SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2020

WTO: Okonjo-Iweala’s Looking Good as 79 Countries Endorse Candidacy China, Japan may snub Myung-hee over reform competence Bennett Oghifo The quest of Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO) received a big boost

yesterday with 79 of the 164 member countries officially endorsing her for the job.

The entire 55-member African Union formally endorsed her over her sole remaining opponent, Yoo

Myung-hee of South Korea.

24 other Caribbean and Pacific states have also confirmed their official endorsement of Okonjo-Iweala.

Sources say Japan and China, who are keen about

reforming WTO, see OkonjoIweala as the most capable for effecting the desired change.

As a result, they are looking good to snub Myung-hee.

“I feel the wind behind my back,” she told a virtual press

briefing yesterday after the AU announcement.

Okonjo-Iweala said she was thrilled to learn that “all African countries are getting behind me, vowing to champion reform.”

According to her, a group of Caribbean and Pacific states had also said they would back her, bringing the number of countries officially endorsing Continued on page 5

Buhari Mourns as Awolowo’s Eldest Daughter, Tola Oyediran Passes on at 79… Page 52 Saturday 17 October, 2020 Vol 25. No 9322

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#EndSARS: Seeking Ceasefire, Osinbajo Apologises, Promises Swift Reform Action See story on page 5

PEOPLE'S POWER #EndSARS protesters at a candle light vigil in honour of victims of police brutality in Lekki, Lagos…yesterday

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#EndSARS: Seeking Ceasefire, Osinbajo Apologises, Promises Swift Reform Action ‘Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so.

We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry’

Violence persists, 5 killed in Lagos, Benin, Akure Our Correspondents Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday pleaded with EndSARS protesters to sheath their sword, promising that the federal government is working on a number of measures to revamp the police and end brutality by its personnel.

In a series of tweets on his verified Twitter handle late yesterday, Osinbajo admitted that far too many people had been brutalised by the police and that it was unacceptable, adding, “we must take responsibility for protecting young people, even sometimes from those who are paid to protect them.”

The Vice President said he had been following the protesters who have been demanding an end to police brutality, and has had a number of discussions with key people in the administration which the protesters deserve to be informed about because “transparency, after all, is a key tenet of government.”

Osinbajo said: “Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so. We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry. I fully understand how many young people feel. Many feel that we have been too silent and have simply not done enough. These feelings of frustration are justified.

“We understand that you want to see action from us and I’m here to tell you that work is ongoing. I chaired a meeting of 36 state governors and the Minister of the FCT (NEC), where we resolved to set up judicial panels of inquiry so we can see justice served, and fast; the reason being that only state governors, by law, can set up judicial inquiries in their states.

The hearings will be public.

“With Mr. President’s approval, SARS has been completely disestablished, and none of its former members will feature in any police tactical units. I am sending my deepest condolences to the families of Jimoh Isiaq, and all those who have lost their lives at the hands of wayward police officers. To those injured, I wish a full and speedy recovery.

“We also understand that the issues that you’re raising are bigger than just SARS. They’re deep and systemic and we’re undertaking comprehensive measures that will revamp the police by addressing issues of welfare, service conditions and training. We will continue to update and engage with you all on these action steps and the ones to come, in the spirit of transparency, so that you can

hold us accountable. We are, after all, here to serve you and we owe you a duty to win back your trust.

Meanwhile, five people lost their lives at different locations yesterday as the #EndSARS protest entered the ninth day.

The casualties were recorded in Edo, Lagos and Ondo states.

At least two persons died when hoodlums attacked the protesters at Ring Road, Benin.

The hoodlums, who stormed the venue of the protest, armed with machetes and other weapons unleashed mayhem, leaving other protesters scampering for safety.

Some individuals selling tickets at the Ring Road Motor Park in Benin were fingered for the security breach. Their attacks were attributed to their frustration over low patronage since the beginning of the protest, which has continued to keep passengers away from the motor park at the Edo State capital.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, confirmed the killings without giving the exact number of casualties. He, however, said “lives” were lost.

In a series of tweets after the incident, the governor condemned the attack on #EndSARS protesters.

He said, “I have just learnt that hoodlums have attacked #ENDSARS protesters, who have conducted themselves peacefully in Benin City. I extend condolences to the familes of those who lost their and wish others who were injured quick recovery.”

Two Killed in Lagos In a related development, the Lagos State Police Command yesterday announced the death of two persons in a road accident that occurred during an #EndSARS protest in the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this known in a statement.

He said one of the #EndSARS protesters, identified as Nike, had been arrested for driving recklessly and for allegedly killing two Nigerians at Ikola Road, Alagbado.

The PPRO noted that the bodies of the victims had been deposited at the morgue.

Adejobi said, “Mrs Nike Lawal, was the driver of Toyota 4Runner SUV with REG. NO. GGE 346 BK that ran into a tricycle and killed the duo of Ojo Azeez, m, 27 years and Yusuf Sodia, m, 26 years, both of Command Road, Alagbado, Lagos State.

“Ojo and Sodia both in the

tricycle died on the spot. The suspect, who intentionally removed the number plates on her SUV, shortly after the accident, had joined the protest at AIT junction, Alagbado, and started driving recklessly before the fatal accident.

Adejobi also said the command had arrested and commenced orderly room trial of the four policemen who were caught assaulting a young lady protester in a viral video at Surulere on Monday.

He said the policemen are Inspectors Bagou Micheal, Ekpoudom Etop, Nnamdi Makita and Akinyemi Benson.

“The policemen, who are attached to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Surulere, Lagos State, are cooling off in the cell while the orderly room trial continues. CP Odumosu has also ordered the arrest of the policeman who slapped an aged mother in another viral video at Iyun Street, Surulere, on the same day,” he added.

Protesters attacked in Lekki In Lagos, some hoodlums were said to have attacked protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate as they continued their protests.

The protesters alleged that they were attacked yesterday morning as a truck rammed into cars parked around the area.

Cars destroyed included a Range Rover and a Lexus jeep.

Yesterday’s attack was another episode in the series of attacks on the protesters by some criminal elements in a desperate bid to halt the protests.

Notwithstanding the attack, protesters returned in the evening for a candlelight procession which was ongoing as at press time last night.

One Dies, Three Injured in Akure In Akure, the Ondo State capital, one person was killed while three others were injured as a car rammed into EndSARS protesters yesterday.

The protesters had gathered in front of the Ondo Governor’s office when a Toyota Camry marked LND 778 GL and two commercial motorcyclists rammed into the crowd.

One person was said to have died on the spot, while others were rushed to the hospital.

Protesters Block Abuja Airport Road

Meanwhile, campaigners against police brutality and oppression yesterday barricaded the Abuja International Airport Road.

The protesters took over the ever-busy Umar Musa Yar' Adua road in apparent defiance of the order issued on Thursday by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Security Committee that banned people from protesting on the streets as a precaution for the spread of COVID-19 among the FCT residents.

The activists, made up of a large army of youths, brandished several placards, marched through several Abuja streets like Area 1 and Area 3 in Garki, before fanning out towards the Airport Road, alighting at MKO Abiola National Stadium.

Afterwards, they blocked the Abuja City Gate, singing anti-government slogans and vowing to continue to protest until all the grouses are resolved by the authority.

Police provided security cover for the demonstrators while the protest raged.

The protest resulted into traffic chaos along that route with many commuters experiencing hardship.

In particular, it disrupted the flow of traffic from the city centre towards the Airport and its adjourning communities.

Commuters alighting from the Airport end had to divert to alternative routes like Galadimawa and Jabi to reach their destinations.

Protesters Shut Down Third Mainland Bridge, Hold Candle Procession The Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, which is currently undergoing repair was not spared by the protesters as the Iyana Oworo section of the bridge was partially shut down yesterday The protesters were said to have arrived at the bridge a few minutes to 06pm, leaving some passengers stranded.

Their activities were also felt at the Berger section of the Long Bridge linking Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, forcing some commuters to drive against traffic in their desperation to escape the scene of the protest.

Gridlock on LagosIbadan Expressway In the same fashion, protesters stormed the Magboro area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to continue their demonstration

against the disbanded SARS yesterday.

The protesters were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions as they blocked the expressway, causing gridlock.

Anambra: Police Open Fire on Protesters Sounds of gunfire rented the air as protesters marched to the headquarters of SARS in Awkuzu, Anambra yesterday.

The protesters, who were led by Chinedu Okoli, highlife maestro better known as Flavour; Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, a rapper better known as Phyno, Kingsley Okonkwo, singer better known as Kcee, were chanting “End SARS! End SARS!”.

The massive crowd had converged on Awka, the state capital, from where they moved to the disbanded SARS office to demand the shutdown of the facility.

The Akwuzu SARS office, led by one James Nwafor, has been accused of gross misconduct, arbitrary arrests, torture and extra-judicial killings.

some protesters who visited him at the Government House, Enugu, to press further their demand for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.

Ugwuanyi, who described the protest as a solemn moment for the country, called for prayers and a minute silence for the departed souls of victims of extra-judicial killings in the country.

The governor commended the protesting youth for their peaceful conduct and urged them to remain law-abiding.

NHRC submits report on SARS to PSC

In Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi yesterday addressed

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has submitted the report of the Presidential Investigation Panel on SARS to the Chairman Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, for “immediate implementation”.

The report was earlier submitted to the President Buhari in June 2019, but no action was taken on it.

The submission of the report to the PSC 16 months after it was handed over to Buhari for implementation was contained in a statement released yesterday by the NHRC’s Assistant Director Public Affairs, Fatimah Mohammed.

The NHRC stated that the Executive Secretary of commission, Tony Ojukwu, while submitting the presidential panel’s report to the PSC boss, “expressed confidence in the ability of the PSC to ensure an effective implementation of the report”.

He noted that the panel called for and received 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country and 22 memoranda on suggestions on how to reform and restructure SARS and the Nigeria Police Force in general.

According to the statement, “the panel recommended 37 police officers for dismissal and 24 were recommended for prosecution.”

Ojukwu was said to have submitted to Smith, “Volume 11 of the main report which contains the recommendations targeted at bringing the needed reforms in the Police force”.

Twitter Raises Fist in Support of #EndSARS There was a huge support for the EndSARS protest yesterday as an emoji, a raised clenched fist, draped in Green-White-Green colours of Nigeria’s flag was launched by Twitter, the leading social media platform.

of consultations, had included three Africans, and the AU had until now refrained from offering an official endorsement.

The third and final round of consultations seeking to establish consensus around one candidate is due to begin next week and end on October 27, with the announcement due in early November.

The General Council Chair, David Walker of New Zealand and his co-facilitators in the selection process stated that Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo Myunghee “secured the broadest and deepest support from the membership” and that they are of “outstanding qualifications.”

He emphasised that the

ultimate objective of the selection process was to secure a consensus decision by members on the next director-general.

“Our aim continues to be to encourage and facilitate the building of consensus among members, and to assist in moving from this final slate of two candidates to a decision on appointment. As this is the final round of the consultation process, it should bring us to the point where we can make a recommendation to the General Council concerning that decision,” Walker said.

Okonjo-Iweala is also chair at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

Protesters Storm Ekiti House of Assembly The case was not different in Ekiti State where protesters under the auspices of #EndSARS movement yesterday stormed Ado Ekiti.

The #EndSARS protesters, who converged on the popular Fajuyi Park in the state capital as early as 8am, barricaded the major road thereby causing traffic gridlock at the busy area.

The state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi who was on his way to the State House of Assembly to mark his second anniversary as governor was forced to stop and speak to the protesters.

Fayemi, while reiterating that the youths had genuine agitation for a holistic reform in the police, he appealed to them to continue their demonstration in a peaceful manner and to ensure it is not hijacked by hoodlums.

The protesters later stormed the House of Assembly where Governor Fayemi’s address to the lawmakers was disrupted.

It took the intervention of the police for Fayemi and other dignitaries to be whisked out of the place unhurt, as the protesters became unruly.

Ugwuanyi Addresses Protesters

WTO: OKONJO-IWEALA’S LOOKING GOOD AS 79 COUNTRIES ENDORSE CANDIDACY her candidacy to 79 out of the 164 states that comprise the WTO. The former minister also said she felt “optimistic” about her support in Latin America, saying she felt she had gotten “very good traction and good support” in Asia so far.

“I feel quite confident that across the regions, we will be able to attract support”, OkonjoIweala added while hinting that the European Union was due to announce its preference of the last two candidates “soon”.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday, assured OkonjoIweala, during her visit to Aso Villa in Abuja, that he would do all within his powers to ensure she got the job.

The global trade body is set to be led by a woman for the first time, whichever of the two candidates is successful in their bid to follow Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as WTO director-general in August, a year ahead of schedule.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, who served as Nigeria’s first female finance and foreign minister and has a 25-year career behind her as a development economist at the World Bank, said it would be good if WTO could also boast its first African leader.

“If that person is African and a woman, I think that is great. Because… neither an African nor a woman has led the organisation,” she said.

But at a time when the WTO is engulfed by multiple crises, she stressed that the new chief must above all be highly skilled in political and diplomatic negotiations, as well as at the managerial level.

“The WTO at this time, with the challenges it confronts, needs a very competent Director General who is able to have the political reach and stature to be able to do reforms and deal at very high levels.

“It is not only having those skills but having them all meet in one person at this juncture when the WTO needs that,” she said.

Even before the Covid-19 crisis hit, the WTO was already

grappling with stalled trade talks and struggling to curb tensions between the United States and China.

The global trade body has also faced relentless attacks from Washington, which has crippled the WTO dispute settlement appeal system and threatened to leave the organisation altogether.

Okonjo-Iweala said she had broad experience in championing reform and was the right person to help put the WTO back on track.

“I am a reform candidate and I think the WTO needs the reform credentials and skills now.”

The initial pool of eight candidates for the WTO’s top post, which has been whittled down in two rounds

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͚Ϳ, 2020

Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚš Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

181 Students, Staff Test Positive to COVID-19 in Lagos Private School 212 new cases nation wide Martins IďŹ jeh The Lagos State Government yesterday announced that at least 181 students and staff of a private school in Lekki, tested positive to COVID-19.

In a related development, 212 new COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide yesterday, bringing total confirmed cases to 61,194 and 1119 deaths while 52304 have been discharged.

This is even as the Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has called for calm, emphasising that residents must continue to obey health protocols as the virus was still very much around.

In a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, he said the development was captured during surveillance and case investigation in the school, adding that there were 141 students and staff in the school.

Abayomi said: “A 14-yearold SS1 female student fell ill on October 3 and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school. The student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday October 6 in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos. “I am assuring Lagosians

that the state government, through the incident commands system, has the situation under control, stressing that appropriate steps have been taken to contain the spread and manage the positive cases. He noted that all parents have been contacted and counselled via a family zoom call on 13th October to further allay their fears and communication between school authorities and parents continues. The zoom call was attended by the commissioners for Health and Education and all relevant responders and stakeholders. “There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the EOC and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) reporting at the school daily to conduct further investigation while positive students and staff have been isolated on the premises and given the COVID-19 home-care treatment packs and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises,�

Abayomi said.

The commissioner stated that the school authorities supported by the state Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education were following the COVID-19 guidelines as

PANDEF Canvasses Greater Synergy among South-south Politicians Deji Elumoye Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Udora Orizu Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Pan Niger Delta group, Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF) has called for greater cooperation and synergy particularly among politicians from the Niger Delta, and the South-south geopolitical zone, warning that lack of cooperation would worsen the developmental efforts of the region.

The National Chairman of the regional body, and former military Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd) made the call in a press statement issued yesterday.

He said it became necessary to make the passionate appeal to South-south politicians due to recent happenings in the nation’s polity, and the continued poor attention to issues of the region by the federal government.

According to him, PANDEF had lately been inundated with worrying complaints of arbitrary termination of valid contracts of companies, in which Niger Deltans had a principal interest, in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the federal government, and mainly, in ministries where the ministers

were also from the Niger Delta.

He opined that if these complaints were true, then it was very unfortunate, adding that they should not be working against themselves, for whatever reasons.

Nkanga further lamented that it was saddening that persons from the region were being used to perpetuate the insidious acts against the region.

He advised the affected persons, who had come to them to exercise patience and not seek redress in the law courts yet; while they made efforts to ascertain the facts of the matters, and seek peaceful resolutions.

According to him, ‘’Because the truth is that they do have the right to go to court if their contracts/projects were unlawfully terminated, especially in a manner that indicates vindictiveness and possible abuse of office by those concerned.

PANDEF is quite disturbed by these circumstances; they are unhealthy and inimical to the socio-economic development of the region. As such we have decided to seek individual audiences with key political stakeholders including ministers, members of the National Assembly, and Heads of federal MDAs from the region, to discuss these concerns, and hopefully resolve them.

set out by the government.

According to him, “students are to be isolated in the school premises and if unwell will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centers in Lagos. Students are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families.�

The Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education to jointly manage this minor but significant outbreak in this boarding school. “I am

pleased to announce that all the infected students are predominantly asymptomatic while some have very mild symptoms, no student has required hospitalisation,� he said. “Members of the Emergency Operation Centre and our counterparts in the Ministry of Education have been deployed to the school to provide strategic interventions and support to the school.

This includes psychosocial support, infection prevention

control, medical monitoring and risk communication experts to further enlighten and educate affected people,�

Abayomi noted.

The commissioner re-emphasised the need for citizens to practice the highest standard of personal and environmental hygiene, stressing that use of face mask in public places, proper hand washing and hand hygiene practice and maintaining physical distance will help prevent the spread of the infection.

“COVID-19 is still very much with us and we must strive to prioritise the safety of all, including students and teachers, by adhering strictly to prevention protocols and guidelines issued by government to prevent its spread,�

Abayomi said.

He urged Lagosians to call the 08000EKOMED or 08000356633 toll-free line if they notice any sign or symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or loss of taste or smell.

PAIN IN OUR HEARTS‌ L-R: Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and others, observing a minute silence in honour of departed souls of extra-judicial killings in Nigeria, during the #EnuguEndPoliceBrutality protest by the youths, at the Government House, Enugu,

PENCOM Board: Abaribe Petitions Senate Committee not to Screen Umar as DG Deji Elumoye Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has petitioned the Senate Committee on Establishment over the nomination of Aisha Dahir-Umar as the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

In the two-page petition dated October 14, 2020 addressed to the Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, which was entitled ‘A Petition Against The Nomination Of Aisha Dahir-Umar as DirectorGeneral Of Pension Commission (PENCOM)’, Abaribe asked the committee to stop forthwith the screening of the DG nominee as it was at variance with the

Act establishing the commission.

According to him, the nomination of Umar was in clear violation of section 20 (1) and section 21 (1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014.

The Minority Leader in the petition stated inter alia: “I hereby forward herewith a petition in respect to the above subject matter to alert you on the inherent none-adherence to the provision of the Act that established PENCOM. “The purpose therewith, is for the distinguished Committee to stop action that could lead to the clearance of the nomination of Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar as Director General (DG) of National Pension Commission (PENCOM), because

her nomination is in flagrant breach of the Act, particularly the section that deals with replacement of the DG when the need arises. “May I, draw your attention to section 20 (1) and section 21 (1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014, which state that, “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint a replacement from the geopolitical .zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure. “I recall that the tenure of the incumbent was truncated; therefore the nomination of Mrs. Dahir-Umar by the President that has now moved the DG to another zone is not correct and has breached the Pension

Act and the Federal Character Commission. “Accordingly, and in line with the provisions of the law in this case the “National Pension Commission Act 2014�, the nominee is automatically disqualified from holding the office of DG PENCOM. “To refresh your mind, Distinguished Senators, the immediate past DG, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, had her five-year tenure truncated two years before the end of her term and as such having come from the South East geo-political zone, it behoves on the President to nominate her replacement from the same zone to complete the term in obedience to the provision of the Pension Act.

World Food Day: Buhari Restates Commitment to Food Security Adedayo Akinwale Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË President Muhammadu Buhari has restated the commitment of his administration to ensure self-sufficiency in food production and stability in prices of commodities in the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement issued yesterday said the President gave the assurance at the launch of Outgrow Hunger, Nigeria, an initiative of a non-

governmental organisation, Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), founded by Mr. Ephraim Odemwingie.

The campaign was launched on World Food Day, observed on October 16 every year, and this year also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), with the theme: ‘‘Grow, Nourish, Sustain.

Together. Our Actions Are Our Future’.

The President who welcomed

the campaign by AANI, declared that the objectives and strategies of Outgrow Hunger, Nigeria complement government’s policies, programmes and efforts on f ood sec uri t y.

He said, ‘’We are all familiar with the many factors that have constrained efforts to ensure selfsufficiency in food production in the country, leading to the present situation of fluctuating prices of foodstuffs. ‘’Despite the best efforts that

have been made, the challenges persist. But so have we, as a government, persisted in finding solutions, guided by the strong belief that, with the natural and human resources our country is endowed with, starvation is inexcusable,’’ he said.

In rising to the challenges, the President affirmed that his administration believed in the efficacy of shared responsibilities because the issue of food security affects everyone.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

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The Big Mess Called Budget 2021

ne of the highpoints of the jaundiced 2021 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly last week was a tacit confirmation that the finances of the federal government are overstrained by excessive borrowing by the Buhari government. The N13.08 trillion budget proposal sets aside N3.12 trillion for debt servicing, with N2.183 trillion going for domestic debts while N940.89 billion is for foreign debt. This same N13.08 voodoo budget has a deficit of N5.20 trillion.

To block the deficit, a loan of N4.28 trillion will be obtained. Notwithstanding the 23.85 per cent of the budget going into debt servicing, the federal government’s fresh loans amount to over 30 per cent of the budget size.

Estimated revenue available to fund the budget is N7.886 trillion. This means that over 40 per cent of the revenues, if they come in fully, will be used for debt servicing. Debt servicing and new loans amount to N8.32 trillion. There is so much trickeries here; so much confusion caused by excessive borrowing.

The weird economists around our President are not helping matters. A budget that will be largely funded by borrowing is definitely not “resilient,” i.e. buoyant; perhaps, they don’t know the meaning of “resilient.” This “Budget of Economic Recovery and Resilience” will simply strangulate Nigerians further because it is dead on arrival.

Any country desirous of development must place emphasis on Capital expenditure. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Budget 2021 is no exception. The recurrent outlay is N6.11 trillion, while the capital outlay is N3.85 trillion. This proposed recurrent outlay is almost double that of the capital expenditure. This means that Nigeria is still heavy on recurrent expenditure.

So, where is the sweeping economic reform Buhari has been talking about?

The N5.20 trillion deficit in the budget proposal is another issue I find astonishing. It is beyond the three per cent threshold allowed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007 i.e. over 3.5% of Nigeria’s 2019 GDP. The law states: “Aggregate expenditure and the aggregate amount appropriated by the National Assembly for each financial year shall not be more than the estimated aggregate revenue plus a deficit, not exceeding three per cent of the estimated

Ahmed

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or any sustainable percentage as may be determined by the National Assembly for each financial year.”

Are those behind this budget 2021 unaware that the deficit entrenched breached the laws of Nigeria?

A worried former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, described the huge deficit and the breach of law as alarming, adding: “Even more disturbing is the fact that our GDP has fallen sharply from its 2019 figures, and has been projected by the World Bank and other multilateral institutions at somewhere between $400 billion and $350 billion. Meaning that in actual sense, the N5.21 trillion budget deficit is actually far above the 3% threshold stipulated by the FRA. That this escaped the notice of the Buhari administration shows a glaring lack of rigour in the formulation of the Budget.”

I guess our rubber stamp National Assembly will impose a dubious “sustainable percentage”

of budget-to-GDP to smoothen the passage of the 2021 appropriation bill, since the law allows them to amend this sustainable percentage.

The revenue projection of N7.886 trillion in budget 2021 is equally preposterous. I fully align with the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf, who faulted the income projections, saying they pose bigger deficits risks because the projections are too ambitious when compared with the revenue collected in the last four years of the Buhari government. Yusuf argues: “We have witnessed large negative variances in revenue targets over the last few years. This poses a risk of bigger deficits than projected. The ballooning recurrent expenditure and debt service is a case for concern. The combination of these two line items exceeds the total revenue expected. The implication is that the entire capital budget would be funded by borrowing. This, therefore, is a cause for concern.”

Amid these huge borrowing plans, budget 2021 still contains numerous frivolous expenditures. How can a government be borrowing this much, yet spending like a drunken sailor on useless things? Maintenance of the presidential fleet will gulp N12.5 billion up from N8.5 billion in 2020. The renovation of the National Assembly will take N9.2 billion. There is another N128 billion for salaries and allowances of our lawmakers and the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.

The news on personnel costs (salaries and allowances) is that it will gulp N3.76 trillion (28.75 per cent) of budget 2021.

This remains the largest single item on FG’s recurrent outlay in the budget. Disbursement to federal civil servants accounted for 34 per cent of total recurrent spending in the first seven months of this year alone. So sad it will remain same in 2021. With 23.85 per cent allocated for debt servicing and personnel costs gulping 28.75 per cent, it means 52.60 per cent of the budget 2021 or N6.88 trillion will be spent on both items next year. So, what will be left for development? This is one big question begging for answer.

One thing now certain is that binge borrowing by the Buhari administration is not in the interest of this country. Nigeria’s debt stands at N31.01 trillion as at June 2020. N1.21 trillion

Buhari, Please Withdraw Onochie’s Nomination Another of President Buhari’s shenanigans cropped up early this week, with his nomination of Ms. Lauretta Onochie, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Media as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representing the South-South. Onochie is a known partisan supporter of Buhari and his ruling party APC. The biggest problem with this government is its disdain for the laws of our land. Buhari must learn to respect the Constitution he swore to protect.

Our President can’t claim to be unaware that the Constitution of Nigeria prohibits appointment of partisan people into INEC. Well, let me remind him of Paragraph 14, Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution as amended by Section 30, Act No 1 of 2010, which states: “A member of the Independent National

Electoral Commission shall be non-partisan.”

There is no ambiguity here. Supporters and cohorts of political parties are not qualified to be INEC commissioners.

Lauretta is constitutionally disqualified from the membership of INEC. So, how come this unrepentant fan of the APC, who consistently attacks other political parties, was nominated?

What is Buhari trying to achieve? Our President must immediately withdraw the nomination of Lauretta in the interest of the whole country.

This should supersede whatever personal interest that influenced her nomination. The call on the Senate to stop this woman from contaminating INEC may not yield any result. This rubberstamp legislature is ready to stamp anything from Buhari. So, we should mount pressure on Buhari to do the needful.

Onochie

Shipping Companies Stoking Apapa Gridlock The trauma in Apapa caused by trucks trying to access the ports is far from over.

Even the committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has gone to sleep. The entire Apapa community remains in a big mess. Here, businesses are folding up, residents relocating, while trucks crush people to death, almost on a daily basis. Recent exposé by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) that four shipping companies contribute to the intractable gridlock on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway should be thoroughly examined by the government if there is any genuine interest to end the gridlock on this axis. The indicted companies

are MAERSK Line, Pacific International Lines (PIL), Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSE), S.A. and Mitsui Osk Lines (MOL).

These firms lack holding bays in absolute disregard of regulations and standards that a shipping company must have such before commencing operations. The Maritime workers also claim that the four shipping companies deliberately delay trucks laden with containers to attract demurrage.

They added: “It is with a sense of duty and responsibility that we wish to bring to the public space the inimical activities of some shipping industry. These companies - MAERSK,

PIL, MSE, MOL - have converted the major express road to their holding bays and packing lots, thereby hindering free flow of traffic. We are using this medium to call on the Federal Government and state government to, within the next 21 days, call these companies to order and compel them to stop using their private businesses to cause public nuisance.”

I hope all regulatory agencies at the ports will read this and take appropriate action.

The companies cited must be called to order for the good of Nigerians and port users.

Those around Osinbajo should please draw his attention to this dispatch.

was spent on debt servicing by the federal government in the first half of 2020 against N1.06 trillion spent during same period in 2019 thus translating to an increase of 14.6 per cent.

The new borrowing plans in the 2021 budget shows this government cares less about the huge amount going into debt servicing. Very soon, Nigeria will be spending 50 per cent of its budget on debt servicing.

The National Assembly that should properly scrutinise budget 2021 cares less. The Senate has already assured the Executive that voodoo document will be passed by December. What a country!

Lawan

Ahmad Lawan and Federal Character Quagmire It was heartwarming seeing the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, joining the clamour for the respect of constitutionally- guaranteed Federal Character in recruitments into Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He recently charged the Federal Character Commission to ensure equitable distribution of employments among all the states of the federation in MDAs, while receiving the Chairman of the commission, Muheebbat Dankaka, and other members. I hope it is for real that a key member of this government is now interested in equity, fairness, justice in the recruitment into MDAs. No government in the history of this country has abused our federal character law as being done by the current federal government.

Lawan said: “The FCC is designed purposely to provide stability in the country. No part of the country should be neglected; no part of this country should feel shortchanged, and this is the essence of the Commission. In the event that any state took undue advantage in the recruitment process, the Commission should not allow any further recruitment from that state until other states are properly taken care of. Don’t mind what people from that state will say, so long there are too many people from one part of the country in an organisation, make sure other parts of the country get their share too and stop further recruitment from that state.

“Where you think it is hot for you to handle come to National Assembly, we will help and support you on that because this country belongs to all of us irrespective of where one comes from.

Therefore, there must be fairness, justice and equity in the way and manner offices are shared and opportunities given.”

The Senate President sounds great but he should go beyond this beautiful remarks. I want to see him tackling heads of MDAs abusing Federal Character in recruitment. Let’s see Lawan take on the DSS boss, Yusuf Bichi over unending skewed recruitment into the agency. I want to see him tackling the President on skewed appoints into leadership of the MDAs by ensuring that the Senate refuse to confirm such. Lawan should start with the case of PENCOM acting DG, Aisha Dahir-Umar, by ensuring that the President replaces her.

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2020 •T H I S D AY

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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͹Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

MOURINHO AND THE SLAUGHTER SLAB Ajibola Olayinka pays tribute to the Portuguese with flair for winning prizes and cups

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evoting scarce space in a widely read and respected tabloid showcasing Mourinho taking the Premier League by storm and heralding new level of competition amongst gaffers when he agreed to coach the North London Club, Chelsea Football Club in 2004 will fatally alter the purpose of this piece. Suffice to say that since his first advent the English premiership has not remained on the same level as the League remains the most vibrant and competitive in the word. His entrance brought other world class coaches such as Carlo Ancelloti (Chelsea, Everton), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Antonio Conte (Chelsea), Van Gaal (Manchester United), etc., in droves and the ever-widening global fans of the League are the better for it.

His antecedents - on and off the field - qualified him for cult followership; his perfect showmanship (‘I think I’m a special one’, ‘we have top players and, sorry if I’m arrogant, we have a top manager’) are stuffs legends are made of; Medals, garlands, prizes, cups won across his sojourn straddling Portugal, England, Italy and Spain certainly will twinkle on shelves as one of the most decorated football managers; He has coached high-profile players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Didier Drogba, Sergio Ramos, Diego Milito, Wesley Sneider, Frank Lampard and a slew of other fantastic footballers who sweated for their beloved manager. He is every interviewer’s delight with ribaldry above the cut. In summary, his charismatic personality and laurels make head-hunter’s profile once the price is right! Jose Mourinho is a Portuguese but a global manager with flair for winning prizes and cups based on his managerial model. He has proved that football is a universal game adaptable to suit any club disposed towards his success model. As such, love him or hate him, you cannot do without him because when written off as down in the cold he displayed a cat with nine lives persona, bouncing back even spectacularly.

Unfortunately, in the last five football seasons Mourinho has drawn across-the-board sympathies especially from his numerous admirers because of mix fortunes from his clubs.

The 2014/2015 season at Chelsea was a nightmare with Chelsea flirting with relegation which eventually earned him a sack from the Club owner. This appeared like an anticlimax because the same set of players won the League in previous season and unconfirmed stories made the headline about players’ gang-up to ensure his dismissal for reasons best known to them. Never short of admirers, Manchester United quickly snapped him up and from the look of things this move was a culmination of his secret desire apparently because he had previously nursed the ambition of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson who retired in 2013 after a record 26 years coaching career with unparalleled record.

While he preferred his success model of securing high profile players to execute his program, he met a brick wall from Ed Woodward, the vice chairman of the Club who preferred development of the academy team to graduate into the senior cadre. Soccer informed observers knew his exit would just be a matter of time though when it happened he did not leave without boosting his resume, winning notably the Europa League Cup, the League Cup and FA Community Shield. Many pundits thought his dismissal before Christmas in 2018 heralded the end of Mourinho managerial dynasty.

Meanwhile Klopp and Guardiola in particular have set the League on fire with their brand of playing styles and uncommon football. During his wilderness period, Mourinho ensured he positioned himself across the best clubs in Europe seeking for another managerial job. He became a regular face featuring for pay-per-view televisions as a pundit. One of his comments that ‘champion league is a

JOSE MOURINHO MAY HAVE SOLVED THE JIGSAW PUZZLE OF TURNING FOOTBALL MATCHES INTO HIGH SCORING EVENTS RATHER THAN ENDURING A 90-MINUTE BORING SWEAT BY 22-GROWN UP MEN WITH A BARREN DRAW

game of details’ has become the benchmark for new champions league coaches as witnessed in the 2019/2020 season. He should know having won it with Porto and Inter Milan and near misses with Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Again, the break wasn’t to last forever as our friend landed another London Club, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Many wondered at the White Hart Lane landlord, Daniel Levy whether he ate Mourinho bug because the Club is steeped in a tradition of youth development with preference for growing new stars rather than secure any laurel with Mourinho’s ‘cash and carry’ mercenary style. Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Kyle Walker are stand-out ambassadors of this respected club and while its shelves are not busting with cups yet, it occupies respectable position in English elite League from season to season. The Club’s performance and rating peaked in 2018/2019 season, squaring up with Liverpool at the all-England teams in the year’s champion’s league final in Spain. Mourinho took the managerial mantle after the erstwhile coach Pochetino (“Poch”) got the axe for hovering just above relegation zone. The Club’s talisman and towering English striker, Harry Kane was enduring injury spell and key players were uncertain about their future with the Club. With antecedents during his second coming to Chelsea, players fear “Mourinho effect” that is, that their mistakes will be post-match conference jibes by ‘the special one’. The Club owner is reputed for shrewd player acquisition and given paucity of stars in January buying window, the new boss has to do with existing players. And so, hanging on to the 6th position at the end of 2019/2020 campaign was not totally bad as the Club qualified for Europa League competition.

But the new 2020/2021 season has turned out for Mourinho and Spurs different from book-makers’ prediction.

After losing the first League match at home to Everton, not a few highbrows were raised about Spurs under the manager.

But he picked the gauntlet and has put in a credible performance both in Europa circuit and the League games.

In their last four matches, the Club hit their opponents 18 times (average of 4.5 goals per match) and even in the drawn result with Newcastle United where a weird rule prevailed to gift their opponents a penalty on the death, 23 direct shots at goal were recorded by its sharp marksmen.

These feats are coming irrespective of whether it’s a home or an away match. Quite a few remarkable changes could be adduced for the Club’s high impact victories but the most visible is the aggressive recruitment of joiners in the transfer window to strengthen some departments. Reguilon from Real Madrid, Doherty from Wolves, Hojbjerg from Southampton, Vinicius from Benfica, Joe Hart and the return of Gareth Bale to his old Club are confident boosters and catalysts to its players. So far both Bale and Vinicius are yet to feature in any match but this free-scoring spell is set for another mouth-watering results on resumption after the international break. It is looking more and more certain that 2020/2021 season will see Spurs turning the White Hart Lane to a slaughter slab of a sort while away matches will not be a problem to set new scoring records in the League. Finally, Jose Mourinho may have solved the jigsaw puzzle of turning football matches into high scoring events rather than enduring a 90-minute boring sweat by 22-grown up men with a barren draw. This has been the argument of the United States for years before the commencement of the Major League Soccer (MLS) and its stunted growth after about 25 years could be attributed to fans’ apathy due to low goals nature of football compared with basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), Rugby or American Football (NFL) and hockey (NHL). r0MBZJOLB B GPPUCBMM FOUIVTJBTU XSPUF GSPN -BHPT

WHEN OPERATIONS MOCK STRATEGY Nigeria’s governance process should wake up to future challenges, writes Victor C. Ariole

…the youth have their heads clouded with worries… government should as its obligation demands provide not just jobs but basic human necessities for the people…

Ozah in The Guardian

E

verything about governance is mostly in the realms of strategy as those governing are meant to think of the past, today and what tomorrow holds.

And, when tomorrow comes, when the youth take the baton of leadership, they reflect on the past and work towards a better tomorrow than they had seen or lived. However, when the operational performance, where the youthful zeal is based, mocks the designed strategy where the elderly occupies, those in governance ought to question their own worth. The poor operation’s component of the SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) is taking the bash of what the strategists failed to conceive and to re-position for long, so as to avoid tomorrow’s disaster, seen in the current protest. That is, hunger and conflicting selfesteem worries of both the youthful SARS’ operation segment and the Nigerian youth that want to live a better life beyond what the governance process expects, are clashing.

They are both youths and either deprived or poor segments of the Nigerian society. Don’t throw out the baby and the bath water as if both are useless. That, also, was the quick “step-retracing” of a German idiom Yakubu Mohammed used as the title of his article reflecting the SARS’ protest incident. The

Germans at a time lacked water and, so, for bathing process, the father was allowed to take the first bathing dive, followed by the mother, then the children in order of seniority till the last – the baby. The thinking then was that the seed producer must be protected, but the strategy had to be reversed, as of today, that water cannot be said to be lacking, and that indeed, the baby cannot be the last, as to think of throwing it away with the already dirty water.

That is, indirectly or contingently, what the global world is suffering as even USA, in many spheres, seems to be reversing its own established order. The political elite are receiving the bashing as Trump leans heavily on the youths of all divides who have lost hope in the past established order. If not for Trump’s daughter who would have imagined that human trafficking, basically youth, thousands of them in a year, go missing and never detected in the lead country of the world? That, alone, is sufficient to call humanity to order; and she is raising funds to tackle it, even when it has not led to protest as elite enjoy the trafficking.

When you translate that to Nigeria and Africa as a whole, harbouring the greatest number of youths in the whole world, you know that it is high time Nigeria’s governance process reversed its strategic plan of “greatly patriarchal bent”. Those who came out to protest against SARS’ protesters, from Borno State or Zamfara, seen on the TV said it all.

Father or elite image boys; well taken care of and out of the worries of the great number of

Nigerian youth.

When the father seems to know all and decides all is gone. The profiling strategy SARS adopted was anachronistic and archaic and typically feudalistic aka “dankoba”. Quoting Yakubu: “in the eyes of SARS members, it is a crime for any youthful Nigerian to drive a nice car or carry a sophisticated phone set or for a man to have dreadlock. It is worse for a boy to wear imitation ear-ring like a girl.

If anyone falls into this profile, he must be a yahoo-boy indulging in cybercrime to dupe unsuspecting people”. What Nigerians did not observe when one of the children of the elite carried out a one-man suicide operation that landed him in USA prison, was also a protest against the governance process that spends a lot on him as per his father’s wealth but left greater number of almajiris suffering.

To that youth, everyone in that plane is like a failed elite. His interview with his incarcerators gives that out. To him, he was protesting against immorality that makes the majority suffer in the means of plenty and did not care dying for it.

When someone refers to you as dankoba, it means you are barawo – minded. It is, also, a proof that you are an alien to his cause, either good morals or “be like him”.

I went to buy ginger at the market. The man selling arranged them at N100 per pack and I asked him to pack all for me and collect his money, about N1000, all. He retorted and called me barawo, dankoba. To him I was a thief because he does not expect me to buy all

his market and allow him to go sleeping. In effect, the strategic planner he had not seen, did not tell him that the supply of ginger is elastic as long as the planner makes the production base conducive; not in the form of “cutlass and hoe” farming; antiquity.

SARS, aimed at armed robbery, ought to be antiquated and irrelevant. It is like asking the ginger seller, that forever he should remain in waiting for people to come for N100 portion only. It is also like asking SARS operation’s unit that profiling yahoo boys is the same thing as smashing armed robbery operations.

In civilised world, armed robbers are picked in their homes or in their hiding places, if ever they exist; not in exchange of bullets or in an open show of muscle flexing.

If only the governance process had known that 1992 when the military was the only governance process Nigerians knew and that for over generations now – about 30 years, the world has changed and that even in some countries, armed robbery does not exist anymore, as most people do not see any reason in robbing homes or banks, as plastic currency becomes the norm. Just like farming process of yore requires a father having many children to attend to the farm, today’s farm does not need that as no fewer than one million people work towards feeding almost over 300 million people in USA. Nigeria’s governance process needs to wake up to tomorrow’s challenges. r"SJPMF JT 1SPGFTTPS PG 'SFODI BOE 'SBODPphone Studies, University of Lagos

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ÍšÍżËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

End to impunity in sight?

TheCable

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#ENDSARS: Exposing Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chaotic Security System

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he Nigerian police is a product of British colonial rule. That is the genesis of many of the problems that would later be confronting it. Just like many of our public institutions, modeled after either US or UK, the Nigerian Police never evolved to take the identity of our own society. During the colonial era, the police were only used to ensure the citizens fell in line in order to make it easy to further the colonialist exploitative rule.

The first thing that explains the psyche of an average Nigerian policeman or woman is the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;forceâ&#x20AC;? added to its name. All over the advanced world, you can hardly see the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;forceâ&#x20AC;? added to the police name. Many commentators have called the attention of the authorities to it, yet nothing is done to correct it.

The question is, what are they forcing and upon whom will they be using their force?

In Britain and United States that we take pride in copying, policemen donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t carry big rifles like ours do here. Despite the fact that the police are well funded and men and women are well-trained, arms are not brandished like we do here. I do wonder if we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have smartlydressed officers with their pistols neatly pinned to their waists and their walkie-talkie smartly resting on their shoulders. Not that long rifles are not used too in these places, but only during emergencies.

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security is chaotic and highly unorganized. This is not to downplay the few successes recorded by many officers and men in our various security formations. The sad truth is that our security system still operates in analogue in the era of digitalized security system. We operate 19th Centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system of policing in the 21st century. We are far behind. In most nations now, crimes are fought with technology, tactics, advanced intelligence gathering systems and so on, not by the number of road blocks on the roads.

Here, it is through force and fire brigade approach.

The celebrated cop, ACP Abba Kyari was able to get to the notori-

Bayelsa: Progress in Face of Adversity

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t was at the Tafawa Balewa Square, formerly known as the Race Course, on Saturday, October 1, 1960 that Nigerians gathered with high hopes, expectations, and enraptured with the feeling of self-rule. This was all they needed to be squarely positioned on the long table of the comity of sovereign nations, to fulfill longing aspirations, to fly the flag of the most populous black nation. With the huge natural and human resources, it was almost a given that the country in no distant time will be transformed and adequately positioned to compete with leading sovereign nations in terms of economic boom and infrastructure.

Similarly, 36 years later, precisely, on Tuesday, October 1, 1996, the demand for a homogenous state for the Ijaws saw the light, after decades of consultations and agitations.

Central to the agitations for the creation of an Izon state is the hope that it will put all vagaries of marginalization to an end, and development would better be expedited for the Izon people by the Izon people. However, they are barrels of responsibilities and challenges of meeting lofty expectations.

Over these years, several leaders have piloted the affairs of the state,

with each making remarkable strides in the development of the oil rich region. Since creation till date, the collective efforts of these leaders from past to present have yielded evident results. They have worked tirelessly to ensure no Ijaw child is left behind according to the dreams of the founding fathers. The state has embarked on several programmes in the area of human capital development, initiating several skill acquisition programmes and also offering scholarship to Bayelsans in order to have access to world class education.

In like manner, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, since inception, has continually assured Bayelsans that his administration will not relent to make more investment in every sector of the state to steer it towards development. Governor Diri who also played a part in the creation of the state, describes the opportunity to lead as a chance to help actualize his vision to create a place where every izon child will grow to achieve their dreams. This is also in line with the struggle of late Isaac Jasper Boro and other founding fathers of the Izon nation. Due to the background of the governor as a pioneering member of INC, he has the knowledge of the plight, pains and difficulties faced by the Izon people.

HowT H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R ever, in spite of the EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE achievements in DEPUTY EDITOR FESTUS AKANBI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO Bayelsa, we must DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE note that there CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI is still room for EDITOR NATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN improvement. In

ous kidnapper, Evans, because he deployed technology in tailing and subsequently arresting him. If it were to be the Nigerian Police way of fire brigade approach, Evans would still be out there plying his trade.

That is how crimes are fought. That shows we might not even need units like SARS at all and even if we will ever need it, very minimal. After the completion of intelligence gathering by the unit in charge of criminal investigation, they can take over and do the real action. But here, without any investigation, by mere looking at a youth, they conclude he must be a criminal.

When we were growing up, it is the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men, in mufti, that do carry out criminal investigations in police divisions. What role is the CID unit of the police in massive intelligence gathering? How can a nation of 200 million people not have CCTV cameras in major towns and cities of her nation in the 21st century?

The fund meant for the CCTV of the capital city has since been embezzled and no one is behind bar for it.

Now, scrapping the SARS unit will never stop the tales of abuse and torture. Until some fundamental things are corrected, nothing changes. We will just have another set of crooks with a different name and who may be worse than SARS. The team to replace SARS must be carefully selected MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE and trained. The idea of randomly picking rogues among rank and file and pushing them T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D to go fight robbery and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA other violent crimes is GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI not only archaic but DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE counterproductive.

DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI That they will be facing SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH criminals doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO they must be roguish in CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI outlook. r$PNSBEF "CEVMBUFFG 6TNBO "CJPEVO &EF 0TVO 4UBUF

DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

recent time, there have been several initiatives by Senator Douye Diri on diversification of the economy and one of such is through agriculture.

This is to avoid over-reliance on crude oil to cushion the effect of the constraints posed by the dwindling revenue caused by Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Diri, citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; participation is crucial to Bayelsa budget process. He said his administration would actualize its prosperity agenda for people of the state through their involvement in strategic government policies. He has emphasized that his government will be all inclusive and void of party sentiments. This was confirmed in how he handled the situation of lockdown of the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initiatives were taken to ensure no Bayelsan contract the dreaded virus, palliatives were distributed across party lines to cushion the effect.

Seven months after inauguration, Diri signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private agricultural company to train Bayelsa youths in the area of agriculture. In his word: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been waiting for this day. We have tagged our government prosperity administration. Bayelsa is rich in oil and gas and other natural resources.

We also have a lot of land areas for agriculture. Our comparative advantage is in rice, plantain, fisheries and cassava. The MoU is to train the unemployed youths and then become employers of labour and create wealth in the land.â&#x20AC;?

rRobinson Agaga, Yenagoa

Not a Blow Hard

O

ne of the more unusual restrictions due to the COVID pandemic has been that a number of schools have banned Woodwind and Brass music practise and performances due to the possibility of the virus being spread further.

We need to protect ourselves and others by isolating as needed and wearing a mask, always, although a mask does interfere with blowing a saxophone or similar instruments. The world is getting weirder, but I am hoping it is getting better. Time for students to return to trumpet the good news. r%FOOJT 'JU[HFSBME .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER Ëž OCTOBER 17, 2020

SUPER SATURDAY Oritse Femi and Nabila ila la Fash ash

The Scary Domestic Violence Story Star musician, Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele (Oritse Femi) and his estranged wife, Nabila Fash have been spilling a lot of unpleasant stories; stories about events, people and actions that wrecked their once blissful relationship. Nabila is out of the house and vows never to return. Suddenly, Oritsefemi is remorseful. Will Nabila budge? Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

Oritse O i Femi F i and d wife, if N Nabila bil

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ OCTOBER 17, 2020

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SUPER SATURDAY Oritse Femi and Nabila Fash: The Scary Domestic Violence Story

Oritse O it F Femii and d wife, if N Nabila... bil

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tar musician, Oritse Femi, and his estranged g wife, Nabila Fash tied the knot in a colourful white wedding g ceremony y that shut down some parts p of the city y of Lagos g in November 2017. To Oritsefemi then, it was a carnival. As loud and p packed as the event was, a p particular character Caroline Danjuma j - glammed g and glitzed g on the scene of the wedding. g The actress who is a friend to the bride stole the show. However, most memorable of that wedding g reception p was the moment the ‘musical taliban’ took to the dance floor to shower Nabila, the Kaduna-born PR expert with dollars.

The spectacle p of that moment was widespread. p Albeit intoxicating, g such that the singer g was carried away y with. He went on to serenade her and p promised not to starve her of sex. Shortly y after, his inaction would attract trolls to Nabila.

The trolls were triggered gg by y a loose statement he made via tweet, claiming g his wedding g drew more attention than Davido and Wizkid December shows of same y year combined.

The lovebirds were waxing g strong, g and managed g to live happily pp y together g until few weeks ago g when the bubble burst. The singer’s g threeyear-old marriage y g is now enmeshed in crisis over allege g domestic abuse and his wife Nabila has being g staying y g with Nollywood y actress, Caroline Danjuma j (Caroline Hutchings) g who first hinted of domestic violence as the reason for the couple’s p marital crisis. The singer g is alleged to have been physically y y abusing g Nabila.

There was also alleged g infidelity y on the p part of Oritse Femi. In the heat of their marital challenge and his wife taking g refuge g in Caroline’s home, Oritse Femi called the actress names and this made her take to her Instagram g page p g to clear the air. She stated that she does not interfere with other people’s p p marriages g or relationships. p Caroline said when asked for advice in a relationship, p she gives blunt counsel. She said she believed the g home must be a safe place and she is against domestic violence.

Still trying y g to defend her role in habouring g Nabila, Caroline took to the comment section of ap post shared by y Oritse Femi on his Instagram g page p g to call the singer g to order for accusing her of separating p g him from his wife.

Responding to the allegation, divorcee Caroline

Caroline Danjuma

wrote: “On a normal day y I would have ignored g you but y y you need to explain p to the same social media how I am evil. Femi y you beat up p your y wife, tore her leg, g your y daughter g had to call the neighbour g to save her and she was rushed to the hospital. p Ip paid the hospital p bill. You never came to visit her. Yet I begged gg her to come back to you after two weeks of running y g away y from y you out of fear, she came back, one week later, you y got intoxicated with alcohol, g g got admitted to the hospital p and attempted p to beat up py your wife in the hospital. p A woman that was just j healing g from trauma of your abuse, you still wanted to beat her again? g “Femi I am evil because I g gave her my y home to recuperate? p If you y gave g your y wife a safe place p will she be out of her home? Don’t push p my y buttons. Just because y you came from the g ghetto does not mean you y should act like one. Grow up already. y You have two daughters g and a wife to lead. Apparently, pp y I learnt y you are of the habit of beating g her. I don’t interfere in husband and wife issues but if y your wife runs for help p because y you keep beating her, be rest assured we will challenge you. Keep y py your fist for men like y yourself. Yes, I am divorced but my y friends can always y count on me to be there for them. Concerning g your cheap threat, I am waiting g for you. y Joker.”

In the wake of the marital crisis, the singer g had asked his wife to forgive g him after calling g out Caroline for being g the brain behind marital crisis. After news of their marital crisis trended, Oritse Femi took to Instagram g to blame Caroline and cursed her. He wrote: “Caroline, this is the beginning g g of y your p problem in life. Get ready y for it. @Carolynahutchings y g is the evil between Oritse Femi and Nabila... Don’t get carried away with fake g gist.”

Oritse Femi didn’t explain p how Caroline is to blame for his marital woes. He later returned to Instagram g to ask Nigerians g to help p him apologize p g to his wife, writing: g “Forgive g me my y love I miss you daily y y boo. I truly y miss everything y g about y you.

Make una help p me beg g her p please. I need to enter street for this #endsars. Na me really y fit this sars people. p p Na them father I be... p person g gats fist him home before him focus outside. I beg g my yp people make una beg g her for me... am deeply p y sorry y Nabila ... I love y you from the bottom of my y heart.”

After Oritse Femi p posted an apology p gy to his wife, Caroline took to Instagram to respond to

his accusations. She wrote: “I do not interfere in people’s p p marriages g or relationships... p I do not take sides either. When it comes to domestic violence it’s a no no for me. I believe everything y g in life has a solution, no need throwing g punches. p The home must be a safe p place especially p y where there are kids. I can ignore g cheating g and all sorts but I will stand by y any y one that is p physically y y abused be it man or woman. If being g evil is giving g g my y friend/ sister a safe p place to heal before she g goes back home, then my y doors will always y be open.” p The mum-of-three added in the caption: p “Don’t have time for bullshit... #saynotodomesticviolence y #saynotodrugabuse. y g Oritse Femi since you y like to disrespect p y your wife on social media, y your apology p g must be louder than y your disrespect.” p In another slide, she wrote: “The world is full of monsters with friendly y faces and angels g riddled with scars.

Say y no to domestic violence. Say no to domestic violence and drug g abuse.”

Oritse Femi has continued to appeal pp to his wife, Nabila Fash to return home. The music star took to his Instagram g page p g late Monday, y October 12, 2020, where he penned p down another apology p g gy note to his wife, Fash. “My yq queen kindly y let’s end this whole thing g in peace p .... You are a good g person don’t look at what people p p p says y to jjeopar p dize our happiness pp my y beautiful wife. You know am a lovable and caring husband. I will never hurt you.”

“Deep p down your y heart, you y know am not a bad p person... I can never hurt y you, my y wife. Don’t allow friends to lead y you astray y come back to your y normal self, my y love. I truly y miss you y and it’s now I really y needed you y most, forgive and let’s love lead my y beautiful Nabila.”

Meanwhile, Nabila spent p last Wednesday y celebrating g Caroline Danjuma. j Sharing g a photo p of Caroline who she described as her “sister”, Nabila relished some of their memories together. g She also asked her followers to say a prayer for the actress and also thank her.

Nabila wrote: “In the journey j y of life, there are people p p we must not take for g granted! We have cried, fought, g laughed, g g gone crazy y together. g Yet we are always y there for each other. Thank you y for holding g my y hands, p praying y g with me, being g my y sister and making g me smile always. y We have a story, y and it’s a beautiful story. y Thank y you is not enough. g Everyone y please p say y a prayer p for my sister and tell her thank you for me.”

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

Plus Benson Ezem At 60, I’m Joyfully Alive Pursuing God’s Vision

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

PLUS

At 60, I’m Joyfully Alive Pursuing God’s Vision How would you describe yourself looking at your business orientation?

W

ell, I am a multi-dimensional person. I am an architect by training. I am a fellow of my institute, Nigeria Institute of Architects, the apex of my profession.

I am a consultant architect of my company known as Cosmo Base Consortium. I am a Reverend by calling. I am an entrepreneur per excellence. That is what I am. I try to fit in these things together.

I have been in business now for over 32 years.

I started the business when I was quite young.

Cosmo Base Consortium is a company that was founded while I was 22 years and as a student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Since then, I have kept straight with the company. It is a company which I have tried to nurture all these years.

The company has given birth now to Jades Hotel and some industrial outfits.

It’s been a vision. Visions do not die.

Rather, it is to be able to build a brand in anything we do out of this country like the likes of Dangote and others. God has helped us thus far. I happen to be the Resident Pastor of Lively Hope Church in Port Harcourt. We just started the Abuja branch.

Why the call to the pulpit?

You see, the idea of Lively Hope is, using what God has given you, both mental knowledge and financial ability to serve God. It’s like being a pastor to pastors where you will be able to express yourself without fear of losing any member. And God has helped us thus far. He has given us children in the ministry. They are able to carry on the work in different areas.

They have done creditably. So it is a thing of joy that at 60 years, one is still alive to pursue the vision God has given to us vigourously. One good thing about the vision is I saw a company that will be able to build and train successors, whether from my own family or other families. I want to tell you that today, I have successors from my own family and from the company itself. That is what it is to impact on future generations. In anywhere you find yourself, be it in politics, you want to be able to say: ‘ When I was there, I influenced lives’. ‘When I was there I affected lives’. ‘When I was there I changed things’ because men were created as change agents to be transformers. Life is worthless if you can’t point to somebody today and say ‘this is the life I have built’, ‘this is the life I have touched’. That is actually the bedrock of our company - the ministry itself.

I see ourselves in this group as a family and as family, if you truly love the people you are working with, you will want the people to be happy and to achieve what you have achieved. You will want the people to be like you. In our organisation, we work for the same purpose.

Do you have a privileged background that helped in supporting you, like someone born with a silver spoon?

No my father was a senior civil servant like he will call himself. That is not a silver spoon. In fact, he worked and retired and in fact, that was what fired me.

He retired with nothing, after enjoying all

Benson Ezem is a man of several parts all rolled into one. He is a chartered architect, businessman and the pastor/founder of Lively Hope Church – Port Harcourt and Abuja. The President of Cosmo Base Consortium and owner of Jades Hotel, Abuja recently attained 60 years. In a chat with Olawale Ajimotokan, Ezem reflects on his life and businesses while reminiscing on his humble beginnings and his philosophy of life

the affluence of a senior civil servant leaving in good GRAs and all the rest. He resided in Kano and retired as a District Accountant of NEPA. Then, they take good care of you, providing you a house in a GRA and all that. But when he retired, we just found out that we owned nothing- the fridges, the air conditioned- everything; we owned nothing.

And that was where I now decided not to have that kind of an experience again.

I resolved I would work and everything I own will be my own and will not belong to anyone. Because there was disconnect from a GRA background to the town, where you now have to live, because that is where he could afford. So, I thank God that I had to take the bull by the horn to change the narrative. I am one man that when I meet a situation, I try to make it better. Things must change. I am one person that when I meet somebody I look at the potential inside of that person and I can say “you are living below your expected level in life.” Like people who work with me, some of them have come with O’ level. And I look at them and say “you are intelligent, you write well, you can be better than this.”

I have helped them to go to school and they have realised that they can be better than how they came here. One of my staff came in and read Economics and I looked at her and saw that she was very intelligent. I said ‘’what are you doing here’’? I don’t mind, go and do ICAN. She went and did her ICAN and got an award in ICAN. She got a job that the offer was higher than what I offered but she is today happy that somebody encouraged her.

What exactly do we have to do to turn the country around?

What we need in this country are leaders that can see tomorrow. We need leaders that can feel what the followers feel, not egocentric leaders, not selfish leaders. That is why we are having all these problems today, with all kinds of insecurity, because if you are a leader, there are people around you that you can develop to develop others. If you are a leader that really cares for his people, everything will not be about money, amassing wealth, getting all the security. You see, I fear for this country, where we are heading, especially our youths. The unemployment rate is very high. The government cannot provide all the employment. The government cannot take out all the people from the streets. It is the businesses, the entrepreneurs that can do that. But you see, what we have now is that the government is sitting on the neck of entrepreneurs with a lot of taxes, high rate of bank interests. You can’t borrow.

You won’t believe that for me I am averse to borrowing because of the high interest rates. The rate we wish to develop is not possible because we are working within the confines of the available resources.

In this group, what we do when we want to develop a project, we call in funds from different companies to fund that project because if you go to the bank, it takes so long and all that. Forget about what you see on the TV, it does not work that way. You see the frustration that entrepreneurs face- high tax rate, FIRS is coming after you, everything is coming against you, you won’t have the latitude to pursue your dream.

Until we realise that government needs to give us that enabling environment in terms of resources and tax rebates like in this COVID-19 thing now. In some other countries, some companies were given palliatives - low interest rates. I had to go the extra mile to keep all my staff during the pandemic.

How did COVID-19 affect you as a member of the Hotel Owners Association of Nigeria?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the industry?

Some of the hotels are still not open. We are bringing resources from outside to ensure we do not lose our trained staff because it is not easy to train a staff.

We had to bring our resources from outside to make sure we are paying them during the COVID period because it is not only when you make profit that you pay. When there are losses, you still have to consider your staff. We said we were not going to sack any of our staff, we did not sack any of them, we did not put them in the market. What we did, we took our time, reduced the staff, kept some in the house and now we are bringing them back gradually. We have trained them and we don’t want to start shopping for new ones. We have a loan scheme because any of them that asks for loan to sort out very important issue like housing, we oblige. We think beyond now to ensure that everybody is carried along.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

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PLUS What We Need in This Country Are Leaders That Can See Tomorrow What is the future for hospitality business post COVID-19 in Nigeria?

Post COVID- people must travel although it is not going to be the same.

Here we put together all the protocols that are required by NCDC. It won’t be like before but COVID will cease and things will normalise. This is the time to plan post COVID-19, even for the government, because things can’t always be rosy. But we have learnt to base and rebase because we maintain certain standards. We are very frugal in the management of funds. As a business man, you should know that things will not always be buoyant.

At a time when the resources are decreasing that is when to plan and bring in funds that you have saved. All organisations must save for the rainy days and you must not live above your means.

In this country, we have not learnt to save for the raining days. Even in the states, the number of retinue of aides does not help us to manage our finances. You don’t need all the people that you will employ in the states, you have to trim down when things are not working well and you do workable budget. We work by budget here. You don’t just come and say your budget is N100 million. How much are you going to bring and how you are going to earn the money to fund the budget?

Every year, you repeat the same thing like we do here. These are the things that have helped us to keep going as an organisation.

What are some of the major projects handled by Cosmo Base Consortium?

You can see we have done the refurbishment of CBN property in Owerri.

We did it. We are into hospital design, we have done a couple of hospitals for states and we did the master plan for Federal Polytechnic Offa and some of the major buildings were done by the organisation and are still there today.

You also talk about some projects like the Federal Polytechnic, Katsina done by my organisation, In this organisation, we have trained a lot of architects.

Up till this moment some are on their own while some are still with us.

What are the lessons life has taught you through the past decades?

At the age of 10, my desire was to please my parents, to be a good boy and pass my school. At the teen age, my desire then was to come out tops in my school which I did. I was 16 then. And in the university too, I made a second class upper and did one of the best projects in my Masters degree at Ahmadu Bello University. I wanted to change the narrative of what happened that is why I got into business through the mentorship of my mother, who always tells me that I have to look for the black goat when it is day because at night you won’t be able to find it. She told me to make haste when the sun shines. She mentored me that by 5. 30 a.m. this woman is waking me up to go with her because she was into distributorship business; to go with her to meet her debtors.

I often wondered why always early in the morning. She always says it is good to wake them up in the morning because at that time, the man will not be able to dodge you and it was working. She developed the tenacity, the hard-work and the consistency in pursuit. That is what has helped me.

She helped me to know that I must place value on people; l must place value on relationship. That is why some of the people I met in my early years are still my friends today. I still reach out to them. Some that I met in

Ezem with his wife and children

I see ourselves in this group as a family and as family, if you truly love the people you are working with, you will want the people to be happy and to achieve what you have achieved. You will want the people to be like you. In our organisation, we work for the same purpose Katsina, like one Alhaji Mohammed Gologolodi, gave me an inroad into Katsina. He was a commissioner then and I was a nobody. He gave me my first job in government, with Alhaji Abu Gidado, a former minister, who still comes around here from Katsina.

I want to tell you that if there is anywhere I know, it is Katsina and Kano states. Those were in the early days. These people encouraged people, not minding where you come from.

I am from the East, but they encouraged me, but nowadays, it is not like that.

Things are changing; it’s no longer like that. The Nigeria I grew up to know was a Nigeria that we did not know whether you were a Christian, Muslim or Hindu, whatever. I went to Federal Government College and we knew ourselves as brothers and sisters.

We never asked where he’s coming from. It’s like we were in the same school with Abdulsamad Isyaku, BUA. He was about two years our junior, but then we didn’t know. We were just in school and just met there. And we were friends in school.

Somebody from Auchi, Oseni Ahmed, a Quantity Surviyor, Sam Ochai from Kogi, Adebowale Taiwo from Ogun, but we became friends. We moulded.

What was on our minds then was to make good results, which stood us out.

We made friends all over. That is why these unity school, what they are today are not what they were then. Now they begin to admit people from one geo-political zone. That is wrong. It’s supposed to be from all the zones, all the tribes, so they mix together - that is one Nigeria.

If this country must go forward, we must place value on Federal Character and see it right. What is happening

today where there is so much cry on restructuring is because people are feeling cheated. If not nobody will talk about restructuring. So they want to be like the others. Nobody in this country is a servant to the other. We are all equal partners. The Igbo is not higher than the Hausa, Yoruba not higher than Ijaw. We have to begin to look for those things that unite us if we have to move this country forward.

Nigeria recently celebrated its 60th Independence anniversary. How do you feel to be born about the time Nigeria became independent?

I always consider time in anything I am doing. I can tell you, considering the years I have lived, that Nigeria should not be where we are right now as a country. There are mistakes we have made, for you to move forward, you have to reflect on those mistakes you have made and make moves to correct them in the future. For me too, there are mistakes I have made, which I wish to correct and need to strategise.

This is the time for everybody in this country and the leaders to strategise.

Where are we? Where do we want to be in the next five years? Where do we want to be in the next 10 years? Where do we want to be in the next 20 years and tell ourselves the truth? Do we want this country to still be Nigeria?

What is it that will help this Nigeria to make us stronger? This is the task that is before us if we want to still be a country. We need to sit down and tell ourselves the truth.

Everything in this world is not money because we are going nowhere with this money. In the states, the leadership must sit down and tell themselves that oil is drying up; how do we generate revenue? Where are we going from

here? Like an architect would do, there must be an economic master plan of how to confront the future.

For this country, for the states and for the tribes, what relationship do we want that would strengthen Nigeria as a country and those relations we should not shy away from it? Decisions are to be taken. Yes, some decisions may hurt, but at the end of the day, let it be to the greater interest of the people. We have to begin to learn to sacrifice as a people.

We must be patient for the greater tomorrow. If we don’t sacrifice today, there won’t be a greater tomorrow.

Would you say you are fulfilled at 60? Do you have any regrets?

To say that Im fulfilled at 60 is an understatement because at 60, I have three grandchildren. I have my children. My first son with his Masters made a First Class in Engineering. He is working with me here now, managing one of the concerns. It is not easy to have your son respect your vision, especially sons of nowadays; a son who wants to grow the vision. I have a daughter, who is an accountant, who is equally married and all of them are graduates. The third is a writer, who has a Masters in Pharmacy and is doing well. And my last boy that is 21 years. God made him to take after me. He is an architect in Boston, USA. I am expecting that one day he will come in and face what we are facing here.

God has been very faithful, giving me a very intelligent wife, who has helped me in no small measures. My celebration is part of thanksgiving and to let everyone knows that in every situation you find yourself, that situation is very surmountable. I want to encourage the young people not to give up. They should take up challenges, they should not shy away from challenges because challenge is what makes you and changes you. It helps to reposition you.

For this country, for the states and for the tribes, what relationship do we want that would strengthen Nigeria as a country and those relations we should not shy away from it?

Decisions are to be taken. Yes, some decisions may hurt, but at the end of the day, let it be to the greater interest of the people. We have to begin to learn to sacrifice as a people. We must be patient for the greater tomorrow. If we don’t sacrifice today, there won’t be a greater tomorrow.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR Helen Paul

If I Could Earn a PhD, Anyone Can Realise Dreams Helen Paul is a woman of many parts. She is a singer, actress and a business woman. She is also a stand-up comedian, known as Tatafo, characterised by a voice range that makes her sound like a child. She recently bagged a PhD in Theatre Arts from the University of Lagos. Helen talks to Festus Akanbi about her career and industry-related issues

Y

ou have carved a niche for yourself as a stand-up comedian and a Nollywood actress. Which of them is giving you more satisfaction?

Both are close to my heart.

To sustain yourself in any industry, you need to have knowledge of that industry and know how to turn your talents within that industry into a business. When you have talent but lack business acumen, it can be frustrating. And it can also be vice versa - business know-how without talent or content is also a waste of time.

Let’s break it down this way - there are movies that obviously lack a coherent plot or gripping role interpretation or delivery. However, with a solid plan in place, they could sell out tickets at cinemas and break box office records. And there are great movies out there that lack a decent promotional push so they end up being box office bombs. Let’s flip things a bit - you can be great at anything - comedy, music, trading, etc but if you lack sales and marketing skills, your talent, expertise, and skills may remain under-utilised. I can’t market or sell my talents to myself - I have to be able to sell those talents to other people and audiences. Therein lies my reason for holding both dear to my heart.

How will you, as a business woman describe the pervading business environment?

They are just like any other business out there - there are ups and downs. We occasionally do what businesses call SWOT analyses - we have our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Through it all, we’re keeping our heads above water.

How do you feel being the first Nigerian comedian to bag a PhD? The funny thing is I never even considered that I was the first comedian to bag a PhD. It was during my convocation that someone made that observation. The only point I would be happy to see proved here is the fact that once you set out to achieve a good cause, no force can stop you. You will achieve it if you believe.

I’ll be happy if every young man or woman out there is inspired to achieve his or her lifelong dreams, no matter how daunting the challenges may be in the process of doing that. I’ll be glad to see how a story of humble beginnings like mine can have a positive impact on the youth, especially ladies. No matter how relegated the role of a woman is, within every woman lies the birthplace of nations. I’m really hopeful that my story will inspire every young man or woman out there to go out and achieve that dream.

Hard work and perseverance pay. Everyone can achieve great things regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds. We can all sit and make excuses but we can also look our fears and challenges in the eye and overcome them. It’s all about choices. No victory or success is too big to achieve, no mountain is too high to cross. The question is - do you want it?

And if you do, how bad do you want it? That

Helen Paul

desire should lead you to sweat and burn the midnight oil. I wanted to achieve something; I set targets for myself and, to God be the glory, I conquered. Veni Vidi Vici. If I could earn a PhD, anyone can achieve his or her dream in any field, sphere, or sector.

How profitable is comedy business at

this period of economic downturn?

Comedy business can be the same way other businesses are. Just like many businesses thrive by securing deals, comedians need to secure events and other business transactions. We can’t make a broad or sweeping statement by saying that comedy business is lucrative or not.

Whatever you and wherever you’re located, comedy business can earn income at any level. No matter your geographical location or whatever the business you do, there will be low and high income earners.

All said and done, we need to combine the God and human factors to be successful at whatever we do - grace from God and hard work with perseverance.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

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SHOWBIZFLAIR If I Could Earn a PhD, Anyone Can Realise Dreams come after him or her because of that. But at the moment, I’m paying my tax.

To what extent will you say your gender has helped you climb up so fast in the industry?

I wouldn’t know if it’s gender-related, but all I can say is that I learnt a thing or two from other female acts - from Aunty Mandy to Lepacious Bose, and Princess. I was interested in knowing what kept them going in a male-dominated space.

I hold the lessons I learnt close to my heart. And then, I chose to see things in black and white - I disregarded all gender biases and just saw the opportunity to thrive with other male acts in that space. At the end of it all, it’s all about God’s grace. I must admit that it’s a challenge and half being a female in a male-dominated industry.

But with God, your courage, determination, and resilience, you’d break through.

Have you learnt any lesson from the current global pandemic?

I wouldn’t say I learnt something entirely new. But some of my long-held convictions were reinforced. Firstly, people need to always have savings or a back-up plan and learn to adapt to survive in unfavorable conditions. It’s what some people call a Plan B of some sorts; something that you can fall back on when things go awry.

As we know, there was no movement at all at a point during the lockdown. Although some jobs could be done from home, some businesses could not be done from home due to the very nature of such businesses. For example, some businesses depended heavily on daily commuting. And some people could only eke a living or sustain themselves based on their daily hustle as we call it. The lockdown, partial or total, was a game changer. It altered everything. Thankfully, some people who had managed to save were left with whatever savings they had. Unfortunately, some had nothing saved for the rainy day. Imagine how such people fared during the lockdown.

Some would most likely resort to crime to eat.

How tragic would it be when word gets out that someone passed away as a result of hunger and not the virus? Really scary. Therefore as we work, let us try to always save for unforeseen circumstances such as the covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, as an entrepreneur, I understand that a lot of businesses were terribly affected by the pandemic. Several stores could not open. Certain items such as water and tissue paper became scarce or even unavailable. When they were available, they were unbelievably expensive. So, at that point, you need to decide whether or not to restock and whether or not to inflate the prices of goods. A lot of critical and tough decisions had to be made just so things could keep moving. That takes us back to the issue of a fallback plan, businesses need to be run with sudden eventualities like the pandemic in mind. When you have shock absorbing plans on ground for your business, it can withstand threats.

How did you come into comedy business?

I learnt a lot from my grandma; being cultured, observant, the idea of being a disciplined person and being street-smart. I remember as a child, people in my vicinity used to gravitate towards me as they enjoyed listening to my jokes. I didn’t understand what entertainment was at that point, I was just being myself. I was never ahead of myself, took things a step at a time. With the way things were, I decided very early that I must find my path and be true to it. So, as I grew older and opportunities presented themselves, I leveraged on my childhood experience in seizing the moment. The traits I acquired from childhood helped me make mature decisions at crucial points in my life.

In the entertainment industry, what everybody does, either through music, acting or comedy is a representation of what is happening in reality.

I grew up in different areas of Lagos like Fadeyi and Iju-Ishaga, where I quickly developed interacting skills. And one of the best things one can have as an entertainer is to have a keen sense of observation, and secondly, the ability to call back when that observation is needed. So, I try to always remember the places I have been to.

For example, Alhaja DonJasi is a product of my observations about the sociocultural issues. I simply re-enact those issues, being funny while at it because the purpose of entertainment is to educate and entertain.

How do you combine your activities within your busy schedules as a comedian, a Nollywood actress, a business woman and an academic?

I will say knowing what to do at the right time, in the right places and with the right set of people.

Identifying that life has its purpose - knowing that time is precious. When you are conscious of time, then you will know when to and what time to do what. This is what everybody does.

As a banker you have children, you have to take care of your husband and you must also be in the office on time where you have to report to your boss and handle your direct reports. It’s all about multi-tasking. I also have a management team that takes care of bookings and other things. I cannot be at every event, so there are some I let go because of other things that are of essence.

Men have brains,women have connections is one of the quotes ascribed to you. Can you explain what you meant here?

Well, I can’t remember when this was said, but assuming without conceding that I said it, I will say if a man has nine ribs and women have seven ribs from the man, that means women are connected to the one with the brain (laughs).

What will you describe as your greatest challenge as an entertainer?

First, people may not respect your privacy.

They get carried away by the personality they see and hear in the media. To a large extent, such behaviour can be excused - entertainment thrives mostly on make-believe. People form opinions about you based on what they’ve seen and heard about you, whether true or not.

Helen Paul

Also, juggling several responsibilities can be challenging but as I explained earlier, God and the right people make things a lot easier.

So how do you react when people don’t take you seriously?

It happens a lot, but in a way, it works for my good because I love the power of underestimation. When people underestimate you, that is when you should be able to stand strong and make a point. I remember when I told people that I was undergoing a PhD program, many people laughed it off. In fact, some asked “what do you want to do with a PhD?” Such reactions actually gave me the strength to keep moving.

Most comedians are deeper and more intelligent than what you see at surface level. They can be so serious-minded that they’re some of the best writers of tragedy.

Have you ever been sexually harassed as a Nollywood actress?

Well, with the way my mouth is always busy, if such had happened, you’d have heard it in the news. I would have mentioned names. Trust me, I’d have spoken because I don’t keep quiet. So, it’s a big no to that. I have never been sexually harassed.

How will you describe yourself?

Helen Paul can be your usual or unusual girl, depending on what lens you’re seeing her through. Helen is a perfect blend of choleric and sanguine traits though. Helen is sometimes confusing when you are trying to understand or know her though (laughs).

Meanwhile, Helen wears many caps. She’s so malleable she can fit into different roles all at once.

Are Nigerian entertainers satisfied with tax system in its present form?

I’m sincerely trying to understand our tax system. I have not lived long in any other country to be able to compare. Many of us don’t know how the tax thing works. I think the people in charge should be able to work with banks and Corporate Affairs Commission to have one system that will deduct taxes. This will stop tax officers from running after entertainers on social media and within other spaces. Sometimes, when people say things on social media, it’s show business and it’s left to the public to believe or not. The person involved might be doing or saying something, promoting a narrative to make himself or herself happy or relevant in the industry, so the tax officials should not

Going forward, what sort of changes should we expect ?

I envisage positive changes, growth, and knowing that technology now works. In roses, there are thorns. There are opportunities in challenges. For example, technological initiatives were brought to the fore during the pandemic; businesses that had to work from home quickly realized that they could overhaul in-person meetings and replace them with virtual meetings through avenues such as Zoom.Also, productive man hours lost in heavy traffic gridlocks were avoided with the option of working from home.

I believe things would get relatively back to the way they used to be. I used the word “relatively” because, as I said earlier, we now have a new normal that has come to stay with us. So, things may not necessarily return to exactly how they used to be but won’t also remain the way they are at the moment. There’ll be positive changes.And with that, some activities that had hitherto been at a standstill will gather momentum. Take the entertainment scene for example - I’m sure the music, sports, and movie industries can’t wait to get back on track. The post-covid era would birth a ton of activities, from movie shoots and sports events to music and comedy concerts and so on, everyone awaits the opportunity to gather and enjoy those fun moments again.

And for the industry players, everyone would come out with new materials and energy for their respective audience who must have missed their content. Retreats give birth to new energy and apparently, new materials. With proper attention to the safety of health of everyone at events, a certain level of normalcy would be achieved. We should all be ready for the change and growth. Generally, I expect more positive changes than otherwise.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Netflix Grabs Hauwa Allahbura’s ‘Eve’ Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Much talked about movie, The Eve, is the latest on the exclusive list of Nigerian flicks on Netflix as it premiered on the global streaming platform on Monday, October 12th.

The 2018 romantic comedy which chronicles the days leading up to a supposed “happy couple’s” wedding features a stellar cast and is directed by rapper turned director – Tosin Igho. Produced by Hauwa Allahbura’s Cut24 Productions, The Eve was written by the trio of Tunde Babalola, Tosin Igho, and Martin Adieze.

It centers on a young man, Funso (Adefarasin), and his bride-to-be, Yewande (Naya) set to marry in a few days. Before the D-day, three childhood friends of the groom decide to treat him to a blissful bachelor’s Eve on a beautiful island. Sadly, things go south during the getaway with the couple needing to reassess their stance amidst the actions of other parties. Apart from its exciting plot, The Eve which screened in cinemas in 2018 also has beautiful music synchronized with beautiful pictures and great cinematography.

Commenting on the Netflix release, Allahbura expressed pride for the feat and appreciated the movie’s cast and crew for their yeoman’s effort.

She also enjoined people to watch out for the flick. “There is no mother that is not proud of her first child. We could not have achieved this level of success without the director, cast, and crew of The Eve. This was my production debut. Af-

ter The Eve, I and my company, Cut24 Productions, have grown immensely.

As we all prepare for #TheEveXNetflix, please visit your Netflix app and set a reminder for October 12! The Eve is coming on Netflix! Get ready!”

Allahbura gushed.

“The Eve” comes hot on the heels of other successful productions from Cut24 including Code Will, the critically acclaimed Gidi Blues and 4th Estate.

The movie explores various themes and genres through its runtime which is just less than 2 hours and the Netflix audience is set to be treated to various musical numbers as the movie has been compared to Nollywood’s response to modern Disney classics.

The cast which features some of Nollywood’s leading women includes Beverly Naya, Meg Otanwa, Ronke Oshodi and Hauwa Allahbura.

Beverly Naya casts her streak of stellar performances to her already impressive catalogue which includes playing the lead actress in Lancelot Imasuen’s “Living in Exile” which brought her to limelight and acted alongside star actor Desmond Elliot in the movie produced by her mother.

Ronke Oshodi, needs very little introduction, after forging an impressive track record with Yoruba movies, she makes an effortless transition in her role as the feisty aunt of Yewande.

Beverly Naya, who plays the passive aggressive “Yewande” proved her worth as a leading actress in Nollywood.

Hauwa Allahbura

Nollywood Epic, ‘Rise of the Saints’ Berths Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Tosin Olateru’s directorial debut, “Rise of The Saints” is currently screening in cinemas nationwide. The feature film had its theatrical release after five years in development limbo. The Nollywood epic fantasy is action packed and as ambitious.

For film lovers who have seen the film, the account of the legendary Moremi Ajasoro might come with shocking revelations.

Well, not all of it is true. There are several firsts recorded in “Rise of the Saints”.

Away from it being Olateru’s directorial debut, it is also the feature film debut of leading man, Tele Kuponiyi. The actor who plays Luke, the reincarnated son of Moremi Ajasoro, first tried his hands at acting as an undergraduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University. The prologue of “Rise of the Saints” is breathtaking and achieved using 3D animation sequence.

The Costume of the “Saints” is a creative fusion of old military and modern fashion.

The flick gives a fictitious spin to the story of Yoruba’s revered princess who sacrificed herself for her subjects. In the present-day world, her prophesied son is manifest in Luke, a young aspiring musician. Orphaned at birth and raised

by his aunt, Luke is suddenly plunged into a battle of two worlds: of light and darkness. He joins forces with The Saints, a group of people charged with the duty of protecting the legacy of Moremi, and together they must employ all their wits to defeat the ferocious warlord, Jagan.

Amid all, Luke has no choice but to take the biggest test of his life: choose between a destiny of honour or his dazzling dream of music and fame. A fictional story of a man’s struggle to succeed against the evil that plagues him, the project is motivated by the determination to make a change in the psyche of the youth in our society.

It hopes to accomplish this by showing, through the movie, that despite the circumstances around, we can thrive and achieve our dreams, no matter how big.

The fictitious paranormal work in “Rise of The Saints” is sworn to the highest level of secrecy, and inspired by the heroism of Moremi Ajarsoro, from generation to generation keeping the line between good and evil. Seeing as they exist in the new world, their costume had to sufficiently express this detail. Quite riveting are the scenes which leave viewers in want of more.

Produced by Bolanle Olasunde, Rise of The Saints stars great stars befitting of the

Stars in the movie

storyline. As noted by the movie makers at Grand Redemption, “We’ve created characters that are peculiar to the story we have and their costumes and props are an integral part of the characterization

so we need the money to finish up the scenes we’re yet to shoot.” Think of thespians like Peter Fatomilola, Rachael Oniga, Tina Mba, among other superstar actors.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Tumininu Oluyole

Growing up in Lagos was Bittersweet US-based Nigerian entrepreneur, Tumininu Oluyole is the founder of Don Crucifixto, a new production and entertainment company centered on giving young Africans opportunities to explore. He talks to Tosin Clegg about how he started, building his brand, going into movies and music business, moving to the US and a lot more African from Nigeria creating opportunities, I do not believe I have done anything yet.

Growing up in Lagos was bittersweet enjoyed growing up in Lagos. In spite of the difficult life, the sense of freedom and carefree living was second to none. My parents, though struggling to afford school fees for me and my siblings, made sure that we were exposed to the best possible education they could think of.

Growing up as a child, my parents instilled in me a resilient attitude to always work hard and never give up. This discipline made me pick one of my dad’s old cars, worked hard to fix the car and used it as a taxi to send myself to the university.

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My Don Crucifixto Entertainment I have always loved entertainment and appreciated the arts. While growing up, I used to play drama and was part of drama teams.

I feel it is the right time for me to give more into what I believe in and passionate about.

Speaking with the team, and my business background - Don Crucifixto Entertainment feels like a great name and that is what the outfit is called. I am hoping to have three major artistes on the label and, we have two movies going through the production process, as we speak. It is exciting times I must tell you.

The idea is to make sure every work we produce can add value to the public. I know the industry seems saturated and that is where the opportunity to be different and unique lies. We will tap into this and fill the gaps. We will always deliver quality productions; that is a guarantee. I have loads of professionals in the industry that make up the team and, believe me, when I say these professionals have earned their stripes. Failure is never an option on the table.

I grew up looking up to my mom and dad My mom is full of life and energy. She has always been very entrepreneurial. She will start businesses and fail, but will continue to the next thing available. She is not a quitter.

She is optimistic and that attitude creates limitless opportunities. My dad was a banker.

He encountered a lot of mishaps, but he never gave up. He believed in himself. Now look at the attributes of these two fine people. Who else could I ever look up to and want to be like to be successful, obviously my parents.

I so wanted to be an Accountant because of my dad, and my mom’s “never say die and keep thinking outside the box philosophy”.

In addition, my mom’s eagerness to always help people was so contagious I just wanted to be like her.

Nigerian entertainment industry The Nigerian entertainment industry is an evolving institution and we must not forget that. I still believe there are loads of opportunities and we feel lucky and blessed to be tapping into this evolution.

The entertainment industry is growing and with every growth, there is that pain.

We need to keep encouraging the process and in five or 10 years, we should be able to give better accountability. The goal is for the Nigerian Entertainment industry to compete head to head in all aspects with the US and the modern world.

Struggles in the university I struggled to keep up with the university’s tuition with my taxi business. The car was really a junk and kept breaking down. The educational system in Nigeria itself was not favorable. There were university professors going on strike, which caused a lot of instability. A degree four-year programme will drag on for six years due to teachers’ strikes. The frustration kept building and I decided to leave the country for China. I was to leave for China but a week prior, I had an opportunity to go for an interview at the US Consulate. As God will have it, I got my US visa and you know the rest is history.

We all have stories. We have history I would say there are also grace, Favour and sometimes luck. As the good book says: ‘all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpos.’ I am in no position to say what happened to someone else, but I can tell you what happened to me. I believed.

I saw the good in others and in me. I had a driving force that kept pushing me to do better. First, I wanted the degree so bad. Then it was not enough, and then life experiences that quickly faded.

Then I realised that the sky is the starting point and we humans are the only ones that

Tumininu Oluyole

can limit our progress and growth when we stop believing. If you stop believing, you stop achieving.

When I got to the US, It was a big culture shock as I was young and naïve. I was afraid but fortunate enough to meet people that were driven just like me, and I received a very welcoming experience from the international department of the school I attended when I arrived.

God looked after me I am grateful and humbled that God had looked after me and my family and has given me the unmerited favour to be able to change people’s lives through my creation of job. However, I am only a vessel for God’s own work. It does not matter if I am white, black, African, Nigerian or from any ethnicity. All women and men are made equal. As gratifying as it may seem, being an

I was an average student I grew up as a shy kid that no one thought could achieve anything. I was an average student, but always believed in myself.

There was a particular day I got into my deep thoughts and reminiscing. I looked at a 360-degree view of myself and realised that people tend to be leeches. People want to cheat to get by. Most people prefer the easier route than feeling the pains and joy of true success from hard work.

That day, I promised myself one thing: I do not want to be noticed, rather, I want to be known. I want to change the trajectory of my family and future and many more people that I encounter.

I do not want to have my children go through the toughest times I went through.

I want to be a legacy and build a legacy.

These were my driving force; the fear of the dark times. With that in mind, I want to impact many lives positively as much as I humanly can.

BBN Top 5 Visit Darling Hair Salon After a whirlwind three months, the Big Brother Naija Lockdown edition finally came to an end. We saw the lights go out in the house and also saw the first-ever in-house salon, in the history of Big Brother Naija - the Darling hair salon.

On 7th October 2020, the winning 5, Laycon, Dorathy, Nengi, Vee, Neo,

star stylist Prince and Tricky Tee paid a courtesy visit to Darling Nigeria.

The former housemates were welcomed warmly by ChitwanSingh (MD, Darling West Africa), and a select few members of the team. Ayodele Otujirin (Head of Marketing, West Africa) spoke about the company’s mission to help the African woman find her beautiful by

providing her stylish and affordable hair extension options.

The visit also provided an avenue to present winners of the “Darling Black is Beautiful” task, and the Darling Hairstyling prize, their cheques for the prize money.

The winners of the Darling “Black is beautiful” task were Nengi, Triky Tee

and Prince. They each went home with N1 million. Prince who also bagged the Darling hairstyling reward, which was an additional N1million. Vee was awarded N2 million for being the most consistent housemate that used Darling products all through the show. The housemates were gifted also with boxes of their favourite Darling products.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 17, 2020

POLITY CISLAC Backs FG on Transparent HIV/AIDS Drugs Procurement The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International have declared support for federal government’s decision to purchase HIV/AIDS drugs directly from manufacturers henceforth, while cutting off themiddlemen. If themovesucceeds, it will save 3.1 million Nigerians living withHIV/AIDS,writesSunday Ehigiator

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he current wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has again exposed the rot in the health sector. However, as people take advantage of the pandemic to manipulate the supply of HIV/AIDS drugs, the federal government appears ready to nip the issue in the bud and facilitate more transparency with its decision to cut off middle men, and procure the retroviral drugs directly from the manufacturers.

While international treaties and governments across the world recognise adequate, accessible and affordable health care as a fundamental human right, the cost of drugs in Nigeria is generally high. The continued rise in price has made many essential and prescription medications unaffordable, and therefore inaccessible, by quite a large number of Nigerians, who live below the poverty line. This, without doubt, comes with grave consequences of morbidity and mortality to consumers of health care products in Nigeria.

The high cost of drugs triggered by high production and supply costs encourages the patronage of merchants of fake and substandard drugs in the country with the attendant damage to the health of the people.

At a media briefing to commend the Federal Government’s initiative held on October 8, 2020, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), noted that as the Nigerian government struggles to sustain provision of free antiretroviral drugs as part of HIV programmes in health facilities for an estimated 3.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, “this effort is mostly sabotaged by inflated prices quoted by supplying contractors, whose activities render government’s effort inadequate to eliminate the high and sometimes inequitable economic burden of HIV/AIDS on households.

“This exorbitant prices quoted by existing contractors render government financially incapacitated to adequately provide for, and make anti-retroviral drugs accessible across health care facilities, which records resultant regular stock-out, health hazards and relapse of illnesses.

“We observed the strong resistance by some contractors with support of some insiders to prevent the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) from buying HIV drugs directly from original manufacturers which allows government to put more people on treatment.

“The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/ Transparency International Nigeria is perturbed by the continued but unchecked attitudes of the fraudulent contractors, whose unlawful activities hitherto dominate the procurement process of NACA.” Musa, who questioned the rationale behind the appointment of just one company to procure the drugs on behalf of the country for over five years, says the contractor supplies the government at $13 per drug instead of original price of $7 per drug in which the FG is set to be buying the drugs following the intended reforms.

Musa said, the above informed the recent commendable decision by NACA to purchase anti-retroviral drugs directly from the manufacturers at half the cost quoted by the contractors and middlemen to enable adequate and sustainable provision of the drugs to wider coverage within the Agency’s available resources.

“While we acknowledge NACA’s plan to establish HIV Trust Fund driven by private sector to support existing efforts of the government, we observe that without current support by the United States Government and the Global Fund, it would cost Nigeria N50 billion to treat one million people living with HIV annually.

L-R: Media Officer, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Onyekachi Eke; Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani); and Board Member, CISLAC, Adesina Oke “Giving the existing cost-efficient practice by the United States Government and Global Fund involving direct purchase of the drugs from the manufacturers, we are worried by the ill-informed, pocket-serving and discrediting petitions by some vested interests, who have endlessly benefited from inflated prices of the drugs in the last five years to discourage the ongoing effort of NACA to directly source the drugs primarily for sustainability and wider coverage.

“CISLAC/TI Nigeria gathered that the contractors currently sell the anti-retroviral drugs at $13 per patient against $7 given by the manufacturers.

“We are also concerned that over-reliance on donor funds in the fight against HIV in the country constitutes a dangerous trend to sustainability, hence the need for the government to take full ownership in the prevention and treatment of HIV in the country.”

It is not a lie that Nigeria has not been able to solely provide enough drugs for the population of those living with the virus in the country, this Musa warned, that, unless it blocks wastage, the foreign donations towards the plight of people living with the virus may be withdrawn, which could cause more harm to the affected people and the country in general. He also noted that corruption in the treatment of HIV/AIDS was not different from the corruption in the health sector.

“In 2003, Nigeria’s ARV programmes attracted much criticisms when treatment centres were alleged to be handing out expired drugs and rejecting patients.

“In a detailed investigative news report of December 28, 2018, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) revealed that hundreds of millions of naira released for HIV campaigns, counselling and testing services might have ended in private pockets of contractors and government officials, as companies were specifically registered to siphon funds meant to save the lives of the infected.”

From the foregoing, the organisation therefore prayed that

the FG must “insist that fraudulent contractors who undermine the Public Procurement Act must be thoroughly scrutinised and discouraged from defrauding the government through inflated anti-retroviral drugs supply services.”

They also called on the newly appointed Director General of NACA, Gambo Aliyu, “to engage stringent reforms in the Agency’s procurement process for impactful, efficient and costeffective wider and sustainable service delivery in Nigeria.”

CISLAC/TI Nigeria added: “He must devise appropriate sustainability plan for the procurement of drugs and consumables through cost-effective means and encouraged technically know-how for domestic production in the presence of dwindling donors’ support; and avert recurring of challenges thrown at the country by Covid-19 pandemic.

“Also we call on the Department of State Security to investigate the activities of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) who constitute themselves as faceless contractors and their relationship with the leadership of the Network of People Living with HIV, who we learnt are secretly used to obstruct and frustrate NACA’s effort from directly purchasing from manufacturers.

“As part of sustainability plan, CISLAC/TI Nigeria calls on regulatory authorities, like NAFDAC, to support and enhance local production of affordable antiretroviral drugs with serious consideration while issuing marketing authorisation to local manufacturers.

“We also call for review of heavy tax burden on the pharmaceutical sector to avert multiple taxation by local, state and federal governments as well as high tariffs on raw materials, packaging materials and other ancillary materials used to manufacture medicines, primarily to encourage local production in the country.

“Government must also develop a pricing policy to reduce reported high prices and wide disparity between prices of essential drugs in the country.”

Langtang North Chairman: How I Tackle Insecurity Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

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hairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon Joshua Ubandoma Laven has said that crime rate in his domain has been tackled reasonably through developmental and empowerment projects.

Laven stated this yesterday, while giving an account of his stewardship since he assumed office a year ago. “My one year in office has seen several developmental projects. I have drilled about 26 hand-driven and motorised boreholes. I have tackled insecurity and restored peace in my council by organising arms-recovery programme in the council, with youths voluntarily submitting their arms. I procured two heavy duty lorries, to boost our IGR and two modern tractors

to assist farmers in agriculture; and I bought two taskforce buses for revenue generation. So, IGR has seriously been improved upon.”

Laven said he has also empowered the people of his council by engaging over 300 youths in the past one year, adding that the rate of crime has reduced greatly in Langtang council, “as everyone now has a sense of belonging because they are engaged with one job or another.”

He said, “For about 16 years now, our pipe borne water has been non-functional. In collaboration with the state government, we now have good water.”

Lamenting that his council had been cut off and isolated from the other parts of the state due to its remote and valley location, he said that the people hardly got access to first-hand information.

He, however, said that on assumption as chairman, the dire situation informed his establishment of a Radio Station, Star FM in

Langtang to give his people a sense of belonging, and to ensure that they got firsthand information, adding that the station was now set to commence operation.

He said, “Our people were totally cut off because our location is in the valleys and radio waves from the cities don’t get to us. So, our people depended more on rumours that are peddled to us.

“Information, they say is power; for such an old local government in the state, it has been unfortunate that we were cut off from getting first-hand information. But I thank God; I have been able to build a radio station, Star FM, Langtang.

“We intend to employ capable hands that have experience in the running of radio stations; and we have a number of them in our council. Though it is a community-based station, the running will be handled by consultants that understand the rudiments of radio stations in order to derive maximum professional services.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 17, 2020

POLITY ‘My Relationship with President Buhari’ Salihu Tanko Yakasai

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n light of recent events that transpired over my recent comments about the government of President Buhari, I think it is absolutely necessary to shed more light on my decades of relationship with the President, and how I am not doing anybody’s bidding with my remarks but simply reacting to issues that are happening in my country. What is more, my comments were not aimed at casting aspersion against the person or government of Mr. President. Far from that!

I joined partisan politics in December 2000 at the age of 24, when I officially became a member of the defunct APP at my ward, Kawaji in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. At that time, Kano State was PDP-controlled under the then governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. So, I entered politics as an opposition member in my state. As at that time, I was contesting for the position of a councilor at my ward, which ended with my losing the primary election in 2004.

In 2002, I was in All Progressives Party (APP) when President Buhari picked the membership card of the party and officially joined politics to run for the presidency in the 2003 elections. At that time, I and millions of people particularly from the north welcomed this decision by the President with enthusiasm and zeal and we supported him 100%. We were basically the 1st set of the so-called ‘cult-like followership ‘ of the President, simply because we believed in him to deliver and lead this country to prosperity. He came into politics as someone people trusted and whom they see as an upright person that they can vouch for, earning him the nickname ‘Mai Gaskiya’.

We campaigned for him through thick and thin, street to street, the young and the old, and when it was election time, I was assigned by my party leaders at my ward to be the returning officer of our party, APP, for the presidential election which Buhari was contesting for. We fought PDP hard at my ward to ensure that we delivered the ward to him in the election. I did not sleep for almost 48 hours then, because I had to accompany the results to the local government collation centre to ensure that the results were not altered.

President Buhari did not win the 2003 general elections, but our party, the defunct APP won the governorship election in Kano State, which ushered in Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau as the new governor of the state.

But soon after that, there was friction between his camp and that of President Buhari, which later on after the 2007 elections

led to the creation of a new political party formed by Buhari, that is Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC). I, and my political leader at that time, Hon. Balarabe Wakili, a former member representing Nasarawa Local Government in the House of Reps (2003 to 2007) decided to pitch our camp with the President and not with Mallam Shekarau, and it was through Hon. Wakili that I first visited the President on a solidarity visit back in the early stages. It is still in CPC that I contested for the State Assembly, which we suffered a lot because of the factionalization of the party that led to a lot of bickerings. Ultimately, I neither got the ticket nor did our party win the election. May I use this medium to thank the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajia Sadiya for the role she played in my election back then when she was the National Treasurer of CPC. The President, also served as my wife’s guardian during our wedding in 2006 on behalf of her late uncle, AVM Mukhtar Mohammed who was a very close associate of the President. May I use this opportunity to tell my wife’s guardian that 14 years after he gave her hand in marriage to me, we are still living peacefully and blessed with 3 children. We thank him for his fatherly role during the nuptial rites.

Back to politics, at the presidential level, I served as a member of the Welfare Committee of the Presidential Election of Muhammadu Buhari, with the current Minister of Water Resources, Hon. Sulaiman Adamu Kazaure as the chairman of the committee, during the 2011 presidential election. After the formation of APC, I also served as a member of the Youth Committee during the 2015 elections, crisscrossing this country to campaign for the President which we eventually won and Buhari was ushered into government with popular national support.

Now having given the background of the long-term relationship between me and the President spanning 18 years to be precise, I have never known a political leader throughout my political career other than Buhari, even though I can count the number of times I’ve met him. I did not only wish for his success but I equally worked hard with everything that I’ve got for almost two decades to see his dream become a reality, and I will continue to stand by him. When I see things that are going not the way they are supposed to, I naturally have that urge to try and express my concern about them, because I want things to work right. I can understand, if by virtue of my position as an aide to a governor in the same party as the President’s that I have limitations and somehow the spotlight is always on me. But occasionally, despite suppressing my opinions, I find the NEPU blood in me triggering me to react. This is in no way, meant to undermine

Buhari the President or my dear party, APC. To my boss, His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, I want to use this opportunity to apologise for putting Your Excellency in an uncomfortable position due to my personal opinions. It is indeed something that I never intended to happen, and I am not happy about it a bit. I do not have a boss-and-aide relationship with Your Excellency; I rather have a father-and-son relationship with Your Excellency. Indeed, I appreciate the support Your Excellency have been according me in the last five years, and I will continue to remain loyal to you and serve my state and my country through your government and in whatever other capacity.

At the end of the day, our prayer is for Nigeria to be great. In the words of Barack Obama “Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or in a politics of hope?” I am an optimist, and it’s our ardent HOPE that we will have the Nigeria of our dreams in which development and prosperity will be the norm rather than the exception; a country we can build a secured future for our children and generations yet unborn. May we continue to do our best in ensuring this is the Nigeria that our forefathers sacrificed their lives for to lay a solid foundation. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

––TankoYakassai is Media Adviser to Governor Ganduje.

‘New Education Policy will Lead to Prosperity in Osun’

Jamiu Olawumi, the Special Adviser on Education to Osun State Governor speaks on the condition of education in the state, with Hammed Shittu

W

hat is the reaction of stakeholders to the recent review of Osun State’s education policy?

I want to say a big thank you to our amiable governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola who has created a conducive atmosphere for us to work. Because, were it not for his belief and the confidence he reposed in us, the Commissioner for Education and myself, the Special Adviser on Education, all these feats wouldn’t have been attained in the education sector. As we speak today, by November 9, 2020 a new academic session would start in Osun and we will start the implementation of the reforms that we have carried out in the education sector. Principally among those reforms, is the issue of single uniform. We have new leadership of schools, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary, coming to the ministry to obtain the uniform they jettisoned when we had the monolithic uniform in Osun. The advantage from this is that we are behind the flags of the countries of the world. When you stand by your flag, among the comity of nations, you have the passion, the patriotism and the zeal to serve your country. So, we are bringing back the era of healthy rivalry among schools. We recall when we were in secondary schools, by the time you are representing your school, you see your school uniform, you get happier and that is what we are reenacting.

Apart from this, what other areas do you think the state would benefit from the review?

Let us talk about the economy of the uniform. The time the last administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola introduced the single and monolithic uniform, somebody, in the person of former Commissioner for Education was quick to say that it was an intervention because people of Osun were poverty stricken. Yes, the governor invested a lot of money, N2 billion in the uniform, but what did we get as deliverable from monolithic uniform? One, the uniform was given to a single company not based in Osun; N2 billion was given to a foreign company, the owner came to Osun to invest and build the factory from the money and repatriated the entire money to Lagos. That was capital flight as against the cloth sellers at Idi-Seke in Osogbo, at Atakunmosa market in Ilesa, at Odo-Ogbe market in Ile-Ife who would sell in pieces to students and retain the N2 billion in Osun State. What we witnessed then was capital flight. Even people who were selling clothes, who were creative, who went to a Chinese company to produce the uniform so that they could sell were arrested and locked up at Ilesa prison.

these schools abandoned them. Infact, Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association went to court to challenge the government.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola today has restored the names of these schools. And, as I am talking to you St Johns Grammar School, Ile-Ife is investing N50 million into rebuilding their school, St Lawrence Ilesa has invested N47 million, the old girls of Baptist Girls High School, Osogbo are planning to buy uniforms for 1500 students. Because of these policy review and implementation that we have done, you can’t remove the hands of old students from their schools, you can’t run their school better than they have experienced. Whatever you are bringing as a reform must go along with the sentiments attached to those schools. By November 9, 2020 these schools would have access to their uniforms. If you move around Osun State now, you see the tailors busy sewing uniforms, the economy was killed for eight years through the uniform given to an individual to run at N2 billion, which turned out to be capital flight, but is now resurging.

Olawumi So, it was a uniform monolithic from a jackboot, it was more or less a military dictatorship in “Agbada”. So, what we are bringing back now as economic consequences is that cloth sellers in Osun would have advantage to tap into that N2 billion. Imagine what that N2 billion would revolve within the economy of Osun State as against the capital flight we suffered under the administration of Aregbesola. So, single uniform will go by November 9, 2020 and every school will have its school uniform. We have also restored the names of schools; we don’t have Government High School, Government Junior, Government Middle. What we have now is Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, not Oduduwa College High School, what we have now is Ilesa Grammar School, not Ilesa Government High School. We have Osogbo Grammar School now, not Osogbo Government High School.

Two days ago, St Johns School old students association in Ile-Ife honoured the governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola for restoring their name and their uniform. You cannot destroy iconic schools founded before 1960 and so on. Oduduwa College, Ile-ife was the school Baba Lateef Jakande attended, the same school late Richard Akinjide former Attorney General of the Federation attended. You cannot just come and destroy these schools. Because of these developments then, various old students association of

What are the conditions of schools in Osun as of today?

We have a problem that we collectively inherited from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s government and that is the state of schools in Osun, our schools are in dilapidated conditions. There are new schools, and these mega schools are unnecessary, I am saying this with all sense of responsibility. If you get to Ayedaade Grammar School in Ikire, the new school, or the so called Mega School they built there is collapsing while the structure of the old school there is still solid. There was no reason to build a new school in that compound. Even when the water of the new school was not running, they had to tap from the old Ayedaade Grammar School, it was as worse as that. The school, I mean the entire school now is suffering from natural cracking, the roof is sagging. Of a particular interest to us is the Mega School in Ejigbo, called Wole Soyinka because of the name attached to it. It was named after Nobel Laureate, an international figure but if Prof Wole Soyinka were to visit that school today, he will plead with Osun State government to remove his name. In that school, they used floor tiles as wall tiles and the tiles are falling away, they used plywood as roofing sheets and put Kontaa on it, they said it’s an imported technology from USA. I don’t know where they use plywood to roof a house, a building of that magnitude, the roof is gone! When they were constructing it, the school hall collapsed and they had to rebuild and you discover that they gave somebody a consultancy job, and the same person is also a contractor.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ OCTOBER 17, 2020

POLITY

Hayat Kimya Hosts Commercial Planning Conference Hayat Kimya Nigeria, the producers of the leading diaper brand, MOLFIX, hosted its staff ff to a three-day Integrated Commercial Planning Conference themed “House of Champions - New Heights” from the 8th of October to the 10th of October, 2020, reports Tosin Clegg

H

ayat Kimya Nigeria’s Integrated Commercial Planning Conference is an annual event that heralds the company into its strategic planning for the New Year. The event seeks to evaluate business practices in the past year and arrive at key learnings input into the next year in a way that improves business output. The event further seeks to consolidate brand, channel, customer, and field sales plans.

This year’s conference officially began on the 8th of October in Lagos with a welcome address by the Managing Director, Mr. Doruk Emiroglu. Commenting on the company’s performance in 2020, he stated: “Regardless of the challenges 2020 brought, we are happy to announce that Hayat Kimya Nigeria currently controls over 65% of the diaper market.

We as a company won’t rest on this achievement, we will dig deeper and be more strategic on how we can develop our brands further for the benefit of our consumers. We believe there is an opportunity in each and every challenge and we are trying to be better than yesterday. We call our company house of champions and we believe we can overcome each & every challenge together.”

The remaining sessions on day two and three consisted of Sales, HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and Marketing sessions that covered all Hayat Kimya brands currently in the Nigerian market, namely;

MOLFIX, MOLPED, FAMILIA, BEBEM, and PAPIA. Mr. Motayo Latunji, the Sales Director, speaking to staff, said: “Every year, our Commercial Team come together to review the outgoing year and plan for the incoming year. Nothing happens by chance so we must always plan ahead. In 2021, we look forward to ‘’New Heights’ since we already attained ‘Great Heights’ in only 5 years of entering the Nigerian market. Our goals and strategies for 2021 are very clear to us and we have communicated passionately to our teams during this conference. It has been a wonderful atmosphere here; our teams are motivated and ready for the next chapter. Already, we have achieved another set of credible results in 2020 despite a turbulent year, and now, we are well prepared for the future. We shall continue to add value to the lives of our consumers and businesses of our customers, as we grow year on year.”

Marketing Manager, Roseline Abaraonye during her session said: “Innovation keeps a business alive and strategic planning is a key ingredient to success. I am proud of our team in our efforts in ensuring that despite the unique challenges of the year, Hayat Kimya Nigeria remains a House of Champions. We utilize this time each year, to review and strategize for the next year. We will take our learnings from 2020, as we prepare to strengthen our brands, further expand our reach with new & more exciting offerings and generate value for Nigerian families”

Motayo y Latunji, j Sales Director, Hayat Kimya Nigeria addressing staff at the conference The three-day conference came to a close with a team bonding session on Saturday, October 10th, 2020. It was a time for the staff to unwind and bond through fun and games. It was a powerpacked conference that left the attendees with so much passion to succeed as an aftermath of the training, motivational speeches, and an award ceremony for the field sales team.

African First Ladies Canvass Support for Rural Women

T

he African First Ladies Peace Mission has saluted African rural women for their resilience in the face of COVID-19, and called for more support to the women for faster recovery of rural economies and livelihoods.

The Mission, where Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is currently the Acting President, equally solicited global support to African governments in their relentless efforts to end insurgency on the continent, noting that insurgency had taken tolls on the welfare and livelihoods of the rural communities, especially women,

girls, and children.

This was contained in statement by the Special Assistant to the President on African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dr. Mairo Al-Makura, on the occasion of the 2020 International Day of Rural Women themed “Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19. “On the occasion of the 2020 International Day for Rural Women, the African First Ladies Peace Mission salutes the resilience of the African rural women, especially in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the need for the socio-economic empowerment of the rural women,

which the AFLPM has always joined the United Nations and other stakeholders to advocate.

“Despite being seriously disadvantaged in access to land, agricultural assets and credits, education, market, and despite the yawning gender pay gap, African rural women and girls have continued to showcase their resilience in the sustenance of their families and provision of care during this challenging period.

“The AFLPM believes that the continent can build back better from the rubbles of the pandemic by strengthening rural women’s sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing.

PHOTO NEWS

RP Permanent Secretary, y Lagos g State Ministry y of Agriculture, g Dr. Olayiwole y Onasanya; y Acting g Commissioner L-R: ICAN President, Dame Onome Adewuyi; y p presenting g a copy py of the reviewed curriculum of the Ac- L-R: g Ms. Abisola Olusanya, y representing p g Lagos g State Governor and P President, Lagos g State Pig Pg counting g programmes p g of Nigerian g universities conducted by ICAN to the Executive Secretary of Nation- for Agriculture, Farms, Oke-Aro Farm, Pastor P Adewale Oluwalana, during 2020 World W Food Day celebration in Lagos...yester ral University Commission, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, in his Lagos office...yesterday

L-R: R Guest Lecturer, Prof.

P Pat P U Utomi ; Lagos g State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Anafiu Elegushi; g Archbish- L-R: ACOMORAN National Secretary, y Mr. Idris Muhammed; Minister of State for Transportation,Senator p op p of the Metropolitan p See of Lagos, g Alfred Adewale Martins; R Reverend Father, P Peter Abatan; and Episcopal p p Gbemisola Saraki; National President of ACOMORAN, Alhaji j Samsudeen Apelogun; p g and Director of Vicar, Lagos g R Region, g Monsignor Bernard Okodua, at the Anthony Cardinal Okogie Foundation Annual Lecture Mass Transit and Land Transport, Mrs Agalasi Ehigie, during a courtesy call on the minister in Abuja in Lagos... yesterday

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Ë&#x153; Ëž OCTOBER 17, 2020

MEDIAGAFFES

EXPRESSION

BY

Verb: Round Off or Round Up?

L

ET us welcome First Bank PLC to this last-quarter edition: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, we celebrate our flag-bearers, those who go the extra mile to put You First.â&#x20AC;? (FirstBank (sic) full-page advertorial in most national newspapers, September 7, 2020) Happy Customer Service Week: standard-bearers; not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;flag-bearersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which, unfortunately, has been subjected to notoriety by non-ideological Nigerian politicians and popularized by a few unintellectual colleagues of mine!

From First Bank PLC to THISDAY Front Page of October 10 which was not committed to truth and reason on two occasions: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Several videos shared on social media showed some of the protesters bolting away from the tear gasâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;?

According to my copious dictionaries and other reference books, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;boltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; means â&#x20AC;&#x153;to suddenly run somewhere very quickly, especially in order to escape or because you are frightened.â&#x20AC;? Therefore, there is no room for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;awayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Often times, you hear or read: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The armed robbers bolted away before the police arrived.â&#x20AC;? The bandits simply bolted beforeâ&#x20AC;Ś. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śhe is unable to do same (the same) inâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kwara Express staff seek governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intervention on (in) companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s N36.9m debtâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did you bought cake for meâ&#x20AC;Ś?â&#x20AC;? (Facebook post, October 8) No comment! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just imagine a young man that rounded up his apprenticeship as a welder.â&#x20AC;? This is an indication of the current malaise in scholarship: a situation where a lecturer cannot distinguish between phrasal verbs, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;round upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;round offâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (which applies here). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Will anybody please let us know which country became a super-power by allowing its best brains to roam about the world?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Roamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; encompasses â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;aboutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;News from the universities are no longer about

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

innovation.â&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? News is news (uncountable). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The condition, which is said to be due to an abnormality in either the number or structure of the chromosomes, cuts across every races.â&#x20AC;? Get it right: every race or all races. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Janet, a twelve-year-old and the third child of her parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; four offsprings and the only one with the problemâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Offspringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is non-count. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since 1993, funding of oil exploration have (has) been beset by different levels of problems.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;In answering this question we classify the outcomes into long term and short term implications.â&#x20AC;? The greatest problem of journalists: unnecessary embellishment (outcome) of words. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is clearly a danger signal as the time between discovering an oil field and commercially putting it on stream could be between four to five years.â&#x20AC;? No analysis: between four and five or from four to five years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;THISDAY checks reveal that every termination penalties goes from 500,000 US dollars to 2 million US dollarsâ&#x20AC;?. Check the discord as already discussed above. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lack of funds cripple waste management activitiesâ&#x20AC;? Another error of attraction: Lack of funds cripples. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nevertheless, the donor country is also interested in this decision to ensure that the loan is repaid as at when due with its accrued interest.â&#x20AC;? Without any periscope: the loan is repaid when due (not as at when due which is pleonastic). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government should consider the destructive effect that further delay in the sale of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shakyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; banks would mete out on the banking systemâ&#x20AC;?.

Stock phrase: mete out to (not on) the banking system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the family cannot truely relish at least a decent meatâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? Spelling counts: truly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A man does not have to be a money bag (sic) before he can dress well and look charming

in his own little way.â&#x20AC;? Brighten up your English usage: A man does not have to be moneybagsâ&#x20AC;Ś.

Moneybag is a sac! â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śin addition, (sic) to dispensing drugs for immediate relief and giving counsel on the steps necessary to prevent a reoccurrence.â&#x20AC;? Good grammar: recurrence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śit sent the signal that those responsible for the security of lives and properties in Oyo State are working at cross-purposesâ&#x20AC;?. Some caution, please: life and property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The arsonists usually escape with their loot as the embattled market lays in ashes, leaving many traders terminally ruined financially.â&#x20AC;? There should be no dilemma: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;laysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;liesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;ŚNehemiah whose determined efforts to rebuild the tottering walls of Jerusalem was (were) undertaken purely out of love for his country.â&#x20AC;? (Voice of The Nation Editorial, September 7) â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śanalyst whose intellectual prowess and deep understanding of social issues knew no bound (bounds).â&#x20AC;? (NATIONAL NEWS, October 7) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poly senior staff union gives FG 21-days to address IPPIS complicationsâ&#x20AC;? (Source: as above).

This way: 3-week or 3 weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ultimatumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not 21-days Corrigendum following last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inadvertent misrepresentation here: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The yearnings for the special status for Lagos is (are)â&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? Thanks to the 70-year-old elder-statesman who pointed out this mix-up. More constructive and highlyappreciated observations, questions (clarifications/elucidations), interventions and general contributions are welcome from all readers. The essence is to make this column an interactive and all-inclusive platform for the exchange of cerebral perspectives.

CLASSIC FM 97.3 Front Page News Review of September 25 joins the hall of shame with this

non-classical entry: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is the criteria forâ&#x20AC;Ś?â&#x20AC;?

Get it right: criterion (singular) and criteria (plural). So, what are the criteria forâ&#x20AC;Ś? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rumble in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Desertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Joshua needs confident (confidence) to over come (overcome) Ruizâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Quality Projects is a labour friendly (labour-friendly) governorâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We invite you to the commissioning ceremony (We invite you to the inauguration) on Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reps (Repsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) minority crisis: PDP torn between devil and deep blue seaâ&#x20AC;? (Politics & Power, September 25) This way: between the devil and the deep blue sea (fixed/stock idiomatic expression that should not be altered). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Banks in last minute (last-minute) rush to meet new lending ratioâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Independence: Onitsha Main Market, other markets shutdown (shut down) in Anambraâ&#x20AC;?

(South East News, September 25) From Arewa News of September 25 comes the next headline solecism: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kebbi invests N4bn on (in) new settlements infrastructureâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zimbabwe opposition lawmakers walk out on presidentâ&#x20AC;? Either Zimbabweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opposition or Zimbabwean opposition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Okowa preaches fair play, as Delta principalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cup kicks-off (kicks off)â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Recent statistics from the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) indicate that hundreds of Nigerians are presently (sic) in (on) death row in some countriesâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;There should be proper legal assistance to (for) our citizens accused of traffickingâ&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śif any of its citizens is properly tried or convicted or (for) any offense abroadâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Payback period is between 3-10 years.â&#x20AC;? More than banking: between 3 and 10 years or from 3-10 years

TRIBUTE

Abike at 58: The Other Side of an Amazon Abdur-Rahman Balogun

T

he name Hon. Kafayat Oloruntoyin Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) is a household name in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. It is a name that means many things to many people.

In the course of her sojourn on the surface of the earth since Oct. 11, 1962, it has been a harvest of sobriquets, occasioned by her diligence, competence, intelligence, eloquence, substance and submissiveness to the will of her creator, Allah.

This God-given nature of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, whom I gave ADE, made me to be at a loss on what else one can write on this amazing woman at 58. But, two recent striking events informed my choice of thought on what to write about her.

First, is her participation in five Diaspora webinars on Saturday Oct. 3, 2020, particularly the one on the concept of leadership in Islam, hosted by the Nigeria Council of Muslims Organisations UK/Ireland, where she was the special guest of honour.

This was a programme put together by thousands of Muslims, who are Nigerians in the Diaspora in UK/Ireland to mark 60th anniversary of Nigeria. In the poster that advertised the event, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa was robed in Islamic wears adorning hijab and this became a subject of debate, on a platform I belong, whether she still identified herself with Islam, as a Muslim, or not? I decided not to respond therein despite the fact that four members of the platform drew my attention to it. I just smiled at their ignorance and prayed that there would be an opportunity in future to speak about it. Allah says in Chapter 2 verse 263 of the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an thus: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than Sadaqah (charity) followed by injury. And Allah is Rich (Free of all needs) and He is mostforbearingâ&#x20AC;?.

Even though, Hijab is part and parcel of Islam, as attested to in many verses of the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t qualify one for hell fire in as much as one upholds the five pristine pillars of Islam, which is believing in oneness of Allah and His Prophets, observing Solat (Prayers), payment of zakat, fasting in the month of Ramadan and performing Hajj in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifetime. All these, I can vouchsafe for Hon. Kafayat Abike Dabiri-Erewa that she is not deficient in living up to expectations.

Allah says again in Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an 49 verse 13 thus:.. â&#x20AC;&#x153;verily, the most honourable in the sight of Allah, is he who fear Himâ&#x20AC;?. It is only Allah who knows those who worship Him secretly and in the open.

Dabiri-Erewa

My second inspiration came from a list of topics I chose for myself and when I subjected it to internal opinion poll with my colleagues, in my unit, 95 per cent of them advised me to pick â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Abike @ 58: the other side of an Amazon.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The question begging for an answer was who then is an Amazon and why will ADE qualify as the Amazon of our time?

An Amazon, according to the dictionary, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a big, strong, warrior-like woman, someone who reminds you of the mythical Greek women-warriors, the Amazons.â&#x20AC;?

Going through Hon. ADEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifetime, her birth and family background, parentage, education, choice of Journalism and political career, through her family life and now a global phenomenon in the Diaspora, it is very apt to describe her as an Amazon indeed.

Three instances will suffice here that qualifies this ageless grandma as an Amazon of our time.

While at NTA, as a Corrrespondent specialising in investigative journalism, she used eight good years of her 15 years at NTA then to investigate Mary, the miracle baby, which was claimed by three different mothers and ensured the resolution of the matter by reuniting the baby with her original and biological mother.

She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop at that, she also ensured that the girl was enlisted among the 300 children in her scholarship scheme to university level. Mary is now a graduate and has completed the mandatory

one year youth service programme.

Similarly, out of the 12 years of three terms she spent in the parliament, House of Representatives, representing Ikorodu federal constituency from 2003 to 2015, she led the sponsorship of Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission bill then, with other stakeholders among other bills, for over eight years from 2007 to 2015 until the bill was finally assented to by Mr President in June 2017.

The last one here is the warrior and magic-like style with which she is directing the affairs of the newly established Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) within a year of its establishment as if it has been in existence for over a decade.

Inspite of the paucity of funds, lack of office accommodation and challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, a list of over 46 achievements, and still counting, were recorded.

Apart from over 350 national and global awards to her credit, she received many tributes and accolades recently from her admirers on her wonderful and amazing performance at the young Commission, which earned her applause from a defence analyst and an International Relationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expert, Omooba Rasheed Adesokan on reading the long list of achivements within a year: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Absolutely true, and this has nothing to do with blowing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trumpet, but merely informing us Nigerians about an unusual successful story of a member of the MDAs, quietly making waves in a terrain where such is rare.â&#x20AC;?

What stunned the nay sayers (initially including this writer) was that besides good command of the English language, nice dress-sense and physical attractiveness, were her degree in International Relations, Diplomacy or Strategic Studies, without which we so wrongly assumed she certainly could not fly in that office. But her exceptional performance has made us all eat our humble pie and we have since become her admirers.

With admirable tact (beautifully deployed when her office was entered), first class inter-personal relationship and implicit support and confidence of Mr President, she has not only met but even exceeded the expectations of most Nigerians. The space, and not the sky is the limit, though. She, infact, reminded us all of late Major-General Joseph Garba, the Diplomatic Soldier, who performed so well as Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s External Affairs Minister, without an academic degree in related fields. We pray she scores more successes, while not allowing distraction from unrefined small-minded people to becloud her goals and vision for this great country, Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Abdur-Rahman Balogun is the Head, Media and Public Relations Unit, NIDCOM, Abuja Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 17, 2020

37

TRIBUTE

JP Clark: The Weeping Poet Passes On The death of a poet provokes once more the problems of a country in search of its soul. Nduka Nwosu writes of his personal encounter with J.P. Clark, his works and worries for his dear country

I

remember Kiagbodo. Andy Akporugo had asked me to proceed to Kiagbodo his maternal home where his great grandfather Chief Bekederemo was known for his interaction with the white man in the slave trade era.

The relics of that expedition would be part of a museum designed for tourist attraction, he argued.

This was part of the subject of a family reunion and the adoption of that name by the larger family. I was to cover the event for The Guardian exclusively. My first contact was Chief E.K Clark and later JP who invited me to his country home across the Kiagbodo River. The canoe man was right on time for the visit. The fascination was the location, a countryhome by the river in a thick forest. The library was rich and the architecture of the one storey building simple. JP warned me to beware of dangerous bees that stung to submission a curious British journalist insistent on waiting to see a resident python that lives in a hole inside the compound, some benevolent spirit, that is.

All through my years at the University of Lagos in the 1980s, I followed JP Clark the same way I followed WS, Achebe, Ike and a host of other literary giants. Dele Giwa had created a column called Art/Life in the Daily Times for literary discourse with me, Ama Ogan, Richard Ikiebe, Coker Onita as regular contributors. JP and his wife who was a head of department at the Faculty of Arts became my regular beats.

When his play The Boat was showcased at the Unilag Arts Theatre, it provided an evening delight for students. I was at his home, office and the Pec Rep, his regular theatre at the Museum Centre sponsored by corporate Nigeria. His Fulani Cattle kept me guessing who JP was until I met him. I had to visit an abattoir to follow d journey of a cow to its ultimate demise. When JP acquired a home at GRA Ikeja, I was there to interview him on a project in the works. We eventually lost contact but the memory lingered. JP Clark has been described as d most lyrical of Nigeria.

JP Clark has been described as d most lyrical of Nigerian poets for his celebration and characterisation of Africa’s physical landscape. His critics say his works exhibited a strong presence of classical Greek literature, a characterisation anchored on unrealistic stage structures. The JP School argues by such eclectic devices he leaves the audience to complete d act through a combination of d foreign and d homebred, creating a synthesis, the third point of d triangle which is a unity of purpose. I have searched to find the literary equivalent of JP on the global literary sreen to no avail. Did he share a few things with the great Vaclav Havel who dominated Czech literature while an active writer and active participant of the Prague Spring or the Russian short story writer Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn. These two were largely social crusaders who took part in one revolutionary change compass or the other. Interestingly Arise television featured JP hgely at a time the Nigerian youth is on the street in the style of Occupy Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan asking for change which the ruling party promised but has failed woefully to deliver. There is something in the literature of JP that advocates for change without the change mantra.

His demise at this crucial moment lends a cautionary tale to our problems as a nation in searh of actualization. What are the feelings of average Nigerians who experienced the Civil War? They would probably share with Clark-Bekederemo feelings of anxiety, unhappiness, loss, and desolation in relation to the death and destruction consequent to the bloody fratricidal war of thirty months.

And already They are a cache certified it For hurling at the ogre They all see in the dark Night falls over us And already They are a cache certified it For hurling at the ogre They all see in the dark Night falls over us And already They are a cache certified it For hurling at the ogre They all see in the dark Night falls over us And already They are a cache certified it For hurling at the ogre They all see in the dark Night falls over us Expectedly, a literary giant from the black race, Clark has been the subject of scholarly dissertations from critics and admirers. Aderemi Bamikunle for example wonders between drama and poetry, where has JP been more effective in addressing societal ills and proffering solutions. Drama made Clark popular on the big screen, he argues, whereas

Clark his poetry is more striking as an artist. That is from the lens of one man. However poetic relevance in addressing the issues of the day may well be a reason the critic would pitch his tent with Clark’s poetry. Pre-independence his collection of works as a poet were primarily vested on colonial concerns and the quest for freedom. Many writers and poets of his time were exploring the impact of colonialism on the once dark continent. While the politicians like Agostinho Neto using his Movement for the Total Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and his poetry in the Song of Hope or Leopold Sedar Senghor of Guinea a distinguished poet of his time who with others proposed the philosophy of negritude, were in the trenches fighting for independence, the likes of Clark, Soyinka, Achebe et al became avante gardes of African literature all addressing the ugly side of colonialism. That partly explains why post independence JP became a visible fighter with an inky pen hugely reflected in his popular A Reed in the Tide while in Casualties the pre-colonial and post-colonial issues of independence and Republicanism mutated into a larger issue of the black race not able to manage its freedom to the advantage of the hoi polloi.In resolving these contradictions, JP’s Ivbie A Song of Wrong could be seen as a narrative of resolution between the past and the present. He wonders loudly how a so called colonial master will bring light to its defined dark continent when it has destroyed the culture of the people in preference to Christianity with a Bible in one hand and on the other a group of adventurers with guns and intent to loot the commonwealth of the conquered native who has abandoned his religion and like Solomon taken to the worship of a foreign God. The whipping headmaster turns to his downtrodden race asking where this rainfall started beating them. So your god cannot fight for you because he is a clay footed god, recaptured differently by Bruce Onabrakpeya in Igurube, the return of the benevolent spirit? Could it be the African failed to obey his ancestors when he started wining and dining with these colonial masters, accepting their Phoenician gifts, too tempting to be ignored?

While he flogged his kinsmen with unrelenting indictment, Chinua Achebe characterized the wisdom of the native when Ezeulu in Arrow of God sent his son Oduche to under-

study the white man’s culture just so that some day it may be the path to glory. The first white man sighted in Umuofia was killed since it was abominable to the gods seeing such a figure in the land.

It is also arguable if the native, the waterside man in this context, abandoned his gods. New religions, cults and clubs have since emerged with all the imprimateurs of Molech, the god who accepts infant sacrifice for dinner, like Okonkwo sacrificing Ikemefuna to the gods.

Thus where the western style of education stopped, the native looks up to his gods to steer him along the turbulent path of life. JP himself proceeded to America to acquire further knowledge. We remember at this time America, Their America, a travelogue on his terminated fellowship at Princeton. It is interesting JP presented to Chimamanda Adichie Thisday’s Woman of the Decade award. Chimamanda in her acknowledgement said: “JP Clark’s poetry means a lot to me – and to my character Obinze in AMERICANAH! Thank you to Thisday Newspapers for naming me ‘Woman of the Decade’.

As Bekederemo Pepper Clark returns to Kiagbodo, his ancestors are waiting to celebrate his huge presence in the literary landscape while here. His exit leaves WS as the last of the titans, the three musketeers-Achebe, Soyinka and Clark in the Nigerian literary space. May be, just may be, JP had the Nigerian space in mind when he wrote The Fulani Cattle. Could this be a personification of Nigeria, a cautionary tale, to a nation in search of its soul? We may well reflect on this having Nigeria in mind as we read a few lines from the famous verse: Contrition twines me like a snake Each time I come upon the wake Of your clan, Undulating along in agony, Your face of stool for mystery: What secret hope or knowledge, Locked in your hump away from man.

Imbues you with courage So mute and fierce and wan That, not demurring nor kicking, You go to the house of slaughter?

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

OCTOBER ͯ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ ˾ THISDAY,THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

AUTO WORLD

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

TIPS OF THE WEEK

Open the Bonnet , Clean that Filthy Engine It is a bit like wearing your best outfit, and wearing a pair of grotty underpants because nobody can see them. If you really want your car to be clean from top tobottom,youneedtocleantheenginecompartment.

Unfortunately, there is a lot you can do wrong, and plenty of problems you can create if you do not do it properly.

Here is how to get your engine bay spotless.

Why bother?

Nobodylooksunderthebonnet,right?Sowhybother keeping it clean? Well when an engine is clean, it can cool more efficiently, there is less wear on things like bearingsandpulleys,youcanquicklyspotnewleaks and see whether fluids are at the correct levels and there is a reduced likelihood of your engine sucking insomethingunpleasantandpotentiallydamaging.

Range Rover Velar

Jaguar Land Rover Reveals new Noise CancellationTechnology

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iders and drivers in the new Jaguar F-PACE, new Jaguar XF and Range Rover Velar have been primed to enjoy quieter cabins on account of a new noise cancellation technology Jaguar Land Rover infused in these fine pieces of machinery, and it helps reduce driver fatigue to boot.

Jaguar Land Rover said, in a statement, that the new noise cancellation technology “removes unwanted road and tyre sounds from the cabin and provides a quieter and more refined experience for drivers and passengers.”

The automaker said the technology, introduced on the new Jaguar F-PACE, new Jaguar XF and Range Rover Velar, is capable of lowering unwanted noise peaks by 10dB and overall noise levels by 3-4dB – the equivalent of turning down the in-car sound system by four ‘steps’.

This significant reduction in exposure to lowfrequency noises up to 300Hz can help prevent

driver fatigue on longer journeys.

Fatigue affects the ability of a driver to deal with hazards or unexpected events, with tired motorists recording an average reaction time increase of 16.72% compared to those fully alert.

Reducing accidents and improving driver wellbeing is a key part of Jaguar Land Rover’s journey to Destination Zero: an ambition to make societies safer and healthier and our environments cleaner through relentless innovation.

Active Road Noise Cancellation, enabled by Silentium’s Active Acoustics technology, uses sensors on each wheel to constantly monitor the vibrations from the road surface and calculates the opposite phase sound wave needed to remove the noise heard by the occupants. By monitoring in real-time, unexpected noises from potholes or rough surfaces can be isolated and removed.

The cancellation sound is played through the Meridian sound system, with the vehicle monitoring cabin occupancy to optimise Active

Road Noise Cancellation performance for all drivers and passengers. The technology offers a no-compromise solution to balancing refinement, vehicle weight and driving dynamics for a complete premium feel.

Active Road Noise Cancellation combines with Engine Noise Cancellation on the new Jaguar F-PACE and new Range Rover Velar with the P400e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to further enhance the sense of wellbeing. The pioneering system allows the PHEV variant to be refined for lower CO2 emissions and efficiency with no impact on driver experience.

Iain Suffield, Jaguar Land Rover Refinement Advanced Technologies Specialist said: “We are committed to creating a haven for our customers and this new technology allows us to remove unwanted noises from the cabin. It makes the experience more tranquil, improving passenger wellbeing and helping to reduce cognitive load and thus reaction times. This research is all part of the journey to Destination Zero.”

Porsche Implements Strategic Growth for Middle East, Africa

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orsche Middle East andAfrica FZE (PME), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has restructured its Sales Team to further extend its importer support measures in preparation for the next phases of development within the region.

The recent changes include the appointment of two new team members to allow a further enhanced focus on individual needs and requirements from business partners in 21 countries. The brand’s subsidiary with base in Dubai Silicon Oasis supports 22 Porsche importers, 61 facilities across the Middle East,Africa and India in topics related to Sales,After Sales, Marketing, Network Development, PR and Porsche Financial Services.

Commenting on the new structure and the latest appointments, Dr Manfred Braeunl, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, said: “The recent restructuring in the Sales Team forms an integral part of our commitment to the global Porsche strategy, as we move forward to welcoming a new era of electrification, digitalisation and sustainable growth. It confirms our organization’s longheld commitment to our importers and our continuous measures to enhance the brand’s presence and customer experience.”

Steffen Fleck, who has been with the organization since 2006, recently moved to the role of Sales Director, after becoming Network Development Director in 2013. In his new function, he oversees the core areas of sales planning and regional management for all markets. Additionally, he is responsible for the development of new business concepts focusing on areas such as pre-owned sales, corporate sales as well as customer indi-

2020 Porsche Cayenne vidualization programmes.

As the first ever female joining the regional Sales Team, Aileen Fahr is a recent appointment to PME as Head of Region Africa. With her 16 years of automotive retail experience, she oversees operations in all markets of her region together with a Regional Manager.

Heading the region Middle East and Levant is Mohamed S. Hassan who has been with the organisation since 2011, looking after regional

After Sales and Sales operations. Supported by a team member, his region comprises the UnitedArab Emirates, Kuwait and SaudiArabia, Lebanon, besides others.

Joining PME to head up India and Pakistan is Vikrant Singh who brings 23 years of experience in the automotive field having specialised in exclusive European brands. In his latest positions, Singh was responsible for retail development projectsaswellasretailperformanceprogrammes.

Choose a warm day You want to clean your engine and surrounds on a warm day when the water can more quickly evaporate… water and engines aren’t the best of friends, and you’ll be introducing water into plenty of places it wasn’t designed to be. Awarm day will ensure it dries off in the minimum time. Now, there are lots of electrical components under the bonnet, and they are not a great match with water either. So firstly,removethenegativebatteryterminaltoisolate the battery. Warning #1: most cars have a negative earth but some contrary English cars of a certain age have positive earth, so you will need to remove the positive terminal – read your owner’s manual to make sure. Warning #2: isolating the battery may set your car alarm off. Warning #3: disconnecting the battery may play havoc with your car’s computer systems so if in doubt, consult the manual. Use an adjustable spanner to loosen the nut and bolt on the clamp that holds the battery cable on the negative terminal (unless it is positive earth). You will know which is which because the post will have a little “–” or “NEG” on it or nearby (the positive post has “+” or “POS”). Remove the cable and lay it safely away from the post.

Now, grab a garden hose with a nozzle attachment or, if you have one, a pressure washer. Before you let fly with a flow of high-pressure water, mask off the most sensitive electrical components, usually the alternator and distributor. Take a plastic bag, wrap thecomponent(andanyyoufeelnervousabout)and seal with tape. Even though these components can get wet in day-to-day driving, they aren’t usually subjected to a direct high-pressure jet of water.

Next, grab a can of degreaser (there are plenty of commercial products available, and they range in price from as little as a few dollars. In my experience, there’s little to choose between the cheap ones and moreexpensiveversions.)Sprayawaytoyourheart’s content, dousing anything you can see… degreaser won’t harm paintwork, but it’s a good idea to limit the spray to the underbonnet area. Stubborn areas of muck can be agitated using a soft nylon brush.

Tough components like the exhaust manifold may need a firmer brush or a brush with stronger bristles.

Spray away.

Now comes the fun part. Start power spraying the enginebay,workingfrombacktofront.Bepreparedto getalittlemessy…there’salmostalwaysadeflection of the spray, and it almost always gets the sprayer!

Start with the firewall (that’s the panel below the windscreen,assumingyou’recleaningafront-engined car) and keep the spray moving so as not to force too much water into nooks and crannies where it would not easily come out.

Leave the bonnet up and allow the engine to dry.

If you have spotted other untidy things like a heat shieldwithsurfacecorrosion,youmightthinkabout removing the shield, brushing the surface rust off and even using a can of high-temperature enamel to make it look like new.

Do not remove anything you are not sure about, or are not confident you can replace. These will include anything using a gasket, so if in doubt, leave it alone.

Wipeoffanyexcesswaterwithacleanclothandthen coat all the rubber components with a light coat of Vaseline or ArmorAll. (Source: seniordriveraus)

Did you know?

Someone who texts and drives is six times more likely to crash than someone who drinks and drives. (Source: MasterDrive).

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

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AUTO WORLD

Volkswagen Premieres new Golf GTI Clubsport

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olkswagen has performed a world premiere of its new Golf GTI Clubsport, which the automaker says marks thenextchapterinthebrand’s traditionofhigh-performance

GTIs. The first Golf GTI Clubsport was launched in 2016 on the 40th anniversary of the iconic sports car. It is now followed by the new Golf GTI Clubsport, a modern compact sports car that not only impresses due to its high engine power but also thanks to a new high in driving dynamics.

Astatement by the automaker said, “With the worldpremiereofthenewGolfGTIClubsport, Volkswagen is writing the next chapter of the successfulGolfstory.TheClubsporthasapower outputof221kW(300PS)andisthenewflagship model of the eighth Golf GTI generation. With its enhanced turbocharged engine, new fully connected running gear, and the brand new Nürburgring driving profile designed for the legendary Nordschleife track in Germany, the Golf GTI Clubsport marks a new milestone for driving dynamics among front-wheel-drive sports cars.”

Outstanding driving dynamics. Many of the details in the Golf GTI Clubsport have been enhanced, including the even more agile turbocharged engine (EA888 evo4), which now

delivers221kW(300PS)and400Nmoftorque, andthenewsportsrunninggearequippedwith a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager. In the new Golf GTI, a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager alreadycloselyintegratescontroloftheelectronic differentiallocks(XDS)andthelateraldynamics components of the optional adaptive chassis controlDCC.Evenatthislevel,thefeatureoffers noticeable performance benefits. In the new Golf GTI Clubsport, however, the standard electromechanical front-axle locking differential is now included in the Vehicle Dynamics Manager’s network for the first time.

KarstenSchebsdat,HeadofDrivingDynamics, Steering and Control Systems at Volkswagen: “Networking all driving dynamics systems means that the new Golf GTI Clubsport handles even more neutrally and precisely than the classic Golf GTI. For the legendary Nordschleife track, we have also programmed a new Nürburgring profile, which specifically adapts the running gear components in the new Golf GTI Clubsport to this race track.”

A genuine Clubsport. It is obvious from the outset that the new Golf GTI Clubsport fits in on the race track, too: its customised front end is very striking. The bumper looks almost open at the bottom – only the radiator grille trim with the honeycomb design typical for GTI models and the larger aerodynamic wings offer resistance to the head wind.

The interior of Volkswagen’s new Golf GTI Clubsport

Bajaj Signs Jay Jay Okocha as Brand Ambassador

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ajaj Auto, a leading manufacturer of 3-wheelers, has partnered with Jay Jay Okocha, to endorse its commercial vehicle range consisting of 3-wheeler and 4-wheeler products.

Jay Jay Okocha is unarguably Nigeria’s greatest and most skillful sports personality.

He is a truly gifted footballer, loved and trusted by all Nigerians. It is no surprise that because of Jay Jay Okocha’s distinguished qualities, Bajaj Auto is confident that the champion sportsman is a great fit for its modern product lineup, especially the soon to be launched “Superkeke”.

Talking to the media on his new brand association with Bajaj Auto, Jay Jay Okocha said: “I am elated to be associated with the world’s No.1 3-wheeler company Bajaj Auto. They have a great legacy here in Nigeria. I am proud to endorse a brand whose products have been giving employment and fulfilling transportation needs for us Nigerians. I have personally seen how their kekes have been moving Naija forward over the years.”

Vice-President, West Africa, Bajaj Auto, Shaleen Nayak said: “We are delighted to partner with a legend like Jay Jay Okocha in Nigeria, which is also our biggest international market. Who better than Jay Jay Okocha to take the values of our 3-wheeler and 4-wheeler offering forward?

Our endeavor has always been to bring superior

products to the Nigerian people. We will be launching the most superior keke Nigeria has seen, shortly. This “Superkeke”, as we fondly call it, will have the most differentiated features ever seen in the segment.

Stallion Auto Keke Ltd. (SAKL), Nigeria is the distribution partner of commercial vehicle range for Bajaj Auto. With their assembly plant VON in Lagos, the group is committed towards generating employment and opportunities for the Nigerian economy. Managing Director SAKL, Mr. Manish Rohtagi added that, “The Superkeke is a truly innovative and powerful product for the Nigerian roads. The company through its superior product and sharp service offerings and welfare initiatives will establish and forge long term partnership with the channel ecosystem and customers across Nigeria. Through these fulfilment partners we envisage providing employment opportunity to 5 million Nigerians directly and indirectly over the next 5 years. Bajaj has always been a trusted and admired brand in Nigeria, so is the case with Stallion, the synergy is going to take market by storm.”

The launch of the new Superkeke is slated for November 4th, 2020. For now, it is sufficient to say that the Superkeke has found the perfect partner in the superstar footballer, Jay Jay Okocha. An indomitable force, that promises to move Naija further ahead!

Bajaj Auto cargo mover

Danger Signals for Pedestrians to Watch

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n Monday, October 5, 2020, I strolled leisurely into my office with so many thoughts on my mind. The first thought was where to raise funds to sort out so many personal challenges and hopefully also meet the needs of some close friends and families as well as people I do not know. A handful of the people in question think that because I am an Assistant Corps Marshal in the Federal Road Safety Corps, I must be in the league of the Dangote’s and the Otedola’s. Even the educated ones assume that for every vehicle arrested for traffic infraction, somebody somewhere must be rubbing my palms. My new assignment as the Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of Zone 7 Abuja, comprising the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State further complicates the matter.

I also had thoughts on what topic to focus on this week. There were also thoughts on how to handle the numerous phone calls, text messages and WhatsApp chats for assistance on other issues such as recruitment into the Corps, processing of driver’s License and even feeding in the face of the challenges associated with COVID-19. Like I said, I also had thoughts on what topic to focus on this week which for me was most disturbing because of the deadline required. I know I have heard people who are writers complain on what they call writer’s block. If gifted writers would

SAFE DRIVING with Jonas Agwu amnipr, mcipr,mprsa,arpa Assistant Corps Marshal Zonal Commanding Officer Federal Road Safety Corps.

lament on what to focus on, what then should a bloody road safety officer like me trying to reach out to road users be going through, if you catch my drift. The reasons for a writer’s block such as fear, timing and perfectionism were all starring me at the face.

Even when I tried some of the getaway tricks such as going for a walk, changing environment, reading a book, listening to music or staying with some colleagues who make me feel good just did not help me. When I could not make a headway on what to focus on, my mind suddenly flashed on the new normal because of COVID-19 and yet the challenges of ensuring safety on our roads.

Even that was without form or substance. It was just then that a colleague walked into my office oblivious of my inner struggles and asked me if I had heard of the tragic death of the cousin of one of our senior colleague. I said no and with a

somber look, asked him exactly what happened, where and how. Without knowing how much a savior he had become to me, he gave me a snippet of the incident.

According to his story, the young man named Jeffery Uwah (not real name) who is survived by a wife and a daughter was working with a private company in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja where according to his colleagues, he had carved a niche for himself as a disciplined and time conscious staff. On this faithful day, Jerry had left his house after pacifying his beautiful daughter with a promise to buy her favorite chocolate on his way from work not knowing what fate held for me. He hugged his daughter, gave her a kiss and waved as he opened the door and immediately flagged down a cab just in front of their two-bed room apartment in one of the estates in Abuja. He boarded the car and had a smooth and safe ride and alighted at the nearest junction to his office at the central business district without hiccups.

He was crossing the road to the other side where his office was when he was knocked down by a car driven by a female driver. The impact of the hit was so heavy that despite being rushed immediately to the hospital, he died as a result of the bleeding from his head.

Just as I was struggling to process my thoughts on this tragedy, one of the On Air Personality(OAP) in one of the popular Radio stations in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory, who is like a sister to

me then alerted me through a text message on a crash at Maitama in the same Abuja. Her text read thus;’’vehicle just killed a man that was trying to cross the road beside Transcorp Hilton. Please call emergency service to carry the corpse as the situation is causing traffic now.’’ I must confess that I became really scared but I was elated when I got the great and exciting news from the recue team that the victim survived the crash.

Despite this good news, Jeffery death brought to my memory a similar tragedy I shared a couple of weeks ago on this same page about the death of another young man even though his death occurred differently. According to the story, Frank Uzor (not real name), his wife and their one year and six months old daughter were heading to church on a sunny Sunday morning in their black Lexus Jeep. He stopped by a bank to make a withdrawal for offering.

After parking his car at a spot he believed was safe enough, Frank crossed over to the other side of the road, made his withdrawal at the ATM before crossing back to his vehicle parked at the other side; he got into his car but before he could start his car and move, a Toyota Hilux lost control and crashed onto their Jeep. Frank who was anxiously waiting to lavish his beautiful wife on third-year marriage anniversary just few weeks ahead, died on the spot while his wife went into coma and was unconscious for two days before she eventually regained consciousness.

Miraculously, their daughter who was strapped to a car seat behind came out unhurt-she was found just the way she was- strapped.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍŻÍľË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

PEOPLE Dotun Lampejo

If We Get People in Power into Rotary, Nigeria â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ll Be Better Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ě&#x2039;Í&#x2019;Í&#x161; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;ʨĂ&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;ĘĽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;ĂĄ ʨĂ&#x153;Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2122;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D; Ă Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201D;Ă?Ă?Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Olaoluwakitan Babatunde Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?

C

ongratulations on your Investiture as the 53rd President of Rotary Club of Ikeja. How do you feel?

Becoming Rotary President is a call to service, and becoming the President of Rotary Club of Ikeja is also humbling, taking into the account the calibre of the past Presidents of the Club. These past Presidentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance and achievements have been stellar and one has to deliver the high standards the club is accustomed to. No excuses!

You could then have been a scientist instead of a lawyer?

I was a science student and entered the university with science subjects mostly. I was the best chemistry and biology student in secondary school and also in my A Levels. I gained admission to read Law with my Science A levels. In those days all that was required for a Law admission were very good A levels in any subject and a Credit in English.

The Rotary Club of Ikeja came second in the overall ranking just as you took over the presidency. What is the essence of this ranking and how do you intend to improve it during your tenure?

Rotary club of Ikeja has done very well. We did very well in all the 6 areas of focus. All Rotary clubs in Nigeria are divided into districts. This particular district is District 9110 comprising of all the over 104 Rotary clubs in Lagos and Ogun States. Rotary club of Ikeja came second in the district and we won awards in nearly all categories. We contributed substantially to the Rotary Foundation, which is the body that amongst other projects deals with the eradication of polio. Last year, our club and friends donated about US$34,000 to the Rotary Foundation.

How do you measure success in your interventions?

We do this by how much we impact the society. It is not all about giving money but meeting the needs of the society. Of course, we look at all the seven areas of focus - Water and Sanitation, Child and Maternal Health, Basic education and Literary, Peace building and Conflict resolution, Planet Earth and the Environment and others. You have to be an all-rounder as a club to win an award and then of course, your contribution to the Rotary Foundation is also key.

Are there particular things you have accomplished and what other things do you want to accomplish during your tenure as president?

This year, we have already participated in the Planet Earth and Environment Project, by planting trees, we have donated empowerment tools to indigent artisans in the Ikorodu area like sewing machines, grinder and hairdryers and washers to enable the recipients start their own businesses. We have also donated food and sanitation materials to the Modupe Cole Home for the handicapped, and we visited the Ikeja Junior Secondary School with an Optometrist to conduct eye tests for the students and provided free eye glasses for students and two teachers. We have a long list of other projects we intend to undertake this Rotary year, including the provision of interest free microcredit finance to young traders to start their own businesses.

What was the attraction to becoming a Rotarian?

When I came to Rotary, I did not even know what Rotary was all about. I was introduced to Rotary

Was there another profession you aspired to belong to?

I wanted to be many things; doctor, pharmacist, architect, astronomer, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still interested in all those areas. I am passionate about astronomy and I follow it. I love research and like to try a number of things. I believe all these have impacted my career as a lawyer.

Lampejo

club of Ikeja in 2002 by the late Akin Olawore, who later became the President of the Nigerian- British Chamber of Commerce, of blessed memory. I went for a few meetings and liked the people and was also impressed with some of the guest speakers who spoke at the meetings. I also knew quite several members who were already there, so I decided to join. I got involved in a number of activities and it became a way of life.

You identify with the ideals of service. Rotarians usually do not misbehave, especially Rotarians of the class we have in the Ikeja club. We are men of integrity who identify with the ideals of Rotary. You internalise the ideals of Rotary without consciously doing so, and you just realise that you cannot do certain things; not even for fear of such things being heard, but because of you and the values you have. I like to learn and experience new things, so I always ask questions, maybe because of my science based background. Curiosity led me to the club and I believe that if we get people in power into Rotary, Nigeria will be a much better place with Rotarians in positions of authority.

We need the media to propagate what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. We need to be aggressive in getting our message out. Last year we tried with our publicity and this year we are really going out. We want people to ask questions about Rotary. We need to tell people what we are and what we stand for. We must bring our ideals and actions in sync with the four-way test of Rotary. Is it the truth? is it fair to all concerned? Will it promote goodwill and friendship among us? Is it beneficial to all concerned. There are so many potential Rotarians in the society and we need them to join Rotary

How do you think the Rotary Club can be further projected?

We need the media to propagate what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. We need to be aggressive in getting our message out. Last year we tried with our publicity and this year we are really going out. We want people to ask questions about Rotary. We need to tell people what we are and what we stand for. We must bring our ideals and actions in sync with the four-way test of Rotary. Is it the truth? is it fair to all concerned? Will it promote goodwill and friendship among us?

Is it beneficial to all concerned. There are so many potential Rotarians in the society and we need them to join Rotary.

How does someone become a member of the Rotary Club?

You simply attend our meetings for a while and if you like the fellowship you can indicate your interest in joining the club. Rotary Club of Ikeja meets at Airport Hotel Ikeja on Mondays 12.30 for 1 pm and meetings last an hour.

Right now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have most of our meetings on-line via zoom. Rotary club of Ikeja is special because we have introduced some standards therein. It is the only Paul Harris club. You become a Paul Harris Fellow when you contribute a thousand dollars to Rotary Foundation for the eradication of polio and other health related projects. It is the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy that every member be a Paul Harris Fellow. We also have quite a number of Major Donors who have contributed at least $10,000 to Rotary Foundation. This is not at all a requirement for membership of Rotary. Most Rotary Clubs do not do Paul Harris, and require only their membership dues.

To be a member of Rotary Club of Ikeja you must be of good character and the reason we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t admit members until they have fellowshipped with us for a while is for other members to be at least acquainted with the prospective member and to ensure that such a person identifies with the ideals of Rotary. We have never had any of our members publicly disgraced in our 50 years of existence and nobody wants to be the first.

How do you balance work, Rotary presidency and the family?

Wow! Not easy! The way we run Rotary Club of Ikeja, it is almost a full time job. When you become a president of this club, it is a big sacrifice. It is very tasking but God has a way of compensating. It might seem as though your business may suffer, but it is very fulfilling when you see smiles on the faces of beneficiaries of our projects.

3

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

17.10.2020

NEWS

ITS MERSEYSIDE DERBY PAGE. 45

Ogenyi Onazi Will Denmark Bring Succour?

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 17, 2020

44

GLOBAL SOCCER

Ogenyi Onazi Will Denmark Bring Succour?

Onazi

His attempt at reviving his career with Turkish team, Denizlispor, after Super Lig side,Trabzonspor deemed him surplus to requirement did not go as planned as he was condemned to just nine starts last season. In a desperate effort to revive his career, Onazi joined Danish Superliga with SonderjyskE.The big question is if Denmark would bring the succour the 2013 AFCON winner has been craving for since leaving Serie A side, Lazio

I

n a desperate effort at reviving his career which has been plagued by injury, Nigerian midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has taken his football trade to the Danish Superliga with SonderjyskE after injury struggles in Turkey.

The Super Eagles midfielder’s injury nightmare started with a ruptured Achilles tendon back in December 2018 which ruled him out of action for almost a year.

He found it difficult to break into Trabzonspor’s first-team after the injury, and he left the Turkish Super Lig club to join their rivals Denizlispor on a short-term contract in January.

Onazi’s hopes of securing regular playing time with the Roosters were dashed when he suffered a groin strain and hamstring injury which limited him to just nine league matches last season.

“Injuries are inevitable because it’s something that happens a lot in football, but it’s not been fair to me,” Onazi told BBC Sport.

“At the most important time in my

career is when it happens to me and I have no proper explanation for this.

“Coming from where it all started I believe I’ve seen the worst that life has to offer on and off the pitch.

“I am more hungry and determined to do extra well. I’ve lost a lot of grounds, but it can only be better from here on.

“We had other offers from different places but the main reason I chose Denmark is because I haven’t played in a while.

“I decided to go to a place where I can have proper fitness, get regular game time and test myself mentally.

“It was not the best option financially but it’s the most challenging and it provides a tough physical challenge.

The training is physical like the German league.

“It’s a short-term plan but I am prepared to take it one week at a time and after this we can look at something bigger.”

Before signing a year contract with SonderjyskE which comes with an option to extend the deal with two further years, the former Lazio star confirmed he was close to completing a

return to Serie A but Crotone withdrew their deal.

“It’s true I had a medical at Crotone.

When I was in Turkey we had an agreement,” he said.

“My agent explained everything to me on the phone, but on getting to Southern Italy they pulled out of the agreement.

“This happens in football but it’s the way of life.”

In his last season with Lazio, he played 20 games, although he became a more regular starter when Simone Inzaghi took over as coach.

“I left Lazio for personal reasons,” said Onazi, who had two years left to run in his contract at the Stadio Olimpico, and had been offered a deal to extend it.

“It might be difficult for some people to understand my decision but this is a step forward in my career.”

Former Lazio and Nigerian striker Ayodele Makinwa, the midfielder’s agent, said that Onazi would benefit from the move.

“He desperately wanted a change and new motivation,” said Makinwa.

Onazi began playing football in the

streets of Jos in 1998. His football skills and abilities drew a lot of attention to him and afforded him the opportunity to play in some academies in the city.

His footballing abilities came to prominence when he moved to Lagos to play for My People.

As a 16-year-old, Onazi represented his country at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where Nigeria finished runnersup. However, he was overlooked for selection at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup two years later, despite participating in the training camps in Portugal and Panama.

He made his debut for the senior national team in an Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Liberia.

Onazi was called up to Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2013 AFCON, where he played in every game. He was also named in Nigeria’s final squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and started in all four games as Nigeria were eliminated by France in the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Onazi has not lost hope of a return to the national team after revealing that he was eyeing a return to the Super Eagles after almost two years of absence.

The 27-year-old is focused on playing regularly for his club and then coming back to the Super Eagles.

“I was injured that’s why I wasn’t in the national team, I speak with the coach sometimes, and I also congratulated him on his new deal,” he told Brila FM. “But you can’t be speaking to the coach all the time, because my job is to play and when I’m doing that pretty well, I’m sure I will be back in the team again.”

45

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

GLOBAL SOCCER

Merseyside Derby Everton Stake Unblemished Start against Liverpool One of the talking points of the four-week old Premier League season is the sterling performance of Evertonwinning their four matches to stay on top of the log. As club football return after the international break, Everton will be staking their perfect record against league defending champions and bitter rival-Liverpool, who were humiliated 7-2 before the break by AstonVilla and would want to put their league season back ÜÏ×ÓÏÜÝÒÓÚ ËÌÖÏ Everton Aston Villa Leicester Arsenal Liverpool Tottenham Chelsea Leeds Newcastle West Ham Southampton Crystal Palace Wolves Man City Brighton Man Utd West Brom Burnley Sheff Utd Fulham

4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 4

7 9 5 3 0 7 4 1 1 4 -1 -2 -3 -1 -2 -6 -8 -5 -5 -8

12 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 4 3 3 1 0 0 0

PREMIER LEAGUE TODAY

Liverpool captain. Jordan Henderson tries to stop Everton’s Anthony Gordon when both sides met last season at Anfield

The 288th Merseyside derby is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating in recent years as surprise early Premier League leaders Everton welcome champions Liverpool to Goodison Park lunchtime today.

Jurgen Klopp’s side make the short trip across Stanley Park looking to bounce back from their worst ever Premier League defeat, but they come up against an Everton side leading the way as the only team in the top flight to have won four from four so far this season.

It has been an anniversary-filled international break for Liverpool, who celebrated five years under Klopp last week and a decade of being owned by Fenway Sports Group on Thursday.

Today also happens to be a special occasion on two fronts, marking exactly five years to the day since Klopp took charge of his first match as Liverpool boss, and remarkably 10 years to the day since the Reds were last beaten by Everton.

It is one of those peculiar twists of fate which football occasionally throws up that the Merseyside rivals should meet on exactly the same date one decade on, and that Everton will go into the match about as optimistic of victory as they have been at any other time during those 10 years.

Indeed, all of the usual measures point towards an Everton win - form, league table and momentum are among the factors firmly in the home side’s favour, which has very rarely been the case in the intervening decade.

Liverpool, as a club and a team, are undoubtedly in an immeasurably better position now than they were when they last lost the derby - they sat second from bottom of the table after that game - but the 7-2 humiliation they suffered at the hands of Aston Villa last time out saw them plunge to depths not even seen during the dark ages of Hicks and Gillett.

Panic will not be setting in quite yet, though; as long as Liverpool can make a swift return to winning ways then that result will go down as a freak aberration - an absurd and astonishing anomaly rather than an exposé of a glaring weakness for the champions and the beginning of their downfall.

In truth, it was probably somewhere between the two. The fact that Liverpool’s

defensive strategy from front to back relies on a certain degree of risk is not new information, but never before has it backfired quite so brutally.

The stats make for grim reading from a Liverpool perspective; it was the first time they have conceded seven goals in any game since April 1963, and the first time the reigning top-flight champions have shipped seven in a league game since September 1953.

There is no doubting that it ranks among the worst results in the club’s long and illustrious history, and perhaps the most worrying aspect is that the scoreline did not flatter Villa either.

The Reds can bemoan some bad luck after conceding three goals via deflections, but it is no exaggeration to say that Villa could have - and probably should have - run into double figures.

Whether the international break came at a good time or a bad time for the champions remains to be seen, but Klopp will demand a response from his side regardless, most specifically in defence.

Only West Bromwich Albion have conceded more than Liverpool’s 11 in their opening four games of the campaign - their most at this stage of a league season since 1937-38 and a tally it took them 13 matches to reach last term.

Away form will also be a growing concern with the champions having now lost four of their last eight Premier League games on the road - the same number of defeats as they had suffered in their previous 46 such outings.

Another loss today would remarkably condemn them to consecutive Premier League defeats for the very first time under Klopp, but they could hardly face a more difficult test at this time.

While Liverpool have one of the worst defensive records in the league, Everton are the joint-leading scorers; while Liverpool’s recent away form is poor, Everton have lost just one of their 14 home games across all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti.

The omens certainly look good for the Toffees under their three-time Champions League-winning manager, having won their opening four league games for the first time since 1969-70 - a season which saw them go

on to win the title.

Not since 1938-39 have Everton won their opening five league games of a season and, as fate would have it, their fifth game of that particular campaign saw them defeat the reigning top-flight champions.

You have to go back to 1894-95 - just two years after Liverpool were founded - for the last time Everton won their first eight games of a season across all competitions too, so their current run stands up against pretty much anything else in their history when it comes to fast starts.

The major question now is whether they have the prolonged consistency to mount a top-six or even top-four push this season.

Some have even suggested that, in a campaign which has already thrown up some barmy results, there could be an unexpected title winner, and Everton will consider themselves at the front of that particular queue at the moment.

The visit of Liverpool will be the stiffest test of their credentials yet, although they have already won at Tottenham Hotspur this season for their first victory over a ‘big six’ club since Ancelotti took over.

Perhaps the only concern for Everton right now will be a defensive record which has seen them fail to keep a clean sheet in their last five outings.

However, with such a free-scoring attack - spearheaded by the in-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin - Everton have not been made to pay for any defensive lapses so far this season, netting 24 goals in their seven outings.

The form of new signings James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure has only added to the perfection of Everton’s start, and all three of them have tasted victory over Liverpool more recently than Everton as a club have.

For Everton to sit top of the table heading into a league Merseyside derby is uncharted territory for all involved, though; that last happened in September 1989, when Liverpool went on to win 3-1 en route to winning the title.

Meanwhile, two old colleagues renew acquaintances again today when Mikel Arteta takes his Arsenal side to the Etihad Stadium to

Everton Chelsea Man City Newcastle

v v v v

Liverpoo l 12:30 Southampton15:00 Arsenal 17:3 Man Utd 20:00

SUNDAY

Sheffield Utd v Fulham Crystal Palace v Brighton Tottenham v West Ham Leicester v Aston Villa

12:00 14:00 16:30 19:15

MONDAY

West Brom v Burnley Leeds United v Wolvers

17:30 20:00

face Manchester City and former mentor Pep Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola - Latest breaking news, rumours and gossip from Manchester...

News about Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola on Sports Mole with the latest player news, biographical information,...

It has been a distinctly ordinary start to the campaign for the hosts, who go into the weekend five points and 10 places behind their visitors on the table.

There was excitement amongst Arsenal fans from the moment it looked as though Arteta would come out from under Guardiola’s wing and fly the nest, and he certainly appears to have brought much of his compatriot’s mindset and success with him from the Etihad to the Emirates.

Indeed, Arsenal have looked more like the Manchester City were used to seeing than Man City themselves so far this season, and the Gunners know that victory today would leave them already eight points clear of the former champions.

Guardiola’s side have seen their air of invincibility slip and their record of one win, one draw and one defeat from three games this term makes for their worst start to a campaign since 2010-11.

City go into the weekend languishing 14th in the table and, while we are still some way away from being able to draw conclusions from the Premier League standings, they will know that another defeat this weekend would be another early nail in their title hopes.

Incredibly, today will be the third matchday already this season that they have started in the bottom half of the table - as many as they had in their previous 375 outings, or almost 10 seasons, in the competition.

46

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

GLOBAL SOCCER

Umar against Manchester United during last season;s Champions League group stages Iga Swiatec...still in dream land

Moses Lands in Moscow to Continue Career with Spartak Former Nigeria international Victor Moses landed in the Russian capital Moscow yesterday, a day after his loan move to Spartak was confirmed

by Chelsea and their Russian counterparts.

The club have uploaded a 26-second video via Twitter in which Moses was arriving at the airport.

Spartak Moscow have displayed on a screen in front of their home ground, Otkrytie Arena, a photograph of Moses with the caption “Welcome Victor Moses!”.

The Reds and Whites have confirmed that the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner has

joined the club on loan for the remainder of the season with a purchase option included in the deal, which suggests that he extended his contract with Chelsea before moving to Russia.

The Nigerian winger is deemed surplus to requirement by Blues manager, Frank Lampard, which led to him signing for the Russian side on loan with an option to sign him permanently.

“Victor Moses has joined Spartak Moscow on loan for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign,” Chelsea revealed in a statement published on the club’s official

website.

The Russian side are 10 games into their league season and sit second in the table, level on points with city rivals CSKA Moscow.

Moses is set to become the fourth Nigerian player to represent Spartak Moscow after Emmanuel Emenike, Okon Essien and Samuel Ogunsania.

Retired Super Eagles striker Peter Odemwingie was heavily courted by Spartak Moscow during his Lille days but eventually joined their city rivals Lokomotiv Moscow in 2007.

Previously, Moses spent time on loan at Liverpool, Stoke City, West Ham and Fenerbahce.

Almeria’s Project will Inspire Me, Says Sadiq After completing a permanent switch to Spain on the transfer deadline day, Umar Sadiq said he hadbrought energy and good vibes to Almeria in the Segunda Division and it was not a difficult decision to leave Partizan Belgrade for Spain.

The Nigeria U23 star joined the Spanish second division club on a five-year deal last week to

strengthen their attacking options.

Although his Almeria debut ended in a 1-0 loss to UD Logrones last Saturday, Sadiq is upbeat about the club’s ambition as they chase La Liga promotion.

“It is a great project, starting from what we have seen with the stadium.

When you know something like this, it is impossible to say no, it was easy to say that I was coming

to Almeria in view of the challenge that lies ahead,” Sadiq told the club website.

“Agreat project must have a great striker and I put all the pressure on myself, I take the lead for whatever it takes. Before Logrones it was already seen that there are no excuses and we must push forward in search of the goal. I come with the aim of giving energy and good vibes, “ he said.

IOC Assures Olympics will Hold Next Year The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the local organising committee have assured that multibillion-dollar Olympics Games would take place in 2021.

After holding online virtual sessions with leaders of a number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs) this week, the IOC confirmed that 2021 Summer Olympic Games, still branded as Tokyo 2020, was still likely to take place from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

Additionally, they assured that the number of sports disciplines would

not be cut short, venues would be ready and the overall cost of the game would not be impacted that much. One of the primary logistical concerns is expected top be the influx of thousands of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, Olympic staff, technical officials, sponsors, media and broadcasters, safely into Japan.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc around the world – touching every corner of the globe.

There are nearly 40 million cases worldwideandover1.1milliondeaths.

Japanhasover90,000casesofthenovel coronavirus and 1,646 deaths.

“TheIOChasthefullsupportofallof itsstakeholdersaroundtheworldand all for the benefit of the athletes,” said BahamasOlympic Committee (BOC) President Romell Knowles. “These games have significant consequences for our athletes, so it’s important for us to put on the highest quality event the world has ever seen. Our athletes have been training for the full quadrennial to first qualify and then to participate. NOCs exist to make it possible for athletes to take part in high-level competitions at every opportunity, and this is an opportunity to do that.

Arsenal, Milan, Spurs Gear-up for Europa League on StarTimes With La Liga, international friendlies and UEFANations League, taking earlier part of October on StarTimes, football fans are in for more excitement as 2020/21 Europa League begins on October 22. The group stage matches will be spread across all StarTimes sports channels including Sports Focus on NOVA bouquet.

Arsenal,theEuropaLeaguerunnerup in 2019, are the highest-ranked team in the competition and are

grouped with Rapid Vienna, Molde and Dundalk.

North London rivals Tottenham will face LASK, Ludogorets Razgrad and Royal Antwerp.

Seven-time European champions AC Milan will face Celtic, Sparta Prague and Lille in Group H of the Europa League. AC Milan opening campaign will be against Celtic on October 22 and will be aired live on Sports Focus channel.

Roma are the top-seeded team in a group with two clubs that started the season in the Champions League - Young Boys and Cluj. CSKA Sofia are also in that group.

Spanish club Villarreal will face the most demanding travel schedule, facing Azeri club Qarabag, Israeli team Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Turkish club Sivasspor.

The group stage begins on October 22 and runs until December 10.

Swiatek Still in Shock Days after Winning French Open Iga Swiatek says she has been in shock since winning the French Open, and is now aiming to win the other three Grand Slams titles and an Olympic medal.

The 19-year-old beat Sofia Kenin in Saturday’s final to become the lowest ranked women’s champion at Roland Garros.

“Basically I was in shock for the next three days,” Swiatek told BBC Sport shortly after her return to Poland.

“I couldn’t tell you my emotions, because even I don’t understand them.”

She added: “It’s pretty crazy here. I feel like my life changed completely and I’m trying to get used to that. I left a different Poland that I came back to, because right now I’m kind of popular here.

“I’m doing pretty well, but if I’m going to have any problems, then Naomi Osaka texted me that I can always ask her for advice or for support. “We had a quick chat on social media right after the final. I feel like I am supported, so it is great.”

Swiatek won the girls title at Wimbledon in 2018, and only played her first qualifying event on the WTA Tour in Auckland in January 2019.

She credits her father Tomasz, who competed in the quadruple sculls at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, for her confidence and professionalism on court - and is aiming high.

“I always wanted to win all four Grand Slams and to have an Olympic medal, and I always thought of it as a dream,” Swiatek said.

“But right now, when I actually won French Open, it stopped like being so distant for me.”

Swiatek paid tribute to her youthful coaching team, whom she describes as a “second family”, and to her travelling sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz. “I know that if I have tough times, and it’s the middle of the night, I can always call her and she’s going to pick up’” she said.

Swiatek graduated from high school last summer, and had not ruled out going to university - perhaps even to study psychology - before life changed for good in Paris.

“Before the French Open I actually wanted to do a gap year, or maybe two years, to see how my tennis would develop,” she said.

“But right now when I’m starting to be more popular in Poland, and maybe I’m going to be a celebrity or something like that, I don’t think I’m going to have time.”

And would becoming a celebrity be a good thing?

“Right now it’s pretty overwhelming,” Swiatek said. “But actually it’s one of the things I worked for, and I would really appreciate it if I could have some influence on tennis in Poland.”

Wimbledon could be Played Behind Closed Door Staging Wimbledon next year is the “number one priority” for the All England Club and holding the tournament without fans is a consideration.

The Grand Slam was cancelled this year for the first time since World War Two because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The All England Club said it is already planning three scenarios for 2021: playing with full capacity, reduced capacity or behind closed doors.

The championships will be held from 28 June to 11 July next year.

The All England Club’s pandemic insurance policy shielded it from losses of up to a quarter of a billion pounds after this year’s tournament was cancelled - but the cover will not be available next year.

The US Open took place behind closed doors in New York last month, with up to 1,000 fans allowed in to watch the French Open in Paris recently.

“Our overriding priority will continue to be the health and safety of all of our stakeholders, in particular our guests, our staff and our competitors,” said the All England Club.

“We are working closely with the relevant government and public health authorities, alongside the rest of the sports industry, to understand the varying challenges and opportunities presented by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž 17, 2020

47

GLOBAL SOCCER

CYRIEL DESSERS

A Thrilling Experience He had waited impatiently for his Super Eagles derby since his decision to dump his country of birth- Belgium for motherland. His wait was further stretched with the postponement of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier matches owing to Coronavirus pandemic.The wait however ended when he came in as a 72nd-minute substitute in the international friendly game against Tunisia in Austria.Though, he played for only 18 minutes, for Cyriel Dessers, the moment remains nostalgic

C

yriel Dessers had been hoping to achieve one of his life goals of playing for the Super Eagles.

He was in line to make his debut for the three-time African champions in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier game against Sierra Leone in March but the game was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dessers had stated before now that it would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;incredibly amazingâ&#x20AC;? to play for Nigeria and hopes his form will earn him a call-up.

The 25-year-old, born to a Belgian father and Nigerian mother, is eligible to play for the Super Eagles, given he is yet to feature for the Dutch senior team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been communication with Nigeria football authority but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to keep playing as well as I can for Heracles, and hopefully that will happen soon,â&#x20AC;? he told BBC Sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a strong ambition of mine, but sometimes you need to stay focused and not get distracted as a professional footballer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone in the family is hoping - and to be involved with Nigeria would be incredibly amazing for my career, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to keep proving myself first. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To get a chance to stand at the door is a step forward. You start every day hoping for success at club level. If you keep working hard, hopefully, you make some life goals come true.â&#x20AC;?

His dream of staring for Nigeria finally came to fruition following his international bow against the Carthage Eagles, and the 25-yearold has expressed his delight representing the three-time African champions.

Dessers was ecstatic to get his first international debut for Nigeria in Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1-1 draw against Tunisia.

He was an unused substitute against Algeria, notwithstanding, he made his bow against the Carthage Eagles after replacing Ahmed Musa with 18 minutes left to play at the Jacques Lemans Arena. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Proud and honoured to represent a big football nation like Nigeria. Proud to be a Super Eagle,â&#x20AC;? he tweeted.

I am tired, I barely slept last night and still have to go home by car, but it was worth itâ&#x20AC;?, Dessers told Het Laatste Nieuws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was fun, I was very well received in the group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was a highlight in my career, yes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are not many things that are highly regarded, right? Maybe become a top scorer, yes. But playing for your country.â&#x20AC;?

Dessers said he was now looking

forward to his next game for the three-time African champions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be there again?â&#x20AC;? He asked rhetorically. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You never know in football. But then I will have to play well at Genk in the first place. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my main concern now. Making more minutes at Genk now requires my full focus.â&#x20AC;?

While at Heracles Almelo, Dessers had expressed his wish to represent the 2013 African champions after meeting with officials of the Nigeria Football Federation.

He was invited for the first time earlier this year by Coach Gernot Rohr for Africa Cup of Nations qualification with Sierra Leone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an encounter that could not take place owing to the outbreak of COVID-19 which crippled football-related activities across the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It hurts me because I thought it was going to be one of the best moments of my life - or at least my career - and that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go through was really painful,â&#x20AC;?

Dessers told BBC Sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a young team, a lot of players playing in Europe, so I think that the adaptation would be fine and I hope when I come into the team they accept me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am looking forward to seeing Victor Osimhen, I like to watch a lot of football and watch the strikers and I think he is a great striker, and I hope I can help him and support him.â&#x20AC;?

After impressing in the Eredivisie, where he scored 18 goals and provided six assists to emerge as joint-top scorer in the Dutch elite division, Dessers penned a four-year deal with Belgian top-flight side Genk.

At the Luminus Arena this season, he has scored two goals in six league appearances for Jess Thorupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men.

Desser

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR

THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

Desser (left), against an Ajax opponent

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ˜ 2020

48

MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

Nigeria at 60, a Milestone to Identify, Says Daramola

Premium School students awarded scholarship by Stallion Enpowerment Initiative

ACFE Demands Fresh Probe of Unremitted Stamp Duty by Banks The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, ACFE, Lagos State Chapter, has asked the Federal Government to investigate the non-remittance of stamp duty on customer deposits by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, into the Federation Account.

The Senate had in December 2019, launched an investigation in respect to this but had not reverted on its findings.

Speaking during a virtual training organised

by ACFE for members and non-members, Vice President, ACFE, Lagos, Dr. Titilayo Fowokan, noted that the silence surrounding the issue had heightened suspicion among stakeholders, hence the need for a fresh, open and holistic investigation.

Fowokan in her lecture titled: Stamp Duty Obligations in Nigeria : What the Fraud Examiners should Know”, feared that lack of accountability in

collection and remittance processes will promote fraud in the exercise, which will jeopardize the goals of the efforts to increase revenue generation.

She explained further that Finance act 2019 amendment to stamp duty did not address flaws, but merely focused on electronic stamps and transactions to increase non-oil revenue generation.

“The new amendment and previous reviews of the finance act have failed to address major glitches in the stamp duty act.

“Some weaknesses spotted in the amended act remained: Poor structure with respect to charges to duty and exemptions; difficulty in charging concept, difficult language and terminology, as well as complex and time consuming direct assessments and manual stamping processes, amongst others”.

In his lecture on “Understanding Electronic Fraud: Cybercrime and Internet Fraud Perspectives”, President of ACFE, Lagos, Prof. Godwin Oyedokun, sought for an upgrade in technology applications given the depth of digital fraud in the country.

He said, “Transactions monitoring can be crucial in preventing digital payments fraud. With cutting edge technologies like artificial Intelligence and machine learning, one can identify fraudulent patterns in the history of transactions and later apply them to check the authenticity of current transactions.”

Oyedokun reiterated that the training exercise was important to boost the capacity of members and indeed Nigerians on fraud trends, especially as fraud seemed to thrive well during COVID-19.

CITN Confers Fellowship on 372 Members The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, has conferred fellowship status on 372 members, just as members were charged on ethical operations.

Speaking during the conferment ceremony that held in Lagos, recently, President of the Institute, Dame Olajumoke Simplice, urged the newly promoted members to strive to represent the institute well in the discharge of their professional duties, in a way that will enhance the respect, admiration and good name known with CITN. She said, “Ethics and Professionalism are important principles that every professional must necessarily recognise and subscribe to. Therefore, I urge you to continue to accord this serious attention in your

conduct.”

The President also seized the occasion to beam light on pressing issues in the tax environment, as she called for fiscal discipline by government at all levels.

She said, “While we recognise that government revenue had been worst hit with over 60% contraction due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we advise that tax efforts should be concentrated in bringing more entities into the tax net and not strangulating existing taxpayers.”

Simplice also reiterated the need for government to carry tax experts along in policy formulation so as to prevent flaws in area that has to do with taxation.

“As the federal government appears ready to

present the 2021 budget estimates to the National Assembly, we expect that stakeholders’ views on possible amendments to the finance Act 2019 will be accommodated in the Finance Bill 2020. This would prevent policy missteps that may not be taken care of during the legislative process.”

The CITN President also defended the Institute’s stance on National tax payers’ day, arguing that such was important to enhance tax compliance in the country.

“The reason for this position is not far-fetched. It is increasingly difficult to be tax compliant in Nigeria considering the challenges of our developing economy.

Therefore, conscious efforts must be activated to encourage tax compliance through this initiative,” she said.

Convener of Project 60.60.60, Bimbo Daramola has stated that Nigeria turning 60 is a milestone that must be identified.

He made this statement at the South-west Entrepreneurs Boot Camp Screening held in Lagos recently.

He stated that there was need to give a signature tune to entrepreneurship in Nigeria, and that this should exceed the entrepreneurship start-up capital.

“There are things that we must do that are structural by inclination. Entrepreneurship must be seen beyond start-up capital. The money that has been delivered as capital has not delivered anything,” he said.

“There are currently 39.4 million jobless people in Nigeria. A structural dimension to raising entrepreneurs in Nigeria is highly essential at the moment.

“Our plan is to make entrepreneurs go through the 18 months window, and if they survive, they are likely to be successful entrepreneurs,” he stated.

“The boot camp will enable us raise 60 brand new entrepreneurs that we can take custody of, and watch them grow over the 18months entrepreneurship training. We would not only give start-up capital, which are not loans, but grants of N60,000 – N1m, to those who have shown convincing reasons to get to the boot camp.

Stallion Empowerment Initiative Introduces Merit Scholarship to Students Stallion Empowerment Initiative (SEI), the charity arm of Stallion Group, which recently celebrated its 50 years in Nigeria, has introduced the coveted scholarship programme for the Premium Technical High School and Premium Primary Schools, both in Warri, Delta State.

A statement by SEI said, “The 2020 awards were given to 21 students in an apt felicitation ceremony in front of an August gathering of students, encouraging them to set high goals for a bright future.

The inaugural scholarship was given to the best performing student across their various classes for the 2019/2020 academic session.”

The statement said the “three broad categories of scholarships introduced are: Sunil Vaswani Merit Scholarships with 100% full tuition fee waiver for the best student in Primary 6 to Senior Secondary 3; Principal’s Merit Scholarship with 75% tuition waiver for the second-best student; and Roy Tabet Merit Scholarship with 50% tuition scholarship for the third best student.”

The Co- Founder of SEI, Ms. Sarina Vaswani said, “The Stallion Empowerment Initiative strongly believes that investments in human capital through education and skills can lead to a positive future for generations. SEI therefore supports youth to further their education into secondary schools and university. We believe our school programmes and supplies can help prepare students into adulthood.

SEI supports Premium Technical High School in Warri with 1746 students and the two Premium Primary Schools with 2000 students in Warri, Nigeria.

The Principal THS Mr. Joseph Sido added that the schools offer qualitative secondary school education for children in the neighboring communities.

9ijakids Contents Drive Traffic UK Company Invests $100,000 in Nigerian Software Firm on Google Read Along App Educational Technology Company, 9ijakids, has boost children’s engagement with Google after both firms struck a partnership content-sharing deal.

The content-sharing deal saw 9ijakids provided colourful, fun and educative stories for Google’s early literacy app, ‘Read Along’, to engage children on the platform.

The stories have so far been read for more than 11,000 times within weeks of publication.

Vice President of Global Business Development and Co-founder of 9ijakids, Titi Adewusi, noted that by partnering with Google, the organisation tend to advance its goal of bringing African stories to the

global stage.

“More importantly, we see this as an opportunity to support the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), an initiative to improve children’s literacy skills.

“The partnership with Google is in line with 9ijakids’ vision to leverage technology, digital content and gamification to help the African child acquire relevant skills needed to become leaders of tomorrow.

“We are sharing African stories and values with the rest of the world, she said.

As part of its efforts to contain COVID-19 spread, 9ijakids recently launched a safety game, ‘Safety Checkup’ to enhance children’s safety against COVID-19 in schools.

A United Kingdom company, Zetogon has said it invested $100,000 in a Nigerian software firm, AirSmat, to help the organisation to deliver world-class service on the African continent.

The firm is expected to use the cash to get its product, SmatCrows, to customers and support the product launch, according to a statement by their publicist.

Chief Technology Officer, AirSmat, Adeoluwa Ibikunle said: “The new investment will enable AirSmat to further build on its position as a startup that helps customers to proactively take business decision backed by intelligence obtained from AirSmat AI-based platform. We are starting out with food security for the continent; our solution allows smart farmers to gain control of their crop yield and general farming activities.

“Our innovative and creative approach will use world-class AI-powered software aimed at improving the efficiency of African farmers in terms of yields and productivity using the power of AirSmat Artificial Intelligent (AAI)-driven software. The software will provide timely information about the state of their crops and general operations on their farmlands.”

“Nigeria comes first with an official launch of our flagship product called Smatcrows in October and a similar launch would be carried out in other African countries by Q2 2021,” Ibikunle said.

Also, Zetogon said: “The funds will be used to support the launch of the software services designed to change the agricultural landscape by providing AI driven data that will add value to farming and all agro-allied businesses.”

49

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ ͯ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ

FAJ/JOE

COUNTERPOINT

‘Sorrow, Tears And Blood’

FEMI

hile I was writing this article, the tenor of my sentiment and the chord that propelled me was rooted in the 1977 monster hit song of same title as my headline... “Dem leave Sorrow, Tears and Blood... Dem regular trademark...”. The lanky priest of our national existential struggles, who should have been 82 years old few days ago, immortalised these hauntingly true words.And 43 years after, they are echoing on the major streets of Nigeria.

We have witnessed in the past one week and some days, the truly heroic expressions of our young folks, casting aside the presidential slur on laziness, and stomping the grounds with trenchant declarations of their readiness and urgency to change the minds of government - when it became obvious that appeals and grumblings were inadequate.

For many years, the members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and their different transformations and futile attempts at redemption, had soiled the land with stories that those who have never encountered them would be quick to assume as exaggerations and embellishments. How can any human being, paid by the sweat and toil of the same people, inflict so much wickedness and brutality on both the young and old, on men as well as women, on suspected criminals and ill-fated innocents?

The stories are legion...the narratives are morbid and spectacularly heartless... tethering on the impossible. How can a group of compatrii ots, not evil aliens, spread so much Sorrow, Tears and Blood...and for so long, without the hierarchy of the Nigerian Police being alarmed to such an extent that their atrocities could not be exterminated by hauling, before panels of Public Enquiry, these entitled armed terrorists, garbed maniacally in dreadful and dreary paraphernalia of callous intimidation.

From its inception in the early eighties, as far as I can recollect, it had not been so. Wickedness was not moving arm akimbo around our neighbourhood looking for young men and women who seemed to have acquired materials that the agents of death felt were above their station. My friend, Taiwo Lakanu, who retired recently as a deputy inspector general of police, was once a leader of a squad around Surulere/Ebute Metta axis... he was a halo of pride and digg nity amongst law-abiding citizens - and a handsome and courageous terror within the ranks of the stubborn denizens of Ebute Metta crime world. Decked in fighting gears, not the ridiculous assemblage of “colour-riot” miasma copied from over-sexed lunatics of my Lagos hoods... the movements and appearances of Lakanu and his valiant

fajalive1@gmail.com 08182223348 - (SMS Only)

W

band of SARS were a cusp of serendipity and disguised awe, in the volatile environment of Ebute Metta - as they conducted their duties with bravery, commonsense and a touch of class. Not once did I hear he was used to destroy one party for the benefit of another...or was involved in revenge killings or reprisals against attacks by wicked folks... Even many of us were worried for his twin bother who could have been mistakenly attacked by miscreants, in spite of the fact that he lived so long abroad, and was hardly back in Nigeria... but the resemblance was so keen that revenge-seeking could have easily taken the gentle civilian out, in place of the gentle super cop. Kehinde died years ago, in situation that would not concern the focus of this article.

The point is, SARS was once great - dealing with the scourge of our time... armed robbery, vicious armed gangs and terrible weaponised cultists. In the last five years, the stories emanating from the dark holes supervised by corps of the ‘defunct’ SARS/FSARS or whatever tactical name they have been called, the men - I haven’t seen a female member - who took over from the Lakanus of this world, appear to have sworn to some evil vows: to kill, maim, extort, destroy and dehumanize as many Nigerians as are unfortunate to come across their bloody paths - their untactical cruelty knew no boundaries. It is staggeringly improbable that the Inspector Generals of Police - not just Mr. Mohammed Adamu, the current one - would imply that they were never privy to some, if not most, of the heinous techniques and operational recklessness of their men. That doubt is underscored when you consider their futile attempts to sweep a mountain of fecal deposit enveloping the police force by looking for bigger shovels and buckets. The last so-called disbandment of FSARS was reported as the fourth attempt at restoring that arm of the Police Force to a level of normalcy that would assuage the bruised and brutalised fabrics of the Nigerian populace. Signs from the operational and communication challenges of the Police in the instantaneous swapping of FSARS for the fancy SWAT clearly show that the police leadership, and their employees, have no clue how deep-seated the Nigerian anomie against that dreadful squad, and that our metaphoric fecal mountain needs more than shovels and buckets.... So, lift up your heads, IGP and his management team, and start looking for bulldozers and massive cranes...this mountain stinks to high heavens, and kid-gloves treatment of it will lead to more Sorrow, Tears and Blood.

Demands are pouring from all angles, genuine stakeholders, and opportunists, hangers-on who profit from misery and chaos have flooded the arena... It is time for government and those who have the welfare and peaceful existence of this country at heart...not

AKINTUNDEE-JOHNSON on their palms, not in their suitcases... nor their dainty handbags... to seek policy direction and communication mindsets that will remove offensive structures, without disrupting operational imperatives to intervene in areas that may be exposed to lawlessness and chaos, in the negative celebration of the demise of FSARS. Let the nation heal and celebrate that token of success as we jointly build, not only a tactical squad, but a new Police Force that Nigerians and the entire world would not hesitate to point to with pride and respect.

While at it, let us recognize that part of what turned the FSARS to animals in torn uniforms is perhaps traceable to systemic corr ruption, criminal neglect of police welfare, health and life insurance, complete absence of liveable remuneration, comprehensive housing scheme that makes well-kept and managed barracks the starting point, and the “that’s all”.

There are litany of issues, big and small, that need the attention of governments, corporate entities and the populace which will go into building a “new” police force - in training, development, funding, medicare, vision, capacity-building, and so many other details that combine to provide us an opportunity to not waste this current general unrest.

Here is an example of what we should discourage...I mean the trainers of police trainees also need extensive training and de-toxification in their management of human resources. How do you train potential police officers like animals, using vicious and inhumane tactics - physical and mental torture, severe beatings, smacking heads with “kondos”, and traumatising their psyche.... To instil what? Courage or wickedness? Bravery or brutality? Passion or poison. There are so many issues and levels that need to be unbundled, re-programmed and remodelled...before we move to material and operational matters.

Yet, the simple request to #EndSARS, or #EndSWAT...may appear knee-jerk, and speaks only to assuaging a momentary pain... doubtless, it’s a critical first step forward...assuring people that their pains are real, and their voices do matter. How we go from here may take us beyond the streets...but the journey to put a stop to the orgy of Sorrow, Tears and Blood has begun...we all must see to it that we get to a lasting destination. There have been too much pain and sundry losses, on both sides, to peter out into a fleeting nostalgia. End SARS...but start the reforms.

60 Years and Still Going Strong Femi Fani-Kayode

I

am 60 years old today October 16! I give thanks to the Lord for He has been good to me.

As is usually the case with me on my birthdays I shall spend most of the day quietly with a few members of my family, loved ones and household and, for the better part of the day until the afternoon, I shall be fasting and giving thanks to God for His love, grace, kindness and mercy.

This is the way that I have marked my birthday for the last 9 years and I find it gratifying and fulfilling. I have so much to thank God for and more so this year than perhaps any other.

Throughout the year and indeed throughout my life He has been faithful and true to me despite my weaknesses, imperfections and shortcomings. He has exalted my horn, enlarged my coast, caused me to increase, caused me to excel and prosper and met my every need. He has caused me to be a source of blessing to many and constantly worked the most extraordinary and amazing miracles in my life.

He has brought me joy, great memories and wonderful times and always lifted me up even when I am down. He has given me strength to go through the biggest challenges and betrayals that a man can ever face in his life and led me to react with restraint, decorum, self-respect and dignity. He has levelled mountains before me, made a way where there seems to be no way and made every crooked path straight.

I have witnessed the most terrible things that most only read about in books and I have been subjected to the greatest humiliation, sufferr ing and pain from those closest to me yet I have counted it all as joy and borne it with stoicism, silence and dignity refusing to offer a word of explanation or complaint to anyone. Yet God has been faithful.

He has healed my wounds with the balm of Gilead, given me a sure word and given me the strength and power to forgive.

He has put my many enemies to shame, delivered me from death and infirmity, protected my children, strengthened my wife Regina, preserved my life, blessed me with faithful and loyal loved ones, met my every need and watched over me for good and not for evil.

He has delivered me from the wicked machinations and the premeditated, well-orchestrated, well-planned and diabolical plans of my enemies who hate me with a perfect hatred.

He has guided me in my life’s walk, counselled me even when I refused to listen and forgiven me where and when I got things wrong and disobeyed Him. He has delivered me from every betrayal, exposed every lie, silenced every adversary, thwarted every conspiracy, strengthened my heart, emboldened my spirit, restrored my soul, helped me to love again and healed my deep wounds.

He has provided for me and mine, met our every need and delivv ered us from shame and defeat. He has destroyed the counsel of the ungodly and the agenda of the treacherous over our lives, confused their tongues, divided their ranks and brought us to a better place.

Like David who suffered no less, I thank Him for His love, grace, mercy, blessings, peace, joy, deliverance, promises, sure word and expected end.

I thank him for His loving kindness, for my loved ones and children and for all those who have supported me and stood with me and mine through thick and thin over the lady 60 years.

I thank Him for decreeing and determining the bitter end of those who wished me ill and those that have repaid my good with evil and for putting them to shame.

I thank Him for leading and guiding me in the dark places where I could not see and for seeing me through every raging storm.

I thank Him for the love and support that I have received over the years and particularly over the last few weeks and months from my wife Regina, my children, my sister in-law Pastor Claudia Tchaporr nu, my loved ones both near and afar, my friends, my associates, my colleagues, my political associates, my intercessors, my Pastors, senior members of the Clergy and the Body of Christ (including the President of CAN, Rev. SamsonAyokunle, Prophet T.B Joshua, Bishop David Oyedepo and so many others), Traditional Rulers, my mentees, my disciples and my numerous fans and supporters.

I thank Him because He delivered me from the hand of the enemy and His word over my life cannot be thwarted or aborted. I thank Him for, despite being unworthy, making me His beloved even as I have made Him my God. I thank Him for our eternal covenant of love which will stand from generation to generation and till the end of time.

60 years today and many years to come. I boldly enter a new phase of life now and a new beginning. It is a phase of victory and a phase of abundance and blessing.

I trust God and I put behind me every setback and disappointt ment, forgiving and loving all, including those who hurt me, betrayed me, lied on me, repaid my good with evil and sought to destroy my life and that of my children and reduce me to nothing.

I have no enemies and I love and forgive even my darkest adversaries and foes.

I live for my calling and nothing else. I live for God’s purpose for my future and my life and all the lies, fabrications, misrepresentation, fake news and hate in the world cannot change that and neither can it resist His power or negate His extraordinary love for me.

Finally I thank God for the gift and privilege of life and good health and for all the love that I receive from those around me. Glory be to His holy name forever.

I have said it before and I will say it again, without Him I am nothing but with Him I am everything. I go forth boldly knowing that I am a warrior and a lion: I have no fear despite my many battles, afflictions, challenges and wounds.

I hold on to Him in the knowledge that as long as God is with me none can stand against me and, in the fulness of time, my enemies shall be made my footstool.

God bless my social media friends, fans, supporters and family too, particularly those that belong to the various FFK groups and that

Fani-Kayode

continue to believe in me and stand by me. I appreciate every single one of you.

Since my extraordinary and historic tour of the south there have been many distractions and acts of sabotage thrown our way but it changes nothing and one thing remains clear: we shall overcome and we shall prevail. God has said it and I believe it.

Darkness cannot overcome light and I urge you not to be moved by what you read, see and hear or the malevolent and malicious rantings and intrigues of the naysayers, the trolls, the enemy and his legion of emissaries and paid agents on social media.

As our Lord said of those that crucified Him, I say may the Lord forgive them for they know no better and they know not what they do. On our part we despise the shame, remain focused as ever and forge ahead regardless with our heads held up high.

Your lion and champion is alive and well, the vision is for an appointed time and, though it may tarry, it shall surely come to pass.

Trials, tribulations, malice, premeditated attempts to derail, distract and destroy, collaboration with ancient foes, conspiracies with deadly enemies, fake news, lies and betrayal and the hatred of those who know no better are are unwelcome yet necessary evils. They serve to refine us, make us stronger and prepare us for God’s ultimate purpose.

As Joseph said, what our detractors and those that engender and peddle these evil plans and intrigues against us meant for evil, God meant for good.And in the end He shall grant us victory, vindicate us and make all things beautiful whilst they bow their heads in shame.

Glory and praise and honor be unto His holy name.

Thank you Father because you alone are my focus and my strength. Nothing else matters to me. You alone can and will bring me to an expected end. You alone can and will reward me for the wickedness I have suffered in the hands of those that seek my destruction and make boast of it publicly and privately every day.

You alone can and will judge them for seeking to destroy and derail that which you have purposed.

He is faithful. I give Him praise. 60 years today! Many more to come! Thanks be to God! ––Fani-Kayode, is a former Aviation Minister.

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Ë&#x153; Ëž OCTOBER 17, 2020

INTERVIEW Mairo Al-Makura

African First Ladies Peace Mission is Serious Business Inspired by the UN Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Women Conference 1995, popularly known as the Beijing Conference, the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) is designed as an umbrella body of wives of African Heads of State/Presidents and Government to play a supportive role to the African Union, regional organisations, andnationalgovernmentsinfosteringpeaceandreduceconflictsandtheireffectsontheAfricancontinent.

InthisinterviewwithOlaoluwakitan Babatunde, SpecialAssistanttothePresidentonAFLPMandformer First Lady of Nasarawa State, Dr. Mairo Al-Makura, who is now one in office, dissects the Missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey so far and outlines efforts to rave up the organisation to better deliver on its mandate. Excerpts:

Y

Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women last March. Sadly COVID-19 struck. The theme was actually â&#x20AC;&#x153;Young Women as Ambassadors of Peaceâ&#x20AC;?, and the First Lady of Gambia, Mrs. Fatouma Barrow; the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Anita Bhatia; AU Special Envoy on Youth, Mme Aya Chebbi; and Nigeria Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen were all supposed to feature at the event.

In fact, from United States to Canada and Europe, we are getting cooperation by development agencies and getting better connected to the global grid of hose who make peace and development happen.

ou are now a year in ofďŹ ce as the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on African First Ladies Peace Mission where the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari is the Acting President. How has it being, helping the First Lady run the affairs of the Mission?

It has been a tasking, but great experience. It is a kind of thing I am cut out for. Any endeavour that will promote peace and advance the welfare of women and children is my natural call. I must thank President Muhammadu Buhari for seeing the prospects the organisation holds for peace in Africa and also the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, for deeming me fit to assist in driving the Mission. As you rightly mentioned, the First Lady is the Acting President of the Mission and I am greatly motivated by her passion for peace and success of the AFLPM. The AFLPM has been in existence since the past 23 years, yet not many appear to know much about the organisation and its mission. At most, it is since as the pet project of successive Nigerian First Ladies?

(Laughs) No, while the passion of our First Ladies towards the African First Ladies Peace Mission, AFLPM is not in doubt, while AFLPM is headquartered in Abuja,; and whereas Mrs. Maryam Abacha, was the pioneer President of the AFLPM, it is a truly pan-African organisation that has equally been headed by the First Ladies of various other African countries. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about the likes of Excellencies Madame Constancia Mangue De-Obiang of Equitorial Guinea, Madame Antoinette Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville, and Mrs. Chantal Campaore. And they have made their great contributions.

Meanwhile, as you rightly pointed out, the AFLPM is 23 years old as it was inaugurated in 1997. It was inspired by the 4th World Conference on Women, better known as the 1995 Beijing Conference. Recall that one of the affirmations was the equal rights and inherent human dignity of women and men as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Beijing declaration equally recognises that local, national, regional and global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with women as fundamental force for leadership, conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace.

Now, if you also recall clearly, Africa has suffered an unfair share of the global conflicts and instability. In particular, we had full-blown wars and all manner of conflicts in Africa around 1995. While some African countries were enmeshed in armed conflicts, some were just emerging from it, while several others were sliding into conflicts. Talk about the Burundi civil war, Rwanda civil war, Sierra Leone civil war, Liberia civil war, conflicts in Somali, Sudan, the EritreaEthiopian border conflicts, the Republic of Congo, the Congo DR, and you name them. So, the African First Ladies thought it wise to come up with an international NGO, a rallying organisation to begin to mobilise both government and non-governmental resources to promote the culture of peace, to prevent conflicts, and to reduce violence and mitigate their effects on Africans, particularly the women and children.

You know, when two elephants fight, it is the grass, in this case, the women, girls, and children that bear the brunt. It is the women and children that suffer the hunger and starvation during conflicts. It is the women that are abducted, abused, raped and killed. It is our husbands and sons that are killed, leaving us empty-handed like the hen, which has been rendered childless by the kites and hawks. So, whichever you look at it, we are at the receiving end. So, our First Ladies knew they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit by and watch these things continue.

The AFLPM equally believes that one of the best ways of preventing conflicts is by promoting democratic principles, cultures, and institutions as well as popular participation and good governance. For instance, if elections are free and fair, if governments across Africa respect the rule of law, if they respect the separation of powers and checks and balances, if they respect human rights, and if there is less political persecution, conflicts and instability on the continent will drop drastically.

Mairo Al-Makura

Another major objective of the AFLPM is to work hand-inhand with appropriate international partners in promoting peace and the eradication of preventable diseases and promotion of good health in Africa.

So, these and more were the ideals that birthed the AFLPM. The African First Ladies felt they have something to contribute to advance the cause of peace and stability and by extension, development in Africa.

So, would you say that the AFLPM has truly delivered on its objectives and mandate considering that?

Indeed the AFLPM has made a lot of contributions in fostering peace on the continent, in advocacy in matters concerning the rights and protection of women, children, and the girl child from violence. The AFLPM has equally rendered support to women and children.

However, I must concede that the Mission could have made more progress but for palpable challenges, fundamental of which is resources as well as other factors such as lack of a place of our own. At 23, AFLPM is still a tenant in Abuja.

These challenges have . The good news, however, is that the Acting President of AFLPM, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is currently doing a whole lot of reorganisation and repositioning to take the AFLPM a notch higher.

On her instruction, I undertook in-depth appraisal of the place to know the challenges and how best to fix them. And I am happy that we are making great progress in terms of coordination and day-to-day running of the organisation.

AFLPM is not a pet project of the incumbent Acting President or any future President of the organisation. So, we are repositioning it to run more properly as an independent and international NGO. How much of international support do you get at the moment?

We are quite aware that AFLPM canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t achieve much without international support. Since I was appointed, we have, on the directive of Her Excellency the First Lady as the Acting President of the organisation, been building the necessary international partnerships and goodwill. We are determined to make AFLPM a respected global voice and institution the world cannot ignore.

In conjunction with the Government of Nigeria, we were supposed to host a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roundtable on Women, Peace, and Security in Africaâ&#x20AC;? in New York on the margins of the 64th

In your statement on the occasion of the 2020 International Day of Rural Women, you bemoaned the effects of insurgency on women. Why? (Cuts in) Yes, because as I said earlier, women and children bear the brunt of insurgency. Look at the Boko Haram insurgency and their splinter groups in the Lake Chad Region alone. That is talking about Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun, and Niger Republic. According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the insurgency affects more than 17 million people in the Lake Chad Region and more than 2.2 million have been displaced; most of them are women and children. In fact, children alone constitute half of the displaced. The women and children are in the eye of the storm and more than 10.8 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

As we stated on that occasion, whenever insurgents strike, women and girls suffer abduction, rape, violation, and fatality. So, you can see where we are coming from and why we want a strong global alliance to help Africa to flush insurgents from the face of the continent.

Besides, in a globalised world, no one is really safe until every part of the world, Africa inclusive, is sufficiently safe.

Talking about violence against women, statistics showed that cases of rape rose during the COVID-19 lockdown?

That is quite regrettable. But the thing is that we are not resting on our oars in the fight against violence against women, be it rape, domestic violence, and by whatever name it is called. By the way, the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women 1993, defines violence against women as â&#x20AC;&#x153;any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.

To mark this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we are holding a live virtual event as we join the UN Secretary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign, UNiTE to End Violence against Women by 2030. Apart from the First Lady of Nigeria, who will be delivering the keynote address, the First Ladies of Sierra Leone, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, and South Sudan as well as representatives of international organisations from the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS will be speaking a the event too.

Apart from raising awareness on violence perpetuated done to women and girls, there will equally be trauma and counseling session for the victims and those who survived such violence. We are also making arrangement to support them with relief packages.

You talked about lack of permanent ofďŹ ce earlier. How come AFLPM does not have an ofďŹ ce it can call its own after 23 years?

It is a long story and this has greatly hampered our programmes. Mind you that we are not talking about just office spaces. If it were so, we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be bothering ourselves.

However, because AFLPM is not a jamboree. It is utilitarian in concept and that is why we equally need a permanent office that is also utilitarian in nature.

The Acting President of AFLPM, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has made it one of her cardinal agenda to ensure we build one soonest. We will be reaching out to all African nations as well as captains of industry and public-spirited individuals across the continent, who believe the cause of peace and women for their support. We believe it is doable and we will do it in our time.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹Ϳ, 2020

51

NEWS

Katsina Renovates Police Station Torched by Rioters with N34.5m Francis Sardauna in Katsina

COVID-19 HEROES...

L-R: Country Head, Sales, Credit Direct Limited (CDL), Mr. Abiodun Adigun; and Medical Personnel of the COVID-19 Isolation Centre, Lagos State, Mrs. Monisola Babington; Mrs. Taiwo Olaitan; Dr. Raphael Akangbe; Ms. Olowe Mercy; Ms. Friday Gloria Mubo; and Technical Assistant to the MD/CEO CDL, Mr. Gbadebo Adeleke; and Divisional Head, CDL, Ms. Oluseyi Tolu-Boluwatise, during the recent CDL’s Medical Team Appreciation Day for their battle against the COVID-19

Former NIA DG’s Reinstatement: Presidency Files Notice of Appeal The Presidency yesterday said its lawyers had appealed the reinstatement of former Acting Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Dauda, by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Dauda was dismissed on March 6, 2018 over corruption allegations.

The former NIA boss dragged the federal government to court to demand his reinstatement, a prayer granted by the National Industrial Court on Thursday, with N1million compensation against the defendant.

But a Presidency official yesterday said: “Government’s lawyers have filed a notice of appeal and stay of execution of the judgment, adding that “the issue surrounding this case is a national security matter, and will not be taken lightly.”

In an originating summons filed through his counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) and marked NICN/ ABJ/136/2018, Dauda had asked the court to determine whether the procedure adopted by the defendants in the case leading to his purported dismissal was in compliance with Article 8 (1) and (2) of

the National Securities Agency Act (CAPS 278) 1986.

He also asked the court to determine whether the purported letter dismissing him issued on March 6, 2018 was not unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

The former acting NIA boss equally asked the court to reinstate him as director; and order for the payment of his salaries and other entitlements from the date of his unlawful dismissal to the date of his reinstatement.

Delivering judgment, Justice Olufunke Anuwe granted all the reliefs sought by the claimant.

The judge declared Duada’s dismissal illegal, null and void, and ordered for his immediate reinstatement.

The judge also ordered for the full payment of his salaries and entitlements from the date of his dismissal to his date of reinstatement.

Justice Olufunke, however, ruled that the claimant did not challenge his dismissal as the acting DG of NIA but only asked for his reinstatement.

The Presidency source hinted that it had filed a stay of execution, warning that the matter bordered on national security and would not be taken lightly.

FGVows to Reform Nigerian Police to Meet Global Practices Francis Sardauna in Katsina Apparently miffed by the unprofessional conducts of some policemen in the country, the federal government said it would redesign operational guidelines and monitoring mechanism of Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to meet global best practices.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, revealed this at the weekend during stakeholders engagement meeting on internal security and conflict resolutions in Katsina, Katsina State.

Dingyadi, at the meeting aimed at preferring remedies to the lingering threats of banditry in Katsina, said the reformation of the force will enhance bet-

ter service delivery devoid of unprofessional behaviour and violation of human rights.

He explained that the federal government was working with critical stakeholders in the country to reformulate policies and programmes for effective policing and maintenance of law and order for harmonious coexistence amongst citizenry.

The minister reiterated that the recent disbandment of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was to avert conducts that were not in line with the principles of democratic governance and deepening relationship between the police and the civil populace.

He said: “This stakeholders engagement is coming at a time when police in this country is

being faced with challenging of unprofessional conducts that are not in tune with the principles of democratic governance.

“We will work with stakeholders, especially civil society groups in redesigning our operational guidelines and monitoring mechanism of police to avoid the reoccurring of highly unbecoming conducts of the SARS personnel that led to the disbandment of the unit.

“I urged all Nigerians to see the recent disbandment of SARS as government’s commitment to deepening relationship between the police and citizens for better service delivery devoid of unprofessional behaviour and

violation of human rights.

“Therefore, I want to assure Nigerians of our commitment to reform our policing framework to meet global best practices and arrangements are on to deal with erring policemen involved in violation of human rights.”

In his opening remarks, the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said the state government will continue to accord security the needed priority to end the perennial security challenges afflicting the state.

Masari added that his administration had embarked on revolving security strategies, he said has greatly stemmed banditry and kidnapping in the state.

Panic as Suspected Robbers Kill Third Policeman in Warri Sylvester Idowu in Warri There was panic in most parts of Warri and environs yesterday as another mobile policeman was shot dead by suspected armed robbers in the oil rich town and his AK 47 rifle allegedly taken away.

The policeman, who hails from Ondo State, was killed on Thursday night at a fuel station by Etuwewe/Deco road junction in Warrior South Local Government area of Delta State, where he was deployed

on guard duties by the Police Mobile Force.

THISDAY recalls that the deceased policeman, identified simply as Inspector Gbadura was the third that was killed within a week since the commencement of the #EndSARS protest in the town.

An eyewitness disclosed yesterday that the hoodlums stormed the fuel station and engaged the deceased policeman in a discussion.

“Having got his attention by two of the hoodlums,

the remaining two in a car drove near them and shot the policeman. Those that were discussing with him took his rifle and jumped into the car and sped off”, the source said.

The body of the slain policeman was said to have been deposited at the Central Hospital mortuary by policemen from ‘B’ Division, Warri.

A senior police officer lamented to newsmen that the security in Warri area had become porous since the disbandment of the SARS

outfit.

“The area has become porous since this protest started. Those guys helping us patrol the cities are the ones you people are saying should go. I really don’t know how we are going to cope. It’s so unfortunate “, the officer lamented.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Onome Onovwakpoyeya, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) confirmed the killing of the policeman.

The Katsina State Government has renovated Kusada Local Government Police Station and official quarters of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) set ablaze by rioters at the cost of N34.5 million to enhance security of lives and property of the citizenry in the area.

The police station and the quarters of the DPO, including that of his deputy were completely razed down on March 27, 2020 by angry youths who were protesting over the arrest of their religious Leader, Mallam Hassan by police.

The Islamic leader was said to have been nabbed by police for leading Friday prayer in the town in spite of the hitherto state government’s directive banning large gatherings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Protesters during the clash, killed one person, burnt seven vehicles and 10 motorcycles in custody of police and injured many others who were within the police station premises.

Speaking shortly after inspecting the facilities, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Umar Ya’u, said the police station was renovated

to pave the way for improved security and maintenance of law and order in the local government.

He said the renovation of the police station and official quarters of the DPO and his deputy, including the fencing of the three facilities gulped N34.5 million.

He reaffirmed that the state government had inaugurated a committee to ascertain the number of vehicles, motorcycles and other property damaged during the rampage for compensation.

The commissioner said the government of Aminu Bello Masari had accorded priority to security of lives and property of its citizens and will continue to support security agencies for effective and efficient service delivery.

Consequently, he admonished residents of the state, particularly rural dwellers to shun acts capable of truncating government and security personnel’s quest of restoring peace and normalcy in communities facing banditry and other heinous activities.

Meanwhile, the commissioner during the inspection tour, also inspected the ongoing construction of the Palace of the district head of Charanchi, Katsina-Bugaje Bridge and the rehabilitated Modoji Primary School.

Abandoned Taxiway at MMI Airport for Completion 2021 Bennett Oghifo Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has said the reconstruction of a Taxiway, known technically as Taxiway B, at the at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos that was abandoned for 11 years would be completed in February next year.

The minister stated this in his twitter handle after a visit to the construction site, stating “Work has commenced at Lagos taxiway B (known Central Taxiway b), abandoned for 11 years. It is a safety & efficiency matter, set to deliver it Feb ’21.”

The Taxiway B would, on completion, “boost operational

optimisation of the existing runway at the international wing of the airport,” said the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Rabiu Yadudu, who accompanied the minister on the inspection.

Yadudu lauded the minister’s effort, stating that the construction of Taxi B was “a critical safety item that has been missing at the Lagos airport.

“It means that the airport can handle more planes now and the runway can serve as a safety item because aircraft can be separated on the ground and have more room for maneuvering in and out.”

Osinbajo : We’re Committed to Driving Industrialisation in Dairy Sector Vanessa Obioha At the virtual launch of the Centre for Nigerian Dutch Dairy Development (CNDDD), the new expertise centre for dairy development by FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, reiterated the commitment of the federal government in driving industrialisation and backward integration across many sectors, dairy inclusive.

Represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, the VP lauded the initiative and the commitment of the Netherlands in developing the dairy sector in Nigeria and support for Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda while underscoring the administration role in the sector.

“The timing of this event is auspicious for our nation as Nigeria is aggressively focusing on driving industrialisation and

backward integration plans across various sectors, including the dairy segment. This will among other things, enable us to create employment for our large and great population, diversify the economy from a relatively narrow place, build industrial capacity and trade competitiveness, and improve the management of our foreign exchange reserves to alleviate the economic vulnerability to changes in crude oil prices,” he said.

He added that the sector was among the major sectors highlighted in the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) to accelerate the industrial capacity of the country and increase manufacturing contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He further stated that the federal government was taking significant steps to address the challenges hindering the growth of the sector.

52

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾OCTOBER 17, 2020

NEWSXTRA

Buhari Mourns as Awolowo’s Eldest Daughter, Tola Oyediran Passes on at 79 Tinubu, Dapo Abiodun, Afenifere, YCE, pay tributes Deju Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale inAbuja, Kemi Olaitan inIbadan President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, led prominent Nigerians to console the family of the late Premier of the Western Region and nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo over the passing of Mrs. Tola Oyediran, eldest daughter of the sage.

Mrs. Oyediran, who was billed to celebrate her 80th birthday on December 1, was said to have passed yesterday.

She was the Chairman, Board of Directors, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, the publishers of Tribune titles, and was married to the former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Olukayode Oyediran.

The Senior Special Assistant to the

President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, in a statement said the President urged the family to take solace in the investments of the deceased in making life better for others.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, in his tribute, contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, described the late Tola Oyediran as not only “an embodiment of humility and virtue, but also demonstrably exhibited independent-mindedness, foresight and managerial acumen in all tasks thrust upon her.”

Abiodun added: “She was also a great Nigerian in her right and stood as a rock of Gibraltar behind her very successful medical doctor husband and former Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof A.B.O.

Oyediran. Her successes as a homemaker cannot but be an irreparable loss to her immediate and extended family members and and indeed a very painful exit for them.

“Mrs Oyediran was a central figure during her father’s travails as a political figure and after the demise of Papa and Mama Awolowo. Her role in keeping the legacies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Chairman of the African Newspaper of Nigeria, publishers of the Nigerian Tribune titles and family businesses are a testament to business acumen and genuine love for her iconic parents.”

While thanking God that Mrs Oyediran devoted her days on earth to serving God and humanity as a business leader and pastor, Abiodun prayed for the repose of her soul and asked the Almighty to grant the

deceased family and associates the fortitude to bear the loss.

In their reaction to the news of her demise, the Pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, in a statement titled: “Farewell Mrs Tola Oyediran”, issued by its spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, said it was devastated by the news of her demise.

According to Afenifere, Mrs Oyediran, who would have been 80 on December 1, passed on suddenly without illness.

“Mrs Oyediran was a lovely person who radiated warmth and love to all in her lifetime. Her death is a big blow we have to accept as we cannot change the will of God. We can only pray for God to take good care of the family she left behind. Eternal repose we pray for her soul,” the group said.

In the same vein, the Secretary General, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr. Kunle Olajide, described her death as a great loss to the Yoruba nation.

Olajide, while consoling the entire Awolowo family, her husband, children and grandchildren, said she was a patriotic Nigerian who contributed immensely to the development of the Yoruba race.

According to him, “The death of the eldest daughter of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is a tragic loss to the Yoruba nation. She was a very patriotic Nigerian, accommodating woman, dedicated housewife and good daughter of Yoruba nation.”

In his tribute, the All Progressives Congress’ National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu extolled the virtues of the departed soul, expressing his sadness by the news of the passing away of Chief Awolowo’s daughter.

His statement, signed by his spokesperson, Mr. Tunde Rahman reads: “I’m deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Mrs. Tola Oyediran, the first daughter of our late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“Mrs. Oyediran’s humble, amiable

and graceful disposition endeared her to many of us. She represented the Awolowo family positively through her excellent moral conduct and shared her father’s welfarist political philosophy.

“As Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tribune Newspapers until her death, she helped take the Tribute titles to a new height through her emphasis on professionalism and integrity in all their editorial offerings.

“She died close to her 80th birthday.

We thank God for her life and important contributions to Nigeria.

I commiserate with all those she left behind, particularly her children, grandchildren including my Special Assistant, Damilotun Aderemi, and the entire Awolowo and Oyediran families. May God Almighty comfort them over this loss.”

Asiwaju Tinubu also extended his condolences to the management and staff of Tribune newspapers, the governors of Ogun and Oyo states, Prince Dapo Abiodun and Mr. Seyi Makinde, respectively, as well as the government and people of the two states over the demise of their illustrious daughter.

Makinde: My Mother was an Epitome of Love, Humility

GOOD HOST...

L-R: Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe and Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang, during a courtesy call on the revered traditional ruler in Jos, Plateau State... recently

Ponzi Scheme: EFCC Docks Umanah Culture Stakeholders Commend over Alleged N2.9m Scam Buhari on COVID-19 Palliatives Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Okon Bassey in Uyo The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned an alleged notorious ponzi scheme operator, Umanah E. Umanah before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He was docked on a two-count charge, bordering on forgery, issuance of dud cheque and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N2.9 million.

One of the charges read: “That you Umanah Ekaette Umanah on or about the 31st day of July, 2017 at Uyo, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did make a forged document to wit: United Bank of Africa (UBA) cheque with

cheque number: 73131308 of No Burn Global Stakeholders Multipurpose by appending your signature on the said cheque leaflet when not being a signatory to the account of No Burn Global Stakeholders Multipurpose, domiciled with UBA, knowing same to be false and with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition ( Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under Section 1 (2) of the same Act.” He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges upon which prosecution counsel, Adebayo Soares, asked the court for a commencement date of trial and for him to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, (NCS).

Charles Ajunwa Culture industry technocrats and players have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for responding to the challenges facing the sector through the committee on creative industry.

The stakeholders who made the commendation during a meeting in Jos, Plateau State, noted that the creative committee on the palliatives for the sector came at right time, adding that it restored hope and brought a huge relief to an industry brought to its knees by COVID-19 pandemic.

The Creative Committee on COVID-19 Palliatives headed by the Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, also commended the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,

for being a listening leader and carrying stakeholders along in all policy decisions.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Professor Ojo Bakare, who spoke on behalf of delegates at the technical meeting on NAFEST 2020 slated for November 21 to 28 in Jos, Plateau State capital, noted that Otunba Runsewe-led committee on palliatives would bring a rapid turnaround to sectoral players whose businesses were battered by the pandemic, praying federal government to institute an Arts and Culture Endowment Fund.

“We want to appeal to the President Buhari and the minister through Otunba Segun Runsewe to approve this initiative. It will help the industry find financial solution and succour which will help us each time we run into problems such as we experienced under COVID-19.

Police Restrict Movement in Bauchi LG Polls Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Ahead of today’s local government elections in Bauchi State, the state police command has assured that it had put adequate measures in place to ensure a smooth and peaceful elections.

The Bauchi State Commissioner

of Police, Lawan Tanko Jimeta, who gave the assurance yesterday while addressing a press briefing on the elections at the command headquarters in Bauchi, announced that there would be total restriction of movements, including vehicular movement, across the state as from 12 midnight on Friday till 2pm

on Saturday.

The restriction of movement, the police boss said, would, however, not affect those on essential duties, adding that such persons must carry their valid identification cards with them.

“We have put in place adequate security measures for all parties

and electorate towards peaceful elections across the 20 local government areas in Bauchi State,” he assured.

CP Jimeta called on the electorate to come out en mass and cast their votes on Saturday without fear of being intimidated by any persons or group of persons.

Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, yesterday described his late mother, Mrs. Abigail Omojolagbe Makinde, as an epitome of love and humility, despite being a disciplinarian.

The governor stated this while receiving the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, on a condolence visit to his house at Ikolaba GRA, Ibadan, yesterday.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor expressed gratitude to the PDP NWC, noting that the fact that the leadership of the party made it to Ibadan barely 24 hours after Mama’s demise showed the love they had for him.

The statement noted that apart from the PDP NWC entourage, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta States, Alhaji Daud Akinola, Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abdul-

Ganiyy Abubakri Agbotomokekere, the Grand Mufti of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abdul Fatai Alaga, and other Muslim leaders also paid condolence visits to the governor.

Similarly, the Oyo State Judiciary led by the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Muntar Abimbola, and the General Officer Commanding, 2 Div, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General Anthony Omozoje, were also at the Makinde residence to condole with the governor.

Speaking while receiving the PDP entourage, which included the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd); Deputy National Secretary; National Financial Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi MaiBasira; National Woman Leader, Hajia Mariya Waziri; National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, as well a leader of the PDP from Osun State, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, Governor Makinde said the family remains grateful to God for the life Mama lived.

Address Border Definition, Delineation

Crisis, Gombe Gov Counsels Segun AwofadejiinGombe Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has tasked boundary managers to provide a permanent framework for managing border issues which often degenerates into intra and inter state conflicts.

The governor gave the charge yesterday while declaring open a two-day interactive session of the National Boundary Commission and boundary committees of states in the North-east sub-region.

Governor Yahaya who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, said boundary matters played a key role in the economy and security of North-east sub-region and the nation as a whole.

He said disputes over farmlands and limits to territories often lead to loss of lives and destruction of property if not properly managed, saying when such occur, the source of livelihood of the people in the North -east and by extension the country is affected

thereby contributing to poverty, food insecurity and a rise in violent crimes.

The governor commended the National Boundary Commission for organising the interactive session, expressing confidence that the forum will come up with strategies on ways to encourage the promotion of trans-border cooperation among states in the region.

He assured the Director General of the National Boundary Commission that he will continue to encourage his colleagues to support the work of the commission especially as they articulate recommendations to support the quick definition of boundaries in the zone.

The Director General of the National Boundary Commission, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, said this was the first time managers of boundary affairs at the federal and state levels are interfacing to strategise on ways to fasttrack the issues of the definition of the interstate boundaries of the North-east states of the country.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͯ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ

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NEWSXTRA

EndSARS: I think People Have Woken Up, Says Volunteer Protester, Abudu Bennett Oghifo

There is an interesting twist to the #EndSARS protests raging across most towns and cities in the country, as it dovetails into demand for transparency and accountability from the government.

One of the young people at the fore of efforts to raise funds to sustain the protests, Feyikemi Abudu, expressed this thougth in an interview on Arise Television yesterday.

“What has happened is that we have fired up a group of people who before now didn’t understand the power that they have,” said Abudu, who, along with the group, the Feminist Coalition, has raised over N62 million (about $165,000) to provide food, medical aid, legal aid, and other necessary support for protesters.

“I think it’s going to fundamentally change the way we relate to some of the injustices that are happening in the coun-

try,” said Abudu, who is obviously impressed by the effect of the protests so far, hoping the movement continues long after the street protests have ebbed.

Abudu said, “We realise that we have a voice and people have to answer us. We can hold the government accountable. I think people have woken up.”

This awakening, Abudu said was seen in the ease of raising funds and providing

support to groups of protesters, adding that an interesting aspect to the movement was that it lacked an identifiable leader, as there was none.

Abudu said, “Everyone was just mobilising themselves and all we ended up doing was saying where you can donate to.”

“We were a group of volunteers...people were requesting what they need and we just send the funding or help them get an ambulance or security.”

Abudu, who has been protesting on the streets of Lagos, said it was a good development that the federal government conceded to some of the demands of the protesters, but that its proposed panel of investigation was unnecessary.

“There are other immediate actions you can take without needing a panel or judicial committee,” Abudu said. “I think it’s a good step for more long-term investigation of what’s happening but

what everyone is looking for is simple- there’s accountability to be had for the damage that has been done so far and those actions can be taken even outside of these judicial panels.

“So that’s one step that they’ve taken but there’s a few more things that they have to do.” On the clear absence of a leader, Abudu said, “There doesn’t need to be a leader because the demands are there and the government can take actions on their own.

Cleric Knocks Buhari for Lingering Crises in Education Sector Amby Uneze ÓØ áÏÜÜÓ

SARS RAGE...

A huge crowd of protesters marching to Awkuzu SARS headquarters from Awka, Anambra State to protest police brutality...yesterday

A revered religious leader, His Eminence, Most Reverend Daddy Hezekiah of the Living Christ Mission (LCM) has expressed dissatisfaction over the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for not showing enough commitment towards the promotion of quality education in the country.

He described Nigeria as a failed nation for not being able to correct the ills which had bedeviled the country since independence in 1960, stating that a man of 60 years that still behaves like a child is not normal.

Daddy Hezekiah charged President Buhari to wake up and show interest to resolve the lingering strike in the nations'

university system involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as well as improving security in the country.

The Cleric also flawed the South-east governors for the decay in infrastructural development and transformation of the region due to their administration's alleged non commitment towards provision of the needed democratic dividends to the people of the geopolitical zone unlike their counterparts in other geopolitical regions.

Daddy Hezekiah called gave the outburst at administrative Cathedral of the church in Onitsha, Anambra State while interacting with journalists as part of the activities marking his birthday, 53rd anniversary of being a sherpherd in God's

vineyard, quarterly conference with his pastors, the church annual convention and the award of International Mayor of Peace

by International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) led by the president of the world body, His Excellency Per Stafsen from Denmark.

According to him, "there is no meaningful development in the entire states of the South-east compared with the kind of revenue and resources being generated from the area unlike in the South-south, North and Southwest regions. The Governors of South-east are mismanaging the resources without commensurate patriotic inputs to the states and the populace. They must be held responsible for under development of the entire region".

Chi Farms and Crown Flour – were therefore allowed to shore up the demand for maize in the poultry industry through importation.

Confirming the arrival of the 262,000 metric tons of maize, PAN President, Mr. Ezekiel Ibrahim, said that the CBN’s was to bridge the supply gap and that the group considered it the right action in the circumstance.

He explained: “As a necessary evil, the CBN approved import licenses to some members of our association so that the industry would not be allowed to close down. The gesture

has greatly helped the poultry industry to continue with production before the harvest season, which will be around November 2020. Import waivers are normally granted as the last resort and out of necessity. It is not the issue of choice but the opportunity cost.”

The Ogun State Chairperson of PAN, Mrs. Blessing Alawode, said that the quality of maize imported was not even enough to meet the requirement of the poultry industry for one month.

She further said: “The 262,000 metric tons of maize is to help us survive for a while.

Pharmacists Allege Health Ministry Uses Quacks for Family Planning Project Poultry Farmers Commend CBN on Maize Importation

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has raised the alarm over a plan by the Federal Ministry of Health to involve untrained hands in the sale and dispensing of high grade medicines like steroidal in the country.

National Chairman of ACPN, Sam Adekola, said the ACPN was surprised that the Health Ministry in collaboration with some international NonGovernment Organisations had concluded plans to employ the services of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors Licence (PPMVL) holders to implement fresh dimensions of Family Planning services in the country including “sales and dispensing of both oral and injectable contraceptives” on the belief that that the Patent

Medicine Vendors had enough numbers to service the rural communities in Nigeria, describing it as an absurdity.

He said “any plot or scheme to involve untrained hands in the sale and dispensing of high grade medicines like steroidal preparations under the hypocrisy of accessibility to health or some other availability expediencies to provide unprofessionally inclined services to consumers of health will only make them more vulnerable to morbidity and mortality.”

According to Adekola, after a critical study of the development, the body of Community Pharmacists in the country advise the Federal Ministry of Health and the international NGOs on the

need to engage the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) which registers PPMVL holders in the country since it was a parastatal under the Ministry. “Such rules of engagement will confirm that the number of registered PPMVL holders in Nigeria will be less than 50,000; a proof that available registered PPMVL will not be enough in the execution of this “unholy implementation plan.”

He blamed the over two million unregistered PPMLs in the country on the government's poor response to the issue.

“Typical unresponsiveness of Government is what allows the existence of about two million unregistered PPMVLs which are common-place all over Nigeria.

Tolulope Ibukunoluwa The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has reiterated its support for the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which recently granted import waivers to some companies to import 262,000 metric tons of maize, explaining that the action was to prevent an imminent food crisis.

Following the devastating impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, poultry farmers in the country had agonised over the gross shortfall of maize and other feeds. Four companies – Premier Feeds Mills Wacot,

Imo PDP Hails INEC over Ignore PDP's Criticism of Onochie's Chukwu, Odegbami, Okocha, Transmission of Election Result Appointment, APC Tells Senate Ajunwa Make 60 Sports Icons List Amby Uneze ÓØ áÏÜÜÓ

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State council has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to use technology which allows for direct transmission of election results from the polling units to its servers.

Expressing his satisfaction on the INEC decision yesterday, state chairman of the party, Chief Charles Ugwu noted that the recent gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states confirmed that the commission had expressed capacity to conduct credible, free and fair elections in

Nigeria. According to Ugwu, the direct transmission of data electronically from the polling units to the central servers of INEC enhances the credibility of results and reduces the chances of ballot snatching, results tampering and other electoral malpractices.

He added, "we welcome the new spirit in INEC and urge the Commission to sustain the strategies and innovations in the Imo North senatorial by-election on October 31, 2020.

Ugwu, however, urged INEC to maintain and sustain the positive improvements and innovations in ensuring that elections meet international standards.

Adedayo Akinwale ÓØ ÌßÔË The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Senate to ignore the selective criticism by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some interest groups over the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a National Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement yesterday said the PDP needed to be reminded that one of its card-carrying

members, Dr. Johnson Alalibo was the current Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

He added that Alalibo who was also a former Deputy Whip in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly had been an electoral asset to the PDP, "but that is an issue to be addressed another day."

Nabena stated: "We urge the patriotic 9th Senate to stick with the facts and issues by ignoring the PDP's grandstanding, cheap blackmail, baseless and subjective allegations of partisanship it is sponsoring against Ms Onochie.

Members of the Super Eagles teams of 1980, 1994, Atlanta 1996 as well as track and field and boxing dominated the list of the 60 Sports Icons that was unveiled to celebrate the Nigeria’s diamond independence anniversary.

The event which took place at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja yesterday will have the pictures of the 60 Sports Icons on display for60days.Accordingtothevotes cast to pick the outstanding stars through various platforms, Super Eagles players like Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Garba Lawal, Emmanuel Amuneke of

the famed 1994 and Atlanta 1996 Dream Team were selected by a wide spectrum of Nigerians.

Also in the 60 Sports Icons list are the 1980 Green Eagles that won Nigeria’s maiden Nations Cup on home soil with Team captain Christian Chukwu and Segun Odegbami listed individually. Emmanuel Okala and Mudashiru Lawal were also picked as symbol of the 1980 Green Eagles.

The Golden Eagles of 1985 that paraded the likes of Captain Nduka Ugbade, Victor Igbinoba and coached by Sebastian Brodricks – Imasuen were also recognised.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͯ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ

NEWSXTRA

NNPC: No Truth in NANS Bribery, Ondo Poll Funding Allegations Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÌßÔË TheNigerianNationalPetroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday refuted allegations that it bribed some students to shun any move to protest against the deregulation policy of government as well as accusations that it funded the alleged buying of votes in Ondo State.

The Corporation stated that the allegation that it paid the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and provided funds for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to buy votes in the just concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election, was far-fetched. Aside reports in two online media, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, had also told journalists in Abuja that an unnamed management official of the NNPC, through another unnamed North-west APC governor diverted huge amounts of money in dollars to fund the vote-buying.

“Perhaps, Governor Mala Buni is not aware that information available in the public space and to the PDP showed that a very top-level management official of the NNPC, through a North-west governor elected on the platform of the APC, diverted huge amounts of money, in dollars, from our nation oil resources to fund vote-buying in the Ondo election. “Instead of begging the PDP for a congratulatory message, Governor Buni should rather speak to this disturbing

stealing of oil money to fund his party’s vote-buying at the expense of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the increase in the pump price of fuel and corruption in the oil sector under the APC, ”the party had said.

But in a press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the corporation described the reports as mischievous and contrived allegations.

It stated that they were without any substance in truth, ostensibly designed to serve the selfish ends of their sponsors to bring NNPC to disrepute and tarnish the corporation’s image.

On the “alleged bribe or COVID-19 palliative” to NANS published by an online medium, the NNPC said it received a letter dated April 22, 2020, from NANS signed by one Comrade Danielson Akpan, requesting for financial support to enable the association provide palliatives to students.

The corporation stated that the letter said the palliatives were for students who were stranded at various schools during the lockdown, a request it said the corporation could not honour due to the peculiar circumstances and financial constraints thrown up by the global oil market meltdown.

Concerning the allegation of providing funds to support a political party, the APC, in buying votes during the Ondo State gubernatorial election published by a blog, the corporation

explained that the NNPC was owned by the federation and indeed, all Nigerians, hence, it was non-partisan and did not engage in sponsorship of political parties or causes.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as AGNES SAMAILA, now wish to be known and addressed as AGNES SAMAILA YUSUF. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MOSES JUSTINA, now wish to be known and addressed as OGUNYEMI FUNMILAYO JUSTINA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ODUNOWO OMOTOKE ADESOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as ANIFOWOSE OMOTOKE ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS BALOGUN MARIAM TITILOPE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AFUYE MARIAN TITILOPE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

This is to notify the general public that IBRAHIM SHAIBU is one and the same person as SHAIBU IBRAHIM, he henceforth wish to be known and address as IBRAHIM SHAIBU. All former documents remains valid, the general public please take note.

55

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 17, 2020

SPORTS XTRA

Troost-Ekong’s Debut for Watford Ends on a Winning Note

N

igeria international Wi l l i a m Tr o o s t Ekong was handed his full Watford debut by Head Coach Vladimir Ivi for yes-

terday’s Championship clash against Derby County at Pride Park Stadium and he inspired The Hornets to a 1-0 win.

Watford get their third 1-0 Championship win of the season thanks to a piece of pure magic from teenage forward

Joao Pedro.

Troost-Ekong started in a five-man defense, which also featured Jeremy Ngakia, Christian Kabasele, Ben Wilmot and Kiko Femenia.

The center back was rewarded with a debut after

opting to leave the Nigeria camp in Austria shortly after their 1-0 loss to Algeria in an international friendly last week, so as to begin early preparations for the trip to the Rams.

The Nigeria international, who gave an above average

performance, was however replaced in the 76th minute of the encounter.

A product of the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, TroostEkong was a non-playing substitute against Reading in the last game before the international break.

It was a baptism of fire for the Dutch-born defender as he battled with former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, who was also named in Derby County’s starting line-up.

The victory moves

Watford into the play-off places, with all the teams around them to play tomorrow.

Ivic’s side have scored three goals and conceded just once from their five games.

Though Troost-Ekong featured in the U21 Premier League during his Tottenham Hotspur days, this is his first competitive match in English football at senior level.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles striker Isaac Success is still recovering from injury and has been left out of the Hornets 18, while Nigeria U23 international Tom Dele-Bashiru is a longterm injury absentee.

Former Argentina, Man City Defender Zabaleta Retires

LR :Mary Onyali, Daniel Amokachi, Chika Chukwumerije, Olumide Oyedeji, Ernest Okonkwo’s daughter Mrs Chito Okeke, Chioma Ajunwa and Garba Lawal during the unveiling of the 60 sports icons at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja...yesterday.

Ajibade Inspires Avaldsnes Comeback at Lillestrom Scores 6th goal of the season Rasheedat Ajibade put up another fantastic display as her goal inspired Avaldsnes 3-1’s comeback victory over Lillestrom in yesterday’s Norweigan Toppserien encounter.

The Nigeria striker grabbed her sixth league goal of the season with the opener in Avaldsnes’ 1-1 draw at Lyn before a brace in a recent 5-0 Norwegian Women’s Cup triumph over Amazon Grimstad.

The Super Falcons star earned her 14th league start this season in Friday’s encounter and her strike was enough to help her side subdue the defending

champions for a ninth win of the season.

The titleholders made a bright start to the contest when Tonje Pedersen fired the hosts in front from distance off a brilliant pass from Emilie Haavi in 23rd minute to break the deadlock.

After the break, the visitors staged a fightback but only found a breakthrough when Hanna Dahl set up Ajiade to notch the equaliser with a fine strike in the 71st minute.

Nine minutes later, the visitors gained the lead thanks to an own-goal from Justine Vanhaevermaet before Holmfridur

Magnusdottir teed up Elise Thorsnes to seal the victory four minutes from time.

Ajibade played for the duration of the encounter and has now scored seven goals in 14 league matches and 10 in all competitions this season for Avaldsnes.

The result moves Avaldsnes to second on the log on goal difference despite being tied on 31 points from 14 matches with leaders Valerenga.

Following the win, they will continue their Norwegian Toppersein title pursuit against Rosenborg in their next outing on October 31.

Joshua Announces December 12 Date for World Title Defence Anthony Joshua’s crucial world title clash against Kubrat Pulev has been rescheduled as Britain’s heavyweight star returns in a spectacular ending to the boxing year at The O2 on December 12.

Joshua was due to defend his WBA ‘super’ IBF and WBO belts against IBF mandatory challenger Pulev in June, but will now receive his hotly anticipated first fight on UK soil in over two years.

The two-time world king regained his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in a

rematch victory in Saudi Arabia last December, and cannot afford another shock setback against the Bulgarian, with negotiations ongoing for an undisputed world title fight with WBC champion Tyson Fury in 2021.

“December 12 is the date and once again the heavyweight belts go up in the air and it is my sole focus to make sure that come December 13 they are in their rightful place in the UK,” said Joshua.

“The O2 is the original lion’s den, I have a lot of history with the arena,

Mourinho: Why I was not Mentioned in Wenger’s Book

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho believes there could be only one reason why longterm rival Arsene Wenger missed out on mentioning him in his new book.

“Because he never beat me,”Mourinhotoldreporters yesterday.

Wenger’s autobiography — “My Life in Red and White” — looks back over his 22 years in charge of Arsenal between 1996 and 2018.

But there was no mention of his touchline duels with Mourinho, whose Chelsea side dethroned the Frenchman’s Invincibles in 2004/2005.

The rivalry came to a head in 2014 when they physically clashed on the touchline during an English Premier League (EPL) meeting at Stamford Bridge.

It took Wenger 14

but without the fans something huge is missing. I am really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some boxing fans in, but we will have to see. I respect every opponent and I respect Pulev. I wish him well during his preparation.”

An injury forced Pulev out of a scheduled fight against Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017, but he is planning a stunning win in his second world title shot following a sole defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.

attempts to beat the Portuguese coach who once branded him a “specialist in failure”, and in the end could only muster two wins in 19 matches.

“You are not going to do a chapter about 12 or 14 matches and never win one. So, why should he speak about me in his book? A book is a thing to make you happy, make you proud. So, I perfectly understand the situation,” Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in touch line confrontation said Mourinho.

Former Manchester City, West Ham and Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta has retired after 18 “wonderful years” as a footballer.

Zabaleta, 35, joined City from Espanyol for £6.5m in 2008 and went on to become a club legend, playing 333 games and winning two Premier League titles.

He also lifted the FACup and two League Cups with the club.

After nine seasons at City, Zabaleta moved to West Ham in 2017 where he made 80 appearances before leaving in June.

Zabaleta, who won 58 caps for his country, said: “After 18 years as a professional footballer, I took the decision to retire from playing football.

“These have been wonderful years that gave me the opportunity to enjoy unique and unforgettable moments.”

He was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2012-13 season and worked as a pundit for BBC Sport during the 2018 World Cup.

Barcelona, Madrid Looking to Maintain Unbeaten Run Football fans will have the chance to see whether Barcelona and Real Madrid can maintain their unbeaten record this weekend.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have been dominating La Liga for quite some time and their early form suggests that they will continue doing so this season. Despite having played a game less than most other clubs, Real Madrid top the league with 10 points from their four matches.

Like Real, Barcelona are yet to lose a game, though they have played one less than their big rivals. They currently sit in fifth on seven points. Both Real and Barcelona will defend their unbeaten record today, with the defending champions from the capital seemingly having the easier task as they take on newly-promoted Cadiz at home, while Barcelona are away in the Madrid municipality for their match against Getafe.

Against Cadiz, Zidane will once again be without Eden Hazard, who is labouring under a muscle injury that kept him out of Belgium’s matches during the international break.

Barcelona spent over 100 million dollars to bring Miralem Pjanic, Trincão and Sergiño Dest to the club, though they received more than that through the sale of a number of players including Arthur and Nélson Semedo, who joined Juventus and Wolves respectively.

A victory in Getafe will be another step towards that goal.

Jumper who Turned Delivery Driver Ignites Olympics Dream after Donation A British long jumper has reignited his dreams of competing at the Olympics by raising thousands of pounds through a crowdfunding appeal.

Dan Bramble took a job as a delivery driver after losing his funding and seeing local training facilities in London closed by the pandemic.

But he has been able to return to full-time training after more than £12,000 was donated.

Almost £9,000 of the total came from a single donor.

The 30-year-old former British indoor champion, who narrowly missed out on qualification for the Rio Olympics in 2016, is targeting a place at the rescheduled Tokyo games next year.

Mr Bramble, originally from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said the money raised online would allow him to completely focus on his mission.

The £8,875 donation from fitness firm Gymshark arrived on Thursday - the day after he turned 30 - prompting him to call it the “best belated birthday present ever”.

It came after more than 18,000 people had liked a tweet about his switch from athletics to delivery driving.

He added: “From one silly tweet about a summer that I nearly didn’t send, I’ve reached my GoFundMe goal.

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Saturday, October 17, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Tambuwal to Buhari “I am appealing to PMB to rise above sentiments and do the needful, go by the Constitution as President of Nigeria and not the President of APC to withdraw the nomination of Onochie.”

– Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State condemning President Buhari’s nomination of Lauretta Onochie as INEC’s Federal Commissioner.

PENDULUM DELE MOMODU

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

My Humble Advice for President Muhammadu Buhari

F

ellow Nigerians, let me say emphatically that the moment we all dreaded has finally arrived. It is unfortunate that the falcon did not hear the falconer.

Nigerian leaders behaved like Nigerians were nonentities, idiots, slaves, donkeys and all what not. Week after week, I have been writing, begging and praying that President Muhammadu Buhari and his goons would not drag us to Golgotha.

I’m very sure that even now, my President is unable to see the handwriting on the wall.

I wonder what he’s being told by his kitchen cabinet and hordes of advisers. I won’t be surprised, if in their typical arrogance the President is being told that this is the handiwork of a few rabble-rousers or at the very worst, opposition elements. They even dismiss the protests as a terrorist act that must be crushed.

They will soon introduce ethnicity and religion.

Let me assure this government that those permutations will only make matters worse.

I pray the Federal Government won’t make the mistake of opting for a violent response. These protesters are too smart to allow hooligans hijack their well-thought out struggle. They are even smarter by not allowing any individual claim ownership of this fantastic intervention, which has been long overdue. The State Governors who are still deluding themselves will soon receive common sense when the youths who have been impoverished for too long spill into the streets. They made the mistake of ignoring the massive army of employed youths for too long. It is now pay back time. What I love is the decision of the organizers to take the art and science of passive resistance to a higher level. It is a game of who will blink first. And this lot are not ready to blink at all.

What started as a simple agenda of curbing police brutality has since snowballed into asking for a total overhaul of the dilapidated and oppressive Nigerian State. No reasonable Nigerian can demand for less. If Buhari decides to be reticent and refuses to restructure the lopsidedness that’s too palpable in this government, these youths are willing and ready to borrow him the ideas that will move our long-suffering nation out of the doldrums. Let me take the liberty of laying out the fantastic proposal for a new Nigerian envisioned by the protesters. I do not see them as antagonizing the different arms of government. Instead, I see it as a blueprint for reconciliation and regeneration. Buhari should thank them for doing what the National Assembly has failed to consider and execute: “ We recognize that this moment is the culmination of decades of dissatisfaction over the decay and corruption of our dear country, Nigeria.

We find the unhealthy haste to fashion a unit termed “SWAT” to be a misrepresentation of the 5for5 demand. It is not enough.

This protest is beyond #EndSARS, #EndSWAT, #EndPoliceBrutality. This movement is for the soul of Nigeria. We are demanding a systemic overhaul of governance and institutional reforms as the barest minimum.

We are better than what obtains presently; we demand progress.

We are not vain agitators. We are clear-eyed youths and professionals in our respective fields who are tired of the way and manner our dear country has been run aground by

be reduced to the barest minimum.

3) CONSTITUTION REFORMS

Buhari

successive administrations. We cannot idly stand by whilst our future and that of our children are mortgaged.

Below is the updated 7-point demand that concerned citizens are asking from the government.

1)INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS (SECURITY) That the 5-point demand to release arrested protesters, compensate families of victims, investigate and prosecute all reports of misconduct, proscribe SARS and review the welfare of police be implemented immediately.

However, we believe the systemic rot in the police is widespread across Government institutions. Therefore, we urgently demand an immediate Institutional reform across all federal government institutions, agencies and parastatals, especially focused on national security.

Focus will be on improved welfare and terms of service for the police, military and all law enforcement agencies, provide body worn cameras for operation, refurbished housing, health, academic and pre- and post-retirement life insurance policy for the rank-and-file personnel.

Also reforms on adherence to the laws guiding discipline and prosecution of erring service men this should be aimed at extinguishing all notions of impunity.

2) COST OF GOVERNANCE We have watched over the years the waste associated with governing Nigeria. We have noted the duplication and unprofessionalism in the civil service and across all strata.

We demand an urgent budgetary framework with 50% capital expenditure and 50% recurrent expenditure in all appropriation bill.

We demand a drastic reduction in the cost of governance. We also demand that the national assembly, be first by streamlined into a unicameral legislative and be further stripped down to become a part time job.

The huge salaries and benefits accorded them by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) should

There had been several constitutional reviews where youths were obviously absent. Whether by omission or commission or both, the time has come for an informed and progressive participation by the youths.

The Nigerian constitution as it exists presently does not serve all Nigerians. A more robust and engaged constitution designed and approved by all Nigerians will serve the nation.

We demand an urgent referendum within 90 days to begin the line-by-line review, reconstruction and upgrade of the extant constitution to be more functional for a 21st Century nation. The selection process for this referendum will have 50% young people under 60 nominated by their peers in a transparent, judicious and fair process.

We demand that credence be given to terms of citizenship over indigeneship and state of residence over state of origin.

health and a fund to set aside to create more professionals. · We demand proper implementation of the National Health Act of 2014, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund). · We demand that there be an Annual independent external Audit of Fund allocation and project execution: from Government approval to disbursement across the ministry, which would further be used to publish at least an abridged Financial statement available digitally to ensure transparency.

6) YOUTH AFFAIRS REFORM

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4) EDUCATION REFORMS · One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is a Nigerian child. About 13.2 million Nigerian children aged 5-14 years are not in school. The impact of this numbers will be felt for generations. · We demand that a state of emergency is declared in the education sector and demand increase in the budgetary allocation to educational sector by 50% and to double again within the next 24 months. This funds will be used to drive the education sector to provide affordable quality education to all citizens. · A certain percentage of this allocation should be devoted to granting scholarship to outstanding Nigerians without recourse to the tribe, religious or sex. · We demand a systemic overhaul in our curriculum and method of teaching to upgrade to a digital experience. · We demand that teachers should be incentivized to attract the best brains and should be standardized and professionalized. · We demand that the parent of any child not in primary school will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. · We demand that there be an Annual independent external Audit of Fund allocation and project execution: from Government approval to disbursement across the ministry, which would further be used to publish at least an abridged Financial statement available digitally to ensure transparency.

5) HEALTH REFORMS · We demand that a state of emergency is declared in the health sector and demand increase in the budgetary allocation to health sector by 50% · We demand mandatory health insurance for the vulnerable population in our society as NHIS is not doing enough to serve all Nigerians. · We demand that adequate provision be put in place to protect the rights and privileges of physically challenged citizens in Nigeria. · We demand urgent attention to mental

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We have noted the giant strides made by Gen Z and Millennials across the globe.

Many multi-billion corporations where founded by both generations. In Nigeria, it is extremely difficult for such to occur. The enabling environment viz-a-viz investors and lenders confidence, stable interest rate and manageable inflation are deficit in our dear nation.

We demand that a state of emergency be declared in the ministry of Youths and Sports, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of National Planning. We demand that this should be adequately funded, sports academy should be revamped.

We demand the creation of the Youth development funds dedicated to growing the creative industries and agriculture.

We demand that the Not-Too-Young to run bill should be expanded to include–50% inclusion of youth under 40 in every cabinet in government.

We demand that the youth inclusion be monitored by the FCC as they currently monitor state inclusion and the NCDMB and other stakeholders partake in this action to protect our future.

7) PUBLIC OFFICE REFORMS · We demand code of conduct reforms for all elected public office holders to have themselves and their children use public schools and public hospitals ONLY. Violation of which is immediate impeachment and recall. · We demand immediate removal of immunity clause from public office holders to make them answerable to investigations at all times when and where necessary. · We demand immediate resignation of every public officer found guilty of any forms of crimes and corruption. They must step aside during investigation also. · Implementation of full digitization of the judicial process, prison decongestion reforms, with reforms drawn from past projects like the Uwais Report, Keyamo’s ministerial screening address, strict time limits to determination of industries litigations, etc...”

These demands are not too difficult to work on with time frames and deadlines attached to each. Let no one deceive the respective Federal and State governments that they cannot wriggle out of this easily, like they’ve always done.

This is by far better than a bloody revolution.

Nigeria is very close to the brink but like other leaders in history, our rulers have been too blinded and deafened by power that they can’t feel the pulse of the nation...

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