: “Be that as it may, there were cases of ballot box snatching, violence, and disruption of voting and result collation by thugs and hoodlums linked to political parties. “The national assembly should expedite actions to pass the National Electoral Offences Commission Bill. This will enable effective arrest and prosecution of violators of the electoral laws before, during and after the elections.“INEC needs to revisit voter allocation to polling units, especially for the newly created polling units to ensure equitable distribution of voters, which will reduce congestion and ease election day administration for the“Wherecommission.thecommission assigns polling units to voters, it should update the voter records on its website and communicate the changes to prevent voter disenfranchisement, especially to voters who have been assigned to new polling units.”
“We saw that in 2015 and we saw that in 2019, but what makes this more remarkable and to require much deeper reflections and conversations is the fact that we have elections taking place after the new Electoral Act and that is very important.
“This commission will continue to upload polling unit results to our INEC results viewing portal; this commission will not depart from“Theit. Nigerian people will be involved at every inch of the process in terms of knowing what is going on at the various polling units through our processes and procedures.“Wewill continue to also manage the collation process transparently so that all Nigerians will also follow whatever we are doing and we will not depart from all the good practices we haveWhileestablished.”seekingthe cooperation of Nigerians, Okoye advised civil society organisations and other critical stakeholders to study the Electoral Act 2022 in order to gain needed knowledge of its provisions.“There are creative and innovative provisions that have been imputed into the Electoral Act 2022 that have changed the framework and dynamics of election management and result management in Nigeria.
“It’s only in this part of the world that you can see that, when we are talking about poverty everywhere. These are people who do not mean well for this Nigeria,” he stated Wike also wondered why religion and ethnicity are used as the tenable identity to describe Nigerians when competence is required.Continuing, Wike said, “The only identity they have in this country is religion and ethnicity, nothing more. It’s either, I’m a Christian or I’m a Moslem, I’m a Fulani or I’m an Igbo. Nigeria cannot move forward except they think it will be them. That’s where we“Weare. are in a country where someone with a primary school certificate can be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. That tells you how bad this country has“Butbecome.with our consultation, all these will be a thing of the past. No amount of intimidation or blackmail will deter us. We are determined to right the wrong.” In his response, the leader of the team and Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, noted that they have met with renowned persons in the last few days because of their belief that Nigeria is in distress and required concerted effort to rescue it. He stated that they had fruitful talks with those they had met and it was beyond partisan politics, because well-meaning Nigerians need to work together in ensuring that Nigeria survives. “For us, we are looking at the larger picture. Nigeria today is in distress. It is about what we can do. No man or woman alone can get it right for our country. “We are looking at how we can harness ideas and put ourselves together to ensure that we get out of the present challenge we have in Nigeria today.
quest for a Southern President. “They, Wike and his allies, at the meeting with Tinubu and Obi, examined the possibility of working together to actualise the Southern Presidency dream. They also examined the possibility of Obi stepping down for Tinubu,” said another source. The PDP governors aligned with Wike in his face-off with Atiku, who angered them by saying he did not pick Wike as his running mate because he could not work with him.
“Unless we have a good knowledge of these documents, it will be very difficult for us to follow the trajectory of the electoral process and some of the innovations and some of the changes the commission will make and will continue to make towards improving the character and content and context of elections.
“Based on Yiaga Africa’s
Wike spoke when he interacted with journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area, shortly on arrival from London. In the company of the Rivers State governor were Ortom and Ikpeazu.Wike, who confirmed their meetings with Atiku, Tinubu; Obi and Obasanjo, in London, explained that topmost on the agenda is how to make Nigeria better than what it is currently. The Rivers State governor noted that all was not well with Nigeria and that they were seeking remedies that would restore enduring hope in Nigeria.
“From top to bottom, consider what has happened from 2015 and where we are today. So, what we are doing is a concern that we have for our country, Nigeria. “This is beyond partisan politics. We are looking on how we can come together and find a way of ensuring that Nigeria survives. Nigeria is on drip, Nigeria is on oxygen and it is about how can we get out of this,” Ortom said.
Akporoaye told THISDAY that travel agents were excited by what CBN had done and expressed optimism that the airlines would review their decision to suspend operation.Shealso said that the airlines would have to react to the action of the CBN and explained that the trapped fund did not mean that CBN was holding the revenues of the airlines; that what it meant was that airlines have their revenues in Naira in their bank accounts so when CBN pays them Dollars their Naira account would be debited and the Dollars send to their home countries.
On Monday, during the facility tour of the new international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed told newsmen that appropriate authorities in the federal government were looking into the issue of the trapped fund and expressed optimism that action would be taken soon.
IATA’s many warnings that failure to restore timely repatriation will hurt Nigeria with reduced air connectivity are proving true with the withdrawal of Emirates from the “Airlinesmarket.cannot be expected to fly if they cannot realise the revenue from ticket sales. Loss of air connectivity harms the local economy, hurts investor confidence, and impacts jobs and people's livelihoods. It’s time for the Government of Nigeria to prioritise the release of airline funds before more damage is done,” it said.
candidate during a meeting in London last Thursday, aimed at getting Wike to support the former vice president’s bid for theThepresidency.Rivers governor, who returned to Nigeria yesterday from London, confirmed his various meetings with Atiku, APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, adding that he toured to seek remedies that would restore enduring hope to Nigeria.Sources at the meeting in London said Wike, alongside his allies - Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke – aside from insisting on the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, also demanded for the alteration of the North-dominated National Working Committee (NWC) of theTheparty.source continued on other demands: “Wike and his allies demanded that Atiku puts in writing, his commitment to serve for only one term if he wins, to pave way for power shift to the South; demanded to produce the new PDP National Chairman from the South-west Zone once Ayu steps aside; demanded that the Wike camp should produce the Senate President, Principal officers of the National Assembly and key ministers if the PDP wins; and that the Wike camp will nominate a Director General for the Atiku Campaign Organisation.”
James Emejo in Abuja Nigeria Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.54 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported yesterday. The growth rate indicated a decline when compared to the 5.01 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2021. According to the Q2 2022 report, posted on the NBS website, the rising prices of goods and falling oil production have adversely impacted on the Q2 2022 performance. The growth rate in Q2 decreased by 1.47 per cent from 5.01 per cent growth rate recorded in Q2 2021 and increased by 0.44 per cent relative to 3.11 per cent in Q1According2022. to the NBS, in the period under review, aggregate GDP stood at N45 trillion in nominal terms, higher than the N39.12 trillion recorded in Q2 2021, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 15.03 per cent.The nominal GDP growth in Q2 2022 was higher relative to the 14.99 per cent recorded in Q2 2021 and higher compared to the 13.25 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter.However, the economy was largely driven by the non-oil sector which contributed 93.67 per cent to growth while the oil sector accounted for 6.33 perIncent.thereview period, average daily oil production stood at 1.43 million barrels per day (mbpd), lower than the 1.61mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2021 by 0.18 mbpd. This was also lower than the Q1 2022 production volume of 1.49 mbpd by 0.06mbpd. However, real growth of the oil sector was –11.77 per cent (year-on-year) in Q2, indicating an increase of 0.89 per cent compared to the Q2 2021. On the other hand, the non-oil sector grew by 4.77 per cent in real terms during the reference quarter (Q2 2022), lower by 1.97 per cent compared to the rate recorded same quarter of 2021 and 1.31 per cent points lower than the first quarter of 2022. The sector was driven by Information and cent,Financialcent,growthcontributed(Telecommunication)Communicationwhich18.44percenttoinQ2.Othersaretrade16.81peragriculture23.24percent,andInsurance4.25perandtransport1.84percent.
Wike: I’m Seeking Remedies that will Restore Enduring Hope in Nigeria Wike and his allies returned to the country yesterday evening, with the Rivers governor saying his team is more interested in a better Nigeria, and members are consulting widely with those who mean well for the country.
Wike said, “I can confirm that this is the first time as a team that we are meeting with presidential candidates. For whatever its worth, consultation is ongoing. Whatever we are talking about, is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to one person or group of persons.
Atiku was accused of being “impolitic”, further worsened by public statements made by his own allies - former governors Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu - which Wike’s associates considerLamidoreproachful.describedWike as an “emperor” and said Atiku did not need him to win the presidential election.
PAGE FIVE 5SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER TRAPPED REVENUE: CBN BOWS TO FOREIGN AIRLINES’ PRESSURE, RELEASES $265M 2023: WE WON’T LOWER THE BAR, INEC ASSURES WIKE’SNIGERIANSGROUP INCREASES DEMANDS ON ATIKU GDP growth slows to 3.54%, non-oil sector contributes 93.67% Oil Production Challenges, Inflation Retard Nigeria’s Economy in Q2 2022 timelines, as well as provisions of the new Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), especially during the 2023 elections, would be punished.
Okoye explained that the commission had taken lessons from the just concluded off-season Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and would improve on its strategies in conducting elections in 2023. He said, “I want to seize this opportunity to assure Nigerians that this present commission will be bold and courageous in prosecuting the 2023 general elections.“Weare going to harvest and we will continue to harvest lessons from the Edo governorship election, Ondo governorship election, Anambra governorship election, and Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in shaping the way we approach the 2023 general election. “We are going to harvest all the good practices; we are also going to look at some of those issues we did not do so well and we will improve on them.
L-R: Delta State Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the project consultant, Delta Leisure Park and Film Village, Arch. Kestrer Ifeadi during the Governor’s inspection of the level of work on the facility nearing completion in Asaba…yesterday.
REUNION OF ILLUSTRIOUS SONS …
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Bayelsa community, Letugbene, in Ekeromor Government Area was deserted yesterday as men, women and children fled the once peace-loving and fishing community as the military began moves to recover seven rifles stolen from seven kidnapped Naval personnel byThemilitants.Naval officers were abducted in May this year and taken to the community where their rifles were taken from them. While some of them escaped, the rest were rescued by a combined team of the Joint Task Force but not with their rifles. After painstaking investigation by the military it was discovered that the rifles were hidden in the community and are being used by some militants who have taken over the waterways in the area, terrorising and intimidating the citizens which prompted a military move to recover their arms and arrest theConsequently,culprits.
suspension order was sequel to a follow-up meeting it held with executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and other critical stakeholders in the industry. He said the move also came on the heels of the positive responses from the debtor licensees, including big organisations in the broadcast industry who had started to redeem their debts.
Two Persons Die in Abuja Building Collapse
Two persons have been confirmed dead while two others are trapped in a collapsed building in Kubwa, Abuja. The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring and Enforcement to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, Ikharo Attah has confirmed that the shopping mall which was being redesigned into a residential apartment went down early Thursday morning and claimed the lives of the security man guarding the site and another siteAworker.combined team of the responders from Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others have also rescued seven victims from the rubble.The building, according to eyewitnesses, was being converted from a shopping mall to a residential apartment, with the developer deciding to add at least two more floors to an already existing structure in apparent contravention of building code.
Already, contracts have been awarded for segment one from Sango and segment six from Akute with work already going onAccordingsimultaneously.toAkinsanya, the contract has been awarded to the tune of N300 million to rehabilitate the remaining four segments by making them drivable before their complete reconstruction.Hesaid,“The Sango-Akute Road is a 32-kilometer road awarded by the previous administration and unfortunately abandoned. What we are doing now is that instead of six lanes, we have re-scoped the road and our contractor is moving to the Sango-Ijoko area, working on that and of course the Lagos end. “The segments one and six have been awarded. Included in the work is the palliative work that will ensure that from Phase 2 to Phase 5 should be motorable all the way from Sango to Yakoyo end.“The state governor was here about three weeks ago to inspect these projects and we have been on this inspection tour since yesterday.”Akinsanya noted that the Amosun administration, apart from abandoning the road, also failed to compensate those whose properties were demolished.
Ogun Moves to Rehabilitate 32km
“I want to thank my family, the NBA led by Olumide Akpata for standing by me, even lawyers of good conscience who have not clearly heard from me, believed in me and fought to defend me, my lead counsel Femi Falana and other senior lawyers and my colleague Mr. Augustine Asuquo and my friends in the media for always saying the truth.
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
“I came to the custodial centre to follow the path of my ancestors, the Gani Fawhinmi’s of this world and those who have sacrificed their personal comfort for their conviction.
Shutdown of Debtor Broadcast Stations
“Those who visited me during my conviction would know that I was totally unbothered, unperturbed, I considered it as an honour to be incarcerated.
“It happened around 11.30p.m. yesterday (Thursday). We were seven people sleeping here. One person slept at the boys’ quarter, another slept at the security post, and then the remaining five slept in the main building. Five of us have been rescued. It remains a security man, and the man that brought me here,” one of the survivors told journalists. Attah said the owner of the property was fore-warned by concerned residents.
6 NEWS News Editor
A chief from the community, Alex Obiotu, who said he had to relocate to Warri, Delta State over the activities of the militants, said the militants led by one Victor Issiah had taken over the community two years ago and chased away anyone who did not conform to their norms. He said, “Two years ago Letugbene community was a peaceful community but last year some militant groups came to this community and invaded this community so many people from this community cannot come in. I have not been to this community for more than one year because of these militant activities.“Some time this year they kidnapped seven naval officers in Bonny in Rivers State and brought them to this community and hid them somewhere and so in the process of doing that they seized their guns.
Bayelsa Community Deserted as Military Moves to Recover Stolen Firearms
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced a temporary suspension of its decision to revoke the licenses of broadcast stations that were indebted to it. The Director General of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, revealed this in a statement yesterday. Ilelah said that the temporary Suspends
The NBC boss also expressed profound gratitude to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the affected licensees and broadcast stakeholders for their responses and interventions.He specifically thanked Silverbird TV/Rhythm FM and DAAR Communications Ltd, the owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower 100 FM for their responses. While noting that the commission was not unaware of the difficulties the shutdown must have caused the operators and other stakeholders, Ilelah insisted the commission would always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004. It would be recalled that NBC had on August 19 revoked the broadcast licenses of 52 broadcast stations across the country following their failure to defray the N2.6 billion they were owing it. However, the revocation was suspended until August 24, after BON and other industrial stakeholders intervened on behalf of the affected licensees.
NBC
Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
Jailed Human Rights Lawyer, 17 Others Regain Freedom in A’Ibom Okon Bassey in Uyo After 30 days in prison, jailed Human Rights Lawyer in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, yesterday regained his freedom. Effiong was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaete Obot on July 27, 2022 over contempt of court. The contempt charged was slammed on Effiong during the proceeding in the libel suit instituted by the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel and Senator Effiong Bob, against Mr. Leo Ekpenyong.Hewas released from the Uyo Correctional Centre, along Willington Bassey Way, Uyo, the state capital at about 7.30a.m. The Human Rights Lawyer worked into freedom alongside 17 other inmates convicted for various offences in the state. Effiong was received by enthusiastic supporters, who had mobilised to give him a heroic welcome.Addressing the cheering crowd, Effiong thanked God for making the day possible, stressing that history will always vindicate theOnjust.the whole incident, he said deception and lies may tarry for a while, but there are two judges that cannot be deceived, the judge of heaven and judge of conscience He lauded his friends, family and colleagues including the media who stood by him during the period.According to him, he considered it as an honour to be incarcerated and that the one month period was an appointment with destiny. “I thank God for making this day possible. History will always vindicate the just, I have just finished my one month appointment with destiny.
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Sango-Ijoko-Alagbole Road
James Sowole in Abeokuta Work has started on the Sango-Ijoko-Alagbole Road, which was awarded by the immediate past administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun but was later abandoned. Amosun had planned to turn the 32-kilometer road into six lanes, with three lanes on each side.However, the project was abandoned after demolition of thousands of properties along the long stretch. Since then, the road has been in deplorable state with some residents abandoning their properties to seek accommodation elsewhere, while those who could not move have to contend with harrowing experiences everyBut,day.the state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, said the state government will make the road drivable by December if the weather permits. On a tour of the road on Thursday, the commissioner disclosed that due to paucity of funds, the rehabilitation has been divided into six segments. He also added that one side of the road would be done for now, while the other side will take off when money is available.
“The building was initially a shopping mall, but the report we got from residents was that the owner was warned, and at a certain point, it was now being converted to a residential apartment.“Thedown floor was a shopping mall, but they were putting up some blocks of flats on the first and second suspended floors. You cannot alter a shopping mall and convert it to a residential building thereby giving it more load than what it was meant to carry,” he noted.Headded that the FCT minister had ordered that integrity tests be carried out on most of the high rise buildings around the Accordingarea.tohim, the combined team of security agencies at the scene was currently trailing the owner of the property, who residents suggested may have“Weabsconded.haveapolicy in the FCTA that when a building collapses, the land is forfeited and revoked and the place is converted into a park or garden for residents around the neighbourhood,” he added.Umar Shago, Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, blamed the incident on quackery and shady construction, adding that the FCTA has a policy of subjecting old buildings to integrity tests.
It would be recalled that the regulator had on August 19, 2022, issued a shutdown notice to the licensees that were owing it to the tune of N2.6 billion.
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
men of the Joint Task Force invaded the community last week Saturday in a bid to recover their firearms and subsequently arrested two of the criminals hiding in the community and burnt down some of their hideouts including a community hall seized from indigenes by the militants’ leader. A visit to the community by journalists and some of the elders of the community with men from the Nigerian Navy (NNS Soroh) revealed that most indigenes of the community had earlier fled the city owing to the nefarious activities of the criminals even the military invasion.
SATURDAY AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY 7
Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi. Shettima appeared in black suit, a long red tie and a pair of sneakers which drew the attention of the social media, making him a butt of jokes as if he had a poor dress sense which he has refuted with reasons. “I was in Lagos for the NBA conference. It was held in Eko Hotels, it was largely funded by the Lagos State Government, the APC government of Lagos State. Subsequently, they moved to Eko Atlantic City, a product of an idea conceived by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.“When I sent my team… One of the presidential candidates, his team, held meetings for three consecutive nights to commit mischief. “When I was told it was a hostile crowd. I’m a banker, trained by one of the best bankers in the world. I’m a Jim Ovia boy. I deliberately wore sneakers to the NBA to mock (sic) at them,” he explained in a short Notwithstandingvideo. the perceived wardrobe accident which he explained was deliberate, he made a good rendition of explaining that they plan to replicate developments in Borno and Lagos states where himself and Tinubu had respectively held offices as governors. According to him, “Nigerians have the capability to see through the worn-out rhetoric and sophistry of pretentious politicians.”
Bennett Oghifo Nigerians in South Africa have been advised to be security conscious ahead of a planned protest by that country’s nationals against migrants from September 2, The2022.Nigerian High Commission in South Africa issued a security advisory, particularly to Nigerian business owners, stating that they are aware of the planned march against foreigners by South AfricanAccordingnationals.tothe High Commission’s advisory dated August 24, 2022, “This is to advise Nigerians in South Africa to be vigilant and exercise caution in their activities due to the recent utterances of the proponents of the Operation Dudula and their threats to attack foreign nationals in this “Thecountry.group, through public notice and video clips circulated on the social media has informed of plans to march against foreign migrants in South Africa starting from the 2nd of September, 2022 and specifically on foreign business owners, shops and undocumented foreign nationals. “Nigerian residents in South Africa are hereby advised to exercise caution and be watchful in carrying out their day-to-day activities.”According to reports, protesters last Wednesday congregated at South Africa’s main government building in Pretoria in support of a national strike called by the country’s largest unions over high inflation and power cuts. They demanded that the government should do everything necessary to uplift the lives of South Africans by preventing the nation’s “economic collapse”.
Ahamefula Ogbu
Shettima: I Deliberately Wore Sneakers to NBA Conference
After the dressing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Lagos broke the internet, the politician has opened up on why he wore sneakers to the occasion. Shettima said he wore the footwear to deflect and counterbalance his detractors who had planned to use the forum to perpetrate mischief. He alleged that some political interests had planned overnight on how to embarrass him at the occasion and he used the manner of dressing to distract them from the planned embarrassment. He represented the Presidential candidate of his party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was expected to be at the occasion with Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his
2023: Enugu Non-indigenes Endorse Ugwuanyi, PDP Guber Candidate Kuni Tyessi in Abuja University students and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) might be in for another long wait as findings have revealed that the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, has travelled out of the country. The minister reportedly jetted out of Nigeria without meaningful offers to resolve the stalemate.Asource close to Adamu, who did not want his name mentioned because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said Adamu was expected back on September 2. It was gathered that ASUU plans to declare an indefinite strike on 29 August, backed by its branches in federal and state universities, to escalate an industrial action that began on 14 February after Buhari failed to heed its warnings. In the same vein, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, has turned down suggestion by the National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) that parents of higher institution students be levied N10,000 each per session to fund tertiary education. Instead, he said, the best solution was for parents to join ASUU to mount pressure on the federal government to prioritise education by putting enough money into it to thrive as done in other countries.“Weare proposing a sum of N10,000 per parent every session that will be directly paid to the universities. “That will be our own contribution, apart from other statutory payments, to making more funds available to the universities,” NAPTAN Public Relations Officer, Ademola Ekundayo, had canvassed. But Osodeke argued on Arise TV that parents can intervene more effectively by simply putting pressure on Abuja to judiciously spend taxpayers’ money.
Hyacinth Edeani, among others, the non-indigenes said that they are happy and comfortable with the way they live and relate in EnuguTheyState.described Ugwuanyi as a peaceful and friendly governor, the father of the fatherless, the father of non-indigenes and the man that brought enduring peace to the state, stressing that the governor through his peaceful disposition has united all of them in the state.
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has promoted 4,526 personnel of the Service who participated in the 2021 promotion, upgrading and advancement exercise. Among those promoted are a total of 145 Assistant Comptrollers of Immigration who got promoted to the rank of Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, 99 Chief Superintendents of Immigration who were promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller of Immigration.Othersare307 Superintendents of Immigration who were moved to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Immigration, while 338 Deputy Superintendents of Immigration, got promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Immigration. In a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer (PRO), Amos Okpu, in collaboration with a letter from the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services motivation.histheAregbesolaMinisterService,dentspromoted21tendenttoofSuperintendents.Immigration589datedCDCFIB/S.33/VOLIII/54Boardand18thAugust,2022,anotherAssistantSuperintendentsof(I)arenowDeputy“794AssistantSuperintendentsImmigration(II)gotpromotedtherankofAssistantSuperin-ofImmigration(I)whileInspectorsofImmigrationweretoAssistantSuperinten-ofImmigration(II).ComptrollerGeneraloftheIsahJereIdris,thankedofInterior,OgbeniRaufwhoalsodoublesasChairmanoftheBoardforhugecommitmenttostaff
2023: Clark, Adebanjo, Other SMBLF Leaders Promise Further Interaction with Peter Obi Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja
ASUU May Declare Indefinite Strike on August 29, As Education Minister Travels Abroad
Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of the former Managing Director of the New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN), Malam Tukur Othman. Reacting to the demise of the senior journalist in a release issued by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, yesterday, President Buhari lamented that the death of Othman was another depletion of the ranks of veteran journalists that had distinguished themselves in the media industry.According to President Buhari, under Othman’s tenure, the New Nigerian Newspapers had given a good account of itself as a paper committed to professionalism and adherence to media ethics. He described the deceased as “a consummate media professional under whom the NNN had achieved remarkable credibility as a reliable source of news and a solid reputation for critical analysis of issues.” President Buhari expressed that “I’m proud of Othman’s record of untainted integrity and unblemished professional life,” adding that “the history of the New Nigerian Newspapers would be incomplete without a mention of his role in building thatHehistory.”prayedto Allah to forgive the soul of the deceased and reward his good deeds with paradise.
Non-indigenes in Enugu State, under the umbrella of Brethren of Interfaith and Inter-Community Development Initiative, have assured Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of their resolve to support his bid to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly in 2023, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The non-indigenes also endorsed the governorship candidate of the PDP in Enugu State, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, as their preferred guber candidate for the 2023 general election. The group, popularly known as “Brethren of the Rock”, comprising indigenes from TIV, Hausa, Yoruba, Igala communities and other four states of the South East geo-political zone and Delta State, gave the endorsement when they paid a solidarity visit to Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday, to appreciate the way he has promoted peace, security and harmonious co-existence among indigenes and non-indigenes resident in Enugu State. Accompanied by the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State Chapter, Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Edeh, the immediate past Chairman of CAN, Bishop Christian Obiefuna, the Traditional Ruler of Ibagwa-Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area, HRH Igwe Emma Ugwu and the Chairman of Council of Traditional Rulers, Enugu East Senatorial District, HRH Igwe
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has promised to hold more interactive meetings with Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi. Recall that the leaders had during the week held an interactive meeting with Obi. SMBLF also at its last meeting on 25th June held in Abuja, firmly reiterated its stance on the principle of zoning and power rotation between the North and the South, and resolved to engage with appropriate presidential candidates and afterwards decide on which of the candidates to recommend to the peoples of Southern Nigeria, the Middle Belt region and indeed, all Nigerians of goodwill, for consideration at the polls in 2023. The meeting was hosted by Afenifere Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in Lagos, at the instance of the Leader of SMBLF and PANDEF National Leader, Chief Dr. E. K. Clark, given that he is in a period of mourning following the sad loss of his immediate younger brother, Ambassador B. A. Clark lateInJuly.astatement issued yesterday by its Coordinating Secretary, Ken Robinson, the Forum said the meeting with Obi was robust and gracious; as the candidate spoke extensively on the state of the nation; economy, insecurity, and restructuring, as well as, his vision, plans and programmes to make Nigeria a better nation.
L- R: President, African Public Relations Association (APRA), Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya; Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos State chapter, Mrs. Comfort Nwankwo; and General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Coscharis Group, Mr. Abiona Babarinde, at the 2022 Nigerian Institute of Public Relations annual conference held in Abuja... recently.
NIS Promotes 4,526, Charges Personnel on Dedication Buhari: Demise of Former NNN MD, Tukur Othman Saddens Me High Commission Alerts Nigerians as South Africans March against Immigrants
NEWS THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 20228
BOUND BY PROFESSIONALISM…
SATURDAY AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY 9
“However, it appears some elements in the system are working to draw the Corps backwards from realising the expected gains from to the barest minimum, incidences of oil theft/bunkering, oil pipeline vandalism among others. “There are indications that some of the Anti-Vandal Units in some state commands have been found wanting in the discharge of their duties as the Corps Management has received reports of irresponsibility and connivance on the part of some of them hence, the imperative of summoning all heads of Anti-Vandal Units nationwide to this meeting to deliberate on this dangerous slide and rather unfortunate development which the Management frowns at as it is inimical to the image the Corps has built over the years,” Audi noted.Headded that, “Let me state categorically that the Corps Management will not condone any act that could impugn on the integrity of the Corps. The import of this meeting is to draw your attention to some of these observed lapses and shortcomings in the operations of the Anti-Vandal Squad and the need for a total reorganisation and overhauling of the entire Anti-Vandal Units across board to reposition the unit for better performance. Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi
Road JOHESU Issues Fresh Threat Over Pending Welfare Issues APC Convention: Gov Sule Submits Sub-committee Report, Returns N20m
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has submitted the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
10 NEWS THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
amountthatdone,subcommitteecommendedparty’sthemitteeotherSenatorSub-Committee’sMedia/PublicitySecretary,BelloMandiyaandmembersofthecom-werepresentduringreportsubmissionatthenationalsecretariat.Responding,Adamuthe56-memberforajobwellsayingitwaspleasingitcouldreturnsuchahugetotheparty.
PHOTO: MUBO PETERS
APGA Commiserates with Soludo, Speaker Over Lawmaker’s Death Kidnapping: Evans’ Lawyer Wants Court to Probe Death of 3 Witnesses in Police Custody
A statement issued in July 2020 by the Department of Central District of California titled “Nigerian National Brought to U.S. to Face Charges of Conspiring to Launder Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Cybercrime Schemes”, said Abbas, a Dubai resident who on social media arrived in the United States to face criminal charges alleging he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, including schemes foreign bank and an English Premier League soccer club. The statement said Abbas, 37, a.k.a. “Ray Hushpuppi” and “Hush,” a Nigerian national, arrived in Chicago after being arrested by United Arab Emirates (UAE) law enforcement country. He made his initial U.S. court appearance in Chicago and was then transferred to Los Angeles.
Esan Youths Protest Bad Road, Urge FG to Urgently Fix
usweourgivenitmillionsubcommitteeofAdamu.thethetingsumcommitteePresidentialConventionSub-committeeMedia/PublicityontheSpecialfortheparty’s2022Primary.Sule,whochairedthesub-alsoreturnedtheofN20milliontothethereportyesterdaytoNationalChairmanofparty,SenatorAbdullahiPresentingthesummarythereport,SulesaidhiswasgivenN140foritsactivitiesbutthatonlyspentN120million.Hesaid,“Initially,wewereN30millionadayafterinauguration.Thereafter,gotanotherN60million.“Inall,thepartygaveN140millionwhichwe expended on advertisements, media appearances, hotel accommodation, logistics for some media personnel who were brought in from outside Abuja and other sundry expenses, the details of which are contained in the report.“Iam here with a draft of N20 million to present to the Chairman of our party as the balance remaining from what we were given because we did not spend everything,” SuleThesaid.
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, has lamented that some of his men were colluding with some criminal elements to vandalise oil pipelines and engage in illegal oil bunkering. The dwindling oil revenue in the country has been traced to activities of oil theft and illegal bunkering, which has made the country unable to continually meet her production quota by the Organisation of Petroleum Exploiting Countries (OPEC) and nearly cripple her economy.
Health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have appealed to the federal government to prevail on the Ministry of Health and its Labour and Employment counterpart to urgently resolve all pending issues with the professional bodies to avoid resumption of the suspended strikeJOHESU/AHPAaction. in September 2020 embarked on a warning strike over unresolved welfare issues, which was suspended following the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari. But 10 months later, the health workers are threatening to go back to the trenches if the authorities fail to address their grievances. Although the Acting National Secretary, JOHESU, Comrade Mathew Ajurotu, in statement, commended the government for budgeting a substantial amount of money to cover special personnel wages in all sectors, including the health sector; he however expressed disappointment at the FMOH’s frustration of every meaningful attempt at redressing the associations’ welfare demands.
Wale Igbintade Lawyer appearing for Kidnap Kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans yesterday asked the Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos, to probe the deaths of three witnesses in police custody during the trial of Evans. He told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences Court that the three witnesses who were standing trial with Evans and Adubua died in police custody and no autopsy was carried out to reveal the cause of death. The defence counsel noted that the fact that they died in police custody while they were hale and hearty when they were arrested by the police raises serious questions into the confessional statements obtained from the leader of the gang.The two lawyers Emmanuel Ochai and his colleague made the submissions in the adoption of their final written addresses before the judge. They told the court that the prosecution has failed in several ways to prove the case against Evans and his co-defendant beyond reasonable doubt and urged the court to discharge and acquit them. Ochai said, “It is a criminal trial and therefore it is the duty of the Court to interrogate evidence of prosecution since the allegations are weighty and carries either death or life imprisonment hence the need to interrogate the prosecution along with evidence. He said that four witnesses testified during the trial, adding that there were doubts in evidence preferred by the prosecution. “In the first place the trial started on a wrong footing. The provision of the constitution which makes it mandatory for suspects to be arraigned in 24 hours was brushed aside.”Thecounsel contended that there were discordant notes when the defendants were arrested in 2014 but were arraigned in 2017. “Justice is two ways the accused and the accuser, Onyebuchi who had contact with the kidnappers was not brought to this court as evidence and that others have no contact with the so called kidnappers.”
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE… L-R: Chief Medical Director, United Heart Hospital and Clinics, Mr. Emmanuel Daniel; Dr. Eugene A. Nwosu; his wife, Mrs. Mary Nwosu; Chairman Channels Television; Mr. John Momoh; and Mr. Emeka Nwankwo, during 5th year anniversary of United Heart Hospital and Clinics in Lagos yesterday...
Bennett Oghifo The United States Attorney’s California, Los Angeles has said it would sentence Nigerian-born Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, for alleged international Internet fraud, on September 21, 2022. The sentencing had been rescheduled twice, from February 14 to July 11 and now the take place on September 21. If convicted of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, Abbas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Vandalisation units in all state commands of the Corps in Abuja yesterday, Audi said, “You are all aware that one of the core mandates of the Corps is the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) for which the Corps remains the lead“Toagency.thisextent, the Corps is safeguard these infrastructure which are very critical to the socioeconomic development of the nation by guarding against oil theft/illegal oil bunkering while providing adequate security to oil pipelines, power and telecommunication facilities among other critical national assets,” he said.
US Court to Sentence Hushpuppi on September 21
A group under the aegis of the Esan Liberation Movement (ELM) has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of portions of the Benin-EkpomaAuchi road. In a statement signed by Prosper Iyere, Leader of Esan Liberation Movement on behalf of the Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum, (CEESF), Iruekpen Youth Association respectively, the Group also called on the federal lawmakers representing the entire Esanland to prevail on relevant government authorities to direct the contractor handling the road construction to mobilize to site and immediately commence work on the project, to address the pains and terrible experience the people face on a daily basis. The group and other concerned youths in Esanland have been protesting the neglect of the road by federal authorities since Monday, August 22, 2022. The group noted that despite a series of letters to authorities drawing attention to the deplorable condition of the road, they were yet to get any response, a move he said Prompted the protests across Esanland.
Colluding to Vandalise Oil Pipelines
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ike Oye, has commiserated with the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor and all the members of the House on the sudden death of the Majority Leader, Hon. Nnamdi Okafor, in far away South Africa. In a statement signed by the National Chairman of the party, Oye urged all APGA members to pray fervently for the Anambra State House of Assembly for God’s mercy to stem the hand of death that has struck the House killing two of its members in a space of three months. He prayed for God’s mercy upon the House. He also urged all members of the party to embark on a three-day fasting and prayer for peace, growth and victory for the party as the 2023 elections draws closer. “The times in which we have found ourselves are perilous and call for constant prayer, self-examination and penance. I see God doing something new in the House soon,” Oye said. He used the opportunity to pray to God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal repose in Heaven.
Addressing Heads of Anti-
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
SATURDAY AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY 11
The military overthrew the civilian government on the last day of 1983 with the selfsame charge of corruption ruling the airwaves amid martial music. Incidentally, Buhari who is back in power today with the mantra of corruption in his every utterance took over the reins of the lootocracy. It needs to be stated that the corruption in his civil democracy of today trumps the corruption of the opposition politicians he jailed back then as a military ruler with uncountable years of imprisonment.Amajor player in the Second Republic, Alhaji Umaru Dikko who had escaped to London, gave a countering press conference that corruption was only a smokescreen for the coup. According to Umaru Dikko, the soldiers took power because they were angry that the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) had paved the way for Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, an Igbo from the former Biafran enclave, to succeed Shagari as BuhariPresident.arranged a bungled attempt to put Umaru Dikko in a crate to bring him back to Nigeria to be tried for corruption. The other dimension was that the military bigwigs did not find it funny that Shagari pardoned
NIGERIA’S HISTORY OF CORRUPTION
There is talk here and there of bringing back History with a capital “H” in the Nigerian school curriculum. It is cool by me to do a short history course with the ruling party, APC, and President Muhammadu Buhari. Necessary lessons need to be learnt before the elections that will lead into the next dispensation of Nigeria’s much touted democracy.
OSSO’S SENSE OF PURPOSE AND CLARITY OF MIND ABOUT HIS LATEST PROJECT, BLERF, THE BIOGRAPHICAL LEGACY AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION, IS A BEWITCHING INSIGHT INTO THE MAN AND HIS VISION. ‘THE AIM IS TO CREATE AN UNRIVALLED, AUTHENTIC, COMPREHENSIVE AND AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE OF BIOGRAPHICAL DATA WHICH WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY UPDATED ON A DAILY BASIS’
To start back in time, Nigeria’s first coup as arranged by Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna, Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Adewale Ademoyega, etc., did raise the issue of corruption as a major prong of why they struck to sack the First Republic. The entire coup attempt got mired in the corruption of ethnic politics until there was the bloodier counter-coup in which the revenge squad wanted secession, code-named “araba”, until the British colonial masters advised against herding into aridOfnothingness.coursetheNigeria-Biafra war supervened, and after the war, the youthful Head of State Yakubu Gowon proclaimed “No Victor, No Vanquished” and “Rehabilitation-ReconciliationReconstruction” that became more fictional than Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Nigeria’s first president, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe proposed the adoption of the theory of Diarchy in which the soldiers would be sharing power with civilians.Despite the denials here and there, Diarchy has been the Nigerian game over the years in the name of democracy.
Okko’Uromu Olumhense pays tribute to Nyaknno Osso, a librarian of note
The Nigerian military enjoyed a long stay in power until the Second Republic was inaugurated in 1979 with Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President. It was a bad outing for democracy because of the absurd corruption upon the Twelve-Two-Third caper of Shagari’s announced victory over Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
the Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu, and brought him back to Nigeria from Cote d’Ivoire in a blaze of overwhelming fanfare. When the Second Republic was overthrown Ojukwu was put away in prison by Buhari even as the former Biafran leader held no political post. Even as the military took power touting Buhari’s integrity, the army boys would soon overthrow him with the charge that he suffered from the corruption of parochial and prebedalism that ran counter to the largeness of the Nigerian enterprise. The military brought forward Military President Ibrahim Babangida to dominate the Nigerian space with political mumbo-jumbo, economic hocus-pocus and not a little corruption thrown in as state policy. It became quite clearer than structural adjustment that the military brass-hats could jump higher heights of corruption than their civilian counterparts.Babangida succumbed to final disgrace when he annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by his bosom friend Bashorun MKO Abiola. Amid nationwide riots, Babangida quit power after cobbling up a very wobbly kind of “Diarchy” featuring Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Sani Abacha.Itdid not take daredevil Abacha any time at all to kick out the overmatched Chief Shonekan. Whatever the civilian politicians achieved in corruption was eclipsed by Abacha because after his death his loot was so much that it forced open even the secrecy of the secret vaults of the Swiss banks! Upon the dubious death of Abacha, the military knew it had lost all respectability for staying in power, and the military honcho had to recruit its retired type, General Olusegun Obasanjo, to take over as civilian president in 1999. It is a well-known Nigerian fact that the more things change, the more they remain the same. That is why the legendary musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti will never truly die so long as his album “Army Arrangement” still plays, and his lines such as “Soja don put everybody for reverse” remain on the lips of WhenNigerians.Obasanjo had to leave power “against his personal wish and desire” after his Third Term bid failed, he brought to power an ailing civilian, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who of course died on the job.The next civilian on the line, the then VicePresident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, met with all makes of obstacles before he could replace the dead man as President. The Jonathan presidency was so harassed and openly told that Nigeria would cease to exist if he ever won re-election. Buhari became touted as the godsend of change, but old habits die hard, and the old reasons for which he was overthrown by his military compatriots back in 1985 manifested with bewildering crudity in a so-called democracy. Now Nigeria is back to worse than square one in the new season of electioneering with hardly any lessons learnt from history other than corrupting the hallowed name of democracy. Uzoatu is a Journalist and Poet
OSSO INVITES AFRICA TO ITS FUTURE
The country has learnt nothing from its history of corruption, writes Uzor Maxim Uzoatu
AUGUST 27 , 2022 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER12 COMMENTARY
Osso shot into national fame after he agreed to serve as librarian to the old Newswatch magazine. He successfully built what became the best news media library in the country. He has since served up many enviable and inspiring firsts in projects such as Who’s Who in Nigeria, a publication which has received worldwide acclaim; the President Obasanjo library, which he initiated and established, is monumental first in Africa. These days, many of us are more willing to talk about the staggering achievements he has registered in other such projects as Women’s Who’s Who in Nigeria than he is willing to comment on them. I first met Nyaknno long before he arrived at Newswatch. This was not in person and it wasn’t by phone either. It was at a time when many publishers didn’t have phones in their newsrooms. To interpret his career efforts and sense of purpose accurately, his arrival at Newswatch does not mark the birth of his vision.
When you come in contact with Nyaknno Osso, be prepared to learn. Not because he is a professional teacher, much less an overbearing one. Rather, it is because the man has voracious appetite for learning and articulation himself. To his credit as a serial pioneer of incredible credentials, he adds the temperament of an unapologetically meticulous editor. His ideas and projects are veritable excursions in progressive thinking and creativity. Nothing tells that story better than the successes registered by his pioneering efforts in information research, documentation and storage. He holds, almost exclusively, bragging rights to many such projects that have affected the lives and professional advancements and enhancements of so many. When you speak with him or pick through the exhaustive amount of time and energy it must take to successfully undertake the projects he has been involved in over the years, you wonder if he has enough time to slow down for his birthday. Osso’s sense of purpose and clarity of mind about his latest project, BLERF, the Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation, is a bewitching insight into the man and his vision. “The aim is to create an unrivalled, authentic, comprehensive and authoritative source of biographical data which would be automatically updated on a daily basis.” Even as we celebrate his birthday, the event is hardly about him. Rather, it is about what he stands for and where he wants to take Nigeria, indeed Africa, a compelling drive that has lasted him an entire lifetime. But then, you read this: “The Foundation has already collated, verified and documented in multiple formats, the biographical information of over one million Nigerians spanning over a century of Nigeria’s existence both at home and abroad.” It becomes clear that we must celebrate one of our own. Even clearer and more compelling, is the fact that it is practically impossible to celebrate the sterling projects with which he has come to enrich our national psyche. The concept of biography, as research and documentation medium, bestrides the intersection where the lives of people and the events that stir, propel and direct ideas in society, engage one another, to provide very unique insights into the soul of that society. That intersection is resonant with inspiration and plenty of work and that is where you find Osso. In the vision, mission and insights encapsulated by BLERF, Osso demonstrates, at a rare level of eclecticism, the fact that a society must properly articulate and utilize that opportunity to drive development. There is next to nothing a nation can achieve if it fails to accurately and adequately document itself in organized ways and on a continual basis. That is why, Osso says, the idea of BLERF is designed to secure an enduring institutional legacy that fosters that role. The project is as enormous as it is unprecedented in scope and it is very ambitious. In April 2022 alone, over 50,000 people sourced information from its website. The demand is escalating. Yet through its 10 years of existence, BLERF has offered these services free. It is a critical juncture: To serve as “Nigeria’s most reliable authority on biographical information on Nigerians worldwide,” and offer its services free. The role and tasks thereof, automatically justify the call for financial and material assistance in an undeniably authentic way. Yet Osso is as humble as he has always been known to strangers and friends: “We’re aiming at 1, 000,000 entries by 2023/2024. That’s why we need your urgent support,” he offers with a firm tone of commitment. This need and the call constitute a gift of rebirth. It is Osso’s gift to Nigeria and Africa, to witness the birth of its renewal and future development. With over 50 years of his life spent developing this field, his own birthday this week, provides a worthy and reflective anchor to remind everyone how strategically fecund the project is to Africa. BLERF’s appeal is a cry for Africa to fully understand how its future development will be determined, if indeed, it desires to go there. Even better, it is an invitation for Africa to midwife its own rebirth. As he sees it, it is time for Nigeria and Africa to accept that information and documentation is the fulcrum of all development efforts, planning and stability. In the information business, Mr Osso is a leader in prescient organizing and harmonizing of ideas, projects and processes in the delivery of results. On a regular Nigerian day, an Osso should sit back and be very comfortable to exercise a right to exhilaration and contentedness over his achievements. Not this one. On the contrary, he is often more evasive about his achievements and more animated when he points his listeners to what work and possibilities lie ahead. For Nigerians as individual persons, for the country and for Africa. His 51 years in the business notwithstanding, you cannot miss his intense capacity to listen, accuracy of recall or the clarity of his vision and then, of course, his infectious sense of purpose and optimism. Multiply those by his ability to downplay his achievements and his humility of approach and you begin to understand why he is able to kindle the enthusiasm that his projects have continued to generate. As part of BLERF, he has already produced another first. Osso has fired an incredible rocket into the professional and leadership space. Women: Who’s Who In Nigeria is in high demand. Amidst Nigeria’s still largely patriarchal temperament, women have continued to rise steadily into positions of leadership in various professions. Osso didn’t just notice the trend. He has meticulously monitored and recorded the heartbeat of this trend for years. Now through the efforts of BLERF, Nigerian women have served notice to Africa and the world. The entries speak in an unmistakably strident tone to Africa and the world: Nigerian women are capable of world class leadership and can compete against anyone in the world. On Osso’s watch, it was time. They have arrived. BLERF’s appeal for assistance resonates with the clarity of the very personality behind it. It reads: “The population of the country is increasing, and every day, Nigerians are excelling in many fields and breaking records. There is therefore much ground to cover, research into, not to talk of capacity building, and the purchase of new computer systems, ideal for storage of vast information.”
Olumhense, a Journalist, writes from the United States
The survey recently published by the African Youth Survey showed that out of about 4,500 young people interviewed aged between 18 and 24, only 32% were optimistic about Africa`s prospects, a drop of 11% since the last survey of its kind was published in early 2020. Interestingly, the survey also showed that apart from Ghana and Rwanda where a greater percentage of the young people interviewed believed that their country was going in the right direction, young people in all the other countries interviewed believed that their country was headed in the wrong direction. It does not take a diviner to paint a picture that has increasingly become apocalyptic. Here in Nigeria, it is an open secret that many young Nigerians cannot wait for the day when they will bid farewell to the country of their birth. Already, many have tried, survived the horrors of the Libyan desert only to be brought back home. Many have perished in the course of making the perilous journey. Many who have remained behind in Nigeria are somewhat stuck here, remaining behind only because efforts they have made to leave the country are yet to bear fruits. As an increasing number of Nigerians seeks a sort of fire escape out of Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates has become a choice destination for many of them. The Western Asian country is oil-rich and attractive to many migrants including Nigerians who see in the country the proverbial greener pastures. Recently, the oil-rich kingdom was said to have imposed visa ban on Nigerians following cult clashes. The cult clashes reportedly erupted between rival Eiye and Aiye cult groups in the Sharjah part of the country. A video released of the incident was said to have prominently featured a group of men with matchetes who were yelling in an apartment parking lot, chasing one another and damaging public properties. The incident happened towards the end of last month and drew the attention of security personnel who swiftly made arrests and promised prosecution.
As events in the UAE have shown, when in another country, being of good behaviour is beneficial not just to those who take the pains to be good ambassadors of their country, but their fellow citizens as well as the country in question. In the same vein, to take to criminality in a foreign country has been shown to dampen the chances of those who choose crime as well as put their country under an unfair amount of scrutiny.
AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER 13 INSIGHT UAE and Nigeria’s Missed Opportunity THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com Farewell to the Matriarch of the Obaigbena family...
Benue North East Senatorial Slot Benue North East senatorial district otherwise referred to as Zone A comprises of three blocs and seven area councils. These are Sankera (Katsina Ala, Ukum, Logo), Kwande (Kwande, Ushongo) and Jechira (Vandeikya, Konshisha). Counting from the fourth republic which began in 1999, Sankera won senatorial seat thrice. The Senators are Senator Daniel Saror (Ukum) – June, 1999 to May, 2003 and June, 2003 to May, 2007. Senator Gabriel Suswam (Logo) – June, 2019 to date. Jechira also won thrice. They were; Senator Joseph Akaageger (Konshisha) – June, 2007 to May 2011, Senator Barnabas Gemade (Konshisha) – June, 2011 to May, 2015, and June, 2015 to May, 2019.Itwas the turn of Kwande bloc after Sankera and Jechira have had two terms each but Kwande people gave a slot loan of one term each to Jechira and Sankera in 2015 and 2019 accordingly.Jechirabloc has decided to pay back their slot loan in 2023 while Sankera will do so in 2027. An understanding that exists between Kwande and Jechira is that the entire eligible voters in Kwande bloc will cast their bloc votes for a Jechira governorship aspirant while those of Jechira will cast theirs for a Kwande senatorial aspirant.Icallon all the eligible voters in Benue North East senatorial district, which comprises of Sankera, Kwande and Jechira blocs to come out in their large numbers and vote massively for a Kwande aspirant for the senate seat in 2023. Donald Gaadi, donaldfame@ymail.comAbuja
To say that the high incidence of young people fleeing their countries for other countries is a Nigerian problem would be largely unfair to the Giant of Africa. It is an African problem as much as it is a problem wherever people are fleeing poverty and conflict. It is human problem that many of those who are intent on fleeing their countries for other countries are those caught in the vicious cycle of poverty and conflicts from which they seek a desperate escape. According to a recent survey of young Africans from 15 countries, a disturbing number want out of the continent. According to the report, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, political instability and violence are some of the chief factors that have shaped this wantaway mentality.
Kene Twitter:Obiezu,@kenobiezu
There has been no official statement but multiple sources have confirmed that visa restrictions are indeed in place owing to the disturbance recorded.Itcannot be overemphasized that the least Nigerians who find themselves in other countries can do is become good ambassadors of the country.Things may not yet be working here as they should, however, improving the image of the country both at home and elsewhere is the responsibility of every citizen of the country. In exercise of this responsibility, the least a Nigerian anywhere can do is to be of good behaviour.
NPA Implores FG to Tackle Crimes with Psychology
FG Says Over 90% Children with Disabilities Have No Access to Elementary Education
Maikyau Takes Over From Akpata as NBA President Abia at 31: We Can’t Celebrate Leadership Failure, Bad Governance, Says APGA
The statement said that soon after his emergence as the party’s standard-bearer, Obi commenced consultations with various segments of the Nigeria community preparatory to the national campaigns.Itaddedthat the presidential candidate believes that results, all Nigerians must be involved and be carried along.“For this mission to be all hands must be on deck,” it said.
Obi of Owa Charges Nigerians to Appreciate Motherhood
Former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has faulted the action of political party chieftains travelling overseas to settle disputes they would have easily settled in Nigeria. Onuesoke, who spoke on the background of presidential candidates aspirants, governors, legislators and other political heavyweights travelling to United Kingdom, United States of America and United Arab Emirates among other countries to settle political disputes, said such action is waste of taxpayers’ funds, adding that
L-R: Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe; Ambassador of Venezuela, David Nieves Velasquez Caraballo; and President, National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Hajia Lami Adamu, during the closing ceremony of 15th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers…recently Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
CULTURE ON GLOBAL STAGE…
Bennett Oghifo The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday administered Maikyau, SAN, who takes over from Mr Olumide Akpata as the 31st President of the NBA. Maikyau, who won the NBA presidential election last July, was sworn-in during the association’s 62nd Annual General Conference held in Maikyau,Lagos.while pledging to make “service to the cause of justice” as the pillar of his administration, appealed to the federal government to do all that was necessary to protect lives and property in the country. He said, “The Nigerian state is passing through a perilous time. There is the insecurity challenge and the situation appears so overwhelming. Many Nigerians live below the poverty line. “There has been no time that Nigerians have looked towards the Bar more than now. Nigerians have been so terrorised, pauperised and traumatised, what is left of this country is the voice of the legal profession.
Katsina SUBEB Warns Teachers against Corporal Punishment
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The federal government has revealed that more than 90 per cent of children with disabilities have no access to elementary education. It said that 25 million Nigerians have one form of disability or the other, adding that more than 50 per cent of the 25 million are females number being literate.
Paullen Tallen, made this revelation in Abuja at the National Conference of Women with Disabilities with the theme, ‘Violence Against Women with Disabilities is a Violence Against All Women’. The minister emphasised that there should be behavioural and attitudinal change towards people with disabilities, describing the theme of the the conferees the opportunity to on the plight of women and girls living with disabilities who most times fall victim of violence.
Onuesoke Frowns at PoliticiansTravelling Abroad To Settle Political Disputes
The Chairman of the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board, Lawal Buhari Daura, has warned teachers that anyone found giving a student or pupil corporal punishment would be sanctioned by the state government. He explained that there were instances where corporal punishments meted out to students or pupils had resulted in school dropouts of the child or student involved.Daura, who spoke at a twoday stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on ending corporal punishment in schools, urged Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Obi: My Mission Abroad
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has explained that his trip is to enable him to interact with Nigerians in Diaspora who are eager to make their own contributions to the mission of rebuilding theIncountry.astatement by the yesterday, Obi said his trip was in response to numerous invitations from Nigerians in receivedDiaspora.so many calls from numerous Nigerians seeking to know and to follow the itinerary of the presidential candidate’s one week tour of some foreign countries. According to the statement, “Obi who believes very strongly that Diasporas are critical to the future of moving Nigeria forward said he intends to make such consultations abroad regularly in the course of the“Obi,campaigns.whoisexcited about the trips, said he is anxious because Diasporas who are living in a good system have a lot to impact for the challenges ahead. “I need to tap their brains on the task ahead, they are all as anxious as all of us for a better Nigeria in our lifetime, I am excited to meet them all.”
Rebecca Ejifoma The Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA) has implored the federal government to apply psychological principles to tackle crimes across the nation. It made the call at the three-day national congress and scientific conference held at the Lagos State University in Ojo with the theme: ‘Psychology, Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria’. According to the President-elect of Pan-African Psychology, Prof. Andrew Zamani, since psychologists knew how human beings behave, their inputs are necessary to curtail criminal acts in society. “The works of psychologists are vital to understanding why people behave in certain ways and why some go into crime. Psychological inputs are needed in stemming crimes and making society a better place,” Zamani said. On the impacts of the past 10 editions, Zamani said, “We should expect a step of advocacy for the involvement of psychologists in security management – that means psychological advisory services can be consulted from time to time about issues regarding security.”
teachers, headmasters and principals of schools in the state to desist from the act or face the wrath of the law. The stakeholders meeting was organised by the state Ministry of Education in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in order to tackle cases of corporal punishment in schools in the state.To avert such ugly incidents, Daura said, “I want to seize this opportunity to remind our principals, head teachers and teachers that henceforth any teacher found giving corporal punishment in our schools will be dealt with accordingly. they would have saved the taxpayers’ money if such disputes are settled within Nigeria.
Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Traditional ruler of Owa kingdom in Delta State, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, has charged Nigerians to appreciate “the value of motherhood” and the immeasurable role that women play not only in the family but the society in general. The octogenarian royal father stressed that society has a lot to gain if women, and particularly mothers, were encouraged to play their central role of building the home and bringing up children to be responsible citizens who will contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities and the nation at Thelarge. revered king made these remarks in his palace at Owa-Oyibu, the administrative headquarters of Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, while welcoming members of the Obaigbena royal family of Owa who visited him to express their appreciation for his fatherly role and support during the burial of their mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena (Nee Usifoh) last week. According to him, the deceased demonstrated the invaluable place of motherhood in the society by the life she led. He also commended the Obaigbenas, who he referred to as “my brothers and sisters and my children”, for remaining united as one progressive family in Owa Kingdom, Ika ethnic nationality, in Delta State and beyond, urging them not to relent in their efforts but continue to fly high the royal banner of Owa kingdom.“I’mimpressed with all that happened was on the right side of history. And, I agree with the bishop who preached because he made a number of fundamental statements, which have gone round the world. “Mama lived an impactful life. Mama wasn’t a politician, she was a socialist; Mama was a humanist. Mama would radiate smiles, radiate great smiles and she’d make you feel that whatever you think is happening has no serious consequences.
CommendsObaigbenaoncontributionstosociety
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
“Wrong drivers and opportunists who have driven the state craft and leadership wheel of the God’s Own State, have rather taken us back instead of moving forward,” Ehiemere said. The opposition party gave a damning verdict on the achievements of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) which has been in control of the state since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. According to APGA, the PDP which came to power eight years after the creation of the state “has rather supervised the dilapidation, economic strangulation and near collapse of Abia State.
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia As Abia State marks its 31st anniversary, the state chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has expressed deep regrets over the decadence in the state, saying that there was no need to celebrate “failure and misgovernance”.Inastatement signed by its Chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, Abia APGA noted that the euphoria that greeted the birth of God’s Own State on August 27, 1991 cannot be repeated in the present circumstances because the report card is replete with “failure and“Atretrogression”.31AbiaState will still be a crawling baby. This is more annoying with the realisation that even younger states created many years after have since started running.”
said: “Obi’s messages ahead of 2023 which resonates with Nigerians especially youths who are turning it into a political movement has attracted the attention of Nigerians and indeed Africans in Diaspora who want to share in his vision and invited him to come over for various conferences, meetings and interviews.”
14 NEWS THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
The correct break down of the $418 million demanded by the six consultants for the bizarre job is: $68,658,192.83; $159,000,000; $47,831,920; $142,028,941.95; $1,219,440.45 and $215,195.36, totaling USD$418,953,690.59Inthe2017consent judgement talked about by one of the consultants, it was also Yari that he claimed signed for the governors. This desperate consultant admitted that there was a federal government committee constituted in 2015 to reconcile deductions for the Paris Club exit payment. But he did not admit that the report of that committee dated May 2007 paved the way for the refunds to the states and local governments. Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General of the The six consultants aiming to grab a massive US$418 million state and local government money, supposedly for facilitating refunds of the over-deductions on their accounts by the federal government in obligations to Paris Club, are not in any way relenting in their desperate bid. They are on an appalling advocacy spree. It is shocking that these consultants are not sober despite facts showing that their demands are absurd. One of them brazenly declared last week that the consultancy fees were legitimately earned and owed his firm for services rendered. The promoter of the firm said: “The outstanding fees owed my firm with regards to last work done for the states is approximately US$68 million.” This particular consultant even avowed that his original consultancy fees “calculated based on agreed terms” was well in excess of US$300 million and that he gave huge discounts to the states and local governments on this entitlement, to accept only US$68 million. This is clearly a world record discount from a FatherThisChristmas.consultant claims he engaged various experts - chartered accountants, forensic experts, inquiry agents, lawyers – for the jobs, some dating back to 2003 when Obasanjo was president. But he did not indicate that he had a contract with all the state governors and local government chairmen when the jobs commenced. He kept mentioning the then Chairman of the Nigeria’s Governors Forum (NGF), and former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), as a body. That was why the current NGF leadership rightly queried if all the local governments in Nigeria engaged him directly as claimed “and if he acted for the states through his lawyers, and the NGF requested that he extends the services to all the states as also claimed.”
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 RingTrue 08054699539 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com Yemi Adebowale
Federation, Central Bank of Nigeria, Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) constituted the So,committee.whereare the consultants in all of these? As the NGF rightly stated last week, “private persons who were not privy could not have been included in a committee that was meant to examine purely public financial records. It was this committee that did all the work now claimed by the consultants.”
The apex court ruled: “The funds belonging to a state or local government must be kept in an account belonging to the state or local government as the case may be and disbursed or expended by the state strictly in the manner and for the purposes prescribed in the Constitution and an appropriation law or as prescribed by the House of Assembly of the State and in the manner and for purposes prescribed in the Constitution, a local government law, or as prescribed by the Council of the local government.”
he Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Hassan Nasiha is obviously one of those in government frolicking with terrorists. The result of endless patronage of terrorists by those who should check them is the unending terrorism mess this country has found itself. Seven days ago, Nasiha showed his true colour, when he unilaterally declared Bello Turji, the terror leader operating in the North-west, as a changed man that had fully cuddled the state’s peace overtures. Nasiha is laundering the infamous guerilla called Turji that should be on trial for the murder of hundreds of innocent people. Speaking last Sunday at a conference on security organised by the Students Union of Medina University, Saudi Arabia, Nasiha, claimed that Turji’s repentance had brought about peace in Birnin Magaji, Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs in Zamfara State, adding that the erstwhile terror kingpin was now killing his unrepentant colleagues. He ignored killings and kidnappings by Turji and his boys still ongoing in other parts of Zamfara State and further in Katsina and Sokoto states. Nasiha cleverly mentioned just Birnin Magaji, Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs. Just last Wednesday, terrorists loyal to Turji killed a commercial driver, identified simply as Bello, and abducted two travellers, Babangida Kachile, 56, and Halimat Shuaibu, 50, during an ambush along the Katsina/Jibia highway in Katsina State. On the same day, three soldiers were killed by Turji’s boys in ambush while on their way to repel attacks in Fanda-Haki, Yar Katsina and Karrakkai communities, all in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The Zamfara deputy governor stated further that Turji had been meeting with terrorists in 14 LGAs of the state, as part of efforts to end terrorism. He declared: “In the last three months, there has not been any attack at Magami district as a result of the peace initiative with bandits. Everyone knows the notorious bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji who has operated on that axis. The state government, through the peace committee, entered into a peace deal with the bandits’ leader and he agreed to stop the criminality and to embrace peace.”
The dismissal of this case by the Supreme Court also clearly affects payments to all the consultants who were likewise beneficiaries of Promissory Notes by the DMO. I’m earnestly waiting for former governor Yari’s response to a long list of inglorious roles in this Paris Club refund debacle. One desperate consultant alleged that Yari, on behalf of NGF, cornered $105.9 million from the refunds to the states and local government (in the name of consultancy fees) and diverted it to fund elections in three states. There were also cases of all sorts of consultants popping up and being used to siphon parts of the refunds to the states and local governments. Yari developed a parallel scheme to misappropriate the consultancy fees. That was the summary of the grave allegations against this ex-Zamfara governor. Still waiting for his response.
Buhari Inaugurates Project Virtually in Maiduguri! One of the dizzying developments during President Muhammadu Buhari’s one-day visit to Borno State (10 days ago) was that he was on ground in Maiduguri, and still virtually inaugurated 500 resettlement houses at Molai, on the outskirts of the town. Why? For security reasons. Buhari went physically to inaugurate the Teacher’s Quarters at Bulumkuttu Railway junction, but was panicked by terrorists to virtually inaugurate the houses at Molai. Molai is just about 25 minutes’ drive from the centre of Maiduguri, yet, the security report did not favour the President, with his armada of security, from venturing there. This same President goes around echoing that the terrorists in Borno State have been decapitated. The truth is that Boko Haram and ISWAP are very much alive and kicking in many parts of Borno State, sustained by unending deceits by those charged with the responsibility of ending this reign of terror. A huge part of Borno State is still inaccessible, with terrorists still controlling local governments like Guzamala and Kukawa. Only the truth can set these areasOnefree.of those with a big bag of deceit on terrorism, the spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign, Festus Keyamo was also on television few days ago, dishing out lies that the APC-led federal government had reduced Boko-Haram’s dominance to “almost nothing.” I’m still struggling to understand the “almost nothing” Keyamo is talking about, in view of the Molai story. This spokesman must be high on something.
way to or returning from markets. They equally requested for schools for their kids and other social services including fertilizers and farm inputs. “They said lack of education would influence a 12-year-old Fulani boy to kill a 70-year-old man using an AK-47 rifle. The state government has ordered the return of cattle grazing routes, lands, water for livestock and other property seized by Hausas to the herders.” Reiterating that the order must be respected by both parties to enable the return of law and order in the communities, Nasiha likewise stated that the Fulani militias appealed to the state government to consider freeing their youths detained in correctional centres and in police cells. No wonder Turji has not been arrested for hundreds of people murdered by his gang. A man that should have been sent to the gallows for numerous killings is now Nasiha’s hero. It won’t be out of place to describe Nasiha as special envoy of the terrorists. He has obviously taken sides in the dispute between Fulani herders and Hausa farmers in the North-west. When those in government take sides in disputes, the result is the unending killings in the country. This is why clashes involving Fulani herders and Hausa farmers have persisted.
Kayode Fayemi
Zamfara Deputy Governor’s Defense of Terror Leader
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The truth that must be told is that the services the desperate consultants claim to have offered are contained in the FAAC Reconciliation Committee Report constituted in 2005 and submitted in 2007, with recommendations on how states and LGAs should be refunded the excess deductions from the Paris Club repayments. The documents are still there.Another interesting thing about this bid to fleece the states and local government is that all the consultants claim to have rendered the same or similar service of helping the states and local governments recover the over-deductions. This is ludicrous.
beneficiary of a $142 million Promissory Note, lost his case for payment of the consultancy fee at the High Court and Court of Appeal, and further appealed to the Supreme Court, where he also lost.
The Supreme Court on June 3, 2022 dismissed the appeal as lacking in merit and also made it clear that neither the NGF nor ALGON has the power to award contracts and charge same directly to the Federation Account as done in this case.
$418m Absurd
T
Nasiha’s remark at the Saudi Arabia forum on the demands of the Fulani militias, after a peace committee set up by the state’s government met with nine terror groups in Magami and Dansadau, gives him out as one of those backing terrorists. He said: “They (Fulani militias) said Hausas always attacked and raped their women, killing the Fulani on their
I guess one of those the NGF is talking about here is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who has suddenly become the Attorney General of the consultants. He is one state agent backing the consultants with all his might for selfish reasons. This minister has refused to face the fact that one of the consultants, a Fees: Desperate Consultants Unrelenting
A clear picture of what each of the consultants is asking for has also emerged.
My take away from the response of the current leadership of the NGF to the consultants last week is: “While it is possible that the unlawful scheme hatched by the consultants to feast on public funds may have over the years been executed with the cooperation of enemies of the State without anyone raising an eyebrow; the bubble has now burst and the time to account has come.”
SATURDAY AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY16
Amazon Prime Video is fully loaded and operating in Nigeria. Customers will enjoy a great selection of entertainment, including global Amazon Original movies and TV series, popular Hollywood titles, exclusive Nollywood movies, and local Nigerian originals coming soon. This follows a recent development by the global ment in Nigeria with the announcement of two Local Amazon Originals for Nigerian customers; ‘Gangs of Lagos’ and ‘LOL: Last One Laughing Naija’. The two originals amplify its growing selection of Nollywood and African series and movies, bringing Prime Video customer’s access to their movies after theatrical release. The new Nigerian Originals join Prime Video’s selection of global Amazon Original series like The Boys, The Terminal List, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and upcoming, highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as popular Amazon Original movies like Coming 2 America, The Tomorrow War, and Tom Clancy’s Without ‘Superstar’,Remorse.‘Progressive Tailors Club’, ‘Bad Comments’, and ‘Badamasi’ (a classic biopic), are currently available to watch. “We know our customers want to see locally relevant faces, Cof EbonyLife Group, Mosunmola Abudu (Mo Abudu) is set to embark on a new phase of her as one of her cherished dreams come true. Commencing at the end of August 2022, the award-winning Iyawo Mi (My Wife). She will be in charge
It is remarkably well known that since Abudu has guided the storytelling process as an executive producer and visionary, but always sought experienced directors to helm each project. Ms. Abudu attended the course in directing, with the aim of she enjoyed the experience so much that almost two years after release. The singer who recently celebrated his 42nd birthday amid his Caribbean/ American tour, wrote “Happy Birthday Highest Chulo. I love you Timaya” on his Instagram page. Having performed in over four countries since July, the tour will last till early September.Heperformed in Belize, Boston and Las Vegas. Prior to the tour, Timaya performed in Rwanda. And the fans had more than enough of the Timaya jam. Although the date for the forthcoming album is yet to be announced, it packs potentials. Timaya has a long streak of ‘Chuloverse’ will see that ‘Plantain Boy wey give him mama joy’ in a new form she decided she would direct when the time was right. Mo Abudu revealed this in a statement unveiling the production. “I believe in learning and understanding any major assignment I undertake. Directing is an art form that takes years to master, so I’m beginning with that I will be directing – Her Perfect Life and Iyawo Mi (My Wife), a predominantly highlight the mental health challenges, hardly spoken about in Nigerian society, that many people deal with all over the world. Mental of age, race, income or social class, and they are on the increase”, she added, giving brief Life’. Onajite Johnson-Ibrahim, 39, seems to a growing business, a loving husband and two bright, beautiful children, but appears to want to end it all. Her Perfect Life stars Pearl Thusi and Joseph Benjamin, supported by Omawunmi
Ferdinand Ekechukwu Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Amazon Prime Video Lands with Authentic, Homegrown Stories Mo Abudu Makes Directorial Debut with 2 Short Films
Stellar Year for Timaya, Gears up for 9th Album D ancehall artiste, Timaya has had it so good lately and is gearing up for his 9th album titled ‘Chuloverse’. As far as 2022 goes, Timaya is intent dropped three solid singles including ‘Charger’, a stirring Amapiano rhythm, which comes on the heels of his debut 2022 inspiration track, ‘No Pressure’. And the latest ‘Get My Money Right’. Timaya has had a stellar year with ‘Cold Outside’ dominating global charts and his last album “Gratitude” still getting various nominations across the continent
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Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Dada, Uzo Osimpka, Christian Paul and Mary Lazarus. ‘Iyawo Mi’, Abudu’s Yoruba awaiting him. His wife, Eniola, seems to have gone mad; hallucinating, screaming at their children and neighbours, and threatening his own hands, with tragic consequences. The cast of ‘Iyawo Mi’ includes Adedimeji Lateef, Bolaji Ogunmola, Segun Arinze and Bola Atta, Wale Tinubu, Shola Akinlade, Pearl Thusi and Nonos Okpala are the Executive Producers, with Heidi Uys as Olaoluwa, Sonia Nwosu producing and Temidayo Makanjuola on production design. As CEO of EbonyLife TV and as executive producer, Mo Abudu is credited with some of the blockbusters in Nollywood including The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, Your Excellency, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, Castle & Castle, Oloture, and most recent, Blood Sisters, which are showing and part Mo Abudu places, and stories alongside our global content on Prime Video, so we’re excited to be bringing Nigerian customers these brand-new Local Amazon Originals,” Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, told journalists at a breakfast meeting with Prime Video team. The Prime Video head of Nigerian Originals (scripted and unscripted), explained that “The news signals our continued commitment to the best of authentic, homegrown stories to not only our customers in Nigeria, but also Prime Video members around the world.” makers and content creators in Nigeria regarding the production of original and licensed content to gain more market share amid a streaming war for African content. The past couple of months have seen the service make strategic moves, such as closing theatrical outlet agreements and recruiting senior executives like Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu to develop original video content in Nigeria, Africa’s largest made by Prime Video, including an exclusive of Life, launching next year. Other exclusive licencing agreements include Inkblot Studios and Anthill Studios, and Evoke Studios. This highlights the commitment by Prime to a global audience of more than 200 million Prime members worldwide. hosted Nigeria’s entertainment personalities and its consumers to a glamorous brand experience where they got acquainted with the platform, the titles, and what the fully loaded Prime Video experience in Nigeria looks like. The star-studded brand experience was well attended by A- list celebrities.Theywere introduced to the immersive themed pods inspired by the diverse genres available on Prime Video such as drama, romance, action, adventure, comedy, series and more. Just as it did in Southeast Asia days back, the tech giant is attempting to boost its subscriber push in new markets like Africa by increasing its investment in local production; unveiling slates of localized originals and introducing discounted Amazon Amazon Prime Video launched in Africa in 200 countries worldwide, bringing some serious that same year. However, versions of the service available in the region have never featured the local-language interfaces, subtitling and original and all his elements in this forthcoming album.Hepromises to welcome you to the and more you can think of. Observers are quite anxious for this one. Hopefully we get to see some interesting local and international collaborations. had no guest artiste, strictly Timaya debut album, Timaya quietly noted of his anniversary into the mainstream. The award-winning musician has released eight studio projects; True Story, Gift And Grace, De Rebirth, LLNP - Long Life N Prosperity, Upgrade, Epiphany, Chulo Vibes EP and Gratitude 2020.
Ferdinand Ekechukwu Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com
Timaya
L-R: Director of Content Acquisition & Head of WW Major Studio Licensing Strategy at Prime Video, Ayanna Lonian; Head of Originals for Africa & Middle East Ned Mitchell; and Head of Nigerian Originals, Wangi MbaUzoukwu at a breakfast meeting with journalists in Lagos recently
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Igbinedion has continued to prove that he’s not yet tired of serving as a pillar of support to the creative industry in Nigeria as he recently hosted a private screening of Lancelot Imasuen’s in his residence, in Benin. The screening saw close friends, family members and other personalities join the Esama in his palatable residence in Benin present at the august event were ViceChancellor of University of Benin, Professor Lilian Salami, Engr. Elvis Obaseki, and the Tosin Clegg Tosin Clegg
Ogospel ministers, Empraiz aka “The Bishop of Praise” has commenced his tour of the United States. He is billed to perform in At lanta, Michigan, Maryland, Alabama, Virginia, Pensylvania, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, Boston, Dallas, Minnesota and New York. The tour is powered by Bishop Empraiz Music. The gospel singer said: “This Tour is expected to export traditional African gospel music to Africans in Diaspora and an international audience too. This will be done in concerts, churches and traditional events during this period. It will also involve some radio tours and studio recordings as well.”
Tosin Clegg e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com and respect. In line of her passion for music and her noble causes, she said her new song “Every Woman is Beautiful”, with 7 questions for men, is dedicated to every woman, adding, “It is disturbing that eight in every ten women have faced one form of abuse or other. Irrespective of challenges women encounter on a daily basis, they remain resolute. I decided to celebrate women and make a tribute to them, we are beautiful creatures and must be seen as such.” Forever a creative soul, Shamara refuses to give up on her dreams. She’s hardworking and original, proudly proclaiming that she never imitates anyone and loves doing things her way. Shamara is ready to take her music to the next level and be recognized and counted among the world’s top pop singers while conveying hope and empowerment to women everywhere. Earlier, she released a song titled, “Wipe Our Tear,” dedicated to the Ukrainians and other nationalities killed and displaced by war and religious violence. Shamara decided donating all the revenue from the song to charities through her foundation.
“I am excited to announce that I took part as a Juror in the International Emmy Awards competition 2022. It is an honour and privilege to contribute to the selection of the best programming on television from around the world.” Tunde said. Tunde has produced several movies, including ‘Underbelly’ which received 11 nominations at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival 2022; ‘The Rise of Igbinogun’, an epic, had a limited cinema release in March 2022.
Sandra Harbor known by her stage name, Shamara is a singer and song writer who made her debut in 2010 with the song, My Style. She has worked with artistes like Waje, K Solo, DJ Tee, to mention but a few. While on hiatus, she got married and went on sabbatical in other to have time for her family. Now, Sandra is back. She’s ready to step into the world of music mission. Yes, she still loves to sing and entertain, but she also feels a greater sense of social responsibility, to use her talents and platform to help others. Shamara founded the Ideal Harbor Women’s Foundation in 2013 and realized that she might not save the world, but could undoubtedly empower and assist less privileged women, especially during pregnancy. Since then, the foundation has the less privileged and stands for peace
Igbinedion Hosts Screening of Imasuen’s
Shamara Set to Release
For Empraiz, the African American descents in the United States is a good reason for the tour and also because African traditional music is widely accepted and embraced especially in the United States now, adding, “With a few cities covered since the tour began in July, the next couple of weeks into October is set to glory like never before.”
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LCpEmia T Imasuen Empraiz Aina
Ace Media personality and of StarTimes Nigeria, Tunde Aina, has been selected as one of this year’s International Emmy Awards jurors. Usually selected from over 60 countries and 500 companies from all television sectors, including the internet, mobile, technology and a wide range of cultural backgrounds, the jury, according to the Emmy, “represent current trends in world television programming.”
wtMjAttoeatt arts and sciences, as he is comfortable in both the technical and creative aspects of television
Tosin Clegg Tosin Clegg
‘Gbege, the Omodion Saga’
‘Every Woman is Beautiful’
Speaking on his plans for 2023, Empraiz said: “After this tour, we are going to have a live recording concerts in Houston, Texas and Maryland in March 2023. This will feature international award-winning artistes from the United States and Nigeria. My new album is also set to be released in May 2023 and I would also hold a live recording session in Lagos. So, it’s a pack of several things planned out to ensure that the quality of our music presentation and ministrations keeps getting better and millions are blessed with our artistry.”
Shamara
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Empraiz in US Cross-CountryonTour StarTimes COO, Aina, Appointed 2022 International Emmy Awards’ Juror
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was founded in 1969 to promote excellence in international television and is the organization that awards international Emmys to the best television programs produced outside the United States. Over the years, the International Emmy Awards nominates at least 3 top Nigerian jurors in the yearly event. In 2015, Tunde Kelani, Mo Abudu and Kunle Afolayan announced their selection to join the panel. with over 26 years of experience in the enter tainment industry. His extensive training and experience span almost the entire television
former APC governorship candidate in the state, Pastor Osagie Iyanmu. The movie, which is also known as the “First-Born Saga”, produced and directed by Lancelot, promotes the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people. While it was being screened, the audience couldn’t hold back their excitement and love for the storyline and moral lessons embedded in the movie. At the end of the screening, the for his creative ingenuity and story-telling prowess. They also lauded the Esama for creative sector. While speaking after the screening, Lancelot said the movie was part of the misconception people have about the Benin culture. He also commended the Esama for his continued support for the creative industry and hosting of the cast and crew of the movie during photography. received a resounding ovation late last month, when it opened at the Nollywood due for premiere in Nigeria in the coming months.Starring the likes of Charles Inojie, Ini Edo, Nosa Rex, Sam Dede, Jide Kosoko, Ebele Okaro, Omoruyi Akpata among others, the movie tells the story of Zigzag, who while serving a life imprisonment, insists on carrying out his father’s funeral rites as custom demands. This according to him, burge? Find out in the movie.
“There is therefore the compelling need for those of us in the arts and culture sector to use our various cultures and cultural manifestations to engender sustainable peace,” Runsewe said.
Participation by countries/states Out of over 40 countries and 36 states in Nigeria that showed up physically at the 2022 INAC expo, only 18 countries, six states, Federal Capital Territory and a few private organisa tions built their pavilions where they featured the following: apparels and embroidery, brass and metal designs, captivating music and dance, coral and jewelry designs, classic ceramics, decorative pottery, cultural souvenirs, deli cious cuisine, exquisite leather and interior designs, fascinating beads, handmade bronze, magnificent cane, raffia and wood designs. They are Cuba, Malaysia, Spain, The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Iran, China, Philippines, India, Syria, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Tanzania, South Korea, Lebanon, Sudan and Mali. While the partici pating are Ogun, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Katsina and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Glitz, Glamour
The Cultural Counselor of the China Cultural Centre, Mr. Li Xuda, who praised Runsewe for promoting the arts and crafts of Nigeria to the outside world, said “Nigerian people are proud of their arts and crafts, language and music. INAC 2022 expo is bigger and shows Nigeria beyond our imagination.”
Apart from being treated to different traditional dances and music from Venezu ela and Ogun State on their Special Day, the ambassadors and other guests were taken to a corner in the hall where they were all served sumptuous meals from the Ogun State team. There were enough drinks to go round. Apart from the dancing competition where a popular Buga song from Kizz Daniel serenaded the whole hall and winners awarded prizes, cultural troupes from Edo, Anambra, Ogun, Kaduna were also displayed to the admiration of guests. Presentation of Awards/Certificates At the closing ceremony, Ogun State won the award for the Overall Best Exhibition of INAC expo 2022, Lagos State came second, Bauchi State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) came third. The award for Most Enterprising Exhibitor was won by Ogun State; Best Exhibitor in Network ing and Strategy award won by Philippines, Bangladesh and Luncon Ltd; Best Exhibitor in E-Marketing won by Tanzania, Spain and Syria; Most Innovative Packaging Award won by China, FCT and Lubcon Ltd; Best in New Invention in Waste to Wealth won by Lebanon and South Korea; Best Exhibiting NGO, Best Country Day Award won by Venezuela; Best State Day Award won by Kaduna; and Best Ornaments, Beads and Jewelry Akwa Ibom and Bauchi states. Others are Best Product Design in Pottery and Ceramics Award won by Iran, FCT and Bulgaria; Best Product Design in Calabash Decoration Award won by Bauchi; Best Design in Wood Works Award won by Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Venezuela; Best Metal and Brass Works Design Award won by Ogun, Anambra and Lagos; Best Textiles, Fabrics and Fashion won by Ogun and Lagos; Best Product Design in Leather, Katsina, Kaduna, Yobe and Bauchi; and Best Merchandising Pavilion won by Ogun State, Katsina State, China and Burkina Faso Otunba’s Closing Remarks Runsewe, who told the Diplomatic Community at the closing ceremony of 2022 INAC expo to discard all the negative stories about Nigeria, assured them that Nigeria is safe for foreign direct investments (FDIs).
The Executive Secretary National Institute of Cultural Orientation (NICO), Ado Yahuza and Dr. Joseph Tyoakula Ande of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja participated as discussants, while NACA’s former director and Head, Depart ment of Performing Arts, Dotun Osusanya, moderated the lecture.
Runsewe’s welcome address Runsewe, who was Clad in traditional attire received a thundering ovation as he mounted the podium to give his opening address. The NCAC boss, who saw the excitement in the audience, explained that the decision to return this year’s INAC expo to its traditional indoor setting was due to the gradual reduction in the menace of COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the last two editions of the expo were held as ‘Drive-In’ as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Iamhappy to note that the partnership and participation of the international audience, particularly members of the diplomatic com munity in Nigeria, has been quite encouraging.
Special Day/Dance and Music Performances
Harvests of commendations for Runsewe
In her goodwill message at the closing ceremony, the Cuba Ambassador to Nigeria, Clara M. Pulido-Escandell, said that Cubans are proud of the history and common culture they shared with Pulido-Escandell,Nigeria.whopresented a souvenir to Runsewe, pledged her country’s readiness to support 2023 INAC expo to be bigger and better. She commended Runsewe for his resourcefulness especially in promoting Nigeria’s culture.
T his year’s 15th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) themed ‘Networking Nigerian Crafts to the World’ hosted by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) lived up to expectations as the over 20 countries that converged in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, showcased their rich and diverse arts, crafts, cuisines, fashion and cultural displays to the whole world.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Community in Nigeria, and Ambassador of Cameroon Repub lic, His Excellency, Salaheddine Ibrahima, did not hide his joy on the success of INAC 2022.
The NCAC boss, who expressed profound gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his unalloyed support, encouragement and political will which he said made it pos sible to sustain the expo, thanked Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Moham med; Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Rochas Okorocha; and Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie, for their executive and legislative backing and support.“Weare celebrating our strengths, not our weaknesses. We shouldn’t allow others to tell our story, instead we should be the ones telling our story.
It is heartwarming that 32 countries attended the year 2022 edition of our Pre-INAC Dinner, a programme that sets the pace for this very important edition. Permit me to specially ex press our profound appreciation to members of the diplomatic community for this wonderful support and partnership,” the NCAC boss said. Runsewe, who doubles as President of the World Crafts Council (African Region), said culture and crafts are important tools deployed to tell Nigeria’s positive story to the world, adding that culture and crafts are capable of reducing crimes and unemployment across the globe. “We must continue to use culture in dousing tension, suppressing violent uprising and propagating peace in our land.” “We have a brand that unites us and we are happy to export our culture and crafts to other of 15th INAC Expo
Bakut, who was represented by the Director, Research and Policy Analysis at NIPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, said the timing and topic for the investment forum are both apt and relevant considering the current challenges bedeviling Nigeria and most parts of the world. According to him, the rich cultural diversities in Nigeria apart from having capacity to bring about the much needed national development, when properly harnessed would end the present insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes ravaging most parts of the country.TheNIPCR boss further noted that culture can enhance peaceful coexistence and create the enabling environment for the creative industry to contribute to the economic development ofAccordingNigeria. to him, “Peace can only be achieved through authentic justice, equity, and the hon ouring of our respective cultural differences of every one of us in the country. The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution has been involved in the business of Building a “Culture of Peace” in our society. At the global level, the United Nations system and other stakeholders have equally been working tirelessly towards entrenching a ‘Culture of Peacemaking’ in the world,” Bakut said. Both Yahuza and Ande collaborated Bakut’s position that culture is a panacea for national development.
The Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Abuja, venue of the cultural expo, attracted thousands of participants from all walks of life – the diplomatic community, young entrepreneurs, culture stakeholders and enthusiasts. Apart from the hall being decorated with mind-blowing pictures of past INAC expos, three giant screens mounted inside and outside the hall captured all the frills and thrills throughout the three-day expo. Although there was top-notch security provided throughout the expo, the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe together with his aides inspected the venue everyday to ensure that the expo met all the required international standards. In tandem with the aims of INAC expo which was initiated in 2008 to showcase the rich and unique collection of African arts and crafts, the organisers made sure that all the participating countries and private entities keyed into the Director General’s 6-point agenda namely: to make culture Nigeria’s new oil; to develop the creative industries to serve as a resource for job creation and economic empowerment in the interest of all; to empower Nigerians through free skills acquisition; to promote corporate social responsibility through medical services at the council’s major events; to use culture as a panacea for promoting peace, social inte gration, and national unity through NAFEST, sports and cultural activities; and to promote international cultural diplomacy through ap propriate liaison and synergy with members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria.
The Keynote Speaker, Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (NIPCR), Dr. Bakut Tswah Bakut, delivered a lecture on ‘Culture, Peace and National Devel opment’.
The INAC investment forum, which is the intellectual segment of the expo, which was held on the second day, was well attended.
“Otunba Runsewe is not only a cultural ambas sador, he is a doctor of the soul. He has been able to unite the diplomatic community through culture,” Pulido-Escandell said. Also, the Ambassador of Venezuela David Nieves Velasquez Caraballo, who presented Runsewe with a souvenir, said that Venezuela and Nigeria have a lot of similarities in terms of culture and food.
“INAC 2022 expo is very successful. The initia tive is one of the strong ways to strengthen our ties and vision of the New World and we remember our strong African roots,” he said.
Gloria Corina Anak Peter Tiwet, Malaysia Ambassador to Nigeria, who was clad in her traditional attire at the closing ceremony praised Runsewe for hosting a successful expo.
Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe (left), declaring open the 15th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Abuja...recently The rich cultures of over 20 countries were showcased at the just concluded 15th International Arts and Crafts expo organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture, writes Charles Ajunwa parts of the world. Participants will gain a lot from the entertainment and business contacts during this expo.”
INAC Investment Forum
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I Can Get Really Goofy, Playful and I Like Partying
Susan Jimah
Susan Jimah has had her fair share of the movie industry which she describes as the good, the bad and the ugly. Jimah who forayed into acting before movie production has over 60 films to her name. The mum and entrepreneur, in this interview with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, talks about her beautiful life, career, and challenges Has the goal always been acting and entertainment? Did your decision attract criticism from friends and family? Acting has always been my dream as an actor and entertainer. My dad had issues with it but my mum supported me from day one. She knew and was always supportive. My Dad as a regular Nigerian dad, was like ‘oh no, my only daughter can’t be an actress’. People have this perception about actors but I’m so happy, it still gives me internal joy that my dad came around. He saw my work and was really proud of me and just fell in love with the work and has been very supportive since then. I had to show my dad that not everyone in entertainment lives a certain kind of life especially with the perception that most people have about people in the entertainment industry. Everyone else including friends have always been supportive. What about a bit around your background, growing up and what fond memories do you hold? Growing up was fun. I was the only girl in the midst of four brothers, second of five children. I was one of those kids that I won’t say lockup but the guards were really high, it’s from house to school and school to house. We just find a way to play around with what we have within ourselves in the family house. I was called a seller back then, in the sense that when they give me food, I won’t eat my meat and my mum always gave me big meat as the only girl. I will ‘sell’ my meat for ‘sweet wraps’ and it was like money to me then. My elder brother and cousins always gave me the sweet wraps in exchange for my meat... That was really funny for me. Another is that when you beat me, I won’t cry but the moment I hear my dad’s car, that’s when the crying starts. It might have happened in the morning and my dad comes back in the evening. It was really fun memories. Was there any aspect of your growing up years that influenced your present career? I actually can’t place my hands on any, asides watching Hollywood movies, dressing up and acting it out in front of a mirror. I also think my family influenced it too. We stayed in the family house with cousins, uncles, e.t.c, different characters with different drama. Till date, they play in my head, the different characters. Tell us about your journey into the movie industry? I have always wanted to act. As a child, my mum says when I watch Julia Roberts’ films I will go in front of a mirror and start acting it out. My mum always knew that I will go into acting and entertainment. I started in 2007 in a feature film. I was in University of Benin then and the director called me, I came to Lagos and did two Jimah
If you weren’t into acting/movie production what other career choice would you have favoured? Nursing/midwives and professional catering What do you consider the greatest influence in your life? The greatest influence in my life is my family, I have the best family. My kids are the best support system. I can be on set for days, once I stay at home for a week, my girls are already reminding me that I need to go back to set and more money needs to be made. They really push and motivate me. They remind me daily that I need to keep going. Are there things you treasure most in life?
On a lighter note, who is Susan Jimah? Tell us your hobby; likes, dislikes; your favourite food, favourite colour, and things like that... Susan Jimah is just like the girl next door, simple, go getter, original, actor, producer, wife and mom. I go for that my heart wants. Favorite food is jollof rice and spicy turkey, well spiced turkey. I used to love royal purple and pink then but that’s a girly thing. Now I go more with colors that suit my body type and peach color is one of those colors at the moment. I like going out, I like meeting people, I like having fun, and I like to dance in my room... I don’t like unfocused people, like having a serious conversation and someone is laughing or making a joke out of it. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a lot of friends because I can’t handle small talks. I don’t like lies. What next can we expect from you as an actor/producer? More movies will be coming soon and skits as well.
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Which of the movies you featured or produced easily comes to your mind? There is a movie ‘Remember US’. It’s quite a big project and I can’t wait for people to see it. It’s special movie for me. It bothers on mental health awareness. A lot of people don’t touch that light and I’m glad I did and special. Another movie is “Trouble Makers Bodyguard” Are there any roles you consider as favorite? There is a film that’s not out yet, “Trouble Makers Bodyguard”. I think for now, it’s one of my favorites. It’s a Susan that the audience has never seen before because I’m a no-nonsense person and same with my character in the movie. It portrays some things about me that are also my reality. I can’t wait for people to see that movie. What has the experience been like working in Nollywood? I always like to avoid this question. Let me see. I’ve had the good, the bad and the ugly really, mixed feelings and I’ve had my fair share of it. So far, I kind of choose the good above the bad because there has to be a balance. The good thing is that I’m a working producer and that makes me a working actor. So far so good, I thank God and its fine. Criticism will come with the job but where I have issue is people wanting you to lick asses or pretend to be something you are not to please them and that’s not my kind of person. A lot of people have problems with people who are like that. What are the challenges you experience? Different productions have different experiences, you just learn from past experiences and mistakes. There is no production I’ve done without its own unique challenge, no matter how small. From the writing to the production proper and worrying about the feedback from the audience, sometimes the challenge is unforeseen but I have this mindset when Jimah going on set, “hope for the best and expect the worse”. And I learnt from my mom how to be calm under pressure while finding a solution. I took that from my parents. My dad especially is a solution person anytime. In all I do, there is always a God factor in it. Most people wonder how I do it, I sometimes wonder too. But I know it’s certainly the God factor in me.
Let’s start with humans. My kids are my greatest treasures. I treasure my children a lot. I can’t imagine my life without them. It’s impossible. Material things that I treasure are fashion, clothes, perfumes and more money, everyone likes money (laughs out loud). What trait would you say have helped you get to where you are today? Disciple, consistency and focus, I don’t easily get distracted. I can get really goofy and playful and I like partying. You can tell from my social media posts.
Social Media is the melting pot for all sorts of issues and discussions these days have you ever gotten embroiled in one of such controversies? Funny enough, I’ve never been in any controversy. I don’t know how but probably because I just try to stay in my lane. A friend said if a lane minder was a person, it will be Susan Jimah. I’m in my lane most of the time. When I see a scenario that can result in a controversy, I pull myself out of it. I don’t think it’s worth it. Someone Goggled my name last year on my birthday and a blog, I think Nairaland, mentioned that Susan is one actor/ producer that hasn’t been in any controversy.
I Learnt from my Mom How to be Calm Under Pressure scenes with known actors. The director called me again to Asaba in 2008 and I also featured in two scenes. I graduated, moved to Lagos and started going for auditions and doing gigs like that and pushing myself and I was also working with some marketers in Festac. I was getting more jobs. Then I got married in 2014 and paused for a while until 2017 ending 2018 as a producer so I can project myself as an actor. A lot of people think that I am a producer that became an actor. I didn’t want to come back after four years and still be struggling and begging to get roles and thankfully, God has given me the resources. As a producer, I gave myself roles that I fit into and also the ones that challenge me to be a better actor. The first production came out well and was embraced and it pushed me to do more. How lucrative is acting and movie production for you? It’s quite lucrative, it’s quite challenging sometimes but lucrative. I’ll say on the average, it’s fair really. I can’t say very, very lucrative because the market actually went down but it’s fair to me and on the average. Not too low or too high for an actor and a producer. Cinemas might be different but I’m talking about the TV movies that I produce. So far how many films would you say you’ve featured in? I’ve featured in more than 60 films. I’ve produced about 20 films and I featured in all of them. So yes, about 60 films... Share with us some of the movies you have produced? Hellcat, Inner Tension, Daddy’s Princess, Boss Down, Black Dove, In the End, Sharon’s Call, The Perfect Guy, Bloody Weekend, The Expectation, Once Upon a Heartbreak, etc. Though some of them are not out and I loose count sometimes...
Prince Dapo Abiodun is a genuine democrat whose heart is open to objective criticism. But for the events of last week, it is hard to understand the vitriol spewed at the Governor by his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. It smacks of irresponsible opposition. However, rather than engaging in unnecessary brickbats, Abiodun has said he remains unperturbed by the outburst but focuses on his determination to turn the fortune of the state around
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I shuddered because no one can fight God and win. Sometimes, you don’t have to push out your entire arsenal to fight your enemies. When you leave your battle to God, you can confidently go to bed to sleep with your two eyes closed. In life, you need enemies to give you a push to get you where you are going as mere awareness of their presence could be a propelling force to make you move. But you must not allow them to truncate your destination. Some of Abiodun’s adversaries are acting like destiny changers. They say they have the power to decide what his tomorrow will be. No one knows tomorrow. Not even the naysayers. Appreciate your present moment and leave tomorrow for the omnipotent power, the invincible God. My words of advice for those who want to play God in Abiodun’s re-election bid. That is just by way of digression, anyway! So, let me add very quickly that politics is not spiritual warfare. It is a power game. But in playing the game, there must be decorum, decency, and constructive engagement. For a healthy opposition, there must be constructive criticism and a genuine sense of fairness. Democracy without opposition is tyranny. Coming from our military background as a people, no one will pray for the country to slide into the abyss. Prince Dapo Abiodun is a genuine democrat whose heart is open to objective criticism. But for the events of last week, it is hard to understand the vitriol spewed at the Governor by his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. It smacks of irresponsible opposition. However, rather than engaging in unnecessary brickbats, Abiodun has said he remains unperturbed by the outburst but focuses on his determination to turn the fortune of the state around through infrastructure development, social re-engineering, a conducive environment for investment and industry as well as agro-allied processing firms. What is it that can shake a man who seeks refuge in God? Nothing! Without lifting a finger, God has put his enemies’ camp in disarray. They are now fighting each other. Oh la la, the Falcon no longer hearkens to the falconers. Erstwhile anointed candidate of Amosun, Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), who felt abandoned after his woeful defeat in the 2019 governorship election, has jumped the ship and berthed in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to play a second fiddle to Ladi Adebutu, the standard bearer of the party in the coming 2023 gubernatorial poll. Following that, Amosun, who has long been browbeaten by the outcome of the last congress of the APC, is now confused, perplexed, and undecided as to which party to perch with. On one hand, he was said to have reportedly asked his supporters who defected to the PDP alongside Akinlade to return to APC. On the other hand, he is threatening fire and brimstone to stop the re-election of Governor Abiodun, the flag bearer of the party in the 2023 coming general election. Yet, he told his other supporters to wait for the last command. “Just wait; very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be removed,” he arrogantly declared.
where will he now derive the power to upturn the will of the people? As far as the politics of Ogun State is concerned, he has reached the dead end of his political career. The Presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he has promised his support, should please watch his back. With a character like this, you do not need an enemy. The joint ticket of Ladi Adebutu and Akinlade is another funny spectre. The combination has elicited mixed reactions from many political pundits. While some supporters of PDP are dwelling on the illusion of the possibility of the Osun State experience, others have dismissed the two as light feather politicians who should not be taken seriously. It is a disastrous combination, to put it mildly. They cannot go far because Ogun State has advanced beyond the level of being governed by political neophytes. The rest is in the court of public opinion. There is no sentiment in politics. I dare say what is good is good enough for the good people of Ogun State. In words and in action, Abiodun’s loyalty, commitment, and service go directly to the people who are the sovereign in a democracy. So, as they say in the local parlance, “nothing stops a moving train”. Wailers may choose to go to the Lagoon; Prince Dapo is moving head-on to deliver the dividends of democracy. His infrastructure master plan is very much on course. Some of his critics have even asked in a cynical tone what he has done to deserve a second term. I challenge them to a debate; he has done what his predecessor could not do. One, former governor Gbenga Daniel initiated Ogun Cargo Airport but his successor played politics with it, changed the site of the project to Wasimi (Ogun Central), and then abandoned it. He abandoned it because he did not share the vision of his predecessor. Great men think alike. Governor Abiodun, his immediate successor, came, did the feasibility study of the laudable project, and resuscitated it. Now, it is nearing completion. Before the end of this year, mark my words, the first historic cargo plane will land in Ogun at the airport live and direct. Awesome God! Could that have been made possible without his and direction support? Absolutely no. A combination of God’s power and sincerity of purpose did it. Again, at the twilight of the Amosun administration, several road projects were awarded and abandoned midway. Abiodun did not lament the reckless abandonment. Rather, he took up the challenge and faced the projects. Some of these abandoned road projects include Sango-IjokoAkute-Alagbole road; Ita-oshin- Isaga- Ilaro- Owode- Ado-Odo road; the IperuAbiodun Ilisan-Ago-Iwoye road; the Atan-Lusada-Igbesa-Agbara road; the Owode-Egba/Mowe road, among others. Those within Abeokuta Township are Idi-aba- OGTV Road, Panseke/Onikolobo/MAPOLY Road, and Adatan/Saje/ Mokola/Enugada Road which were all left uncompleted by the immediate past administration. So, also are the ones in Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, and Ota axis. Bad politics! Having lost the bid to impose his surrogate on the people, he laid the landmines for his successor knowing fully well that there were no resources to fund them. Today, the story is different. Some of these have been completed and delivered, while work is also ongoing on a few others that are yet to be commissioned. This is aside from the new road network dotting the entire landscape of the state. In all, not less than 80 major roads and 150 others have been constructed, reconstructed, or rehabilitated accumulating to 661.76km, and 99.125km, while 562.63km are ongoing across the three senatorial districts of the state. In the last three and a half years, the present administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun in its quest to tackle the infrastructure deficit in the state has placed priority of his government on construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of roads across the three senatorial districts of the state. This is critical to the socio-economic development of the state as well as improvement in the quality of life of citizens. A good road network enables a free flow of human and material resources within and outside the state. A couple of days ago, the governor, with the consent of the State Executive Council, approved the speedy reconstitution of the abandoned hasfirst(Lagos)onOlu,AbiodunroadsthegovernmentsAbiodun2),AiyetoroLusada/Agbara/Marogboroad.Denro/IshasiImasayi-IganGuangdong);road13kmtionareHospitalastionItori2.35kmDenro/IsasiCokerekodo/GeneralAgbado,(Phaseroad,Aiyetoro/Olorundaconcretevard),andconnectingAdigbeOlose(PhaseRoad,GatewaytionAbeokuta/SagamurialShagamu/Ikenneroad,Ikenne,Iperu,notablyAwaIjebu-Ode,bon/Mobalufon/Ibadanroad,wayAyegun/Fusigboye/EpeEastMowe/OfadaAkute/Oke-Aro/Agbado/Ijoko/SangoOjodu/Abiodun/32kmroadandroad.SomeofthecompletedprojectsinOgunincludethereconstructionof14kmIjebu-Ode/Mojoda/Road,Oru-/Awa/Ilaporu/Ibadanroad,Molipa/Ojofastreet,Ijebu-Ode,Asafa-Oke/AsafaIsale/Ojofastreet,IjebuOde,ObaErinwoleDualCarriage(Phase1and2),Sagamu,Igan/Ishamurin/OdoSakitiAgo-Iwoye,Molusiroad,Ijebu-Igbo,Ejirin/Oluwalog-road,Ijebu-Ode,Ogbagbaroad,Ilishan/Ago-Iwoyeroad,RefugeeCamp/Oru/road,Ilaporu/Ibadanroad,amongstothers.TheongoingprojectsinOgunEastSenatorialDistrict,includeconstructionofGatewayAgro-CargoAirportreconstructionof4kmMolusiCollegeRoad,24.5kmAgo-IwoyeRoad,3.8kmTogburin/Tigara/AgodoOgunWatersideand11kmAtan/ErunwonRoad,road,Ilishanmarketroad,amongstothers.Similarly,workissteadilyongoinginOgunCentralSenato-District.Herealso,thelistofcompletedprojects;42kmInterchangeRoad,theongoingconstruc-of4kmIdi-Aba/Elite-Oke-Lantororoad,constructionofCityMonument,reconstructionof7.8kmObantokoFajol/Americanjunction/UnityEstate/GbonogunI-III),constructionof3.1kmIkoritameje/Adenrele/tuntunVespa,Ifo,reconstructionof3kmPanseke/Road,Abeokuta,Adatan,constructionofsideandroadsbetweenNNPCMegastation(AbiolaWay)Kutoflyovers,alongAbeokuta/Shagamu(IBBBoule-Abeokuta,Akute/Denro/Ishasiroadwithabridgeandlining.OtherongoingroadprojectsincludeLafenwa/(legacyproject)road,Olomore/SanniInnerroad/ItoriJunction,Itori,Elite/Isale-Akeroad1and2)Abeokuta,OlusegunOsoba/ToyinStreet,Somorin/Kemta/Idi-Abaroad,Abeokuta,Iber-Hospitalroad,OldBankroad/OritaMeje/Junction,Oluwo,Abeokuta,OgunCentralalsohastheconstructionof4.786kmAkute/Road,Somorin/Kemta/Idi-Abaroad,Abeokuta,JournalistEstateRoad,Arepo,and2.0kmInnerroad,Junction-TotalRoadasongoingprojects.ThosealreadycompletedinOgunWestincludereconstruc-ofRayPower/OsiIkola/NavyCommand,Ota,aswell4.5kmChemicallyTreatedRoad,Ejila-Igbesaroad,Stateroad,Ilaro,amongstothers.Alongsidethesecompletedprojects,sixotherdifferentonesalsoongoinginthezone.Theseincludethereconstruc-of19.2kmAgbara-Lusada-Atanroad;constructionofIlaro-Iwoyeroad;reconstructionofLusada/Igbesa(inpartnershipbetweenOgunStateGovernmentandconstructionof2.4kmOkeOlaroad,Imeko;7kmOkotoroad;constructionof4.656kmAkute/roadwithbridgeandconstructionof1.3kmJojuOtherongoingprojectsincludeIlaro/Owoderoad,Atan/road,Imasai/Igan-Okoto/road(Phase1),Igan-Okoto/Aiyetororoad(PhaseAdo-Odo/Ikogaroad,Sango/Yakoyo/Agbado/Ojodu/(Phase1)/Alagbole/Akuteroad,Aboveall,talksareongoingbetweenOgunandLagosStateontheonehandandtheFederalGovernmentonotherhandovertheproposaltotakeprocessionofFederalborderingthetwostates.Apartfromthat,GovernorandhiscounterpartinLagosState,BabajideSanwo-havesignedamemorandumofUnderstandingMoUthe31-kmredlinepassengersrailservicefromOyingbotoAlagbado(Ogun)astherailbeginsoperationinthequarterof2023.ThisisjustoneaspectofAbiodun’srecordofstewardshiphetopresenttotheelectorateattheappropriatetime.
Femi Ogbonnikan The above headline intuitively arouses curiosity about the political trajectory of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, his travails, and triumphs. All of these are already well known to political observers in the state. So, there is no need to repeat the story. This past week, Prince Abiodun lightened up my day when he took a mature path of honour declaring that he left his enemies to God to handle. For me, that was the end of many battles he has had to fight for electing to do what he was elected to do in the first place. Judging by his subdued mien, he doesn’t like an inch a trouble-maker. He has been so preoccupied with his primary assignment that he hardly has time for frivolities. But his political adversaries won’t just stop their antics. Since he assumed the mantle of leadership in 2019, they have not seen anything good in the work of the administration because they have hatred flowing in their blood veins. Pathological pessimists they are. Imbued with a deep-seated animosity, they spew out hate words without restraint as if there is no tomorrow. They have constituted themselves to such a huge army of opposition that he needed to put them where they belong, which was why he handed them over to God to handle.ButIshuddered.
What a dilemma! The truth is that APC had lost both Amosun and Akinlade as genuine members a long time ago. They ceased to be loyal members of the party the day they swore to stop the election of Prince Dapo Abiodun with their kangaroo formation of APM as an opposition to the APC in the last general elections. In the final analysis, the game plan ended in a fiasco. Now, what joined them together has finally rendered them asunder. Come to think of it, what kind of permutation gave the Ogun Central Senator the over-bloated confidence he exhibited saying he was going to stop Abiodun’s re-election? Is it by magic wand? In 2019 when he had all the paraphernalia of office, he tried it and failed. With all intrigues and shenanigans, Abiodun polled 241,670 votes to defeat Akinlade who scored 222153 votes. Not done, they sought judicial intervention, and fought a prolonged legal battle from the Election Petition Tribunal to the Supreme Court, again they failed. Yes, they failed woefully.
If at that time Amosun enjoyed the full advantage of incumbency he could not guarantee the victory of his candidate,
POLITY
Gov Abiodun’s Political Trajectory and Triumphs
Nigeria is broke. Government has declared so. It is struggling to meet its domestic obligations. Part of these obligations includes education. Amid this struggle, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has embarked on strike since February 2022. No one knows when the strike would be called off. The Nigerian officials have maintained the no-money stance. Since Nigeria runs free education from primary to tertiary level where money goes in and only comes out in form of knowledge (which we hardly use), the problem is far from being resolved. Even if the federal government manages to cough out money for ASUU now, it may not be able to do so in the foreseeable future. Many solutions have been proffered on how to salvage the situation. They appear to have the propensity to defeat government’s educational policy. The reality is that Nigeria’s financial profile is not strong enough to support free education at all levels. Yet, free education is the way to go because not doing so will deny many Nigerian children access to education. As a developing nation, we cannot afford not to do it. We need as many educated people as possible for development and continued survival of our nation. In other climes, where education is either free or highly subsidised, people pay for it through taxes. But our tax net is also too small to support this free education system. Nigerians often cite America or Europe where schools are more equipped than what we have here. The reality is people’s taxes make it happen in those places. In Nigeria, according to Joint Tax Board, only 10,006,304 Nigerians pay tax. That is 5% of Nigerians carrying the burden of 200m people. Whereas, in the United States where we often cite, of the 332,403,650 Americans, 144.3m of them pay tax. That is 43.4% of Americans carrying the burden of 332,403,650. In the United Kingdom of 67.44m people, 31m pay tax. That is 46.2% of people carrying the burden of their compatriots. Nigeria is 5%. These realities don’t compare. Nigerians still compare anyway. The question is what is the best way to fund free education in Nigeria? To start with, if poverty is the question for free education, what is the answer? Nigeria should not deny any Nigerian access to free education by charging astronomical fees. That has always been ASUU’s argument and that of poor parents. Rather, government should introduce Post-Schooling Tax where any adult Nigerian who have acquired free education through the public
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From Owa-Oyibu, Tales of Fond Memories Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Also at the funeral were Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and his wife, Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba, Chairman of United Bank of Africa, Mr. Tony Elemelu, Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, CEO of First Bank, Adesola Adeduntan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wale Babalakin, Chairman of Ovation Media Group, Basorun Dele Momodu, Senator James Manager, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Senators Sanusi Daggash and Lee Maeba, Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, Mr Segun Awolowo Jnr and Engr. Buba Galadima. Why would the burial of Nee Usifoh attract so many high network individuals some of whom never met her until she passed at age 87? From the citation and exhortations gleaned from the programme and speakers at the burial, she was a woman of virtue and an embodiment of humility who lived a life of purpose, discipline, hardwork and service to humanity. In the old Mid-western region, the Obaigbenas were not the Ogbemudias, Okotie Ebohs or the noveau riche. At best, the family belonged to a middles class group. At a time when most women were perpetually banished to ‘the other room and the kitchen’ apologies to our President, the late Nee Usifoh followed her dream and pursued her passion to train in Ibadan and Benin where she graduated and eventually began working as a Thenurse.most significant virtue of Nee Usifoh was her ability to pursue her career and effectively combine official work with supporting her husband in bringing up a young family. Today, her handiwork is evident and there for all to see. As she goes home in the blaze of glory, she has left behind testimony of a family inculcated with strong work ethics, honesty, discipline and love for humanity. There can be no better testimony and legacy to attest for her than her six children – Prince Ben Obaigbena who retired as Group General Manager of defunct Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Prince Alan Glory Obaigbena, a retired Florida Director of Highways, USA; Princess Isioma Ukwa; the late Prince Rotimi Obaigbena; and our own Chairman/Editor in Chief, THISDAY/ARISE Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Princess Ogochukwu Aneke. She had many grand and great grandchildren. As she goes home in the blaze of glory, she would never forget the day she gave birth to one of her son, Nduka, nicknamed Prof because of his mercurial mind. His humour, style, charisma, candour, panache, generosity combined with his remarkable goodwill make him a magnet that attracts people, the likes of those that went to Owa-Oyibu to condole with him. Like or hate, The Duke is an ideasman with a midas touch. Almost everything he touches turns to Gold. It is an abomination in his cycle to nurse the fear that an idea is impossible to crystalize.It is proven that he has shattered myths, broken barriers and rewritten conventions times without number. Yet, his relentless pursuit of more opportunities to grow new enterprises knows no limit. It would not be out of place to document that The Duke inherited strong work ethics, hardwork and commitment from his late mother. These values have become intrinsic and as leading lights in his service to humanity.Onapersonal note, the burial afforded me the opportunity to reunite with long lost friends and colleagues. I was pleasantly surprised to reunite with my pal, Buba Galadima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Our paths crossed sometime in 2009 or so, I had booked an interview with then General Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC. When I arrived Abuja from Lagos that morning, I was told he had left for the airport enroute London to keep an appointment with the BBC and attend to other matters.Inhis place, Galadima was delegated to sit in for him. I did the interview and flew back to Lagos. When the interview was published with the headline “Our Politicians Need Ghanaian Treatment” hell broke loose. The DSS invited me to Abuja and I was interrogated for three days. Buba was just strolling in and out. When I asked one DSS official why Buba was walking the streets a free man when he was the one who granted the interview. He told me they dared not arrest him because the whole of the North would be on fire. I could not understand that explanation. So after my release, we rekindled our friendship up till when Buhari took office. Given the knowledge that Buba was Buhari’s right hand man, I concluded that Buhari was going to occupy a very strategic position in the administration. I was
schools either primary, secondary or tertiary, and who are now working either in Nigeria or abroad, and below the age of 60, are mandated to pay a token back to the system annually so the free education system can continue. We should not be ashamed to put this in place. If 40 million Nigerians who attended public schools are captured and they are made to pay N50,000 annually, that will inject N2 trillion into the system every year. That will not only ensure and expand access to free education; it will ensure quality education is provided. By so doing, government will not deny any Nigerian child access to free, qualitative education. Having such a system in place will ensure that citizens who have been educated for free will return the favour when they begin to work and make money.
Last weekend, the whole of Nigeria literally emptied into the sleepy little village of the Owa-Oyibu Kingdom in Delta State. When I say the whole country, I mean the segment of who is who. So if you are somebody and wasn’t in Owa-Oyibu that last weekend when the Chairman, Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY, ARISE Media group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena buried his mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena - Nee Usifoh in a blaze of glory then you missed. The well-planned burial kick-started on August 16, with a commemorative birthday climaxed with the interment on August 20. Rather than wearing sack clothes to mourn the passing of Nee Usifoh, the burial was a celebration of the life and times of Princess Margaret Obaigbena, who came saw and conquered, to put it mildly. Nee Usifoh, without a doubt, left indelible marks on the sands of time. As all destinations beginning from Friday, August 19 led to Owa-Oyibu, those who indicated interest to attend the burial had their travel burden lessened for them. Prince Obaigbena exhibited his generosity by positioning chartered flights from Abuja and Lagos to Asaba Airport. All that was required of any individaul interested in coming to the burial to register with designated officials who were vested with that task. From the itinerary, the flights, backed with accomodation, were complemented with buses and high level security cover to and from Owa-Oyibu. Suddenly, the Asaba airport which hitherto recorded few number of flights in and out of the airport with some days recording zero as a result of the scarcity of aviaation fuel, became a beehive of activities. Infact, the fortunes of the airport got a major boost that Saturday following the arrival of the Very Very Important Persons (VVIP) in their private jets. You would think it was a meeting of the Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mafia family) converging on Owa-Oyibu. The roll call of dignitaries included captains of industry, serving and past politicians, technocrats, media owners, veteran and serving journalists, established businessmen and women.
The Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife were on ground as host governor; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo; Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu; Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki; former Cross River Governor Donald Duke; former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and former
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 23
My generation went to University of Lagos (Unilag) paying N35 per session between 1999 and 2004. Except in the final year when the fee was raised to N3,500. Hostel accommodation was N90 per bed space. Even now, students only pay N15,000 in Unilag per session. Some generations of Nigerians had their free education with subsidised meal. An attempt to increase the cost of the meal from N1.50 to N2.00 per day led to the famous “Ali Must Go” riots of 1978.
In private universities, the average school fee in private universities is N500,000 per session. The big ones even charge more than this. Pan Atlantic University (PAU) charges close to N3m per session. Babcock University charges close to N800,000, same for Covenant, Bells and Landmark Universities. These fees ensure that those private universities are run properly and seamlessly. It is not only that governments at state and federal levels give free education that allows a boy like me from a poor home to attend Unilag by paying N35 they also give scholarships for various postgraduate training locally and internationally. Many Nigerians benefit from this regularly and are schooling in the best universities around the world. Yes, it is the right of every Nigerian to enjoy such a privilege, but due to the current economic realities, some people may even add corruption to the realities, such privilege is under threat. It therefore makes sense that if Nigeria has been good to you by rescuing you from the claws of illiteracy, you should reciprocate by paying a token back to keep the system going for the generations of Nigerians yet unborn. If we look back in history, that was the thinking of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his cabinet members. History teaches us that free formal education has come a long way in Nigeria. The journey has been documented by experts and scholars. But the origin, practice and model follow stages of the country’s transition from amalgamation, colonization and independence. The independence of Nigeria led to its modification. Olalekan (2018), in his scholarly work, reminds us that the missionaries brought formal education to Nigeria. That era preceded the amalgamation. The colonialists consolidated the efforts of the missionaries till independence. However, the purpose of education also followed objectives of the drivers. Abernethy (1952), cited by Olalekan, submits that for the missionaries, the purpose was to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the Colonialists, it was to produce low-cadre civil servants like clerks, junior technicians in public works and wole wole (sanitary inspectors) among others. When the regions were created, the situation changed and western region led the change. Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government introduced free primary education. The minister of education at the time, Professor Stephen Oluwole Awokoya, put together and implemented the blueprint. He had argued before the House that free education is a “necessary catalyst for local production of goods, the development and acquiesce to modern science and technology and upliftment of the minds and souls of Africans.” It started officially in 1952. For the first time since Nigeria’s creation, education moved beyond the selfish agenda of the missionaries and the colonialists.The scholarly works of Oni (2006), Taiwo (1980) and Fafunwa (1974), cited by Olalekan (2018), record that 391,859 children turned up for registration into primary 1 in 6,274 schools across the region when it was introduced. Within four years, the number of children that were enjoying free primary education tripled. But the financial obligation also increased. From £2.2m in 1954, it rose to £5.4m in 1955. By 1957/58 academic year, the recurrent expenditure on education alone in the region rose to £7,884,110. The amount covered personal emolument, other charges, special expenditure and grants in aid.The concept and practice of free education became a national policy in 1976 when the former Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo, launched the Universal Basic Education Scheme in all the 19 states of Nigeria. This made education free and universal in Nigeria. Free education has remained so till date at all levels.
– Emmanuel is the CEO of DataHome Research and Communications Ltd and an alumnus of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos. Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com
A N2tn Proposal to Save Education in Nigeria
THEJOSEPH08023422660joseph.ushigiale@thisdaylive.comjushigiale@yahoo.co.uk,(smsonly)USHIGIALEFRONTLINES
Richard Emmanuel
L:R Proprietress, Gateway Schools, Enugu, Dr. Loveline Ndu, Winner, Heirs Life Essay Championship, Ugbomyke Princewill, Communications Manager, Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Timilehin Adebiyi and Head, Retail Sales, Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Olugbenga Osibodu, at the presentation ceremony of Heirs Life Essay Championship Cup at Gateway Schools, Enugu, Enugu state ….yesterday
As a people, we are victims of deep-seated xenophilia-the attraction to foreigners, their culture or customs, iconography et al. The opposite, xenophobia, is the one we are more familiar with because it is more in-your-face through the violent outcomes it frequently produces. While xenophilia is not violent, it is eminently capable of producing outcomes that, over time, will result in the erosion, obliteration even, of national values, initiatives, pride and, of course, economic base.That these-and more-are distinct possibilities is the reason I have found opposition, admittedly not loud, to the announcement by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) of the ban on the use of foreign models and voice-over artists in the production of advertisement materials for placement on Nigerian media channels effective 1 ARCON,October.inastatement
signed by its DirectorGeneral, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, explained that the policy is in line with that of the Federal Government to promote local content, talents, thereby accelerating economic growth. “In line with the federal government’s policy of developing local talent, inclusive economic growth and the need to take necessary steps and actions aimed at growing the Nigerian advertising industry, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), being the apex advertising, advertisement and marketing communications’ regulatory agency of the federal government, has in accordance with its statutory mandates, responsibilities and powers as conveyed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022, bans the use of foreign models and voice-over artists on any advertisement targeted or exposed on the Nigerian advertising space with effect from 1st October 2022. All advertisements, advertising and marketing communications materials are to make use of only Nigerian models and voice-over artists,” ARCON said in the statement. Sensibly, the policy allows ongoing campaigns to run out their terms, but states that future applications for re-validation to have such materials running will be rejected by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP). The policy, of course, is by no means the single-shot vaccine that will cure us of all xenophilic inclinations, but it will address the strain in the marketing communications space and possibly nudge us towards taking similar actions that could lead to policy changes in other spaces of our national life.
L-R : Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) Benin Branch Mr Nosa Edo-Osagie, Dr Roland Otaru, SAN, Hon Justice Munirat Suleiman and Mrs Jane Obozokhae, at the President, s dinner nite during the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, held at the banquette hall Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos recently...
POLITY
L-R; Woman Leader, Think Tinubu Movement, Mrs Bisi Somide; South East Coordinator, Tony Ogalabu; Youth Leader, Ayo Omotosho; Director-General of the movement, Segun Afolorunikan; Arewa Coordinator, Mallam Ismaila Gado; South West Coordinator, Bankole Dada and National Treasurer, Olanrewaju Kazeem during the unveiling of the Nigeria Youth Festival ( Asiwaju Edition ) at the world press conference by the Think Tinubu Movement in Lagos...yesterday Photo; Abiodun Ajala
DAN UKANA
L-R; Representative of INCLOVER MUTICONCEPTS Ltd. Akpan Udeme; MD/CEO Black & Precious Communications, Chris Moweta; Diary of a kitchen lover, Tolani Tayo-Osikoya; Lead Judge; Mrs Iyabo Lawani; CEO Cuisine naturelle, Pharmacy Mercy Ikwulegbu; and Project Manager Taste2Fame, Deborah Hundeyin at the press conference to Unveil Taste2Fame Naija Recipe Discovery Reality Show project in Lagos….. yesterday
Fasanya writes from Lagos
The policy, of course, is by no means the single-shot vaccine that will cure us of all xenophilic inclinations, but it will address the strain in the
President, Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), Mrs. Jibe Ologeh, argued that the ban on foreign models is one that is long overdue. She is of the view that the country is sufficiently resourced to handle international-standard advertising productions, adding that Nollywood, the country’s movie industry has demonstrated its nous via output are showing on international platforms like Netflix, Amazon and others. Model and content developer, Jennifer Okotie-Eboh, is convinced that the policy will vastly widen opportunities available to Nigerian models. “As a model, I feel elated. But then, I wonder if this law will trickle down with compensating benefits for models in Nigeria, considering the strong claws/ hold modelling agencies have on their talents. Some agencies are making money off talents with the talents having little/ not so much compensation (This talk is for another day). But ultimately, this comes as even greater news for freelancers. Nonetheless, it’s a welcome idea with ripple effects; considering it’ll give room for the growth of local talent/ creatives, and an avenue for better/higher flow of revenue in the creative space,” she said. What ARCON has done is to install a guardrail.
First, it seeks to ensure that jobs do not go to foreigners when domestically, we have shoals of people ready, willing and able to do such. That this has been the situation for a long time, casting domestic talents as children of a lesser god as marked by preference for foreign models, is regrettable. It is more so, given Nigeria’s position as, perhaps, the country with the largest number of creative talents per square on the African continent. Those talents keep churning out impressive output and are known as well as admired all around the continent. They are not exactly unknown in other parts of the world where our cinematic and musical output is consumed.Theban on the use of foreign models and voice-over artists carries implications. Encouraging ones, that is. Where the development and advancement of domestic talents was shackled, they will be unshackled. That also means that the constriction of opportunities for work, represented by uncontrolled use of their foreign counterparts, will be relaxed and they can breathe more easily. There is, of course, the chance to arrest the capital flight that is guaranteed by sending the largest slices of advertising production money out of the country. There is also the important bit that the models and voices featured in campaigns are accurate representations of Nigeria and Nigerianness. We have our own faces and voices, after all. How does using foreign models for locally-sold brands even make any sense? It is hardly surprising that the dominant sentiment trailing the policy by individuals and groups is resounding approval. Mike Igbe, acting President, Guild of Professional Talent Managers of Nigeria (GUPTMAN), is of the view that the policy is one with the potential to help the economy.“Ifthis law stands, it will definitely generate a lot of revenue for the country, the industry will grow, talents will grow, and they will stop migrating and looking for greener pastures in foreign climes. The only thing we will need to talk about is the stipends that are being handed to the creatives. Most of these people will use them for briefs with big budgets and hand them peanuts at the end of the day. I think the advertising body should see to that as well,” Igbe said.
Olujimi Fasanya
couldcommunicationsmarketingspaceandpossiblynudgeustowardstakingsimilaractionsthatleadtopolicychangesinotherspacesofournationallife
24 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
Advertising: ARCON’s Appropriate Guardrail
Osinbajo noted: “For Africa, the problem of energy poverty is as important as our climate ambitions. Energy use is crucial for almost every conceivable aspect of development. Wealth, health, nutrition, water, infrastructure, education, and life expectancy are significantly related to the consumption of energy per capita.”
“We anchored the plan on key objectives including lifting 100 million people out of poverty in a decade, driving economic growth, bringing modern energy services to the full population and managing the
Sunday Ehigiator reports
The Federal Government’s $10 billion annual requirement to implement its Energy Transition Plan (ETP) is already getting support from international partners. The World Bank has pledged $1.5 billion and Nigeria is also in discussions for another $1.5 billion finance package from a US-based financial institution. This emerged at the launch of the ETP in Abuja recently. Energy experts believe that the global launch, hosted by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, will further support plans for universal access to energy by all and sundry.
On Wednesday 24 August 2022, the federal government demonstrated its commitment to a clean and sustainable future with the global launch of the country’s Energy Transition Plan. At the event, hosted by Osinbajo, announcements were made of possible future support by partners, with a firm $1.5 billion commitment from the World Bank. Nigeria looks forward to seeking another $1.5 billion financing package from a US-based financial institution. The launch of the ETP was attended by several government officials, private sector partners, development finance institutions, philanthropies, and international organizations. The government’s ETP showcases the country’s political leadership in the global energy sector, and especially on the African continent and demonstrates the willingness and capacity of the global community to support a just, equitable and inclusive energy transition.
Aside from the transition plan, the Vice President announced the launch of the Universal Energy Facility, “an innovative, results-based, finance programme that focuses specifically on scaling up electricity access for productive uses.”
expected long-term job losses in the oil sector due to global decarbonisation.“Giventhoseobjectives, the plan recognises the role natural gas must play in the short term to facilitate the establishment of baseload energy capacity and address the nation’s clean cooking deficit in the form of LPG.
“We are currently implementing power sector initiatives and reforms focused on expanding our grid, increasing generation capacity, and deploying renewable energy to rural and underserved populations.”
FG Aims to Tackle Energy Poverty, Climate Change with New Energy Transition Plan
“The plan envisions vibrant industries powered by lowcarbon technologies; streets lined with electric vehicles and livelihoods enabled by sufficient and clean energy.”
On other aspirations of the roadmap, Osinbajo explained that the plan has the potential to create about 340,000 jobs by 2030 and 840,000 by 2060. It also presents a unique opportunity to deliver a true low-carbon and rapid development model in Africa’s largest economy.
t is an open secret that Africa grapples with an energy deficit. Over 600 million people are without access to electricity and about 900 million without access to clean cooking energy. Of this population, Nigeria, being the most populous country on the continent, is heavily impacted.
“I’d like to encourage solar companies in attendance today to engage with this innovative financing opportunity, which is being managed by Sustainable Energy for All.”
Speaking in Abuja, the chief host, Osinbajo, declared that Nigeria is seeking $10 billion from international partners to fund the nation’s new Energy Transition Plan, annually. According to him, a roadmap to tackle the dual crises of energy poverty and climate change is by engaging with partners to secure an initial $10 billion support package ahead of COP27 along the lines of the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership announced at COP26 in Glasgow.“Nigeria would need to spend $410 billion above business-as-usual spending to deliver our Transition Plan by 2060, which translates to about $10 billion per year. Also, Africa’s increasing energy gaps require collaboration to take ownership of the continent’s transition pathways and the action should be decisive and urgent.”
“Projects supported by the Universal Energy Facility will help grow businesses and create jobs, making them key contributors to our Energy Transition Plan.
“And although Africa’s current unmet energy needs are huge, future demand will be even greater due to expanding populations, urbanisation and movement into the middle class. “It is clear that the continent must address its energy constraints and would require external support and policy flexibility to deliver this. Unfortunately, in the wider responses to the climate crisis, we are not seeing careful consideration and acknowledgement of Africa’s aspirations.”
Speaking on the effects of Climate Change in Africa, Osinbajo said: “Climate change threatens crop productivity in regions that are already food insecure, and since agriculture provides the largest number of jobs, reduced crop productivity will worsen unemployment. “It is certainly time for decisive action, and we just cannot afford to delay. African nations are rising to the challenge. All African countries have signed the Paris Agreement and some countries, South Africa, Sudan, Angola, and Nigeria have also announced net-zero targets.” Giving more details on energy poverty in Africa, the VP noted: “The current lack of power hurts livelihoods and destroys the dreams of hundreds of millions of young people.
services to the entire population; create awareness to drive demand in other African countries by emphasizing the need for data-driven country-level energy transition plans in order to achieve a just, inclusive and equitable energy transition for all ahead of the ‘African COP’ hosted by Egypt. It also aims to mobilise new partners by showcasing existing support for data-driven energy transition planning from international partners, including Sustainable Energy for All, The World Bank, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet; mobilize investors and the private sector by showcasing concrete projects to deliver the transition goals while creating significant market opportunities; and to announce new opportunities for solar energy companies to obtain results-based finance from the Universal Energy Facility as part of a new financing window focused on supporting Stand-Alone Solar for Productive Use.
L-R: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; CEO and Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General on Sustainable Energy, Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi; CEO, Sun Africa LLC, Mr. AdamCortese; Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed; President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah; and The World Bank Country Director forNigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri...speakers at the global launch of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan... recently
He explaines: “The Universal Energy Facility will provide grant payments to enable solar companies to expand their operations to small and medium-sized enterprises across Nigeria, while crowding-in additional private capital.
I
“For instance, the average $3 billion per year investments in renewable energy recorded for the whole of Africa between 2000 and 2020 will certainly not suffice. Making reference to the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, Osinbajo said the plan was designed to tackle climate change and deliver SDG7 by 2030 and net-zero by 2060, while centering the provision of energy for development, industrialisation and economic growth.
PEOPLE
Although, there have been various government efforts in Africa to provide access to electricity for all, the recent global launch of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), is the most coordinated and explicit move to attain this goal. At the launch, global leaders and stakeholders across the continent gave a clear indicator that, with a plan and adequate investments, universal access to energy by 2030 and a carbon-neutral energy system by 2060 is achievable, which in the long run will accelerate economic growth and development.
At COP26 in Glasgow last year, President Buhari announced Nigeria’s ambition to achieve net-zero by 2060 drawing on insights from the country’s ETP which was developed through the Energy Transition Commission to chart Nigeria’s unique energy transition pathway. The Plan supports the country’s objectives of achieving universal access to energy by 2030 and a carbon-neutral energy system by 2060, while also providing enough energy to power industry and other productive uses. The Plan is supported by Sustainable Energy for All and the COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC). Given the urgency for accelerated action on climate aligned with the Paris Agreement, Nigeria is looking for more partners in innovation and finance, to enable a stable transition in energy markets and bottom-up transition pathways across energy markets, adaptation and resilience, nature-based solutions, clean cooking, gender, and green jobs. At the global launch held in Abuja, the conveners of the event highlighted some objectives that the ETP will achieve. According to them, it demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment and ambition in achieving carbon neutrality while also ending energy poverty, which will lift 100 million people out of poverty, drive economic growth, and bring modern energy
25THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
He highlighted the significant scale of resources required to attain both development and climate ambitions.
26 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 EXPRESSION ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948 WABARAEBEREMEDIAGAFFES
Three Faces of Campaigns to Come During the week, the Nigerian Bar Association provided the platform of their 62nd Annual General Conference, held in Lagos, a putative grandstand to showcase the foretaste of the timbre and tenor of presidential campaigns slated to start from September 28, 2023. The presence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi (LP) and Sen. Kashim Shettima (proxy for Alhaji Bola Tinubu of APC) added colour, conviviality and substance to the day’s activities. Few other political parties were also represented, by the way, but this is a mere glance at the three main contenders who turned the NBA space into a campaign ground, sharing their ideas on how to unhinge the Nigerian economy. Curiously, the judiciary was not at stake. Atiku Abubakar exuded the calm experience of “we’ve been here many times before”... bordering on the staid, laid-back predictability… which in some cases may be an advantage. He showed how lucky he was to be alive to grab the opportunity of uniting a divided and insecure nation. A little listless...a bit underwhelming. Peter Obi was in his natural elements - charming, courteous, data-crunching, and mildly sarcastic with his closing jab: “we need a leader who is visionary, ‘articulated’ and competent...”. Did you detect a faint smirk of a bullish campaigner? As for the former Borno governor, Kashim Shettima, he projected a hard-faced, tough-talking, data-spewing, ready to rumble co-flagbearer, at the NBA “campaign”...and indeed he spoke fairly well. But, is it the same old story...or there’s something redeemable somewhere there?
Reciprocal
“The mob was apparently protesting the death of a youth, allegedly a victim of the town’s vigilante group.” New on the news stands: vigilance group. “The minister’s position tallies with the OPEC view that any excess supply of oil to the international market would result into (in) a lowering of….” “At the struggle for independence, the part played by the leaders of yesteryears set each apart to take over the reins of nation building.” Stock expression: yesteryear (fixed and stock entry that is uncountable).
“happiest people on earth” years ago, were probably using data from many decades ago - as far back as the 70s, and to a lesser degree, the 80s. Today, we are not happy. We are worried and frustrated because we do not have a sense that our circumstances would be reversed positively anytime soon. We can hardly afford the scanty stuff in our markets; the sellers are even complaining more than the buyers. They struggle to convince their customers that they are as hapless and frustrated as the buyers. The costs of foodstuffs are so prohibitive that many choose to buy barely edible castoffs and almost decaying offals to feed their families, as the better stuff are leaner and dearer - virtually un-negotiable, unless you have corrupt access to funds and privileges loitering around our power caucuses. Back home, we are worried sick about the sort of culture and environment we are creating for our children - the so-called ‘leaders of tomorrow’. Where the younger ones are able to go to schools, the fees are astronomical, yet there is a mild apprehension about the quality of education and orientation they are exposed to. Those who cannot afford the high fees of the numerous private schools that have supplanted the usefulness of public education, have condemned their children to the ill-equipped drudgery and criminal negligence of public schools. The more educationally insensitive a state governor, the sorrier the state of public schools. The older children who are not opportune to attend expensive private universities, or the few better-run state institutions, are cooling their listless heels at home waiting for their lecturers and their government to make up their minds when they would return to campuses and re-engage what they are conditioned to do at this stage of their lives. Some homes will be severely tested and strained by the prolonged university closure as the natural tendency of the young to explore, associate, and respond to external stimuli would be sorely challenged and discomfited by dysfunctional exigencies of beleaguered parenting.Ifthehome is worrisome, the roads are even worse. The spate of killings, abductions, banditry, kidnappings, and such organised calamities have castrated many homes, and rendered vast areas of Nigeria a no man’s land. The wave of insecurity is not concentrated in one state or region. Terrors have overwhelmed the land, and our valiant security forces have been stretched and sometimes sacked. The impunity of the criminals has grown so pervasive and imperious that bandits and kidnappers callously demand and successfully receive ransoms in millions of dollars. More demoralising were allegations of complicity by some rogue elements in our armed forces who collude with these criminals, or simply turn their backs on their activities as they skim and skin their victims in sickening abandon. In extreme cases, the criminals collect ransom, and still kill their victims! The body language of the commander in chief of our armed forces has sometimes jacked up the anxiety levels of many citizens when they merely read letters of condolences after reported acts of these criminals; or when media reports quote the leader of armed men basically surrendering the security of the nation to the reverent custody of the Divine. Such scenarios merely heighten our sense of hopelessness in stemming insecurity by a retired army general who, during his 2014 campaign stump speeches, charmed us with a steely determination to get the job done in a matter of months. It is therefore difficult to disabuse the conspiracy theorists who browbeat us, now and again, about a Fulanisation agenda which has supposedly been hatched and aggressively put in motion from the advent of the Buhari administration; and that the sporadic and devastating onslaughts of criminal actors around the five geopolitical regions (save South South) are essentially the affirmation
and crystallisation of jihadist ideology’s drive to overrun and overwhelm the secularity and posterity of the Nigerian nation. Note: not Nigerien!(Tocontinue)
fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only) AKINTUNDE-FEMIJOHNSONCOUNTERPOINT
Agonies of an Optimist
Dear politicians and political office holders, whatever the civil servants, ardent supporters and spin doctors are telling you, the case of today’s average Nigerian is distressing, almost hopeless, and verging on the suicidal. Most Nigerians are frustrated, disillusioned, low in self-esteem, prone to anger and/or hunger, and more often than not suspicious of any government plans to make their lives better. Of course, most Nigerians do not trust this present government, and are willing to disbelieve any hints of success or positive impact traceable to the incumbent. Yet, it is difficult to dismiss this awkward and sad development, because by its own reckless and oftentimes inconsiderate actions, appointments and pronouncements, this administration has proven complicit in dividing, polarizing and inflaming different sects and sections of the Nigerian society along primordial sentiments and fault lines. Even when we have another successful civilian-to-civilian transition of power in May or June 2023, the biggest task ahead of the new administration is how to reunite Nigerians, and reignite hope and belief in our problem-solving capacity. The chances of that happening will depend largely on how the Muhammadu Buhari’s outgoing administration handle the transition period with deliberate efforts to appease the people by providing and producing sound and selfless leadership; responsible and equitable empathy, and even-handedness in piloting the nation towards free, fair and transparent elections, and all that is needed and necessary to midwife a successful power switch, irrespective of the winner. Is there anyone out there who is happy with the state of our markets and kitchens? While few of us may find the question funny or strange, I can easily hazard that the vast majority of us would respond in knowingly diverse and aching ways. Simply put, the markets, like the streets, are not ‘smiling’. Those who tagged us as the
PLEASE note: ‘Olympic’ is an adjective (only before noun) and connected with the Olympic Games, while ‘Olympics’ is a noun. I do not understand why there should be confusion in the usage of the two words. “Many post NYSC graduates roam the streets of….” All the Facts, All the Sides: Many THE GUARDIAN of August 14 did not live up to discerning readers’ expectation on so many occasions. First, the headline blunder before we go to the lethal story: “Family seeks payment for (of) dead policeman’s benefits 17 years after” Now the worse aspect: “The bereaved (deceased) was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force (sic) On December 1, 1965….” What could have been responsible for this disservice to grammar? Certainly no longer The Flagship that we used to know in its heyday! “IFAD chief to visit Nigeria, deliver lecture at (in) “…philosophyIbadan” through which each parties trace its position….” For the record: each party traces its position “…in other words, figures that indicates (sic)….” What’s going on at Rutam House? The August 12 edition of THE NATION failed to show craftsmanship on four occasions: “Like two fighters engaged in fisticuffs…have literally taken themselves (each other) to the cleaners in a verbal warfare that may not abate soon.” This is an example of reciprocal pronoun. “Do you have long hair (a long hair or long hairs) that you are at your wits (wits’) end with?”“We are all humans and lot (lots) of things happen to us.” Up till now, I had thought that only publications of the celebrity genre (fondly school!“PDP blames Buhari on (for) endless national“Agbekoyaviolence”Farmers Association gets N5.6b agric loans” Why not Farmers’ Association? “SON seeks traders support on war against substandard products” The same challenge asJustabove.like THISDAY, next comes Daily Independent Editorial after headline and other gaffes: “Indeed, accusing fingers are being pointed at officials of the NNPC….” Crude oil theft: Indeed, the finger is being pointed“…receivedat…. any complaint with regards (regard) to such from the public.” (THE GUARDIAN, August 7) “…he could be misunderstood to mean that the Nigeria Police has (have) been busy condoning illegality for a long time now.” And this: an illegality or illegalities
“Sex has become a past time, an avenue for recreation....” Get it right: pastime. “Society has been so lenient with the male specie (species) that every woman.…” “Recently, the police again raised its (their) periodic alarms over the apparent siege on (to) by armed bandits.” Do we have ‘unarmed bandits’? “The laxity can extend to parking in (on) bank“Ondopremises.”policeallege new plot to distrupt (disrupt) polls” “UNN Alumni counsels Nigerian Police” Get it right: Alumni counsel. “Rivers PDP, ANPP trade blames over violence” No April fool: blame. “Are you not worried that things like this is happening knowing the volatile nature of Kaduna? This way: Are you not worried that things like these are or a thing like this is.... “Pact with China conducive for peace, says Taiwan (Taiwan’s or Taiwanese) president” “Otherwise, there is no point we engage in importing that much on yearly (a yearly) basis.” “…he said though the institute has (had) developed 62 rice varieties for farmers, five most prominent varieties are (were) in circula tion and are (were) doing very good (well).” “NEMA, stakeholders meets over displaced persons” You can readily identify the boyish slip-up.“With the LG polls now fixed for next week Tuesday….” Either next Tuesday or Tuesday, next week—no jumbo-mumbo! Lastly from DAILY TRUST: “Replicate your performance to (in) your constituents (constituencies)”“Securityatairports: Police deploys (sic) sniffer dogs at (in) Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, 5 others” (AIT News, 4 p.m., August 20) “PIB: Senate to re-open probe” (Source: as above) My comment: already treated. “Absence of interpreter stalls trial of Portuguese woman charged for (with) drug trafficking”“Thumb(Thumbs) up for Nigerian refs in Mali”“Obasanjo: Amaechi’s k-leg (knocked leg) has been straightened” called ‘soft-sell’ by locals!) carry sub-headline blunders on the front page. Alas, THISDAY of August 10 disappointed me: “US support has helped stabilised (stabilise) polity, says president”Fromthe front page to inside pages: “On Wednesday we held a meeting with the relatives and it was decided in that meeting that it was pilgrims affairs.” This way: pilgrims (pilgrims’)THISDAYaffairs.Comment and Editorial also contributed their own quota to the bot tomless pit of blunders: “…actively explore the behind the scenes strategy” Truth and Reason: behind-the-scenes strategy Still on headlines: “Issues in Dangote’s drivers scheme” Get it right: drivers’ scheme Now to the Editorial: “…in no fewer than 20 States Houses of Assembly (state Houses of Assembly)—even in states where majority (a majority) of members belong to one political party (the same political party).” “His impeachment however, (sic) sparked serious controversy (a serious controversy or serious controversies) as the House did not form a “Emergencyquorum.”don’t (doesn’t) kill….” Yet another headline goof: “In a bid to re-awaken declining reading culture” This is a hangingFinallyentry.from THISDAY NewsExtra: “Plans (Plot) to impeach Plateau Speaker thickens” No further comment!
Pronoun
DAILY INDEPENDENT of August 9 toed the path of THISDAY: “Police arrest three suspects over (for) Kogi church attack” I was taught in Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, by Mr. Paul Omoghiade (I hope I still remember the spelling!) in 1985 that figures (not words) are used in headline casting for space management, which makes sense to me. May be I now belong to the old
3THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER APRIL 24, 2011 NEWSSOCCERGLOBAL 27.8.2022A WEEKLY PULL-OUT WARMING TO BOUNCE BACK PAGE. 29 Finally, Goodbye to Cegeka Arena? Paul Onuachu
The speculation surrounding the big Nigerian striker has not ended, as he also performed well last season. Onuachu recorded 23 goals in 41 appearances last season.Amove away from Genk was largely expected when the 28-year-old scored 34 league goals penultimate season, but it didn’t happen largely due to Genk’s valuation but they have since dropped their asking price. A source who approached the player with a deal from a Serie A side was told by his management team that he is heading to the English Premier League next summer as an agreement is already in“Weplace.had an offer for him to consider. So, he directed us to his new management team. They told us Genk have reached agreement for his sale to a team in the English Premier League.” Several reports in the Belgium media tend to also agree with that stand as it was widely reported that Onuachu who has 20 goals last season will leave the team this summer. The KRC Genk forward was tipped for a big-money move to a top club in the summer following a highly successful 2020/21 campaign in the Belgian top flight. A €6 million arrival from Midtjylland in 2019, Onuachu found the back of the net a whopping 20 times this season despite the spate of injuries that denied him of playing time, making him one of the best performing centre forwards across Europe.
“I struggled a bit when I arrived here. At the start of the season, I said to myself that I had to push myself more and give more. “I am proud of myself and my team, and I am happy to have the support of my companion, who is always behind me.”
The attacker delivered scintillating performances in front of goal during his time with the Danish club to earn a move toOnuachuGenk. is currently valued at €17 million as per transfer market.
lieri reports that the Belgian champions could swoop in for Genk’s wantaway talisman, Onuachu if they fail to sign Hojlund. Onuachu has been one of the best strikers in the Jupiler in the last two seasons, registering 55 league goals in 73 appearances. The Super Eagles striker has been constantly linked with a move away from Cegeka Arena, and he has never hidden his intention to make a big move. Atletico Madrid, West Ham, Lyon, and Arsenal have all been linked with the 6 ft7 striker, but nothing concrete has happened. The striker has been outstanding for Genk in the last two seasons, but he could be on He has never hidden his desire to ply his trade elsewhere after scoring an unprecedented 55 league goals in the last two seasons for Genk. With a move to English Premier League side,Wolverhampton Wanderers having not come to fruition, Club Brugge may be the next destination for Paul Onuachu as the Blauw-Zwart are shopping for options in their frontline
“It is going to be difficult to say I’m going to repeat it where I am going but I think the players we have in this team really make all this possible for me, but like I said earlier you don’t know what the future holds. “As it is now I think I’m really happy for the figure I have in the league and of course for KRC Genk.”
Paul Finally,OnuachuGoodbyetoCegeka Arena?
Lazio, Sevilla, and Lyon are among the top European clubs earlier looking to lure Onuachu to one of the continent’s big five leagues. The big striker, however, refuses to hide his affection for English Premier League giants, Arsenal. “Arsenal is the club of my dreams,” Onuachu continued. “It is the club that I support, that I like to watch, and whose style of play I like. “However, I am still in Belgium, and I am still a player of Genk.” The forward has a year left on his current contract but he is unsure of seeing out the deal with a number of European clubs believed to be interested in signing him in the Onuachusummer.has been with Blue and White since the summer of 2019 when he teamed up with the side from Midtjylland.
B elgian Jupiler League giants, Club Brugge are keeping tabs on big Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu as the BlauwZwart are considering a move for the 28-year-old Nigerian international as a second option in case they fail to sign Rasmus Hojlund. The Blauw-Zwart are in search of options in their frontline, and they are planning a €15 million move for Stum Graz hitman Hojlund.However, transfer specialist, Sacha Tavohis way to the Blauw-Zwart this summer. Onuachu has been a standout performer for the Limburgers in the last two seasons. Two seasons ago, the Nigerian striker recorded 34 league goals and his exploits did not go unnoticed, as he was awarded the Best Player in Belgium. After his achievement, the Super Eagles striker was expected to seal a move away from the club. However, despite links to Lyon, Arsenal, and West Ham, Genk kept him.Onuachu never hid his desire to leave Genk for another club. But he has been professional about it.
Speaking to Genk’s official YouTube page, Onuachu said : “For me you never know what the future holds but I think scoring a lot of goals this season for KRC Genk and of course my career it is going to be one of the most important periods for me.
Paul Onuachu starring in the UEFA Champions League Group E with KRC Genk against Liverpool
GLOBAL SOCCER
The 28-year-old only managed nine goals in 22 matches in his maiden campaign two seasons ago after completing his switch from Danish side FC Midtjylland. But his turnaround in fortunes, 12 months later, has been evident for all to see. Onuachu is clear about how he was able to improve his efficiency in front of goal.
28 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
The Nigerian international struggled in his first year in Belgium but won the hearts of many after delivering numerous excellentOnuachuperformances.indeedadmitted that the Belgian First Division A is a challenging championship, but the determination to push himself beyond the limit helped him become the best in the country.
Reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City will be looking to return to winning ways when they welcome Crystal Palace to the Etihad Stadium this afternoon. The Citizens were involved in an entertaining six-goal thriller against Newcastle United last weekend, while the Eagles head into this contest after claiming back-to-back wins across the league and EFL Cup.The Magpies went into half time 2-1 ahead before former City academy graduate Kieran Trippier fired the hosts two goals in front after the break with a trademark free kick. However, two strikes within three second-half minutes from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva restored parity for the reigning top-flight champions.
in full flight scores against Chelsea Premiership Table Arsenal 3 7 9 Man City 3 6 7 Leeds 3 4 7 Tottenham 3 4 7 Brighton 3 3 7 Newcastle 3 2 5 Fulham 3 1 5 Brentford 3 3 4 Crystal Palace 3 0 4 Nottm Forest 3 -1 4 Southampton 3 -2 4 Chelsea 3 -2 4 Aston Villa 3 -3 3 Man Utd 3 -4 3 Bournemouth 3 -5 3 Liverpool 3 -1 2 Everton 3 -2 1 Wolves 3 -2 1 Leicester 3 -3 1 West Ham 3 -5 0 Premier LeagueTODAY Southampton v Man Utd12:30 Brentford v Everton 15:00 Brighton v Leeds 15:00 Chelsea v Leicester 15:00 Liverpool v Bournemouth 15:00 Man City v Crystal Palace 15:00 Arsenal v Fulham 17:30 SUNDAY Aston Villa v West Ham 14:00 Wolves v Newcastle 14:00 Nott’m Forest v Tottenham 16:30 La LigaTODAY Osasuna v Cádiz 16:30 Mallorca v Real Betis 18:30 Celta Vigo v Madrid 21:00 SUNDAY Bilbao v Valencia 16:30 Atlético v Villarreal 18:30 Sociedad v Barcelona 21:00 MONDAY Elche v Sociedad 16:30 Vallecano v Mallorca 18:30 Almería v Sevilla 21:00 SUNDAY Getafe v Villarreal 16:30 Barcelona v Valladolid 18:30 Espanyol v Madrid 21:00 MONDAY Cádiz v Bilbao 19:00 Valencia v Atlético 21:00 Serie A TODAY Cremonese v Torino 17:30 Juventus v Roma 17:30 AC Milan v Bologna 19:45 Spezia v Sassuolo 19:45 SUNDAY Salernitana v Sampdoria 17:30 Hellas Verona v Atalanta 17:30 Fiorentina v Napoli 19:45 Lecce v Empoli 19:45 against in 2021-22. Palace, who currently sit ninth in the table and three points behind City in second, could become only the second team, after Man United, to win three away league matches against Citizens manager Pep Guardiola if they come out on top again this weekend.
Wilfred
29THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
for the Citizens, with the latter netting a 99th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot. City now turn their attention back to the Premier League and will welcome their return to the Etihad Stadium where they have won each of their last five top-flight games, scoring 20 goals in the process. However, the Citizens will be wary of the threat that Palace are likely to pose, as the Eagles secured a surprise 2-0 win at the Etihad last season. Interestingly, City’s only two Premier League defeats in their last 54 matches to have kicked off a 3:00pm have come against Palace, including last season’s loss and a 3-2 defeat in December 2018. After Ollie Watkins had put the visitors into an early lead, a brace from star man Wilfried Zaha– who has now netted three goals in as many league games – and a strike from Jean-Philippe Mateta helped the hosts turn the game on its head to secure their first top-flight win of the new Patrickcampaign.Viera’smen have since progressed from the second round of the EFL Cup after beating third-tier outfit Oxford United 2-0 away from home on Tuesday, with Odsonne Edouard and Luka Milivojevic both on the scoresheet in the final 20 Palaceminutes.lackedconsistency last season, securing back-to-back victories across all competitions only four times in the 2021-22 campaign, but Vieira will be hoping that his side can put aside their patchy form and build on their positive momentum in the coming weeks.
Leicester City midfield enforcer Ndidi
GLOBAL SOCCER
A trip to the Etihad is viewed as a daunting prospect for many teams, but Palace have enjoyed success away at Man City in recent years, claiming seven points from their last four Premier League visits. The Eagles were one of only four teams who City failed to beat in the Premier League last season and they were the only top-flight side who the champions failed to score
After being mauled 3-0 by Leeds United last weekend, Chelsea would be hoping to bounce back with the visit of Leicester City, who themselves have been far from impressive so far this season
Chelsea Hope to Bounce Back with Leicester Visit
Chelsea and Leicester City square off at Stamford Bridge this afternoon with both teams having endured indifferent starts to the new Premier League campaign. While the Blues have collected just four points from their opening three fixtures, the Foxes have posted just one draw, leaving the clubs in 12th and 19th position in theNevertheless,standings. both teams could do without the distractions given that they have recorded just one victory between them from their first everythingFromtriple-header.Chelsea’sperspective,washeadinginthe right direction after a 1-0 win at Everton and when leading Tottenham Hotspur deep into add-on time of their London derby. However, a last-gasp equaliser from their rivals was followed by a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Leeds United, their defeat being deserved despite claims on the contrary by ThomasAlthoughTuchel.Tuchel will likely add another three players to his firstteam squad over the next week, this now feels like a Chelsea side very much in transition and who are yet to find a solution to their issues with scoring goals. While injuries in midfield have affected them, that cannot be used as an excuse for Kai Havertz not making an impression in the final third, with only Raheem Sterling performing anywhere near to his ability in that area of the pitch. As far as Leicester are concerned, they have been heavily reliant on James Maddison, who has netted in each of their games against Brentford, Arsenal and Southampton. Eight goals have been conceded at the other end, however, and it threatens to undermine anything that Leicester produce going forward as they bid to move away from the bottom end of the table. Even if it means accepting a marginally lower fee for Fofana, the East Midlands outfit need to resolve the situation to avoid a scenario where Brendan Rodgers is scrambling around in the transfer market for a suitable replacement.
While Pep Guardiola will have been pleased to have seen his side rescue a point, the Spanish boss will feel that his team missed the chance to move further ahead of title challengers Liverpool, who are yet to win this term and suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Manchester United on Monday. Five points currently separate City from Jurgen Klopp’s men, while the Citizens are now two points behind new league leaders Arsenal. Since last weekend’s draw with Newcastle, City played out the same result in a charity friendly against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday in honour of former Barca goalkeeper and coach Juan Carlos Unzue, who has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.Bothsides had their star names on show, and it was Julian Alvarez, Cole Palmer and Riyad Mahrez who all got themselves on the scoresheet
Nigeria’s D’Tigers yesterday in Abidjan lost 78-66 to Ivory Coast in Abidjan as they resumed their 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying campaign.TheNigerians were hit with a wave of withdrawals in the build-up to the qualifiers as Olympians Miye Oni and Ike Nwamu pulled out as well as Christian Mekowulu. D’Tigers called up Chris Obekpa and Jordan Ogundiran for the games instead.Thematch started at an even tempo with both sides scoring 14 points in the first quarter. The Ivorian began to pull away in the second quarter, finishing the first half with a 42-36 lead. The home side continued to control proceedings in the third quarter as they extended their lead to 60-52 heading into the final quarter. They went on to score 18 more points in the fourth quarter while the Nigerians scored 14, and the match ended 78-66 in the favour of the home side.
The Nigerian forward scored a historic first on his full Premier League debut and on The Reds’ return to the top flight after more than two decades It took Nottingham Forest 23 years to get back to the top flight and their promotion had an element of fate to it. Despite being in the lower rungs of the Championship tableOsimhenin... has also been linked with a lot of teams this summer, with Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Chelsea among his Nevertheless,suitors.the masked Nigerian marksman could say goodbye to the Partenopeans considering especially with the possibility of reduced playtime. Still, the transfer would be a massive one, as it involves a lot of intricacies because of Ronaldo’s wages and Osimhen’s value.
Relish Gains of World Lagos
Federation which facilitated the training for the Nigerian officials. A board member of the federation who is also the Players’ representative on the board, Opeoluwa Oduneye said the sport, especially the players, would be better off after the course as both coaches and referees, would have gotten modern know-how to handle the players henceforth. “We cannot but thank the World ParaVolleyball for bringing this noble course to Nigeria and I want to say that the participants have received good exposure from the foreign instructors,” Oduneye, a Lagos State player. The Level 1 Course was primarily targeted and focused on Nigeria, as the World ParaVolleyball confirmed Nigeria as Africa’s powerhouse for the sport.
The 2022 Zenith Bank Lagos Country Club Tennis Championship has served off with about 80 players vying for honours in four Tenniscategories.Sectioncaptain, Omon Ehighebolo disclosed that the tournament, which is one of the biggest in the club’s calendar, will see participants compete in Men’s Singles A, Men’s Singles B, Women’s Doubles and Men’s Veterans.Insome of the matches played Thursday evening, Deji Oguntoye overcame a slow start to beat Jide Adefeso 6-4, 6-4 while Bimbo Okubena saw off Peter Mgbeahuru 6-3 6-2. Ehighebolo advanced by defeating Akin Osiyemi 6-2, 6-2 while last year’s beaten finalist, Idemudia Ujiagbe, who won in 2019, breezed past Kola Sofola to enhance his chances of reclaiming the title he lost to Destiny Da Silva as the latter is conspicuously missing in the tournament due to fitness issues. In the Men’s Singles B, Tunde Adeniji outplayed Adesanmi Yemi-Sofunmade 6-3, 6-1 while Laja Adeshina defeated Tola Olabajo 6-4 6-3. Tennis Section chairman Barrister Babatunde Fashanu (SAN) expressed delight at the enthusiasm shown by club members towards the tournament and commended Zenith Bank for sustaining the sponsorship of the tournament.
“This is a good opportunity for me, as a former player now into refereeing in the sport. There are few things that are special to the ParaVolley that I didn’t know before, and this course has Referees
L-R: Busari Abdulateef and Okita Comfort Agbo at the course
Balogun, who has amassed 46 caps for Nigeria in his career, signed for the Gers in the summer of 2020 following a brief spell at then-Championship side Wigan Athletic, and played 65 times in all competitions for the club north of the border. Balogun could add some grit to the QPR backline which has been suspect in the last two seasons. Last season, they conceded 59 goals in the Championship. And this season, they have continued, conceding seven in five games. Also, Balogun is not new to English football, as he previously played for Wigan Athletic and Brighton.Balogun has been without a club since the expiration of his contract two months ago. However, the status quo could change soon. It would be a reunion of sorts if the deal were to happen as Balogun and current Queens Park Rangers boss worked together at Rangers. The centre-back has played in the EFL Championship before, making 11 appearances in the division during a loan spell with Wigan Athletic in the second half of the 2019-2020 season. Queens Park Rangers are also keen on signing Aston Villa starlet Tim Iroegbunam. Beale has also worked with the Anglo-Nigerian in the past as he was Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa before taking the QPR job prior to the start of the 2022-2023Iroegbunamcampaign.signed a new deal with Aston Villa last March, keeping him at the club until 2027.
Zenith Bank Tennis Ignites Lagos Country Club
Chelsea vs Leicester, Juve vs Roma, Live on DStv, GOtv Man Utd, Napoli Mute on Osimhen, Ronaldo Swap
Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been heavily linked with a move to Serie A side Napoli in a deal that could see Super Eagles Striker Victor Osimhen switch in the opposite direction to Manchester United. There have been unending reports that Ronaldo wants to cut short his stay at Manchester United barely a year after he joined because the club failed to qualify for the Champions League. Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Sporting Lisbon have been linked with the 37-year-old attacker. However, nothing concrete has emerged from the talks. Nonetheless, reports of a move to Serie A side Napoli have waxed stronger in recent days. And according to talks, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has traveled to Naples to hold talks with the former Scudetto winners.According to Sports Witness, if Ronaldo moves to Napoli, Osimhen could also leave for Manchester United in a deal believed to be around €120-€130million.
The delegation of Super Eagles B to Ghana for Sunday’s African Nations Championship qualifying match against the Black Galaxies has arrived in the Ghanaian coastal city, CapeHeadCoast.Coach Salisu Yusuf is at the head of a contingent that includes 22 players, who will prosecute the homeand-away games against theTheGalaxies.Eagles B and their officials travelled aboard Asky Airline flight from Abuja and landed in Accra after a stop-over in Lome, before a road trip to CapeNigeriaCoast.and Ghana clash at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Sunday evening in the first leg of a final qualifying fixture for a spot at the 7th African Nations Championship to be staged in Algeria early next year. Salisu is in Cape Coast with a total of 22 players, including three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and five forwards.
The ongoing World ParaVollyey Level I Course for African Referees and Coaches has bee.n described as a lifetime opportunity for the participants to expose themselves to the latest trends in the game. The Level 1 Course, the first development course for Referees and Coaches in Africa, is holding at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos and it will endSometomorrow.ofthe participants, especially the referees, who spoke on the inherent gains and the value addition of the Course to their career, felt excited that they could be counted worthy to be part of the training.
“We look forward to the conclusion of the tournamament which promises to be exciting as members are eager to prove some points,” Fashanu said.
Stamford Bridge will host the clash between Chelsea and Leicester City in today’s English Premier League 2022/23 season showing on SuperSport. Both teams will be hoping to bounce back from last week’s disappointing results. Chelsea suffered a humiliating 3-0 away defeat against Leeds United, while Leicester City lost at home to Southampton. The match will be showing on SuperSport Football (DStv channel 205) and Go Football (GOtv channel 31) at In3:00pm.the Italian league today, it is a clash between fourth place Juventus and third place Roma on SuperSport Go Select 1 at 5:30pm. Max Allegri’s men will be keen to overtake Jose Mourinho’s team on the league table as the battle for Scudetto gets hotter. Round three of the La Liga will see Barcelona welcome Valladolid to the Camp Nou for a match showing on Select GO La Liga at 6:30pm on Sunday. The Blaugrana got their first victory of the season last weekend when they defeated Real Sociedad 1-4 away from home. Defending Champions Real Madrid will visit Catalan side Espanyol as they hope to secure their third straight victory of the season. Carlo Ancelotti’s team will begin life without veteran midfielder Casemiro who joined Manchester United earlier this week. The match will be live on Select GO La Liga at 9:00pm onToSunday.enjoythe new football season, customers can download the MyDStv and GOtv apps to subscribe or upgrade or set up AutoRenewal to stay connected without interruptions.
30 GLOBAL SOCCER THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
Ivory Coast Defeat D’Tigers in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
Ivorian star Vafessa Fofana led all scorers in the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Minnesota Timberwolves star Josh Okogie led the scoring for the D’Tigers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Sacramento Kings star Chimezie Metu also contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the D’Tigers in a losingD’Tigerscause.will return to action tomorrow against Guinea as they look to get their Group E campaign back on track.
To Okita Comfort Agbo, who came from Port Harcourt, Rivers State for the training, she was happy that she was attending an international course of thisAgbo,nature.a former female volleyball player said that she learnt new things in officiating the game of volleyball being played by special players.
Cristiano Ronaldo (l) and Victor OsimhenLeon availed me the opportunity of getting to know those things. The way the abled body players play is quite different from the para players. I think I will be going back home fully loaded with quite a lot of things,” said Agbo, who had played in the Nigerian University Games NUGA for the University of Port Harcourt. Busari Abdulateef, who came to Lagos from faraway Kaduna State said the game will be better off after this Level 1 course, even as he vowed that he would try his best to be among the lucky five that will be selected for the Level 02 course by the World ParaVolleyball.Abdulateef described his experience in the weeklong course as awesome, adding that kudos must be given to the Nigeria Para Sitting Volleyball
Queens Park Rangers boss, Michael Beale is lining up a move for Nigeria international defender Leon Balogun, according to West London Sport. The 34-year-old is currently on the market as a free agent following his release from Rangers over the summer, a club where he worked with Beale when he was the assistant to StevenGerman-bornGerrard.
Queen Park Rangers Woo Leon Balogun
ParaVolley Level 1 Course Algeria 2023: Super Eagles B Land in Cape Coast
He remains one of Africa’s best defensive midfielders but Sunday Oliseh’s coaching career is far from being a success. With five losses from five games in his last coaching job with German Regionalliga team,SV Straelen,leading to his resignation via phone call,the former Juventus midfielder may have come to the end of his coaching career
Oliseh
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 31 GLOBAL SOCCER ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMIFULA OGBU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU GLOBAL SOCCER
SundayOliseh End of Road?the
S unday Oliseh remains one of the best players to ever don the Super Eagles jersey and one of the best midfielders to have come out of Africa, but his coaching career hasn’t gone as successful.Hisstrongest managerial stint has been with Dutch club, Fortuna Sittard which he literally led to the Eredivisie from the Eerste Divisie but was sacked after a rancour with the management of the club. He has also in the past worked with the Super Eagles where he spent less than a year before resigning.Olisehstayed out of coaching for a long time before accepting to coach Straelen two months ago but his short stint at the club didn’t end on favourable terms as he failed to win any league match with the club. With five defeats in five games, the former Super Eagles coach announced his resignation via phone call after difficult two months in charge of the German Regionalliga club. Oliseh announced his resignation after German Regionalliga team, SV Straelen lost for the fifth time in as many games.
Fortuna Düsseldorf II defeated Straelen 2-0 with Oliseh miffed by his players’ display. The announcement of his resignation followed the result as the team scored just once in five league games and conceded seven times, to the expected displeasure of the former Nigerian captain.Oliseh, according to SV Straelen sporting website, announced his resignation after the defeat last Saturday. He is believed to have placed a call through to the President of the club, Hermann Tecklenburg and announced his decision.Theteam’s major highlight under Oliseh was said to be a 4-3 loss to Bundesliga 2 side, St. Pauli.Straelen’s Sporting Director, Kevin Wolze who has taken over the coaching duties of the team made the announcement to the players during Sunday’s training session. “Sunday obviously had the feeling that the team could no longer be reached. We have to accept this decision. It doesn’t make sense to try to persuade him to continue,” said Wolze.“Obviously things have changed in the meantime. We started the season with five defeats and are currently bottom of the table. In addition, the squad is standing. We will take the necessary time to find a suitable successor,” he concluded. It would be recalled that Oliseh resigned from his duty post as Super Eagles job in a controversial manner via twitter, a development the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) described as ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’. The spokesperson for the federation, Ademola Olajire, had said then: “Oliseh is gone and we have to move forward. As far as we are concerned, it is good riddance to bad rubbish. He is not the kind of person we thought he was. “He went on YouTube to abuse Nigerians. The minister pleaded with the federation to allow him to remain in place for our next two matches. As you can see, he did not even wait for those matches. Olajire said the NFF only heard of the
resignation in the media as the coach was yet to send in any letter to that effect. He had faulted Oliseh’s claim that the NFF violated the terms of his contract, challenging the coach to publish details of those aspects of his contract that were breached. Oliseh resigned just over seven months after he was appointed. The former national team captain, who announced his resignation on Twitter, said he took the decision due to the inability of the NFF to honour the terms of his contract.“Dueto contract violations, lack of support, unpaid wages, benefits to my players, assistant coaches and myself, I resign as Super Eagles Chief Coach,” he tweeted. In a preceding tweet before announcing his resignation, Oliseh thanked Nigerians for the opportunity to serve as coach of the national team.“Ifeel fortunate, blessed and eternally grateful for having the honour to play, captain and coach this great nat ion of ours, Nigeria.” Oliseh, whose appointment was made with much fanfare by the NFF, soon started having problems with the executives of the federation over remuneration, match tactics andHisresults.complaint about being owed was not well received by the NFF, which rather threatened to sanction him. Oliseh also had challenges managing the players. An altercation between the coach and the team’s former captain and the country’s most capped goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, led to the goalie’s premature resignation from theApparently,team. the last straw for Oliseh was the woeful outing of the Super Eagles at the CHAN competition in Rwan da, where the team was eliminated in the first round. Following widespread criticisms that greeted the team’s elimination, a Youtube video soon surfaced in which Oliseh lambasted his critics, referring to them as “insane”. However, his last resignation with his German club is one too many which might have put paid to his coaching career.
Omotayo Sanyaolu’s Well-Spent Life W inning a scholarship to study in a higher learning institution is a significant victory for any student, especially when it is a global-recognised school. As with several international universities today, scholarships help distinguish students with exceptional talents or promise in their respective fields of study. Like any competition, scholarship boards receive thousands of applications and submissions each year from which they must shortlist a set of strong applicants. The judges must make the complex decision of candidates who receive these scholarship awards, and it is never easy, but they must make a choice nevertheless. Naturally, there are angles to these decisions and candidates who win almost always tick all the boxes required for qualification. For this reason, we celebrate our very own Nigeria’s Linda Temienor-Vincent. In a recent scholarship award ceremony held in Norwich, the United Kingdom, on 20th May 2022, she received a rousing ovation as she was called to the stage and presented with the University of East Anglia (UEA) Global Voices 2021 Scholarship award for prose fiction. Temienor-Vincent was the sole winner of this prose fiction writing scholarship on the African continent and is presently studying creative writing at the prestigious University of East Anglia. The school’s creative writing course is famed for having produced Nobel Prize winner for Literature 2017, Kazuo Ishiguro, Booker Prize winners Anne Enright and Ian McEwan, and other critically acclaimed and prize-winning authors such T here was pain, sadness and mourning on Friday, July 29, 2022 when the demise of the Senior Special Assistant on Tertiary Education, Youth and Students Affairs, to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Omotayo Olalekan Sanyaolu, was announced. Many were shocked; the state government and tertiary institutions in Lagos, were thrown into uncontrollable mourning. Many wondered why Sanyaolu’s death should happen at such a time when his services were needed most. He was a young man, who had influenced the youths and students in the state’s tertiary institutions greatly. His death reminded everyone of the brevity of life. That fateful Friday, news filtered in that Sanyaolu, the promising young man and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Tertiary Education, Youth and Students Affairs, who still had a lot to offer the youths in terms of mentorship, among others, had died in a lone ghastly motor accident. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was shocked. His death became so painful because of his impact and the achievement he had recorded within a short period. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab was also shocked, he could not believe that Sanyaolu had gone home. He knew that his role was impactful in the lives of youths and students of the State owned institutions. Sanyaolu was prominently remembered when he risked his life last year, in the midst of COVID-19, to lead Lagos State Government’s delegation to evacuate a three-week-old baby, Daniella and 64 undergraduate students who are origin and residents of Lagos State from the University of Jos (UNIJOS) during the attack and killings in Plateau State. He demonstrated good leadership, Linda Temienor-Vincent as Ayọbámi Adébáyò, Mona Arshi, Tash Aw, just a few to mention. The university offers scholarships to students in creative writing courses, which include Prose Fiction, Biography and Creative Non-Fiction, Scriptwritfearlessness, selflessness and kindness to have submitted himself to travelling with those stranded UNIJOS students by road from Abuja to Lagos without being mindful of risk to his life, considering the present security challenges in the country. By his dint of hard work, there has been harmony and a peaceful atmosphere in Lagos’ tertiary institutions in the last three years. The usual protests by students in Lagos State vanished, and he ensured that bursaries were paid to students of Lagos indigenes on time anywhere they were schooling in the country. He facilitated the purchase of brand new space buses for all Students Union Governments (SUG) of the state-owned institutions by the Sanwo-Olu administration, which has helped to foster good relations between the students and the state government. He also used his office to tame and reduce cultism and drug abuse in schools through various public ing and Poetry. To qualify, Students must be nationals of any country within Africa or were born in any country within Africa. The applicants with outstanding creative writing potential receive these scholarships worth thousands of British Pounds in tuition.
enlightenment and sensitisation programmes on the danger of cultism and drug abuse to students. Sanyaolu ensured that in the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda of the administration, youths were placed at the centre of every development initiative of the state government. This was achieved because of his good leadership and presentation of acceptable and intelligent blueprint to the state government on how to address youths’ restiveness. He actively participated in the implementation of Jobs Initiative Lagos (JIL) project of Sanwo-olu administration for the penultimate and final year students of the state owned tertiary institutions aimed at empowering one million students in digital skills. He organised regular public enlightenment campaigns across all campuses on the importance of Jobs Initiatives (JIL) and the need for the students to partake in the programme so as to prepare them ahead of future challenges and to update their knowledge and give them relevant skills that would make them employable to meet the 21st-century job requirements. Such was his passion for ensuring that students in tertiary institutions were well grounded to meet the current job reality in Nigeria. Preparatory to the 2023 elections, Sanyaolu took PVCs registration and collection campaigns to the Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and other state institutions and ensured that INEC took registration centers to Lagos-owned institutions to make it easy for students to register for PVCs. The aim was to give them the opportunity to participate in the electoral process. Sanyaolu had said then that the sensitisation programme was one of Sanwo-Olu administration’s efforts at carrying the youths along in crucial matters that had a direct effect on their developments. He had urged the students to make effective use of the exercise to register and obtain their PVCs, and that they should be reminded that with their PVCs, they had been given the power to decide who should be their leaders across the country. Sanyaolu was also the All Progressives Congress (APC) youth leader for Lagos state in the last 8 years and he facilitated a lot of youth development programmes. No wonder tributes and encomiums poured in torrent at his demise. He was a good young man who achieved lots within the brevity of his life. At just 45 years, he impacted the lives of several thousands of youths and students of LagosGovernorstate.Sanwo-Olu led the tributes and encomium. He described the death of Sanyaolu as a personal loss to him and the Lagos State Government, as well as the deceased family, friends, Lagos APC and the government within theAccordingstate. to him, “the death of a loved one is usually painful as it is irreparable, but we must thank God that Omotayo Sanyaolu made a positive impact during his short, but eventful life. He served our party, APC passionately and meritoriously as a youth leader and contributed to its victory in many elections. Tayo, as my Special Assistant on Tertiary Education, Youth and Student Affairs was very instrumental to the greater Lagos agenda. He contributed positively to issues affecting the youths and students in the state. “I sympathise with his widow, children, siblings, friends and the entire family as well as Lagos State and the APC family. I pray that God will grant the late Omotayo Sanyaolu eternal rest and grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. We will miss Tayo.” Oyelami is of the Public Afffairs Unit, Office of the Special Adviser on Education Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com
Temienor-VincentAdesoyeAkingboluOyelami
Sanyaolu PEOPLE 32 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 Raheem
According to Temienor-Vincent, the Global Voices Scholarship has given her a platform to improve her writing and storytelling skills and amplify valuable stories designed for a global audience. A communication specialist and writer, Linda Temienor-Vincent’s first eBook titled “This Journey Called Life” was her entry for the scholarship and is available on the Okadabooks app. It belongs to the fiction genre. The narrative, engaging and rich with culture, is set in the mid-western region of Nigeria in the 70s and tells the story of a rib-tickling young Urhobo man and his transition from a rural community to Lagos metropolis. Her understanding of resilience and transformation amid characteristic upheavals in Nigeria is profound. Suffice it to say that, in these tumultuous and obfuscating times, Africa and the world need Temienor-Vincent’s penetrating narrative eye to see situations. She publicly started creative writing in 2018 and is a short story writer who enjoys writing primarily fiction. Every other type of writing comes second. She has the vision to build a powerhouse for the writing and development of stories. If there is one thing Temienor-Vincent would like to change about the Nigerian literary space, it would be to see Nigerian writers exposed to international platforms to improve their skills and get their works better appreciated. In the short term, Temienor-Vincent, who is working on her debut full-length novel, would like to get Nigerian writers to tell historical and contemporary African stories in new exciting ways without losing the spirit of their origin. In the long term, she wants to see a strong guild of writers fighting to get legitimate funding to develop writing projects which will keep people engaged and employed, thereby preserving African heritage.
Wins Global Voices Scholarship for Africa
You need to do a critical cold rational analysis of the political behaviour and the political environment in which we are; the political environment of our people.
Dele Alake INTERVIEW 33THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
Now all those people who are regarded as social media warriors or who are ac tive on social media, if you take their population, you will discover that it is not going to sway the larger voters. For instance, how many of our rural dwellers or farmers are on social media. Why we think social media is such a fuss now is because the elite (like you and I) are on social media. However, when you aggregate the social media activists’ population, vis-à-vis the entire population of the country, you will discover that it is almost infinitesimal. Therefore, whoever is basing his/her judgement on 2023 in terms of social media has missed it. We are experienced in this matter. We are not just smoking our fire on social media alone, we are moving on to all strata of the society, which we have always done. How, let’s go into grade stacks, even amongst those who are on social media, what percentage of them are going to vote at the end of the day? What Dele Alake percentage of them are registered voters? Therefore, if the people who are emotionally or sentimentally attached to Peter Obi are educated or enlightened and are told to do rational analysis, they would not to make a mistake of their lifetime. They will discover a difference; they will discover that it is fluke and this is substance and our candidate is the substance. What we need at this point is visioning. What do we mean by visioning? I will tell you; a leader must be able to think minimum of 25 years and conceptualize what that will entail for the next 25-30, 40-50 years, not just for today. Cash and Carry container economics people look at immediacy. A visionary leader must look at now, the immediate term, the long term and the next generation and plan accordingly. It is only Asiwaju who has the demonstrable capacity. He has done it, and I will give you anManyexample.people are gravitating to Lagos, the Atlantic City, which is an icon of Nigeria today, was water some years back. Bar beach used to overflow into Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island. At some point, in 2000, the entire stretch of Ahmadu Bello was being submerged and the property value in Victoria Island dropped
Preparations for the 2023 elections are in top gear and the campaign will start next month. How will you describe the tempo so far from the vibes you are getting? I think it’s been a natural development. We have seen several election cycles in our time. Personally, there has been nothing spectacularly different from the previous build-up to campaigns that we have witnessed in OfNigeria.course, when elections or campaigns are near, passions are bound to erupt and then you see gravitation to the left, to the right and centre and all of that and vituperation of all kinds from all corners. Of course, it’s natural because it is a competi tion for power. The election as in any election is a competition for power. Therefore, the various contending interests will be gathering their loins, preparing their arsenal and stockpiling their weapons and stuff like that for the campaign and then the eventual election. The tempo rising, to me, is a natural occurrence. It is something to be expected. I haven’t seen anything outside of the ordinary in the tempo so far Which factors do you think will shape the 2023 presidential election? The salient issues confronting Nigeria now are the factors and the variables that will shape the election in 2023. From our side, we are not going to engage in rabble rousing. It is those who believe that they are going to lose or have nothing tangible, or quality product to market to show the public that will engage in rabble rousing or comedic tantrums and stuff like that. No, that’s not for us. We have a truck full of products to dish out to the discerning public anyway. There is no gainsaying the fact that all the contending personalities in the political firmament of today, our product stands head and shoulder ahead of any other person in terms of track records, in terms of antecedents, in terms of all the attributes of leadership. He is an embodiment of all the leadership of a progressive developing nation or a nation that is in a hurry to be developed and we have the example. Is it in social engineering? Is it in political development? Is it in infrastructural development? Is it in mental development? In any aspect of administration, public life, human life, human existence, our product, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), stands ahead of any contender on the horizon as of today. The factors that are going to shape and condition the minds of the electorate are the salient issues of security, economy and so on. As we go along, we will get to the nitty gritty and unveil so many of the details of his achievements and his vision for Nigeria The candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, is gaining so much popularity on social media, even in the southern part of the country. Do you think this is the year of a third force? You know before, what we used to have predominantly are the APC and the PDP, but Obi moving to the Labour party seems to have changed the narrative for the 2023 election. I cannot sit down here and deny the fact that there is an amount of groundswell of frustration amongst the youth and among the cross section of the populace, which is actually the driving force behind what you term as the popularity of Peter Obi on social media. However, I can tell you that it is natural (the feeling, the pent-up anger of all of those that are venting their spleen through the symbol of Peter Obi). However, social media is not going to determine the 2023 elections. It has never determined any election in Nigeria to a large extent and it is not going to determine the 2023 election. Neither is it going to determine our elections in several years to come.
Director of Strategic Communication for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organisation and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Dele Alake was recently on a television programme where he spoke on why Bola Tinubu looks good to win the 2023 presidential election. Excerpts: because people are moving out of fear. In addition, what did the Federal Government at that time do? What were they doing? They were sand filling every year with billions of naira. I am a witness and so are many. I was in the cabinet at the time, so I knew exactly the A-Z of the visioning, conceptualiza tion, monitoring and execution that translated into the Eko Atlantic today. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu insisted that sand filling would not solve theWeproblem.shopped around, calling experts and they brought proposals. First, we went to South Africa, the Netherlands and almost everywhere, especially where there was water problem and ocean Eventually,surges.Asiwaju maintained that a permanent city should come out of the place and that is what we have there today-Eko Atlantic City. Today, the United States of America is proposing to build its largest embassy in the world on the same Eko Atlantic, which is a project and investment of about over $500 million. This is aside other investments that are going on at the place. Let me also talk about the Lekki Free Trade Zone, which Asiwaju also conceptualized in the early days of his administration. Current governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was on the entourage that went to China when this policy was being conceptualized. Today, the Zone has become a phenomenal economic hub. That is the Asiwaju Midas Touch. If he can translate Lagos from a mere N600 million per month IGR state into over N50 billion, then he can do wonders for the country. Given the complexities of our country, can he replicate the success story that he recorded in Lagos on this bigger scale of Nigeria? It is even easier, for whoever has the capacity. Nigeria is more endowed than Lagos in terms of human, material and natural resources. This is one of the greatest countries in the world. For Asiwaju Tinubu to translate what he has done in Lagos into Nigeria is easy because in Lagos, I knew what we went through in terms of conceiving all of those things, in terms of the courage that it took to actually put these public policies, projects and programmes into place.Now in Nigeria, as a whole, we have resources in every corner, including human resources. What is Asiwaju noted for, if not for the ability or capacity to spot talents. That is a no brainer. Everybody knows that. Which of the other candidates has that capacity, antecedent or track record? Therefore, it’s easier for Asiwaju to be given a larger canvas as it were. We had two recent off-season elections, in Ekiti and Osun. The APC won one and lost the other. Given that your preferred presidential candidate is contesting against a battle tested candidate of the PDP, someone that could be described as a serial contestant, do you really think that your candidate has what it takes to defeat an Atiku Abubakar? The first part of your question concerns the last two elections. I do not see how those ones affect my principal’s ability. In fact, some of us, we just do not deal with hearsays, rumour and stuff like that. If you go to Osun today and do a random survey on the presidential candidates, you’ll discover that Asiwaju is far ahead of everyone. In addition, you can replicate that in all the otherAsiwajustates.has demonstrated repeatedly his capacity to say something and deliver. Asiwaju is the only one I know in the political firmament of Nigeria today that is a thinker and a performer.
Knowledge, Vision, Courage Stand Tinubu Out
are going through especially with dwindling revenue coming from the oil sector where we get a large portion of the foreign exchange that we get as a country.
he Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba has called on Nigerians to ditch the mentality of thinking foreign products are better than made-in-Nigeria brands.
He also noted during the Facility Tour that the assemblage of Jet Motor vehicles which is done by local engineers is encouraging because it helps in technology transfer, human capital development in terms of employment which boosts the economy because there will be lessTheimportation.Ministersaid; “It is in line with the Executive Bill signed by President Muhammadu Buhari to promote local content; what this means is that Nigerians are creating employment for Nigerians and as we create employment, we are invariably dealing with the issue of poverty reduction.
The Minister made the call at the weekend during a Facility Tour of the assembly plant of Jet Systems Automobile Industries Ltd located at Gbogije, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos State.
Kia Concept EV9, unveiled at AutoMobility LA in Los Angeles last year. Personifying ‘Opposites United,’ the brand’s groundbreaking new design language, the EV9 production model will represent the pinnacle of what is possible with an SUV. The Kia EV9 developed on the company’s advanced Electric Global new era in sophisticated, high-technology, sustainable mobility. the Kia EV9 will follow in the footsteps of the brand’s ground-breaking all-electric EV6, which has garnered numerous critical accolades, including the highly prestigious European Car of the Year 2022 title.
“The National Development Plan of the present administration speaks to quite a number of things that need to be done so that as a country, we go away from primary production of commodities into value-adding products. That means producing commodities with high complexities so that we can begin to export and earn dollars. It is when we continue to export and earn foreign exchange as a country that we will have money to give to businesses to invest, especially those who are seeking FOREX”.
Prince Agba also disagreed, when asked during the Facility Tour that a lack of incentive is discouraging many who have invested billions in the automobile assemblage industry.
Kia EV9 Undergoes Final Testing Ahead of 2023 Debut
“I disagree with that notion that there is a lack of incentive; the duty rate required for the assemblage of SKDs is much lower compared to what is required to pay for a fully assembled vehicle; meaning, if you were to continue to a CKD, the duty fee is even higher. The incentive for an SKD is higher because it is expected that there will be more value here in terms of creating job thatopportunities.”itservesas an incentive to invest more in the ‘‘Theeconomy.visitofthe Minister of State for Budget and National Planning means a lot to us; it means that the government recognises what we are doing. The visit serves as an incentive for us to do more by means of further investment in the economy.
Here are some pro tips to take care of your windshield washer of the impact that washing your windshield with regular water can have. There are some easy tricks to follow that will ensure that the health of your car’s components using tap water as your wind over a long period of vehicle ownership. Hence, it is better to start working on these minute things from the very beginning and you won’t have to face dif some easy tips to ensure that. How to maintain your Wind-shield Washer Fluid? There are professional washer service dealerships. If you get your car’s service done, the technicians will put this washer some additives for lubrication of your wiper surfaces as well as a washer pump. These use chemicals to ensure that no dust pump. If these dirt particles ac to fade. This could also result in eventual damage to the pump. Replacing the pump might be a bit expensive.Secondly, if there is no proper lubrication in the wipers, there will be scratches on the wind shield.This, too, is visible in the long run. By the time you realise that your windshield has scratches on it, it may be too late to do any thing about it apart from changing it. Also, it makes driving at night The marks on the windshield cause the light to glitter more than normal and could potentially cause accidents.
Tips to Maintain Your WasherWindshieldFluid
The pro tip to maintain the lon gevity of your windshield washer long as it doesn’t completely run you don’t have to worry about
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a step and with what I see here and what is happening in other places across Nigeria, we only need publicity and encouragement so that Nigerians begin to accept made in Nigeria products because we tend to think products made outside the country are superior and that mindset has to change.”
34 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 AUTO WORLD Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com
“This visit also serves as an opportunity to showcase the unique services that we have
“The Jet mover is one of the two main local brands in Nigeria; others are foreign brands which are not assembled in Nigeria and if they are, they are foreign brands assembled in Nigeria. But the Jetvan is assembled in Nigeria; the brand is owned by Nigeria and we are so happy that the Federal Government is associating with us and they are part of us.
“It shows that they appreciate what we are doing which may lead to patronage in the near future.”
He also talked about the unique features of the Jet brand and why it is a travelers choice. ambulance, the electric passenger bus and the electric cargo bus. These are the brands
“You can get passenger buses here and our buses have a whole lot of room in terms head room as any passenger can walk inside the bus without bending.
R-L: Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba; Director of Sales, Sanjay Rupani; COO, Wemimo Osanipin; Team Lead Technical, Ebuka Uchendu; Team Lead Corporate Services, Chukwudi Anyawuocha, during the visit to Jet Motor Plant… recently
“The seats are also constructed in a way that it is high and you can stretch your leg because there is enough leg room. There is also the gang which starts from the door to the extreme end of the bus which only has three seats while also creating enough space for“Mostluggage.Nigerians now opt for road transportation and while going on such long journeys one needs to be entertained. That is why in our buses we have an individualised entertainment system just in case passengers want to play games, watch movies or listen well entertain themselves without disturbing the next passenger. There is also a USB port where passengers can charge their phones.”
TIPS OF THE WEEK (Source:CarBlogIndia)
who came with the Minister said that they didn’t believe that our Jet automobiles are assembled in Nigeria.
The Minister also noted that despite the non implementation of the National Automotive which discourages the importation of fully built vehicles in Nigeria and encourages local assemblers, the industry is still thriving. He said; “The present administration encourages local production and if it didn’t mean anything to the government, I wouldn’t be here. I am not just alone as the Minister, I am here with 25 Commissioners of Budget and Economic Development in the country. That should tell you what this means to the government; of course when you have a policy, it takes time for implementation. “It is not automatic, it is just like a marriage, the couple does not give birth to a child on the same day they are married. It is a process, and things have to be done in the proper way. There are certain challenges as a country we
T
Minister, 26 Commissioners Visit Jet Motor Plant, Advocate Nigerian Brands Kia has revealed details of program undertaken by the Kia EV9 ahead of its world debut in 2023. The all-electric Kia EV9 will become the brand’s large electric SUV segment, while accelerating leadership in sustainable electric mobility. set new standards in design, performance, range, driving dynamics, technology and comfort, every facet of the EV9 is currently being pushed to the limits of durability at Kia’s global Namyang R&D center in Korea. terrain track, as well as a deep-water wading test, to ensure maximum reliability even in the most challenging conditions. Kia’s highspeed, handling, and low-friction tracks place every element of the EV9’s performance and roadholding under the strictest scrutiny. At the same time, the unforgiving cobbles of the Belgian road enable Kia’s engineers to subject the EV9’s ride comfort and build quality to the harshest possible trials. In addition to the test program at Namyang R&D center, like every Kia model, the EV9 has also been subjected to a punishing testing regimen in locations all over the globe.
Prince Agba who was accompanied by the Taraba State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon Solomon Elisha alongside 25 other Commissioners of Budget and Economic Development across the country, noted that asides better quality of the home-grown brands, they also present many advantages for the country. He also advocated for a move from primary production to the creation of value adding goods to help improve foreign earnings into theAftercountry.theFacility Tour which also included the display of the Jet Mover Electric Van (the station, the Minister said he believes the Jet Motor brand and others across the length and breadth of Nigeria were charting a new cause
“This is very much in line with the vision of the present administration and also in line with the Nation Development Plan 2021-2025.”
Jonas Agwu amnipr, FederalZonalAssistantmcipr,mprsa,arpaCorpsMarshalCommandingOfficerRoadSafetyCorps.
SAFE DRIVING with Time to Nail Killer Drivers
Mercedes-Benz Presents First glimpse of new EQE SUV Interior
The EQE SUV is the multipurpose variant of the EQE executive sedan, available just like this latter model with the key innovations found in the EQS, yet at the same time even more dynamic than the EQS SUV. In terms of headroom and legroom, as is one of the most spacious representatives of its class. The EQE SUV celebrates its world premiere on October 16, 2022. The EQE SUV is based on the large electric platform from Mercedes-EQ. On top of this it boasts an interior that has been constantly digitized. For the U.S. market, the EQE SUV is standardly equipped with a 12.8” Central OLED Touchscreen Portrait Display with 12.3” Instrument Cluster. The dominant outer vents have a turbine design, deliberately playing on the theme of hyper analogue through the contrast between high-tech precision mechanics.
The front section Mercedes-Benz new EQE SUV Interior
L-R: Senior Vice President, New Markets, Autochek; Mohammed Iyamu; Head, Marketing and Communications, CFAO Motors, Funmi Abiola; Senior Vice President West Africa, Autochek, Dr. Mayokun Fadeyibi; and General Manager, Winpart/AutoFast, Mohamed Taleb, at a press conference to announce the partnership between Autochek and AutoFast to facilitate vehicle ... recently of the center console joins the instrument panel and is free-standing in space. The vent band from the cockpit is visually continued with integrated door opener and seat controls takes over the functional interpretation of formerly purely decorative elements. Avant-garde as well as traditional materials and colors give the interior a special atmosphere. Five coordinated color combinations underscore the generous sense of spaciousness. The EQE SUV is immersed in a progressive and luxurious world of color comprising warm and cool tones (e.g. the warm, modern sable brown combines with techy-looking neva grey). A hybrid trim element brings together the warmth of wood with the technical coolness of real aluminum. The trim in an anthracite trim element backlit with the Mercedes-Benz pattern also creates a special ambience.
35THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 AUTO WORLD
This piece was published about two years ago. I am compelled by the promptings of a friend to use it again. I do hope you will enjoy the reading with a bit of editing to make it look a bit fresh. I love football. In fact, I am crazy and freaky about football. My craze is worsened when it is about the Premiership where football lives or when my darling Super Eagles adorn our traditional Green, White and Green jersey. For the record, I am not a Reds even though I love the colour red. I am a Gunners and have been one for as long as I can remember. I love Arsenal and will remain a Gunner for life even though my friend and brother, Chris Kehinde Nwandu (CKN) jumped ship from Arsenal to Manchester United at the height of the crisis following the departure of Arsene Wenger and our flat footed performances over time. I hope he becomes a prodigal fan, now that we are relishing the FA Cup win to close the 2019/2020 season as well as the Community Shield after flogging Liverpool at Wembley. With all sense of humility, I have nothing against Manchester United, nor against Chris Nwandu who is my brother from a mother I am yet to meet. However, I really cannot stand being called a REDs even though their football is sweet on a good day but I truly fear being tagged a Devils Beforefan.Ibore you and I lose my readers who are supporters of the REDS, let me pause and inform you that this focus is not about Manchester United who have been wobbling since the start of the current season unlike my darling Arsenal. It is neither about Arsenal who have discovered their rhythm. It is actually first about the fate of one of the REDS overrated defenders in the Premiership, Harry Maguire, the captain of Manchester United following his trial on the Greek Island in 2020. I heard the 27 year-old was released from Police custody following his arrest on the island of Mykonos due to an alleged altercation with police officers. I read that he was not obliged to be in attendance which I must confess tripped me. Mag, as I fondly call him when he shows up on the pitch with his superlative performance, pleaded not guilty. According to media reports, Mag did not comment after leaving court. The report further said that “three foreigners were arrested after an alleged altercation with police officers in Mykonos. The other two defendants were Maguire’s brother Joe, 28, and a family friend Christopher Sharman, 29. Maguire’s father Alan, I read, was at the court hearing. According to media reports, the accusations against the three included “violence against officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an official.” Greek police said that officers had tried to break up an altercation between two groups outside a bar and that the three foreigners had then verbally abused and assaulted one of the officers. After arriving at Mykonos police station, the three arrested individuals “strongly resisted, pushing and hitting three police officers” while “one of the detainees tried to offer money so that the trial against them would not be completed,” it further Maguiresaid.isperhaps the fourth premiership footballer whose travails have formed part of my focus on this page. I have severally x-rayed the plight of some celebrities, especially footballers who daily indulge in flouting traffic rules after too much clubbing and
Autochek, an automotive technology company that makes car ownership more accessible and affordable to Nigerians and across Africa, has signed a partnership agreement with AutoFast, to provide its customers with high-quality vehicle maintenance. The agreement said that Nigerians who financed their vehicles via Autochek would now have access to free vehicle maintenance and servicing from Autofast for one year. They would also enjoy additional benefits of having their vehicles maintained by well-trained technicians who have extensive experience in diagnosing and servicing different brands and models of used and newThevehicles.AutoFast, which is a subsidiary of the CFAO Group, specialised in routine vehicle maintenance with an offer ranging from quick oil changes, wheel balancing, alignment, and A/C maintenance to the sale and replacement of oil filters, air filters, cabin air filters, spark plugs, wiper blades, brake pads, batteries, and tyres directly sourced from the Independent After Market (IAM).
Autochek Partners AutoFast to Provide Free Vehicle Maintenance
drinking. Maguire’s case has nothing to do with flouting traffic rules in the United Kingdom. It is totally a matter that took place while he was holidaying on the Greek Island. What I find really intriguing, as stated earlier, is the flexibility of the court proceedings despite claims by the Police. The flexibility brings to my mind the cases of traffic offenders, especially drivers responsible for deaths on our roads. Observers, including my friend Martins, have wondered why it is difficult to convict a killer driver in Nigeria. I wish my friends and legal pals were reachable to take me through some legal tutoring on the intricacies involved in court trials as it affects traffic infractions that claim lives. Why is it difficult or impossible to convict? Or why the snail speed in convicting such drivers. Why must a driver who caused the death of others not be slammed behind bars and in addition have his driver’s licence withdrawn, was the poser thrown at me by Martins. In the absence of my legal friend, I reached out to another whose views I admire and popped the million-dollar question on the difficulty in convicting killer drivers. Why is it difficult to secure convic tion in Nigeria in cases where death results from dangerous/unsafe driving practices? I asked. Before you get excited that you now have the opportunity for a pro bono under my watch, kindly note that these views were provided by him during my legal lessons, 101 class. He began by stating that it is the law that traffic offences generally speaking are strict liabilityHowever,offences.there are exceptions as can be seen from the Nigerian Evidence Act as regards speeding offences that require corroboration and some other such offences viewed as more serious traffic offences. More so, trials in cases where death result from dangerous driving or other unsafe driving practices even though are charged under the various road traffic laws or the FRSC Act, depending on the prosecuting agency, the standard and burden of proof are usually as high as it is in ” CRIMINAL TRIALS”. It is to be noted that there is this distinction without a difference wherein traffic offences are viewed from the prism of quasi criminal matters. The courts, he continued, have held severally that there are ingredients that must be established in cases of death occasioned by dangerous or unsafe driving. But to address the main issue raised above frontally, it is safe to say that the major militating factors include, but are not limited to poor crash investigation and evidence gathering/preservation, poor or outright lack of data or driver’s driving history/vehicle maintenance history- the laws provide for statutory returns that must be made to the various regulatory agencies but are sadly mostly observed in the breach. Others include poor prosecutorial skills, wherein most cases are prosecuted at the Magistrate Court by non-lawyers thereby giving room for defence lawyers who are vaster in the knowledge and application of law to exploit such loopholes to the advantage of a defendant. He concluded by stating that want or dearth of expert evidence during such trials among others are critical hiccups. Further to the above, he said that the prosecution must prove that the following; that the defendant’s manner of driving was reckless or dangerous and also that the substantial cause of death is attributed to the defendant’s reckless or dangerous driving and lastly that the crash occurred on a Federal Highway (if charge is brought under the Federal Highway Act) In particular reference to the FRSC, the powers to prosecute drivers who cause death by dangerous driving is specifically provided for in section 20 thereof which prescribes a prison term of not less than I year but not exceeding seven years. While all these turenchi has further confused me, I think I should quit the class and focus on how to navigate the herculean task of checking increasing infractions during this new normal, thanks to COVID-19.
West Africa at Autochek, Ms. Mayokun Fadeyibi, said: “Our customers are at the heart of this partnership, like everything else we do. We want to improve their experience by making it easier for them to purchase their desired vehicles as well as maximising the lifetime value. Access to high-quality maintenance is a major concern for many Nigerian customers, but AutoFast is changing this with their expertise and approach. We look forward to leveraging their service to support our mission to improve the automotive value proposition for Nigerian customers”
Speaking on the agreement, Senior Vice President for
Similarly, the General Manager, Winpart/AutoFast, Mr. Mohamed Taleb, said: “We are excited to be joining forces with Autochek to make life easier for more Nigerian vehicle owners to access the best vehicle maintenance. We pride ourselves on the quality of service we provide and the customer experience we offer. We have a systematic vehicle maintenance check procedure and a very affordable pricing mechanism, and we are very professional in handling customers’ requests across our growing network across Lagos and Abuja. We are confident that by partnering with Autochek, more Nigerian vehicle owners will continue to experience the best of service.”
T he Director General, the National Council for Arts and hasSegun(NCAC),CultureOtunbaRunseweadvisedthe Performing Musicians and Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) to leverage on the vibrant music platform at their disposal to develop a stronger brand that will unify theHecountry.alsowants the association to produce a Nigerian song that will unify all the different ethnic groups in the country. Runsewe gave the charge when he received the Executive members of the PMAN in Abuja.Heexpressed delight over the visit, saying the association has a big role to play in spreading the message of unity “in order to heal wounds and rekindle hope, yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians who continually strive for a better tomorrow.”Healsosaid the time was ripe for a strong collaboration between the NCAC and PMAN in developing and promoting a stronger Nigeria brand through music, adding that in other parts of the world, music is an important tool to drive home the demands of the people and at the same time, get the attention of the government of theRunsewe,day. who is also the President of the World Crafts Council for African Region, restated the need for the association to remain focused so as to create a platform for all musicians across the country with a unifying voice.
“Rev. Uma Ukpai is one of Nigeria’s foremost Christian preachers and one of global acclaim. This is one man of God who has preached the gospel for over 50 years, with so many testimonies following his ministry. With this project, his annual conferences will finally have a suitable home, besides the number of jobs we expect to create with this alone”, the statement reads. Rev. Ukpai is popularly known as a founding father of the organized Pentecostal movement in West Africa, an evangelist who has not founded any church, but maintains a travelling evangelical ministry. Other than his itinerant preaching schedule, he does hold a weekly meeting in his fellowship headquarters in Uyo the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Wednesdays. It was further explained that the Prayer City will be a memorial legacy of the evangelical ministry of preacher Rev. Ukpai. Over 15 hectares of land had been acquired for this project and contract for the construction had been awarded to the duo of Uhuru Global Construction Company and Habitat Universal Concept.Theground breaking event is slated for Friday September 2, 2022 at the site of theBesidesproject.being a preacher, Rev. Ukpai has built several colleges in Nigeria and Ghana. Justina Uzo
Uma Ukpai Plans World’s Largest Church Auditorium
Ferdinand Ekechukwu architects, Abuja based Devinci Consulting, said. The designers confirmed via a statement that the auditorium is projected to be completed in 36 months, taking into account what they termed “foreign logistics”. The Uma Ukpai Prayer City will be his largest single project. The architects state that it will host not only the church auditorium but also event centres, meeting rooms, a clinic, 3 helipads, a petrol station, a hotel, offices and diverse parking lots. Its media managers, Jabborro PR, forecasts that this project alone will generate hundreds of jobs and create a medium sized local economy in Ohafia.
“Displays at the event will include culinary arts, traditional wrestling, camel racing, horse racing, mini-Durbar, folk dancing, bull fight
The leader of the delegation and President of PMAN, Pretty Okafor said they were at the NCAC ‘s headquarters to express their appreciation to Runsewe) for the “fatherly role” he played in ensuring the return of peace to the association. Okafor revealed that the new leadership of the association has duly registered all musicians in the country and they are enjoying royalties from their works through a partnership with Zenith Bank. He said the association had been able to secure a land in Abuja for the building of an “Entertainment City and Musicians’ Village” to cater for the needs of the association. Also speaking, the first vice president of the association, Sunny Neji jokingly told Runsewe to remember the association when the Covid-19 palliatives are being shared. Runsewe promised to look into their demands with a view to reducing the various challenges of the association.
Justina Uzo TRAVEL AND TOURISM THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 202236
Runsewe Urges Nigerian Musicians to Raise the Bar
O rganisers of Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Festival have announced September 8 to 10, 2022 as date for the 7th edition of the event. They also disclosed that the Polo event has been expanded, with six teams set to participate - NSK Farms, H. Hago, Ayatun, JRB Solar, NIHOTOUR and Osolo. Apart from polo, so many other activities will be held during this sports and cultural tourism fiesta taking place in Kebbi State.
The 2022 Argungu organizing committee stressed that the objective of the event is to improve economic benefits and multipliereffects of the event on the host community. Argungu is an agricultural town with com parative advantage in rice farming, fishing and allied Kangiwa,industries.therefore,extolled the pioneering efforts and fatherly support provided by the Emir of Argungu, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Samaila Mera, CON, who is also the Grand Patron of the Polo Tournament.
In addition, five strategic sub- committees on Security and Logistics, Fund- raising and Mobilisation, Hospitality and Protocol, Event Planning/ Programmes and Media/Publicity, were created to work out activities that will help them to do things differently so as to change the narrative and give answers to the tourism issues in the country.
T he Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association is set for a groundbreaking ceremony of a church auditorium that can seat 120,000 worshippers in Ohafia LGA of Abia State. Designed in the frame of an indoor stadium, the auditorium is projected to be the largest church auditorium in the world per Wikipedia criteria. The auditorium will be built within the proposed “Uma Ukpai Prayer City”, the project
Patron of the festival, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, who also holds the traditional title of the “Turakin Kebbi”, promised that activities lined-up for this year’s festival would surpass previous editions. Kangiwa said scores of polo players, includ ing the best in the country, and well over 80 horses will be involved in the tournament for three consecutive days in Argungu.
“This year there will see more emissaries, international dignitaries and foreign govern ment officials,” he said. The Turaki also said cultural entertainment groups from other West African countries have confirmed their participation and are currently making travel arrangements.
Balogun was inaugurated as Chairman of the Central Working Committee for 2022 WTD celebrations by the President of Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung in Abuja immediately after the apex tourism body’s non-elective gathering. Balogun told members of the committee drawn from across the tourism segments such as Hospitality, travel trade, tour operators and water transportation, that time had come for the private sector to take over the running of tourism in the country and also forge a new partnership with both states and federal government’s relevant agencies. Each of the sub- committees has since submitted preliminary reports and an expanded meeting has been held to adopt submissions that will flourish the programmes for WTD celebrations by the tourism operators in the country.
Argungu Polo Tournament Holds September 8
As Nigeria prepares to join the rest of the world for the World Tourism Day (WTD) 2022, on September 27, the President of the organised boat operators in the country, the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters (ATBOWATON), Dr. Tarzan Balogun, has set up a new private sector group to work towards a successful celebration.
The committee which was unveiled recently in Lagos is expected to deliver a successful event that will focus on the key areas of the sector.
Boat Operators’ President Inaugurates World Tourism Day Committee ing, and many other uncommon traditional spectacles,” Turaki said. Participating Polo clubs will be fighting to win any of the prestigious cups such as the Governor’s Cup, Sultan’s Cup, Emir of Argungu’s Cup, Emir of Kano’s Cup, King Appolos Chu’s Cup, Lai Mohammed’s Cup, Shehu Kangiwa’s Cup and the Abubakar Dangiwa Umar’s Cup. Typically, in any week of the Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Festival, thousands of tourists visit the town of Argungu and assemble at the NSK Polo ground, thereby creating socio-economic opportunities and benefits to residents and businesses in the Argungu Emirate. The event is one of the most successful Nigeria tourist products involving the private sector and the host community. It offers the majesty of the Polo game, traditional sports and cultural activities in an historic African destination.
The 2022 Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Festival is powered by Argungu Emirate Council, the Government of Kebbi State and Fan Milk among other corporate organizations, who have historically sup ported the festival. The festival has over the years lived-up to its billing as one of the most spectacular tourist attractions in the country. Argungu is one of Nigeria’s historically significant towns and the host town of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage asset in Nigeria i.e. the festival. Since inception in 2016, leading Polo teams from clubs in the country have regularly featured in the prestigious Polo Tournament. It will be recalled that NSK Ranch and Re sort started hosting the Polo Tournament in Keffi, Nasarawa State and before shifting toTheArgungu.Emirate’s territory spans parts of North-Western Nigeria and Southern Niger Republic.
Polo players in Argungu Justina Uzo
37THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022 MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874
A new reality show, Taste2Fame has been launched to enable food entrepreneurs and cocktail mixologists to showcase their skills and creativity.According to the Executive Director of Taste2Fame, Chris Moweta, the show provides a platform to expose contestants to wide range of opportunities but also task them on professionalism, creativity, versatility, presentation and dynamism.
While urging on interested ones to enter for the contest that closes by October 20, Moweta informed that the programme would explore foods and drinks across Nigeria and beyond, tasked contestants to create original recipes and new recipes from existing ones. He said: “Because we have immense respect for our prospective audience, we are presenting to them a show that will showcase excellence in every sense of the word –from stage design to lighting, costumes, cinematography and programming, Taste2Fame will give the audience a real spectacle to behold. Before now, there have been contests involving mixologists, but they have always been on a relatively small scale, and they a national level. any show in Nigeria, we are giving mixologists national relevance and we are giving them equal opportunity to win big prize monies. Two ultimate winners will emerge to claim the star prizes. The chef and the mixologists will be recognised and rewarded equally.” The programme will air for select stations across Nigeria.
‘‘No doubt, this innovation will improve the connection between brand and customer, enabling us to serve them better.”He explained further that both customers and merchants, as well as other stakeholders, would have the privilege to submit questions to members of Konga executive management team and get answers from the source. He said the session will hold every last Thursday of the month via zoom channel. gaps, limiting Nigerians, espeexcluded from being captured in the NIN enrollment exercise.
According to the organization, in a report released recently, the vulnerable groups were mostly impacted by government’s restrictions on mobile phone users who have not linked their NIN to their SIM. The report stated that these groups’ exclusion from NIN ecosystem was driven by a range of barriers such as lack of source documents such means of validating their age and personal data, poor access to enrolment centres, and other delimiting factors.
Composite retail platform, Konga has demonstrated its commitment to customers’ engagement at a virtual interactive session held with the company’s loyalists recently. The session tagged, “Chat with our Executive Management” is a monthly programme to enable the organisation connect with clients as well as gather feedback on how to serve themSpeakingbetter.during the maiden edition of the session, Co-CEO of Konga Group, Nick Imudia stated that invitation was extended to all customers to share their experience, adding that the platform would further raise the bar of service delivery and enrich existing relationship between the brand and customers. He said: “Konga has a face. company to combine the warmth and human touch of physical stores to the convenience and savvy of online shopping, but we are also taking it further by giving our customers the chance to interact with company leaders and become more familiar with the names and faces driving the business.
L-R: Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Ikeja Electric, Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu; Chairman (steel sector) Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Prince Felix Oba Okojie; Ag. Managing Director, Manufacturers Power Development Company Ltd, Oweh Mba-Sam and Head, Maximum Demand Key Account Management, Ikeja Electric,Tomi Ola during discussion on power supply opportunities to MAN members in Ikeja Electric’s network...recently New Reality Show Unveiled to Discover Chefs, Mixologists
Epe Targets Self-sufficiency, Grows Local Tourism
The organisation stated that the promo, which will culminate on October 30, is being executed in partnership with eight banks including, First Bank, Zenith, Access, Ecobank, FCMB, Union, Fidelity and United Bank for Africa (UBA). It encouraged consumers to participate in the exercise by transacting with their verve card or renew their expired card, while non-Verve card can get one to increase their chance in theSpeaking,promo.
According to the report, “An initial deep-dive analysis of the 2020 Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) Access to Finance (A2F) survey showed that the poorer you are, the less likely you are to have a NIN.“However, data indicates that Nigerians owned, or had access to a mobile phone. This is exacerbated the poorer you get, with 77% of mobile phone users in the poorest percentile of society not enrolled in the national identity system.” The organisation noted that need for further research to restrictions, the demographic how to mitigate that impact. “This will guide recommendations to curb the disproportionate populations and inform an approach that is more inclusive. Furthermore, addressing this will help to ensure the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and NIMC achieve their digital inclusion objectives”, it Commenting,stated.Head of the Inclusion for all initiative, Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo said, “Vulnerable populations are increasingly at risk of further exclusion even in the face of well-intentioned decisions by government, our role at Inclusion for all is to make sure these curbed early on.
Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele explained that the National Consumer Promo was created to expose customers to a rewarding and customer-focused consumers’ lifestyle needs. She said, “From the inception of the promo, we have explored new and exciting ways to reward loyal cardholders who seek a convenient and trusted means of of their everyday needs. “With this reward program, we will continue to prioritise our cardholders’ needs as well as acknowledge the immense value of their loyalty to the Verve brand. We implore all Verve cardholders to seize this opportunity to transact and enjoy.”
L-R: Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd., Mr. Ekuma Eze; Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma; Corporate Affairs and Community Partnerships Manager (East/Central), NBC, Ifeoma Okoye; and NBC Plant Manager, Owerri, Mr. Collins Idike, at the commencement session of NBC’s Youth Empowered training programme in Owerri... recently
Verve Announces New Promo to Reward Consumers
Konga Strengthens Engagement with Consumers
Leading payment technology and card business, Verve has announced the launch of its third National Consumer Promo, which aimed to reward cardholders.According to the organisation, the promo allows cardholder with the highest number of transactions to stand a chance of winning N1 million monthly, while 200 cardholders will also be rewarded with N20,000 monthly having transacted with their verve card on ATM and POS, as well as when paycodes are generated for transactions.
Polo has announced its partnership with leading Swiss watch brand, Franck Muller, and retailer in the West African region.The Managing Director of Polo, Mr John Obayuwana, expressed great delight about this new strategic partnership for both organizations. For over three decades, Polo has been at ultimate luxury experience to its most discerning clients. Today, it has not only proven to be Africa’s leading purveyor of luxury, but also a key stakeholder in the West-African economic market with its long-standing partnership with the world’s most illustrious watch brands. Most notably distinguished by their complicated movements, Franck Muller watches are known to be one of the most complex creations in Haute Horlogerie and are synonymous with beautiful in their extraordinary models such as the Crazy Hours, the Giga Tourbillon, the Aeternitas Mega and most recently the Grand Central Tourbillon. Speaking on this partnership, the Executive Director, Polo, Jennifer Obayuwana said, “we are pleased to be partnering with such a brand as Franck Muller for the exclusive distribution, retail and after-sales service for the brand in Nigeria. Polo is well known for its incredible in-house capabilities and impeccable after-sales service. We are on our promise of exceptional service to our clients”. “Franck Muller’s outstanding products and creativity, coupled with our vast knowledge of the Nigerian market, will go a long way in boosting this partnership”, She continued.Polois Nigeria’s leading luxury goods company and the exclusive retailer with the world’s most prestigious Swiss watch brands; Rolex, Cartier, Piaget, Chopard, Longines, IWC, Omega, and Montblanc accessories, and jewellery brands like Messika, Yoko London, among others.
Polo Introduces Franck Muller to Nigeria
The organisers of Kayokayo Festival in Epe, Lagos have called on tourism investors within and outside the country to tap into the occasion’s investment opportunities for highlygoaltoinvestmentespeciallyhubbeingvirtuethedeclarationthisOtunbaCo-coordinatorgrowth.oftheFestival,GbengaAbassstressedwhilemakinganofficialforthe2022editionoffestival,addingthatEpe,byofitstourismprospects,ispositionedastheeconomicofLagosstate.Abasscalledonpartners,governmenttodirecttotourisminEpe,asfulfilthecommunity’swiderofbecominganenviedandcompetitiveglobaltourist centre.According to him, developing local tourism will help boost Nigeria’s tourism profile which is forecast to grow at an average rate of 5.4 per cent between 2022 andHe2032.stated that in addition to the fanfare that greets Kayokayo festival, the annual event provided life changing and growth opportunities for youths though different empowerment schemes that come with it. He said, “For this year, we will be awarding scholarship to not less than 50 students in support of their educational pursuit and helping them achieve a life of their dream. There will also be medical outreach, novelty match, cultural display and children’s party, amongst others Also speaking, Olu Epe of Epe Kingdom, Oba Shefiu Olatunji Adewale, stated that the festival is a religious and cultural carnival observed by the descendants of Oba Kosoko who inhabited the area. He added that the occasion was a platform to celebrate history, heritage and greatness of the ancient town of Epe in Lagos State. He said, “Culture is so important, that it is the key to development and it unlocks the economic potential of any community.”
Firm Makes case for the Poor, Unbanked in NIN-SIM Restriction
Kukah@70: Of Faith and Social Responsibility
31st, the conscience of the nation, the cerebrally fearless Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, will be 70. Surely, he is the darling of all writers especially journalists. So much ink would be poured in his honour by those who know how to do it best. Yet, as his blood and student in the field of religion and society, I have decided on this occasion to reflect on his many interventions on the role and place of Islam in Northern Nigeria especially on his last Christmas message that accumulated so much dust amongst people who still believe that the Bishop is an enemy of the Islamic religion. Not unexpectedly, the Christmas homily, not unlike his previous and successive speeches and homilies, had generated a plethora of bile reactions from the Muslim North, particularly from apex muslim organization in Nigeria, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), on claims that the homily was simply an attack on Islam. In a response, the JNI described the homily as a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria. The Bishop had in the homily accused President Buhari of uncritically favouring the Muslim North rather than seeing the whole country as his constituency. “It is curious that President Buhari’s partisanship and commitment to reinforcing the foundations of northern hagemony have had the opposite consequences. For a long time, beyond the call of politics, very prominent northerners with a conscience have raised the red flag, pointing out the consequences of President Buhari’s nepotism on national cohesion and trust,” he said.“One Northern Imam after the other have posted videos of lamentation on the social media asking why, with all the cards of power in the hands of northern Muslims, everything is bursting in the steams. How come our region has become a cesspool of blood and death? Why did President Buhari hand over a majority of the plumb jobs to Northern Muslims? Was it for efficacy and efficiency? What was the logic? President Buhari must pause and turn around because his policy of nepotism had been rejected by the god’s”, the Bishop added. As a student of the Bishop for so many years, I have severally followed and have, sometimes, intervened in the many debates he has either started or joined in the course of his writing and speaking career that has spanned the last 30 or more years. But the Christmas homily storm, could, no doubt, be described as the most apocalyptically scary, to say the least. The issues raised by the Bishop have continued to generate more vituperations far more than any of his interventions at any time in the history of his engagement in public discourse. But I am not surprised because, one: as a student of Philosophy, I am aware that the quality of a submission can be measured by the quantity of the reactions to it. This means that the Bishop had raised an issue/ issues that is/are of interest to society which ought to, in turn, generate disagreements and agreements that could take us to the door of escape. Two: Master wordsmith, Dan Agbese, said of him somewhere: “l can think of no public lectures or speeches delivered by the Bishop that left the accumulated dust of our placid sense of outrage undisturbed. Blame it on a) his courage to speak truth to power and b) the moral burden of his calling thrust upon him , daring him, I would imagine, to padlock his lips when our secular kingdom suffereth violence in the hands of venal men who serve the few more and the many much less.”
On the Yakowa homily that literally caused a gridlock of angst among Northern Muslim elite, the bitter reactions are well documented in a book I co-authored with Adamu Adamu, Mohammed Haruna, Prof. Steve Nkom, Abubakar Gimba, et al, titled ‘Governor Yakowa’s Funeral Homily: Matters Arising.’ And the reactions have, especially Abubakar Gimba’s, now as then, remained fresh on my mind. In his review at the Book presentation, Mike Ozekhome said: “Abubakar Gimba, former Pro-Chancellor of IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, fired the first salvo. He accused Kukah of singling out and denigrating Moslems, with such phrases as ‘religious bigots’, ‘dubious religious manipulations’, ‘members of the nefarious mafia whose selfishness hindered the development of Kaduna State in particular and the North in general; ‘those who have projected Islam as a basis for power ... and created the condition that now threatens the foundation of our society’; and ‘one of the worse shows of selfishness by an unproductive and selfish cabal who have deployed religion to hide their goal.’ But what is the Bishop’s obsession with Northern Islam? Again, apart from his Doctoral Thesis published in 1993 detailing how Northern Muslim elite have been manipulating the noble religion to inflict hardship on minorities and to, as well, gain political and economic control, only few years back, the cleric, at the funeral of a seminarian killed by Kukah kidnappers, said: “Today in Nigeria, the noble religion of Islam has convulsed. It has become associated with some of the worst fears among our people. And that: “This president has displayed the greatest degree of insensitivity in managing our country’s rich diversity. He has sub-ordinated the larger interest of the country to the hagemonic interests of his co-religionist and clansmen and women. The impression created now is that, to hold a key position in Nigeria today, it is more important to be a northern Muslim than a Nigerian.”
Key words in every of the Bishop’s outings have been: hagemony, northern Islam, religious bigots, religious manipulators, selfish cabal, Kaduna mafia, those who projected the noble religion of Islam as the basis for power, etc.No doubt, while the anger on the Bishop for given the hezy impression that the Muslim North has been the exclusive beneficiary of the Buhari-led government inspite of the nightmare that majority of them have continued to face is justifiable, his alleged antipathy against Islam and Moslems can only be a sop for the unlettered. For a very long time, his lordship has been able to make the distinction between Islam and Islam as projected by the northern Muslim oligarchists who have remained the enemies of the entire region irrespective of religion and ethnicity. Or, do northerners who project Islam as the basis of power, or deploy it to inflict hardship and injustice on others, representatives of the religion? Obviously, Kukah’s fault lied in his inability to make a clear distinction between Islam and what the wicked and retrogressive parochialists present to us as the religion. Adamu Adamu captured this well in his contribution to the Yakowa homily controversy when he said: “I think Bishop Kukah had largely succeeded in making that distinction in a way that was not immediately obvious to many, because it was blurred by the dust other parts of the eulogy might seem to have raised forYes,them.”thedistinction between the culpable minority and the innocent majority should have been obvious. It is this culpable minority whose stock in trade is the manipulation of religion to quench their inordinate desires that are responsible for why the Muslim North has become a pool of blood. It is also responsible for why the North is today defined in superlative terms: the most violent; the most impoverished; most insecure; most backward in education, etc. Sincerely, northern political and religious leaders - JNI not excepted, must take off time to ask why we have, contrary to what obtains in other climes, a brand of Islam, assuming it is, that breeds millions of children on the streets known as almajiris; a brand of Islam that has no space for intermarriages with non-muslims; a brand of Islam that Boko Haram and other bloodthirsty elements claim to be its missionaries; a brand of Islam that has one moral standard for Ganduje and Ribadu’s daughters, and another for the talakawa, etc. This for me ought to be the hard material that leaders of the North need to tailor on rather than the tons of vitiol targetted at the cleric for saying nothing but the scathing reality. As he celebrates his 70th birthday, a lot of admirers, well-wishers and friends will join him to dance at the market square, not because of the power of his rhetoric, his wit or controversies, but because of the uncommon courage he exhibited by whistling in the dark now and in those sad and treacherous days when soldiers were up in arms to violate and defile all that was most sacred to man. And this is what endears him to so many Nigerians some of whom are Muslims, others Christians, and still others “atheists”. He stood for them not as brethren-in-faith but as brethren-in-creation; the latter surpasses the former. Damina wrote from Holy Family Parish Gidan Bako and can be reached via francisdamina@gmail.com
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August
Francis Damina
MILESTONE 38 THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 27, 2022
As he celebrates his 70th birthday, a lot of admirers, well-wishers and friends will join him to dance at the market square, not because of the power of his rhetoric, his wit or controversies, but because of the uncommon courage he exhibited by whistling in the dark now and in those sad and treacherous days when all that was most sacred to man
Although the Bishop was involved in many productive debates with, for instance, Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Femi Fani Kayode, etc, and at a time, with some Christian clerics for describing their practice of Christianity as criminality, the most fiery and consistent subject that keeps rearing its ugly head in all the debates has been his views on Northern Islam in debates with the likes of Mohammed Haruna, Adamu Adamu, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, etc. Recall that in 2016, it took the intervention of some prominent Nigerians to end a scary debate between the Bishop and his good friend, Mohammed Haruna, on what Haruna referred to as ‘Bishop Kukah’s Attack on Islam’ brewed by a keynote address the Bishop delivered at Fountain University, Osogbo, to a Muslim organization in which, among other things, he said: In your part of the country as in other parts of the world, I hear about families of Christians and Muslims living together, marrying, intermarrying and so on. In the North, this is anathema. Everytime I bring this up, I hear people say this is what Islam teaches, that the religion allows Muslim men to marry Christian girls (and hopefully make them Muslims) while Christian men cannot marry Muslim women. If this is not apartheid in broad daylight, I do not know what it is.” In it, the veteran journalist profusely referred to the homily delivered by the Bishop at the funeral of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State as evidence that the Bishop has been consistent in running tirades against Islam. He said: “That homily was more an attack on Muslims than it was a tribute to Governor Yakowa. The bishop used the opportunity to ride on his hobbyhorse of what he says is the use of Islam by the Northern Muslim elites to impose their hegemony not only on the North but also on the rest of the country. In so doing he denounced those he described as “riff raff and scoundrels” who were alleged to have rejoiced at the death of the governor. Such scoundrels, he said “quite rightly, did not represent Muslims or Islam.”
Late Princess Margaret Obaigbena
Four. Money. This has always been a major player in determining who succeeds to the Presidency of the country. The ruling Party has always had an advantage in this area. For starters, as of June 2021 there were almost 180,000 polling units in Nigeria. It is not unusual for additional polling booths to be created a few days to the election. What is constant is that every serious political party has to have at least one agent at each polling unit and these polling agents need to be adequately remunerated and provided with all necessary logistic material to ensure effective and efficient return as a party polling agent. To man all these Polling stations will need at over N20 billion by my reckoning and that is being on the cheap side. Loads of cash will therefore be needed by all of the contestants.
I
Five. The Buhari factor. The Federal Government is too powerful as it controls INEC, Police, Army other security agencies, even the Central Bank and so on, to a large extent. This is a major tool for any government which is unwilling to give up the stranglehold it has on power, particularly when it realises that the populace is thoroughly dissatisfied with its performance.
PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is a Fulani man from Adamawa, a North Eastern State. The North East has not produced a Nigerian President in a long time and the crave for one favours Atiku sentimentally. I know Atiku will do much better than he did in 2019 because the Buhari factor is absent. And in any event Buhari has performed abysmally. This may spread to Bauchi, a major PDP State, as well as Taraba State which is also a PDP State. I believe that there will be some swing towards Atiku in Yobe State although the State is a prominent APC State now and Shettima’s Kanuri influence will help the APC ticket here. The race will be hotly contested but the result will still be a victory for Tinubu though the margin will be slimmer when contrasted with the massive victory for Buhari and APC in 2019. The king of voting in Presidential elections remains the North West which is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria. It is almost impossible to become President of Nigeria without winning big in this region. The State of Kano takes the cake in this respect. Kano State alone could close almost any margin that a Presidential candidate is bringing from other Zones. Despite being an APC State with a strong Governor in Umar Ganduje, Atiku Abubakar may likely lead others, namely Tinubu and Kwankwaso, because of his Fulani lineage and heritage. Blood, they say is thicker than water. Having said that Kano is predominantly a Hausa and not Fulani State and this should augur well for Tinubu. What is clear is that Tinubu definitely needs Kano, like a million dollars lifeline, to borrow that popular proverbial cliche. To this end he has worked assiduously to build bridges in this State and other North West States. This is one of the primary reasons that he won the APC Presidential Primaries, and he still count on the people of Kano to vote for him against the Fulani, Atiku Abubakar. In fact, the three Ks of Kano, Kaduna and Katsina are absolutely needed for victory by any Presidential candidate. Kaduna is a bit tricky because of its preponderance of Christian population, but Nasir El-Rufai is a strong no-nonsense APC stalwart who will want to deliver massively for his Party. Sokoto, is a major PDP State and Tambuwal has shown deep loyalty to Abubakar and his cause. Atiku will win easily here. Zamfara and Kebbi States are under the control of APC, but Atiku’s cultural affinity may give him some edge in these two States but maybe not too much as to give him overall victory, which still seems likely to go to APC in these two States, if the 2019 results provide some indication although again, the Buhari factor will reduce APC votes here as in other core Northern States as he is not on the ballot.... will be back with more updates in the coming months...
THE WOMAN, ACCORDING TO OBI OF OWA
her examinations. Then she went ahead to become a formally and properly trained and practicing nurse. The son spoke of how his mother set up a maternity home in her community, to take care of her fellow women in need of health care during those critical months of pregnancy and childbirth. For the record, she never made any profit in all the years that the facility existed. She also never complained about the inability of most beneficiaries of the facility to pay. Her job was to offer them the opportunity to bring healthy children into the world and also remain healthy themselves. And she was as much a nurse of the body as she was of the soul. That much was clear from the comments of the traditional ruler and that of others who spoke. And this entire incident was mostly private. Yes, Alhaji Kashim Imam who has somehow managed to become an ever-welcome son, brother or even father in many families all over the country, was there. So were a few others, like my friend Dr Henry Nzekwu, Proprietor of Bridge Radio in Asaba, and Emeka Izeze, the Editor’s Editor. But it was really a private and very simple occasion that the Obaigbenas put together on 16th August at the posthumous birthday of their mother. It all showed genuine respect for the departed, wherein mostly the family and people she knew, or spent her life with, came to pay their last respect in a not-purely-social setting.Ithought about my late mother and the relatively quiet farewell we, her children, gave her. I thought of how, perhaps, some members of the Obaigbena family might be feeling at that very moment. I wondered how some would manage their sense of loss. I hoped, and prayed, that their gratitude for her life and the guidance she gave would be uppermost in their minds. That they never forget that their mother’s legacies are already established in the values she espoused and that the only way to immortalize her was to replicate, improve upon and further propagate every good thing she represented. Sitting in that quiet hall, surrounded by close relatives of the departed, I recalled that my mother had such a strong sense of propriety and personal dignity that it was simply impossible for us to do anything other than do all we knew that she would approve, if consulted. Her intuitive clarity was legendary. A mother who would call you in very trying moments of your life to tell you that she was praying for you over what you were going through? And who would also not press you to tell her what the problem was, but who would urge you to trust that God would not forsake you since it was not your fault. I remember once coming back from Lagos to meet her and one of my younger sisters arguing over the avocado pear she kept for me, in addition to a late lunch she had made. My sister wanted the pear because my mother was carrying matters too far on her intuitive certainties. Then woman had actually prepared a meal and then kept my favourite avocado because “something” told her that I would come home that day and that I would be very hungry on arrival. “Is this not him? What did I tell you? was her excited declaration to my sister the moment I walked in. Then they filled me in on the controversy that was getting somewhat heated between them before my arrival. My mother was the ready adviser, trainer and nurturer for many young and not-so-young people. But we are digressing too much, are we not?
The quiet post humous birthday organized by the children and family of Princess Obaigbena for their departed matriarch was a very good idea. Let her meet, for the last time, her own. Many were bowed in pain, but content to follow what is divinely ordained. Owa Oyibu was without the commotion you find during burials was not their on August 16 when the event under reference here took place. It was simple, traditional in a modern and dignified sort of way. It derived its solemnity more from the frank, uncontrived and very visible show of admiration and love by all those whose lives sheWhichtouched.brings me again to the subject of woman, women, motherhood and womanhood. Any person of the female gender can be a biological mother. All that is required is a functional biological equipment. But one can be a good or bad mother. In addition, one can bury oneself in motherhood and still be far from genuine womanhood. The true woman is firm, without being brash, intuitively alert and resolutely so, without obtrusive self-inflation. She nurtures, but does not allow herself to be taken for granted. She does not need the man’s loud, and often empty voice in order to assert authority. “Grace makes the woman”, we are told. Not the deliberate projection of the woman’s “physicality” and sexuality.Theoccasion portrayed showed those of us there that, in life and after her life on earth, Princess Margaret Obaigbena was seen as a woman of perceptible personal dignity. and voice. I will break down its beneficiaries in the next few paragraphs. Three. Religion will play a significant role in 2023. We have already seen how this has become a major thorny issue due to APC’s decision to present a Moslem/Moslem ticket. It is also frontloaded as a major factor because of the prevailing distrust and insecurity that is all pervading in the country. This used to be largely a Northern thing with grave vicious violence being unleashed upon one another by Moslems and Christians alike. However, this distrust, and insecurity, has spilled over into the South and is part of the reasons why agitations for restructuring and self-determination have risen to a crescendo.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER 39 MY EARLY PERMUTATIONS ON 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BACKPAGE CONTINUATION
Let me now take you on a tour de force of what you should expect to see next year. From my crystal ball, I can foresee a straight fight between APC and PDP candidates. In this round one, APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu seems to be at an advantage. His party is currently in power and controls all the appurtenances of government. Nevertheless, the strength of APC is also its main weakness. After eight years of monumental failure in office, it has lost most of the attraction that brought it to power in 2015. Its victory in the 2019 Presidential elections is still controversial till this day. Nigerians may wish to punish APC for its terrible performance which has not only seen them more impoverished but also more insecure and afraid for their very lives. Tinubu’s case is worsened by the fact that he has a dilemma in being unwilling to distance himself from this government’s policies which have failed the people so woefully because of the fact that this will be seen as wilting criticism of the Buhari administration. The withdrawal of the support of Buhari apparently still sends shivers down the Tinubu camp. On the issue of ethnicity, this may be the major clincher in the race. There are two Southern contenders in the Presidential election. The major Southerner is the former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to a lesser degree, the other Southerner is former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi. My brothers and friends, Kola Abiola, and Omoyele Sowore, both Southerners as well, have little say in this battle royale which the 2023 Presidential election portends. The principal challenger for Tinubu and Obi will be former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. In the South East, I believe that the Igbos are likely to back their son, Obi and the Labour Party for the most part. Obi’s Anambra State is a hybrid State presently controlled by APGA. The State does not have a serious Presidential candidate contender. It is noteworthy, that the South East has traditionally been a veritable stomping ground for the PDP. The Party presently controls Enugu and Abia States. This is not likely to change too much, and the PDP may win or come a close second to the Labour Party. Notwithstanding the fact that APC has made some inroads into the South East by virtue of the fact that it controls two States, Imo and Ebonyi, one of which it does by virtue of the defection of the Governor, I still feel that it will come a distant third. My opinion is that the Labour Party is likely to take the lead with about 45 to 50 percent of the total votes cast in the South East because of the Obi factor, even though it presently has no showing in that region at the moment. Atiku will follow with about 30-35 percent and Tinubu 15-20 percent. In the South South, Atiku will take the chunk of votes because these have always been predominantly PDP States, although in some States like Rivers, Delta and Edo, the crisis in the Party may cause the PDP to lose votes some of its normal votes, if not quickly resolved. Similarly, the defection of Governor Ayade of Cross River State may also cause the PDP’s margin of victory in the Zone to shrink, especially in Cross River State. My belief is that the Zone is guaranteed for Atiku because his VicePresidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, comes from this zone. There are usually huge votes from here, although these were emasculated in 2019. PDP is likely to record up to 60 percent in most parts, if Governors Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Okowa, Udom Emmanuel, Douyi Diri, Godwin Obaseki and other party loyalists give their all. If the Party’s crisis in the zone is allowed to fester and worsen, the PDP may get no more than 50%. The rest will be split between APC and Labour with APC taken between 20 and 30% depending on how the PDP intra Party mess develops. The South West will be extremely dramatic, and the results may be very shocking. APC controls four States here, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo and PDP, two States, Oyo and Osun.
While Tinubu will definitely win Lagos, his margin of victory may be reduced by the popularity of both Obi and the mass grassroots mobilisation of the PDP Gubernatorial candidate, Mr Olajide Adediran, aka Jandor. This is the only State in the South West that may feature three strong contenders. The Igbo population in Lagos and the EndSars Movement will favour Peter Obi more than it will favour Atiku. The other South West States will witness a tough battle between Asiwaju and Atiku with Tinubu holding the sway because he is a Yoruba man. Now, let’s move to North Central and start with Kwara and Kogi States. The Saraki factor will help PDP in Kwara. The former Senate President has obviously regained his bounce especially because of the perceived frugality of the incumbent governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. This may give Atiku a major edge over Tinubu here. Kogi may be tougher to win for Atiku because of the young Governor, Yahaya Bello, an APC stalwart, but the two parties will run almost neck and neck. Obi is unlikely to feature significantly in these two States. Plateau State is an APC State but with the Muslim/Muslim brouhaha, APC will face an uphill task because this is a major Christian State in the North. PDP is in charge in Benue and again the Muslim/Muslim ticket of APC is highly contentious here and will swing even more votes to PDP. I feel that most of the Northern Christians may support Atiku for having a more balanced ticket. Though I understand that some people in these parts of the North Central are tempted to consider Peter Obi, but their leaders are reaching out to them and telling them not to waste their votes. Niger and Nasarawa are presently controlled by APC Governors. Obi will not feature in these States. It will therefore be a straight fight between Atiku and Tinubu, with Tinubu winning more than 60% of the votes in Niger State and no more than 55% of the votes in Nasarawa State based on the incumbency of the APC Governors countered by the Atiku factor. The North East will be very interesting. Many pundits are wondering why Tinubu chose a Kanuri man, Kashim Shettima, from Borno State, as running mate and not someone from the largest voting zone in the North West. Well, as an experienced politician, he probably knows what we don’t know. The
before his next hospital appointment. When the day came and he went back to the hospital, the hospital authorities were astonished at hisTheycondition.wanted to know the type of care he had been receiving at home, and from whom. Without waiting for the details, they advised the family to simply continue whatever it was that they were during to him, and with him, before they brought him for the appointment. In other words, the woman was asked to take her son back home and continue the good work she was doing with him at home. She complied. It was on this hospital trip that the woman told her son that she, his mother, had just discovered that she loved taking care of people, particularly sick people, more than anything else. She announced, there and then, that she would like to be a nurse. A nurse? Yes, a nurse who would always take care of sick people and others in need of one type of care or Forthwith,another.she took up the matter. She applied to a nursing school and got admitted. She enrolled, studied and passed on page 39
Two. Ethnicity, or what is called the race factor in the United States of America, will play a major part in 2023. A lot of Nigerians have seen the ethnic factor play out by a division of the country into three large parts, the monolithic North, the South West Edo and Delta States, and an amalgam of the other South South States and the South East States. On my part I do not see a monolithic North as well. The Middle Belt including Kwara and Kogi States have been much maligned and marginalised in this respect. Yet they have their own strong force TELEPHONE 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. 08155555292, 0811 181 0811 181 the 2023 Presidential at least good in the race, namely, Mr Abdul-Lateef Kolawole Abiola, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr Omoyele Sowore, Mr Peter Obi and Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. All six of them are eminently qualified to lead our country Nigeria. They all have distinctive personal characteristics and attributes which enable each of them to be individually considered strong candidates for the position of President. However, each of them cannot be considered in isolation. They must be looked at from the viewpoint of Party, background and relationships. I must therefore establish some methodology for my assessment of what would determine the ultimate winner of the 2023 Presidential contest. In present day Nigerian Presidential elections, there are certain major factors at play. These factors have become majorly important given the prevailing circumstances in the country particularly those of agitations for restructuring and secession, insecurity, failed economy and poverty, gross unemployment, infrastructure deficit and decay, educational maladministration and maladjustment and parlous health services. These major factors include the following: One. There were usually two mainstream political parties. In 2023, they will be APC and PDP. A third force is still warming up as a major
–Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido chastising Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for allegedly over-rating himself. Lamido on Wike
The man spoke with measured cadence. He refused the offer to speak from his seat. Instead, he stood to speak. The request that he should not stand to address the audience was clearly in consideration of his age. His position as the Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers may have been part of it, but the latter point is open to argument. The memory of the woman he wished to speak about demanded that he should stand, he said. His respect for what the woman, who had come to represent courage and hope for many people, also demanded it. The royal father’s sense of duty to a younger generation made his standing up to speak a compelling necessity. Yes, he believed that this generation should learn to value a genuine woman of courage, industry and deep intuitive insights. So, he stood to speak. But “what” did he say? There he stood. Calm, emotion-laden, unbowed. He quivered a little. Then he was still again. His years were hardly visible in his carriage. Bolstered by a deep but subdued sense of reverence, and in calm acknowledgement of the life he had come to know through a woman he clearly respected beyond measure, His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel Ifeizomor, went on and on about
Continued on page 39
race, let me state categorically that I have
friends
the mother of publisher of Thisday Newspaper, Chief Nduka Obaigbena. He dwelt on her sense duty, her diligence, her industry. He spoke of her of her ever-unbowed spirit and of how much she influenced the world and people around her. Then he went on to speak of the very notion of “woman” and of womanhood. He moved into this subject with such deep feeling that his short but moving discourse had the effect of a long homily on what it meant to be a woman, especially a woman like the person he was talking about. For him, the late Princess Margaret Obaigbena was everything a woman should be to a man, to her children and to her environment. It was, at once, sobering and exhilarating. Then came the brother of the departed. His love and respect for his late sister was unconstrained, uncontrived and simple. It was easy to see and feel. His brief, revealing and touching contribution was followed by the bereaved family’s eldest son and brother to Nduka Obaigbena. He spoke at length about “their” mother. I noted, in particular, his continuous use of the first-person plural “our”. His narrative conveyed the image of a focused, generous and hardworking mother who was concerned about all to the same degree. His genuine love and
Printed and Published in Lagos by Leaders & Company Limited . Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08076290487, 08076290488 MISSILE TRUTH & REASONSaturday, August 27, 2022Price: N250 “Wike is an individual and has one vote. Rivers people are PDP. He wants to behave like the emperor. Rivers people are going to vote PDP in 2023…He will soon become a political dustbin”
admiration for her were evident, beyond mere a recital at a church ceremony. He touched on her life as a mother, her capacity for hard work, her tendency to be a mother to whomsoever crossed her path and how she was often guided by her intuition to give the best advice to her children and to strangers at all times. Then he went on to the life-changing experience that made the woman become a nurse. That life-changing experience came from the simple task of nurturing her injured son (the speaker) back to health, after a car accident. The young boy was knocked down by a car on the street and ended up in a hospital. As was later narrated to the accident victim, it was the white man driver of the car that knocked him down who stopped, picked up the unconscious boy, put him in his vehicle and took him to a hospital. His parents and family were later contacted, etc., etc. All that the boy could recall was that he woke up to see himself lying on a bed. He later found out that he was in a hospital. He had clear and unmentionable aches in partly unidentified places. His ever-prayerful mother was always by his side. He was eventually discharged, but with strict instructions to his family on the type of care he needed at home
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My Early Permutations on 2023 Presidential Election Buhari Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com.
Continued
Fellow Nigerians, let me make a few clarifications before going into the nitty-gritty of this epistle. Today, I’m wearing two caps on this page. I’m a journalist as well as a politician. I have been both for decades, although I remain pre-eminently a journalist. Also, I have been a non-partisan politician for a long time until recently. Even then I have seen it fit to support candidates from the two mainstream political parties depending on the capacity and performance of the ruling government party. Since this is my column, it is expected that it will reflect my personal opinion and not that of any other person. This has always been the case although my opinion may sometimes be shaped by not only the voracious reading culture that I have made the mainstay of my career as a journalist but also the wide consultations and interactions that I continue to have both as a journalist and politician. And opinions can oftentimes be subjective, although I try to be as objective and fair as possible. I am aware that even objectivity and fairness can be relative, but they are standards one must strive to attain, maintain and exist by in life. Equally importantly, I am also brutally frank and open to self-criticism at all times.
challenger, especially in the Southern regions. It is not yet known how much power it can garner and galvanise in the coming months. That is the Labour Party. In all honesty, that is as far as my third eye can see for now. I apologise therefore to my three other friends in what I call fringe parties, namely, Kola Abiola, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Omoyele Sowore. Kwankwaso has a chance of doing much better than the other two because of his popularity in the massive electoral cauldron that is Kano State. He also has some following in the North, but I still do not see him making such an inroad as to garner more than 3-5% of the total votes cast.
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