Mahama's Indelible Landmarks (2012-2017) ISSN-2052-1979
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Vol.2.75
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A Publication of Ovation Media Group
Ghana Decides:
Why Ghanaians Want Mahama Back As President
BOSS OF THE WEEK
Prolific Nigerian Entrepreneur, Babatunde Adeyemi Bags University of Phoenix Honours
PENDULUM
Will Ghana Make History Again Next Week?
Dangote Refinery Named Among 20 Most Influential Projects
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Prolific Nigerian Entrepreneur, Babatunde Adeyemi Bags University of Phoenix Honours By Eric Elezuo
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e a s o n e d entrepreneur, Babatunde Adeyemi, has been cleared as one of the graduates to participate in today's virtual commencement ceremony of the University of Phoenix, United States of America, after a successful period of academic tutelage to acquire a Masters honours. A mail confirming Adeyemi's eligibility to participate in the ceremony was conveyed to the BSA Procurement and Logistics Chief Executive Officer as follows: "Congratulations graduate, on being officially confirmed to attend the December 2020 virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, December 5, 2020." Announcing the prestigious event, which is coming up via virtual medium, the University noted that the moment the would-be graduates have been working towards for years has finally arrived, adding that "it's time to celebrate your achievement surrounded by people who are so proud of everything you've accomplished." Phoenix noted that the event was made to hold vis virtual as result of the current COVID-19 situation, which is putting a pause on in-person ceremonies. "We didn't want to wait to celebrate this moment with
you, so we're going to do it virtually! You're invited to attend a more traditional, in-person ceremony as soon as it's safe to do so, but in the meantime, we hope you'll gather your friends and family to participate in this memorable moment from the safety of your home," the school informed Adeyemi and a host of other joyful about to be decorated graduates. Babatunde Adeyemi, a high flying young entrepreneur, is the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of BSA Procurement and Logistics, who doubles as the company's Country Director for the United States. We l l r e a d a n d travelled, Adeyemi has an enviable international exposure and a cumulative core experience spanning four years in Finance and Business Administration. These, he has inculcated into the business of procurement and logistics, thereby giving it an edge, which is unparalleled. A go-getter of no mean a b i l i t y, A d e y e m i i s endowed with an extensive experience, acquired at the United States Postal Service, Oklahoma, from where he moved to United Parcel Services. His input
into BSA is a result of years of experience and top notch skills in operations and people management. He is really a hand to rely on! Adeyemi's educational sojourn took him to the Westminster Kingsway College, London, where he obtained his first degree in Information Technology before moving to Fudan University, Shanghai, China for a six months Advanced Information Technology Programme. The quest to acquire more academic excellence
propelled him to the United States of America to study Finance with a minor in Real Estate. He further proceeded to Phoenix University where he studied and earned a Masters degree in Information Systems, with a concentration/bias in Cyber Security for which he is been celebrated today. Adeyemi was born in 1986, and is married to his heartthrob, Oluwaseni Adeyemi nee Amao.
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US Varsities Offer $2.1m Scholarships To 19 Nigerian Students
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ineteen Nigerian students have r e c e i v e d scholarships worth $2.17 million to attend American universities and colleges for the 2020/2021 academic session. A statement from the US Embassy in Nigeria on Friday stated that the students are high achieving, low-income students from southern Nigeria. It noted that the feat was made possible through the Opportunity Funds Program of the United States Consulate General in Lagos, with support from Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. The 19 departing students — two undergraduates and 17 graduate students —
will be studying a variety of majors including Infectious Diseases, Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Chemistry, Climate Change and C l i m a t e Va r i a b i l i t y, Geology, and Political Science. Their impressive list of acceptances includes University of Massachusetts Boston, Purdue University, Duke University, Northwestern University, among others. The scholarship covered expenses involved in the college application process such as payment for standardized tests, application fees, visa and SEVIS fees as well as air travel to the United States. The statement quoted the United States Consul General Claire Pierangelo
as urging the scholars to make the most of their opportunity to get a topnotch education while gaining first-hand experience of American life and culture. She reportedly spoke during a reception held in Lagos in honor of the U.S. bound students. She said, "The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is pleased that our two major Education USA centers in Lagos and Abuja help brilliant, deserving and high achieving students defray the cost of applying to study in the U.S. You have successfully navigated the daunting U.S. college and university admissions process and we are so excited for your future.
"During your time in the United States, please take full advantage of every opportunity you have not only to learn but to expand your horizon. You have excelled in Nigeria and I have no doubt that you will continue on that path of academic excellence in the United States. One of the 2020 Opportunity Fund Program scholars, Izunna Okpala, who received full funding for a Ph.D. program in Information Technology described the E d u c a t i o n U S A Opportunity Funds Program as a "gamechanger" in his quest to receive an international education.
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Over 90% Of Nigerians Have Access To Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Iron - Report
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he percentage of Nigerians that have access to sugar fortified with Vitamin A has risen from 31 percent to 96 percent while the population reached with wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid increased from 54 percent to 92 percent in the last three years. This is according to data presented by international non-governmental organisation TechnoServe, on Thursday. The data was presented at the 3rd Annual Nigeria Food Processing and Leadership Forum, which was chaired by business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, with Bill Gates participating via video conference. A statement at the end of the conference read in part, "Following three years of leadership engagement by the Federal Government and CEOs of the nation's largest food processing companies, significant progress has been made fortifying Nigerian staple foods with micronutrients that are essential to achieving better health and nutrition for all. "According to data presented by international non-governmental organisation TechnoServe, companies have significantly improved their compliance with food fortification standards in the span of three years. "Together, these producers
reach more than 90 per cent of the Nigerian population. From 2017 to 2020, the population reached with wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid increased from 54 percent to 92 percent; the population reached with sugar fortified with Vitamin A increased from 31 percent to 96 percent; and salt iodization levels were maintained at 95 percent." According to the report, edible oil fortified with Vitamin A also made progress, but to a lesser degree, with the population reached with fortified cooking oil increasing from 25 per cent to 32 percent. The statistics imply that an additional 125.7 million Nigerians now have access to sugar fortified with vitamin A; an additional 73.5 million have access to wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid; and an additional 13.8 million have access to cooking oil fortified with vitamin A. The Minister of Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, described the statistics as impressive especially at a time the economy had been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adebayo said, "Given the receive a sufficient amount impact of COVID-19 on in their diet. o u r e c o n o m y, I a m "The world needs to fortify particularly impressed more foods with Vitamin with the leadership we A. The leaders in this have seen from our food meeting have already companies. Our industry shown what's possible for leaders have shown that wheat flour, salt, and e v e n d u r i n g a n sugar. I hope that by the international public health next time we meet, crisis and an economic cooking oil will be added crisis, we can still deliver to the list." good nutrition for all One out of three Nigerian citizens, including our children under five are p o o r e s t , t h r o u g h stunted—their bodies and p r o d u c t i o n a n d brains deprived of the key distribution of widely nutrients they need to fully develop to reach their full consumed fortified." Dangote, who is the potential. Chairman of the Aliko O v e r t h e l o n g - t e r m , Dangote Foundation, said stunting results in a 10 to the private sector remains 17 percent loss of wages. the engine of growth for When multiplied across the Nigerian economy. the nation, it's estimated The philanthropist stated that Nigeria loses more that giving companies the than $1.5bn in GDP t o o l s t h e y n e e d t o annually as a result of effectively fortify their diminished productivity foods, helps create a and increased healthcare s u s t a i n a b l e p a t h t o costs. delivering Nigerians food "If Nigeria is really serious that will help them live a b o u t c r e a t i n g j o b s , healthier, more productive expanding its markets and growing its economy, lives. Lending his voice to the nutrition and food systems discussion, Co-chair of the should be put in the centre Bill and Melinda Gates of the conversation" said Foundation, Bill Gates, Larry Umunna, West said, "Vitamin A is one of Africa Regional Director, the most critical nutrients TechnoServe. kids need to grow up healthy—but too few kids www.thebossnewspapers.com
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Gbajabiamila Seeks Full Protection Of Persons With Disabilities
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he Speaker of the H o u s e o f Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2019. Gbajabiamila said the full implementation of the law would address issues of discrimination, empowerment and equal opportunity for Persons Living With Disabilities in Nigeria. Gbajabiamila made the call on Friday during the celebration of the 2020 World Disability Day hosted by the Office of the Speaker, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi. The statement was titled,
'Gbajabiamila makes case for full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities ( P r o h i b i t i o n ) Act‌celebrates PLWDs with scholarship, medical procedure sponsorship.' While the Speaker was represented by the Chairman of the newlycreated House Committee on Disabilities, Miriam Onuoha, the event was also attended by a virtual audience. Gbajabiamila noted that disability of any kind should not take away from the dignity of the individual or the right to dream big or hinder the achievement of grand ambitions. He said, "This is because we have designed our societies, our governments and our systems of
p o l i c y m a k i n g a n d met because we have not implementation without f u l l y s e t u p t h e considering the rights, infrastructure to support hopes and prayers of our the full implementation of the law. less-abled brethren." T h e S p e a k e r, w h i l e "It is now our joint expressing sadness over responsibility to make sure t h e i n a b i l i t y o f t h e that we do all that is government to meet the required to bring this law o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e to life so that all our Discrimination against nation's people can receive Persons with Disabilities the protections they (Prohibition) Act, 2019, deserve. And just as s a i d i t h a d b e c o m e importantly, make sure n e c e s s a r y f o r a l l that no citizen of Nigeria stakeholders to ensure that will ever again be deprived the letters of the law were of the opportunity to live a implemented without full life due to disability of delay. whatever kind. He said, "When the "I hope that in our Discrimination Against conversations today, we Persons With Disabilities will speak freely about (Prohibition), Act became how we can work together law in 2019, it was the across government and cause of much joy because outside to achieve the w e h a d s u c h h i g h ambitions that motivated e x p e c t a t i o n s . T h o s e this vital legislation." expectations have not been www.thebossnewspapers.com
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Nobody Can Stop FG From Probing #EndSARS Protesters - Lai Mohammed
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h e F e d e r a l Government says being a member of #EndSARS protest is not an immunity from being investigated or charged for any offence or breach of the laws. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Friday in Lagos at a meeting with editors of newspapers. The minister, who was responding to a question on the alleged arrest of some #EndSARS protesters and sponsors, said nobody is above investigation or prosecution.
"Being a member of #EndSARS protest does not grant you immunity if you have committed any crime against the land. The key thing is that you must be treated according to the laws. "Even those whose accounts were frozen, the Central Bank of Nigeria went to court to seek permission to freeze the accounts. I am also aware that some of them whose international passports were seized had been returned. "None can stop the government from investigating anybody, including #EndSARS
protesters. Whoever you are and whatever you are doing, you must not take the laws into your hands. "You must follow the due process because where your rights end is where someone else's rights start," he said.
Mohammed said there was no clampdown on the protesters and their supporters, adding that the government is following the due process in the investigations being carried out. (NAN)
Lagos-Ibadan Train Tickets Will Cost N3,000 To N6,000 - FG
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h e F e d e r a l Government has approved charges on the new Lagos-Ibadan rail standard gauge which would begin operations by January 2021. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made the disclosure during the inauguration of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria in Abuja on Friday. He said the train ticket would cost between N3,000 to N6,000. Amaechi said, "I have received the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the Lagos/Ibadan rail project by January 2021 which
will make Nigerians see the way the standard gauge railway looked like. "Today I approved the charges on passengers from Lagos to Ibadan, we just transfer how w e c h a rg e d f r o m Abuja to Kaduna. "We charge N3,000 per Economy seat, N5,000 for Business class, and N6,000 for First class, the same is applicable to Lagos to Ibadan. "It should have started running by now before Mr. President inaugurates it by January." The minister said that the ministry would collaborate with CIOTA to enable them to achieved their objectives. He said CIOTA role was critical to the growth of
transportation in Nigeria, adding that the country had advanced a lot in the area of transportation. Meanwhile, the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, says the institute has begun the process of making transportation a "professional sector" in the country. The National President
and Chairman of Council, Dr Bashir Jamoh, made this known during the 2nd N a t i o n a l Tr a n s p o r t Summit, annual general meeting, and Governing Council inauguration in Abuja. Jamoh said the move was to ensure that the sector achieved the global best standards and practices. (NAN)
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Japan To Host Club World Cup In 2021 - FIFA
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apan will host the Club World Cup in its existing format in late 2021, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Friday, with his expanded version of the tournament still on hold for now after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It means there will be two Club World Cups in the same year, with Qatar hosting the 2020 edition between February 1 and 11 before another seven-team edition goes ahead in Japan in December. Japan has hosted the Club
World Cup eight times before, most recently in 2016. A lucrative, revamped 24team Club World Cup, including eight sides from Europe, was due to be played in China next year, but the expanded competition will not now start until a later date after the delayed Euro 2020 and the Copa America were pencilled in for next June and July. "Due to the Covid-19 situation, which has led to the postponement of the revamped new Club World Cup‌we've decided to
organise a Club World Cup in the current format again in 2021 in December and we awarded the hosting rights to Japan," Infantino said following a FIFA Council meeting on Friday. It means there will be one representative each from Europe, South America, North and Central America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with the Japanese champions completing the line-up. Bayern Munich will represent Europe at the February competition in
Qatar, where the Germans will be looking to succeed Liverpool, winners of the last Club World Cup in Doha a year ago. AFP
Lagos To Sanction Travellers Evading COVID-19 Test
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he Lagos State Government has warned incoming passengers who shun the Federal Government's COVID-19 guidelines to stop or face the consequences. This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the state Commissioners for Information and Health, Gbenga Omotoso and Akin Abayomi, respectively on Friday. The statement partly read, " We h a v e o n g o o d authority that some passengers having registered and paid for COVID-19 test have failed to report to assigned private laboratories after completion of their seven days isolation. Some incoming passengers even failed to register and pay for the test whilst making their journey to the country in total disregard
and breach of the safety protocols. "This is not only worrisome but portends danger for public health and safety as the populace stands the risk of infection from any asymptomatic positive case who perhaps is not aware of his/her status. "We are definitely not going to fold our arms and watch the gains made by us against the disease to be reversed by the irresponsibility of some
citizens who choose to flagrantly disregard our guidelines. This is why we are set to take action against people who flout these protocols." Lagos is a major entry point in Nigeria with over 60% of incoming passenger traffic going through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The MMIA and other international airports in the country had been shut
in March to curb the importation of the novel virus but the airports were reopened in September to foreign passenger traffic. Part of the protocol list by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was mandatory test by arriving passengers but the PTF had observed in the past few months that many passengers shun the protocol thereby endangering public health.
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US House Backs Decriminalisation Of Cannabis
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S House legislators voted for the first time Friday to decriminalise cannabis, a major step towards bringing federal laws in line with states and other countries that have freed up use of the drug. T h e H o u s e o f Representatives, controlled by Democrats, easily passed the bill by 228 votes to 164. It stands little chance however in the Senate, which is c o n t r o l l e d b y Republicans. The bill would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, which listed it beside heroin and cocaine as a dangerous narcotic and mandated tough penalties. The drug's inclusion on the list has left the US federal government out of line with the many states which have legalized marijuana for medical use and some, like Colorado, which have completely freed and regulated it for recreational use. The bill was the culmination of five decades of supporters lobbying to have the federal government recognize the relatively low harm inflicted by cannabis usage compared to other drugs, as well as the failure to stifle the trade while jailing hundreds of thousands of people for minor offenses. It would see the records of many people arrested for marijuana use expunged and calls for the review of the sentences of those
currently jailed on federal cannabis charges. And it would let states set their own laws but also launch federal regulation and taxation of the industry, as it does for alcohol. "This is a historic moment," said Democratic R e p r e s e n t a t i v e Tu l s i Gabbard, who has pushed the legislation. – Out of step – Democrats argued that Black Americans have suffered legally much more than whites for arrests and convictions; that federal decriminalization would allow injured veterans better access to medical marijuana; and that longstanding federal blocks on marijuana research would end. D e m o c r a t E a r l Blumenauer noted that marijuana usage tests by employers and police are poor and not completely reliable. "We don't have a good test and the federal prohibition on research stands in the way of this." Some Republicans argued
that the bill will encourage usage. Others said it will create another layer of bureaucracy and taxation in the Treasury department. One noted that it will place a federal tax of only five percent on cannabis, a fraction of that for tobacco. But California Republican Tom McLintock said he favored the bill because legalizing and regulating cannabis would take the industry out of the hands of violent growers and traffickers. McClintock represents a district covering a large section of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where illegal marijuana plantations are relatively common guarded by heavily armed gangs. "I think marijuana use is a pretty bad idea. My wife and I have never gone near the stuff," McClintock said before the vote. However, he said, "We have to recognize that the prohibition law has done far more harm. It has
spawned a violent underground economy." "Radish farmers don't kill each other over territory." Increasingly the US federal approach is out of line with international trends. Northern neighbor Canada fully legalized marijuana in 2018, and has a number of large companies growing it commercially. And Mexico also took a step closer to legalizing marijuana for recreational and medicinal use last month as the Senate approved a bill aimed at undermining the violent gangs that control supply of the drug, much of it destined for the United States. On Wednesday, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs , where it was included alongside deadly opioids like heroin. (AFP)
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Ghana Decides:
Why Ghanaians Want Mahama Back As President By Eric Elezuo
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oday, John Dramani Mahama is addressed as former president; after December 7, however, there is every tendency that he would be addressed as presidentelect, and by January, he would resume the full status of Mr. President. That describes the extent the people of Ghana are desperate to return him to office, after he lost the
election in 2016; a situation not just a cross section of Ghanaians have regretted four years down the line Former President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, is not a stranger when it comes to churning out people oriented programmes and initiatives. During his days as minister, vice president and subsequently, the
president, Mahama's landmark achievements have remained a reference point to administrators and would-be administrators. His feats have not escaped discerning minds and eyes, who have showered him with accolades from home and abroad, thus necessitating the loud clamour for citizens of Ghana from all walks of life to have him back on the
seat of power. Mahama's larger than life existence gave him a one in a million recognition when Nigeria's premier private university, the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, on November 24, 2018 conferred him with an honorary doctorate degree for his foresightedness, infrastructural development and general achievements which have
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affected humanity positively. Four years after leaving office, Mahama's image has continued to bestride Ghana's political landscape like a colossus, which he rightly is. Matters are made more pronounced even as his successor, President Nana Akufo-Addo, has been seen by many as living far below standard and expectation. They argued that the NPP man is yet to record any notable achievement to his name. In fact, most people have credited the cut throat business levy of about a million dollars against foreign business owners in Ghana, who are mostly Africans, as AkufoAddo's major stride so far. To m a n y, i t i s therefore, a done deal that Mahama is returning to the presidential seat come January 2021. His choice of a female deputy in the person of Naana Jane OpokuAgyemang, has further boosted the technocrat's chances of reclaiming his 2016 lost mandate. A politician of great repute, Mahama was born on November 29, 1958, and has been privileged to serve in various civil and political capacities, culminating in holding the highest office in the land from July 24, 2012 to January 7, 2017.
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Mahama started his primary education at the Accra Newtown Experimental School (ANT1) and completed his O'levels education at Achimota School and his A'levels education at Ghana Secondary School (Tamale, Northern region). He proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon, receiving a bachelor's degree in history in 1981 and a postgraduate diploma in
took office as President on July 24, 2012 following the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009 and Minister of Communications from 1998 to 2001. A communication expert, historian, and writer, Mahama is a member of the National Democratic Congress. Though he was born in Damongo in the Damango-
under Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah. After completing his undergraduate education, Mahama taught History at the secondary school level for a few years. Upon his return to Ghana after studying in Moscow, he worked as the Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra between 1991 and 1995. From there he moved to the anti-
communication studies in 1986. As a student, he was a m e m b e r o f Commonwealth Hall (Legon). He also studied at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow in the Soviet Union, specializing in Social Psychology; he obtained a postgraduate degree in 1988. His catalogue of enviable services include serving as Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, and
Daboya constituency of Northern region, he is a member of the Gonja ethnic group, and hails from Bole in the Northern r e g i o n . H i s f a t h e r, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a wealthy rice farmer and teacher, was the first Member of Parliament f o r t h e We s t G o n j a constituency and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during the First Republic
poverty non-governmental organisation (NGO) Plan International's Ghana Country Office, where he worked as International Relations, Sponsorship Communications and Grants Manager between 1995 and 1996. In 1993, he participated in a professional training course for Overseas Public Relations Staff, organized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
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He also participated in a management development course organized by Plan International (RESA) in Nairobi, Kenya. Mahama's first triumph in politics came in 1996 when he was elected to the Parliament of Ghana to represent the Bole/Bamboi Constituency for a fouryear term. In April 1997, he was appointed Deputy M i n i s t e r o f Communications, and barely a year later, was promoted to the post of M i n i s t e r o f Communications, and served until January 2001. During the period under review, he also served as the Chairman of the National Communications A u t h o r i t y, i n w h i c h capacity he played a key role in stabilising Ghana's
telecommunications sector after it was deregulated in 1997. As a minister, he was a founding member of the Ghana AIDS Commission, a member of the implementation committee of the 2000 National Population Census and a deputy chairman of the Publicity Committee for the reintroduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT). In 2000, Mahama was reelected for another fouryear term as the Member of Parliament for the B o l e / B a m b o i Constituency. He was again re-elected in 2004 for a third term. From 2001 to 2004, Mahama served as t h e M i n o r i t y Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications. In
Cover 2002, he was appointed the D i r e c t o r o f Communications for the NDC. That same year, he served as a member of the team of International Observers selected to monitor Zimbabwe's Parliamentary Elections. As an MP, he was a member of Standing Orders Committee as well as the Transport, Industry, Energy, Communications, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament. Continuing to expand his interest and involvement in international affairs, in 2003, Mahama became a member of the Pan-African Parliament, serving as the Chairperson of the West African Caucus until 2011. He was also a member of European and Pan African Parliaments' Ad-hoc
C o m m i t t e e o n Cooperation. In 2005 he w a s , a d d i t i o n a l l y, appointed the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the UNDP Advisory Committee on Conflict Resolution in Ghana. As Vice-President, he served as the Chairman of the National Economic Management Team, the Armed Forces Council of G h a n a , t h e Decentralisation and Implementation Committee and the Police Council of Ghana in this capacity. Mahama is full of experience, having served at all levels of poltical office, and he brought them all to bear as President, giving out a sterling performance that could only compare with the very
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best. He was the first, and remains the only Ghana president to have been born after independence. On March 30, 2014, he was elected to preside over ECOWAS. On June 26, 2014, he was elected Chairperson of the African Union's (AU's) HighLevel African Trade Committee (HATC). On January 21, 2016 on the occasion of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mahama became co-chair of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocates group which consists of 17 eminent persons assisting the UN Secretary-General in the campaign to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that world
leaders unanimously adopted in September 2015. He honourably left office on January 7, 2017 after losing to main opposition leader, Nana Akufo-Addo, in the general election. In December 2016, he was part of part of the ECOWAS mediation team to resolve the post-election political impasse in The Gambia between the defeated incumbent, Yahya Jammeh and declared winner, Adama Barrow. Mahama, now a member of the Assemblies of God, is married to Lordina Mahama, and they are blessed with five children namely Shafik, Shahid, Sharaf, Jesse and Farida. Over the course of his
career, Mahama has written for several newspapers and other publications both locally a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y. Additionally, he is also a devotee of Afrobeat music, especially that of Fela Kuti. Mahama is not new to awards and honours as his good works have paved a broad way for recognitions. He received an honorary doctorate in the field of Public Administration, from the Ekiti State University of Nigeria, formerly affiliated to the Obafemi Awolowo University in “recognition of his politico-socio economic development of Ghana and Africa at various
stages of his political career. Later, the same university passed a resolution to name its Faculty of Management Science after him. He was also honoured by the Cuban government with the Friendship Medal for his relentless advocacy for the Cuban cause. Also, The General Council of Assemblies of God, Ghana, has honoured him with its Daniel Award. The Graduate School of Governance and Leadership also awarded him the African Servant Leadership Award while the Institute of Public Relations recognized Mahama with a prize for
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his leadership acumen and technocratic flair. In 2013, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) conferred on Mahama the Africa Award for Excellence in Food Security and Poverty Reduction. In March 2016, University of Aberdeen held a special convocation to confer him an honorary degree of Doctors of Laws (LLD). In December 2016, he was honoured with a Life time award by Ovation Media Group during its yearly Ovation Carol. A Bill Gates Fellow, Mahama was awarded the Great Cross of the National Order of Benin, the highest award in Benin, by President Yayi Boni. In February 2017, few weeks after leaving office,
Mahama received the 2016 African Political Leader of the Year Award from the African Leadership Magazine in South Africa. Mahama has touted the achievements of his government in the areas of power, roads, the e c o n o m y, w a t e r a n d sanitation. While delivering his final State of the Nation Address to Parliament, he said the government had extended electricity coverage, increased water supply and improved roads. As president, he deployed emergency plants and sped up the completion of ongoing plants resulting in the addition of more than 800 megawatts (MW) of power over an 18-month period. That, and many more had helped to stabilise the power
situation in Ghana. Working on the standard mantra of achieving “water for all by the year 2025�, Mahama put in extra effort to achieve the target well in advance of the set date by increasing investment in the provision of clean drinking water, citing of boreholes, small town water systems and major urban water treatment. Consequently, by the end of 2015, excess of 76 per cent of both rural and urban residents have access to potable water. President Mahama contended that his tenure of office had seen some of the most massive investments in the road sector in the history of the country. While he completed road projects he inherited, such as the Achimota-Ofankor,
Aw o s h i e - P o k u a s e , S o f o l i n e a n d Te t t e h Quarshie-Adenta, he also commenced and completed the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, fast-tracked the construction and opening of the Kasoa overhead bridge, completed the Airport Hills/Burma Camp network of roads, as well as the 37-El Wak-Trade Fair road and a host of others. His trail of achievements are endless. Mahama is just another name for administrative excellence! There is no gainsaying therefore, that when the Ghanaian populace steps out to the polling booths come December 7, all eyes and thumbs would be directed to #2 on the ballot paper.
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Mahama's Indelible Landmarks (2012-2017)
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Pendulum
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Pendulum - Dele Momodu -
Dele Momodu
Dele Momodu
Delemomoduovation
momodudele@yahoo.co.uk
Will Ghana Make History Again Next Week?
F
ellow Africans, please lend me your eyes, as you read through, what I consider, a very important article this weekend. On Monday, December 7, 2020, Ghana, certainly one of my favourite countries on planet earth, goes to the polls again, to choose its President, Vice President, and members of Parliament. The story of my unconditional and uncompromising love for Ghana, despite the occasional skirmishes with Nigeria, is not new to any of my readers and followers on social media. It is also a well-known fact that I have been interacting with Ghanaian leaders for over 20 years, beginning with former President Jerry John Rawlings, now of blessed memory. The meat of my epistle to you today is that Ghana once again stands on the threshold of making monumental history, if things go according to plan for the opposition NDC party in the Presidential election next Monday. The incumbent President Nana
Akufo-Addo will duel with his immediate predecessor, former President John Dramani Mahama for the Presidential trophy. This will be their third time of slugging it out in keenly contested elections. Mahama won the first in 2012 while Akufo-Addo won the second in 2016. So, wither direction will the wind of fortune blow this time around? Who will win the third of the epochal battles between these two dynamic, but different foes? Personally, I will say it is too close to call even though I'm willing to place a strong bet on Mahama, for several reasons on ground. One. Many Ghanaians generally feel a sense of disappointment in AkufoAddo who they believe over-promised but has much under-delivered after attaining power. Except for the free education (in Senior High Schools), the great Nana has not been able to produce any real landmark achievements in the last four years. While Mahama can confidently point at world class projects
t h a t w e r e conceptualized and actualized by his highly technical government, President Akufo-Addo's achievement in the area of infrastructure development pales into insignificance when compared with the Mahama legacy of his first term in office. Two. A government that promised to operate a shoe-string budget has become one of the most recklessly profligate in the history of democratic governance in Ghana with the personnel running the affairs of state. For starters, the President assembled over hundred senior and junior Ministers in a country of only about 30 million people. It is interesting to make the comparison with Nigeria which has almost 200 million people and just over 40 ministers of both categories. The AkufoAddo government is packed full, with friends and family, cronies who
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Many Ghanaians generally feel a sense of disappointment in Akufo-Addo who they believe over-promised but has much under-delivered after attaining power. Except for the free education (in Senior High Schools)...
“
are to a large extent, members of a particular clan. Surprisingly, the ruling government studiously forgot to look after its greatest catchment area of support from the Ashanti Region. This may become the NPP's albatross and backbreaker on Monday. Mahama as the consummate politician that he is saw the maltreatment of the region in the distribution of the political spoils of
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Pendulum war arising from the NPP victory in 2016. Mahama has therefore made spirited, bold and robust incursions into the Ashanti kingdom, hoping to garner about 40 percent of the votes which would be a major boost for his chances of electoral success at the polls. Mahama is realistic enough to know that the Ahanti Region is still a major stronghold of the NPP, but he nevertheless fancies himself and his running mate to make the necessary significant inroads into the votes of people who consider themselves greatly marginalised by a Government that they practically assisted in foisting on the nation. Three. The economy is practically in shambles. The government has borrowed excessively and endlessly and there does not seem to be any hope or expectation that a new term would signal the termination of the ceaseless borrowing. The debt burden of this present government has become so humongous that some say, the debt of these past four years is more than all former governments accumulated and pooled together, without any sign that even just some of the borrowed money has been invested in capital projects that can enhance the industrialisation the country and ultimately create jobs for its multitude of unemployed youths. It had been the much-vaunted assertion of
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President Nana AkufoAddo when he was campaigning that he would set Ghana on a path of industrialisation and technical growth never before witnessed in West Africa, not to mention, Ghana. He promised much but delivered precisely nothing in this regard. Instead of one industry and
become the butt (no pun intended) of serial jokes regarding the fact that the sensibilities of Ghanaians has been assailed by the malodorous discharges emanating from these contraptions. This has led to much disappointment and disenchantment by the teeming Ghanaian masses. The promise of
administration embarked upon and almost completed have been abandoned patently through vindictiveness and spite, and without any reasonable justification. This is worrisome and of great concern considering the fact that the Government of Ghana either fully
one dam per District that was promoted, promised and pledged during the 2016 campaign, the reality of the Akufo-Addo government's performance was more like one toilet project per District. Such was the penchant for delivering on the toilet projects that the government has now
one million US Dollars per District also never materialised and has since been long forgotten by the long-suffering populace subjected to great dissatisfaction, discontent and distress u n d e r N a n a ' s Government. Indeed, to make matters worse, a lot of the notable projects of the Mahama
paid, or secured the loans, for the remarkable developments which Ghanaians expected that in the spirit of continuity and good governance, the incoming administration of Akufo-Addo would conclude and finish them for the benefit and betterment of Ghanaians of all political hues and shades.
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Pendulum Four. Too many atrocious and unpalatable scandals have surfaced in a government that largely came to power on the saintly promise to clean up Ghana and get rid of the alleged voluptuous and voracious greed and avarice of corrupt politicians and government officials in the
spared in the gory details of allegations of sensational brigandage and pillaging. The climax of these supposed corruption in high places and of high offices occurred with the very embarrassing resignation of the Special Prosecutor who accused the President of a proclivity for protecting corrupt people
kind of dramatic mass executions or killings. The passing of the revered, charismatic and much beloved Rawlings has put the issue of corruption and abuse of office on the front burner like never before. It has become an issue that is on the tongue of most Ghanaians today.
preceding Mahama led G o v e r n m e n t . U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h i s government has been hit left, right and centre by some highly odoriferous charges of malfeasance on the part of its leaders in high places. The Government has waltzed from one crisis to another and nobody has been
by directly instructing him to drop certain investigations. What is galling for most people is the fact that they believed that this was the democratic administration that would clean the Augean stable, much like the late President J. J. Rawlings did as military Head of State, albeit not with the same
Five. Financial and economic institutions and organisations have collapsed like a pack of cards. Banks have gone under in suspicious circumstances amidst swirling allegations of insider trading, sharp practices, favouritism and downright abuse of office. Companies have
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caved in have groaned under the weight of great debt and oppressive business policies which have sometimes made little sense both in terms of logic and practicality. As a result, many Ghanaians have either lost their jobs or lost their investments or both. In several instances, government had been accused of witch-hunt and sharp practices in order to corruptly enrich its inner circle. Sadly, this intimate, seemingly incestuous clique of family, buddies, comates and chums has not given any reason to douse or dispel the rumours having regard to the astonishing and remarkable opulent lifestyle of those close to the seat of power. I could probably go on and on, but what I have said should suffice to demonstrate why I believe that Mahama may be the odd on favourite to win this election. The opposition has taken advantage of the myriad of challenges facing the government. Even those who never liked Mahama, and many still don't like him, have now agreed that Mahama was misjudged, abused and harassed out of power unjustifiably. Some are quietly saying that his government was composed of saints when juxtaposed with this present administration. What is not in dispute, is that the scale and level of tremendous achievement under the Mahama
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Pendulum administration cannot be compared with the degradation and doldrums that Ghana appears to have been plunged into by the Akufo-Addo government. As some commentators have said it is akin to comparing sleep with death. It is noteworthy, that the media that lampooned, lambasted and lashed at Mahama at every opportunity in the past suddenly became deaf and dumb, possibly out of shell shock, under the present dispensation. I suppose they could not imagine what they were witnessing and the depths of failure, despair and pain that the country was plumbing in the new era of AkufoAddo. It is therefore not
surprising that most opinion polls have tipped Mahama to win. Even if such polls could not be totally relied upon, as we have seen in the past, the mood in Ghana and the blistering campaign embarked on by the former President in practically all areas have combined positively to tilt the balance and odds of success in favour of John Mahama. The clincher for many Ghanaians is Mahama's choice of a female Vice Presidential candidate, Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, a Professor of Literature, first female Vice Chancellor of a State University in Ghana at University of Cape Coast, former Minister of Education and lately
Chancellor of the Women's University of Africa, amongst other p h e n o m e n a l achievements. Her credentials and stellar accomplishments speak volumes for her as do her credibility and integrity. This is the first time a woman has been picked by a major political party in Ghana as a Presidential running mate. And it is not just any woman, because of her daunting laurels and great distinguished career. If their ticket wins, she will become the first woman Vice President of Ghana, just like the American, Kamala Harris. It is perhaps no coincidence, that like Biden, Mahama seeks to unseat a sitting
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one term President who had pledged and assured the best but has achieved infinitely and abysmally little. The omens and stars appear aligned and seem right for John Dramani Mahama! Ghana has knack for leading the way in delivering many firsts in different parts of the African historical landscape, whether good or bad. This is one positive, notable and laudable historic first that many people, including me, would love to witness. I will certainly keep "JOHN & JANE" in my prayers as well as the peaceful people of the Republic of Ghana‌
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Digital Democracy WITH JOEL POPOOLA joel@rateyourleader.com
+ 44 3333 355018
Joe Biden Trusts a Nigerian to Run His Economy – Why Don't Nigerians?
U
nited States President-elect Joe Biden's appointment of Nigerian-born Adewale Adeyemo as his Deputy Treasury Secretary should be a huge matter of pride for us 'Naija'. But to me it demonstrates yet again how and where we are failing as a nation. That a Nigerian in his thirties will be soon have such a critical role in the American economy – and the economy of the entire World as a result- is a testament to the
intelligence and industry of our young people. But it is also a sign not just that too many of our best and brightest young Nigerians continue believe that they will have better opportunities overseas, but that they are probably right to do so. On some level we should be thrilled at the international success of the Nigerian Diaspora – with the recent promotion of Lagos-born Pearlena Igbokwe at NBCUniversal and Ngozi Ikonjo-Iweala's
role at the World Bank, Nigerians will soon be in charge of both the economy and the entertainment industry in the United States! – but we should also be devastated that it is other nations that our benefiting from our resilience, ambition and talent. It is also proof that foreign governments trust Nigerian politicians more than we do! Joe Biden may trust a Nigerian to run his e c o n o m y, b u t m o s t Nigerians wouldn't!
As research from the influential Pew Research Centre has shown, more than seven-in-ten Nigerians (72%) believe the statement "most politicians are corrupt" describes our country well. What is worse, six-in-ten say it describes Nigeria "very well." Almost six-in-ten Nigerians say the statement "elected o ff i c i a l s c a r e w h a t ordinary people think" is not accurate. 57% believe
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that things will not change for the people of Nigeria "no matter who wins an election". And who can blame them? Just this week we saw the arrest of Abdulrasheed Maina, the fugitive former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team. The influential intergovernmental economic organisation the OECD recently scored Nigeria 28/100 for corruption placing us in 136th position out of 176 countries surveyed. When the former head of the President's own taskforce on cleaning up pensions stands charged with 12 counts of money laundering you have to ask yourself if the OECD has been too charitable in its assessment. In fact, when it comes to research into Nigerian's opnion of politicians, the
most positive figre I can find is from a 2017 survey which concluded 54% of Nigerians think ordinary people "can make a difference" politically. What that survey – and those surveyed for that matter – forget however is that politicians are ordinary people! The problem is that in Nigeria we have fallen into the habit of viewing politicians as some discrete class, completely removed from the rest of us – almost as if they were a different species! At the digital democracy campaign I lead, we want to change that. We have created a free app called Rate Your Leader which is designed to stop local politicians from seeming remote and out-of-touch and to make them feel like real people. The app does this by
putting electors and elected into direct person to person contact. Instead of party political broadcasts, decisionmakers and the people who put them in power can have direct, one-one-one conversations – building relationships, building trust and working together to make our communities better. Nigerians need to feel that anyone can make it – whether in entertainment, business or politics. To feel it, they need to see it – and to see it they need to be in better contact with people who have made it. And thanks to apps like Rate Your Leader – which also makes abusive communications impossible – this can be done using technology that almost all of us are carrying in our pockets at all times.
Our hope is that along with improved democratic accountability and transparency we can inspire people to consider political careers themselves, and to stay in Nigeria to do it. No-one begrudges Nigerians having success overseas – far from it. It is also a huge symbol of national pride that no less than eight players with Nigerian heritage were picked by the top American basketball teams in last month's draft and nobody is going to claim that the Nigerian basketball leagues are a better place to show off their talents to global audience then the NBA! But if we are to advance as a nation, we need to prove to our most talented young people that Nigeria is somewhere they can thrive.
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The Boss Celebrates Prolific Techpreneur, JOEL OYEYINKA POPOOLA @ 50
Birthday HAPPY
Sir...
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NDLEA Arrests 48 Suspects at Fola Aiyesimoju's UPDC Resident Apartments in Amuwo Odofin ...Residents Pass Vote of No Confidence on UPDC Management... By Eric Elezuo
T
he 28th of November, 2020 brought a near positive climax to the activities of criminal elements living and operating within the UACN Property Development Company Plc (UPDC) residences, which shares a common compound with the high profile Festival Hotel (formerly Golden Tulip Hotel) and Festival Mall, which houses Shoprite. Relishing in the euphoria of the successful raid conducted by officers and men of the Nigeria Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the early hours of November 28, 2020, the executive committee of the Golden Tulip Residents Association, an umbrella b o d y, w h i c h a l s o accommodates the UPDC
Residences and residents l e d b y M r. M o s e s Olanrejwu, in a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr Oke Odhomor, the executive expressed profound appreciation to the agency for their intervention, stating that “For almost a year, the EXCO has complained to the UPDC management about the short let operations within the building which has attracted unsavoury characters that use the t e m p o r a r y accommodation for illicit activities including drug use, internet fraud and many illegal activities.” The PRO remarked that the raid was just what the residents needed to stem the tide of untold criminal activities that have gone on
for long, and had got so crime rate in the estate, bad that residents and their stressing that the company families live in fear of the failed to live up to unknown while most of e x p e c t a t i o n i n t h e t h e m h a v e f o u n d discharge of their duties, a l t e r n a t i v e especially their accommodations. It will i n v o l v e m e n t i n t h e be recalled that it was from unlawful act of allowing this estate that someone or p e o p l e t o s u b l e t a group of persons were apartments to unknown seen throwing money in characters, who in turn large quantity from the become uncontrollable window of the second nuisances. floor, causing a stampede He noted that all the efforts below. the residents have made to The PRO wondered who in stem the tide of crime in the his right senses does that, estate were rebuffed by the or who will ever do that if facilities manager Mrs. he makes his money Alaba Fagun of UPDC, whose security personnel legitimately. “It has gotten so bad that were indicted as being in residents and their families cohort with the criminal are not comfortable within elements. the environment while The chairman of the some have been moving Resident Association Mr. out,” he said. Olanrejwu Moses in one of He blamed the facilities his letters to UPDC managers for the high management read in part: www.thebossnewspapers.com
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“The EXCO has made several entreaties to UPDC verbally and officially (we have the letters as evidence) requesting that they terminate the running of the short let operations because it is the source of the illegal activities. “The very act of the commercial operation is an illegality as one of the clauses in the UPDC rules and regulations is that the apartments are not to be used for commercial and illegal activities. “However, UPDC Plc has flouted this regulation and has encouraged the use of the apartments for short-let accommodation which has attracted a number of criminally minded youths who use the place for
internet fraud activities, smoking of illegal substances, rowdy parties that break all the COVID19 safety protocols which has exposed residents to physical and health dangers. “The operations are done with the full approval of the security personnel and UPDC on site facility managers Mr. Tomiwa Fasida. “It has gotten to a point whereby the influx of these temporary occupants have made legitimate owners uncomfortable in their homes. “Throughout the year, there have been security incidents caused by these short-let occupants which has disrupted the peace and
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quiet of the environment.” In their reaction however, the UPDC management communicated to the residents through individual email after the raid, saying that all was well, and they were on top of security matters. The UPDC residences, which comprises 198 apartments of one and two bedrooms, and also houses offices and staff rooms, have been in the news for a while for the wrong reasons as residents consistently complained of siege and barefaced insecurity owing to activities of criminal elements, who found their ways to the estate through shortlet accommodations initiated and perpetrated
by the facilities managers, UPDC. In their desperation to make the estate habitable for the occupier/owners and their families, residents engaged UPDC to live up to their professional billing, including inviting the officers and men of the FESTAC Divisional Police station, who intervened and made some arrests, but that did not deter the facilities management. More so, some whistle blower letters, especially the one dated July 23, 2020, which was sited by The Boss were also sent to the Chief Executive Officer, UPDC, Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju, to get him to react positively, but he
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never did. The residents claim that over 27 petitions have b e e n s e n t t o M r. Aiyesimoju on such matters. RESIDENTS LOSE CONFIDENCE IN UPDC On November, 24, 2020, another letter, addressed to t h e C E O M r. F o l a Aiyesimoju was sent by the Golden Tulip Residents Association,
procedure for such in the UPDC rule books which provides that before any increment is made, the residents must approve of it and shall jointly manage the facility with the management company but that was not followed coupled with the state of insecurity that has turned residents into vegetables in their own apartments. The Executive Committee, by the letter had demanded
collapsed ceiling on the 4th floor. Please see attached pictures showing that the contractor is using planks as props and not timber as was stated in the letter sent to the EXCO by UPDC. The industry practice is that steel props are used in cases like this. “The EXCO has previously requested that UPDC assesses the qualification and experience of the
who at this time has lost faith in the administration of the facilities managers as a result of the dilapidated state of the estate, inability to repair or replace damaged installations despite huge service charge paid by residents which amounted to N1,045,000 per apartment of 1 and 2 bedrooms. This is one increment, according to the PRO, the Resident Association considered illegal because the
within 24 hours a detailed account of income and expenditure of the estate so as to know why there is paucity of funds to attend to estate development affairs. The following were areas the EXCO find the facility managers wanting, and demanded explanations according to the letter: B U I L D I N G INTEGRITY “We are also bringing to your notice the on-going works at the section of the
contractor that it is engaging to carry out this work as UPDC will be held responsible for any injury or loss incurred by residents during the repairs of this building. INSURANCE “The EXCO is aware that residents have been paying the insurance premium for the building. “We would like to know the insurance company that is providing cover for the building and evidence of premium payment. www.thebossnewspapers.com
S H O R T L E T OPERATIONS “Despite the notice sent on the termination of short let operations, this activity is still going on. “The temporary occupants are still causing a nuisance within the building including the smoking of weed in the common areas and lift. “We would like to know what measure UPDC is taking to implement the termination order? “Can you give a timeline as to when this activity will stop? SECURITY “The EXCO is still awaiting the security report on the October 2020 break in of the 4 hoodlums into the complex and also when the physical security audit will be carried out. “There are still gaps in the security architecture of this complex and the mobile policemen are not staying at their beats. “We do not know when there will be another security incident within the vicinity of the complex and the complex should not be left exposed to attacks. GAS PIPELINE/GAS CYLINDERS “The EXCO would also like to remind you about the potential danger of not securing the area around the gas pipeline. “This gas pipeline was channelled by UPDC to the complex to feed the IPP so UPDC has a responsibility to ensure that the area is well protected. “There is an abandoned container and other illegal commercial activities
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taking place on the gas pipeline route which should be a cause for alarm to UPDC. “The cooling system for the gas cylinders behind the shopping mall has still not been fixed. This is extremely dangerous given that an explosion will probably cause fatalities and multiple damages to buildings and properties in the vicinity. We are approaching the festive season and it is expected that the complex will be well populated by families and young people who will come to enjoy the facilities that the complex offers. UPDC needs to urgently get experts to fix the faults in the cooling system. “We will continually remind you about all outstanding issues and we pray that you take on board our concerns and the
UPDC does the needful in resolving all our concerns,” the letter noted. DIARY OF SECURITY BREACHES UNDER U P D C - L E D MANAGEMENT The residents, many of whom told The Boss that their lives are insecure in the environment, lamented security breaches. In their separate responses, they narrated as follows: In February 2020, some members of the resident association security committee had to call the UPDC Plc former Chief Security Officer, Mr Jude, to control the activities of drug smokers in the car park. In March 2020 members of the Resident Security Committee apprehended a short-let occupant smoking cannabis in the car park and handed the person to the UPDC
Feature their security log book. On 28 August 2020, there was an incident that went viral on social media were some temporary occupants of the short-let apartments caused a disturbance and were seen throwing naira notes out of their windows to a crowd of people in the car park area facing the Festival Mall. There were three ASCO security personnel in the crowd captured on video. It took the action and presence of the police to restore peace and order. A fight broke out between two temporary short let occupants over a deal that went bad and it took the intervention former CSO, Mr. Jude but to our dismay the matter of a Colonel who was in the was not handed over to the building to control the police or NDLEA and It soldiers that one of the was not recorded in the parties brought in. security log book or In July, the car park was included in the weekly invaded by over 50 youths activity report given to the smoking illegal substances EXCO of the resident and loitering in the area constituting a nuisance. association. There was a rape incident This was done in the full by six boys that happened view of the ASCO security during the year that was personnel who allowed not reported by ASCO them into the complex. It Security, (the security took the presence of a team company employed by f r o m t h e A r e a E UPDC Plc to guard the C o m m a n d e r w h o complex) despite the fact attempted to round up the that the rapists were youths, most of them arrested but later released escaped aided by the by the former CSO and the U P D C s e c u r i t y w h o Mopol attached to the allowed them to exit Festival Mall. In fact the through a black back gate. CSO of ASCO security These were also contained confessed to the DPO in a petition which the Festac Town on phone Exco said is ready to be when he was interrogated sent to the Inspector General of Police, on the rape case. Again there was no follow M o h a m m e d A d a m u , up nor was it logged in through the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank www.thebossnewspapers.com
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Mba as obtained by The Boss. The residents believe that the incidents show the scale of the problems “we are facing within the complex all caused by our facility management company, UPDC Plc who have continued to allow the short let operations that is attracting unsavoury elements into the complex”. They accused the shortlet
operators of not even having a registered business with the CAC. A P P E A L T O SECURITY AGENCIES The residents noted that they have appealed to the police and other security agencies including Barr Babatunde Irukere of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to come to their aid as the crisis supervised by UPDC
Feature is getting out of hand. They allege that criminal elements are getting comfortable in the environment as they have bought over the security personnel, expressing the fear that it won't take time for them to take over the environment and upgrade their illegal activities thereby exposing genuine residents to attacks, robberies, kidnapping among others.
They are demanding investigation into the activities of the facility managers, suggesting that the CEO, Mr Fola Aiyesimoju and the on-site Managers, Mrs. Alaba Fagun and Mr Tomiwa Fasida as well as the owners of the shortlet apartments and their agents be interrogated to ascertain the extent of their involvement. “Why will they continue to allow this illegal operation to run despite numerous complaints from the EXCO and knowing fully well of the criminality that it brings to the complex,” Mr Moses had inquired in his petitions. Further in his contribution, t h e P R O , M r. O k e Odhomor, maintained that the problem with the estate transcends beyond criminal elements, who had infiltrated the environment to total disregard of infrastructure maintenance as almost every corner of the former high profile quarters is a shadow of its self. This he blamed on the unprofessional conduct of the managers of the facility. “The way it stands, it is like our facility managers are out to meet a certain target considering how they bill the residents, and do little or nothing with the money. Take for instance, the airconditioner broke down at a time, and UPDC gave us a bill of one million, seven hundred and fifty naira (1,750,000). We decided to try someone else and behold, it cost just about
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N10,000 for a fuse and everything was back to normal. So you can imagine what we have been going through all along. “The fourth floor of the building is totally dilapidated, and likely to collapse. The same with the gas area. There, even people from the Amuwo Odofin local government collect parking fees from people who park their cars and articulated vehicles on top of the gas pipeline taped from the Gaslink pipeline, and no one is saying anything. An explosion could happen at any time. NNPC has a caution sign at the place yet UPDC looked the other way. If that explodes one day, the casualty level will be greater that what happened in Abule Odo sometime ago. “This UPDC people are totally lawless and cares nothing about the comfort of the residents they are managing. I understand that they were chased away from managing the 1004 Estates in Victoria Island as well as the Anchorage Estate among other places they have exhibited their incompetence. “We have at various times invited the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Engr. Abiola Kosegbe, and the General Manager, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, to come and view first hand the state of rot at this estate. Mr Mojola at his last visit was quick to
shut down the illegal event centre established by UPDC. However, no one can tell what happened afterwards, and the place was reopened, and has remained in operation till date. “The teams acknowledged that there has been noncompliance by UPDC to Lagos State building
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regulations specifically there is no evidence of structural integrity test and comprehensive structural stability report and no evidence of certificate of completion and fitness for habitation before use of the structure,” Odhomor stated. When The Boss sought the opinions of both officers,
their phones were either unavailable or rang out without being picked. RESPONSES FROM T H E U P D C MANAGEMENT The Boss investigation reveals that apart from Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju, who is the CEO of the company, the likes of Mrs Alaba Fagun, the New Head of Facilities Management, Nicol Omeruah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Kunle Oshilaja, who is a Non Executive Director, are some of the members of administration of the company. In a telephone chat with Mrs Fagun, The Boss was made to understand that she was not in a position to speak on the matter. Mrs Fagun quickly referred this reporter to the CEO, who she said was the only one authorised to speak on the issue. She claimed it was company policy. “I don't have the capacity to speak. We have a company policy. Don't put words into my mouth,” Fagun said before hanging up. Calls put across to Mr Fola Aiyesimoju, the CEO, to get his position, were neither answered not returned in as much as they rang out. The text message also sent to his phone was ignored as well. On the other hand, the phone of Nicol-Omeruah, the Deputy CEO was switched off when The Boss tried to reach out to her. The Boss also tried to get the views of Mr Oshilaja,
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Alana Fagun, UPDC Facility Manager
but he vehemently refused to speak on the matter, saying categorically that “it is not my business as I am only a non executive d i r e c t o r. I t i s t h e management and executive that has a right to talk about it,” a rather angry Oshilaja said, ending with “I don't want to talk to you” as he dropped the call. In 2017, the occupiers of the apartments, who are not tenants but owners invested in the property with the expectation that the facility will be well run and managed efficiently by UPDC Plc. And for three years, the occupiers and the management have been having a running battle as a result of a renege in the agreement that brought them together. The two parties, from the onset, agreed as follows: the apartments were to be jointly managed by UPDC
Plc and the owners; UPDC Plc will provide a safe and p e a c e f u l environment Service charge budget proposed by UPDC Plc would be approved by the EXCO before any expenditure is carried out B a n o n commercial and illicit activities Ban on street parties and noise pollution there would be a d e d i c a t e d recreation area for residents and their families to relax (a rooftop garden and an area within the c o m p l e x earmarked as a recreational centre) B u t t h e
Feature owner/occupiers have claimed that none of these agreed terms has been followed through. They call on the Federal Government and Lagos State Government to conduct a thorough investigation on the affairs of the estate as well as other private estates to determine the level or rot and corruption being perpetrated. They accuse private facility managers of maximising profit to the detriment of the owner/occupiers through illegal and criminal activities. It would not be forgotten that to give credence to concerns of the residents,
on Saturday November 28, 2020 a team from the NDLEA stormed the UPDC Residence Apartment, Amuwo Odofin LG at about 6:45am and arrested about 48 male occupants of the short let apartments who were in possession of illicit substances and materials all found inside their UPDC managed apartments. In his parting statements, Mr. Odhomor reiterated that “there is a high pressured gas pipeline feeding the IPP which runs along the perimeter fence of the complex. UPDC Plc has allowed abandoned vehicles to be parked on top of the gas pipeline.
Fola Aiyesimoju, CEO, UPDC
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“We have made several complaints to UPDC Plc about the vehicles parked on this pipeline that has the potential to cause an explosion if not cleared but our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. “ We h a v e r e c e n t l y discovered that there is another potential hotspot right within the complex. Behind the shopping mall, there is a gas tank that houses two giant compressed gas cylinders which is designed to have a cooling system to ensure that the compressed air and gas do not reach extremely high temperature and explode. “Apparently the cooling system has been faulty for several years and is yet to
be fixed by UPDC Plc so this chamber is running without the required and essential component. “The gas chamber is situated directly behind the shopping mall which attracts over three thousand people daily many of whom are children! “There is also a Children fun park very close to the gas tank. The children park attracts over 500 children during the weekend. “This potentially dangerous life threatening situation has been left unresolved for several years. “You can imagine the impact of an explosion of this magnitude, the loss of lives and damage to
Feature properties. “The public outcry will be unprecedented, especially as this will be coming on the back of the recent explosions in Lagos,” he warned. Only in October, a gigantic snake was found and killed within the complex. The residents believe that it could only mean that there are others maybe even within the building itself and its environs. “There is no gainsaying the obvious; nothing works in this estate, except high unbearable service charge and noise pollution occasioned by the marquee mounted and leased to party makers every weekend to disturb the peace of the occupants;
government should help us get rid of bunch of managers,” Odhormor concluded. UPDC reportedly makes a sum not less than Two Hundred and Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (N206, 910, 000) on deposit service charge collected from residents. A total of 15 per cent of the above sum is paid to the company as management service fee and another 10 per cent as mark ups for power/energy fee. It is therefore, not expected that the company would cut corners for any reason, to the detriment of the residents.
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The Apalara Murder Mystery: Alfa Bisiriyu Apalara (1918 -1953) By Hon Femi Kehinde
M
urder is as old as mankind. Cain, because of a jealous rage, killed his brother Abel, according to the book of Genesis in the Bible. In exact similitude, Qabil and Habil, believed by Moslems, to have been the first two sons of Adam and Eve, just like Cain and Abel in the Bible, also suffered the same fate. Adam asked both of them to present a sacrifice to Allah. Allah accepted Habil's sacrifice and rejected Qabil's, so he envied Habil and in a jealous rage too, killed him. In criminal jurisprudence, it was almost a hard nut to crack, to sustain a murder conviction, without the discovery of the murdered person's corpse- “Corpus delicti”. In Apalara's murder case, eleven accused persons were convicted and sentenced to death, for the murder of Alfa Bisiriyu Apalara, on the 3rd of January, 1953 at the Oko Baba area of Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Alfa Bisiriyu Apalara, was born in Itoko, a town in the outskirts of Abeokuta. He had Quaranic studies and elementary education, before he went to Lagos to work as a carpenter. In Lagos, Bisiriyu lived in Mushin – a settlement that was then known, as the home of street urchins and miscreants. In Mushin,
Apalara lived a rough life and was involved in several negative aspects of a street life. In 1945, Apalara was imprisoned on the charges of theft. By 1950, like the conversation or the transformation of Saul to Paul, on the way to Damascus, in the Bible, Apalara had gone through a transformation. He started praying regularly and fasting. He bade farewell to his past and also divorced his wife, so as to remove anything relating to the negative aspects of his past in Mushin. In 1950, Apalara launched an Islamic crusade. The crusade was usually held in Ebute Metta or Mushin, usually at a street, or an intersection of two or three streets. Apalara became an articulate preacher and had a large followerships, majority of which were women. His preaching focused on condemning idolatry worships, lukewarm practice of Islamic Religion and vehemence against traditional cults, most especially, Agemo, Awo Opa, Egungun and Oro cults. He became very noticeable and popular, and earned respect from the Muslim community, and was turbaned as the foremost preacher of a mosque in the Lagos Mainland. He was vicious in his preaching. In 1951, Apalara started
having conflicts with the local cults and masquerades in Mushin. During one of Apalara's open air sermons, a cult and its masquerades, on its way to perform traditional rites, attempted to pass through one of its crusades, but they were blocked by Apalara's congregation, at the insistence of Apalara. The standoff lasted a few minutes, and the cults and the Masquerades' retreated. In 1952, a similar situation occurred which led to the exchange of blows and fisticcups, between a masquerade group and Apalara's supporters.
Henceforth, he received constant threats to his life. Bisiriyu knew the secrets of the secret cults and according to him, “the emptiness of its faith”. Converts are usually hardened people. On the evening of January 3rd, 1953, Alfa Bisiriyu Apalara, preached for the last time in his life, against the secret cults that he had hated, so passionately and later that night, he was murdered with an axe and died at the age of 35 years, at the peak of his life. For that murder, 11 men were hanged on May 26, 1954. In the past, Apalara had frequently been warned. The Oro adherents
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believed that Apalara had exposed them and ridiculed their beliefs. He had been frequently warned of the perils of denouncing and mocking their secret organization, so he had to pay the price for his determination, to speak his mind. Shortly after his preaching on January 3rd 1953, some men, ambushed the Islamic preacher at Tapa Street in Ebute-Metta and attacked him with cutlasses. They left him to die and thereafter, dumped his body into the Lagoon. During the trial, a prosecution witness said the murderers, put his body in a canoe and took his body to an unknown destination across the Lagoon. It was also generally believed that his body was put in a canoe, that evening and was thrown overboard with a stone tied to his neck, some few kilometers away from Tapa Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Detective Sergeant John Aboderin, who was investigating the case, came up with some interesting facts. One night, while he was sleeping, he heard a tapping on the window. Then came a secret society password: whoever it was, the man outside was one of the brotherhood. The unknown midnight police informant, still remained a mystery. It was West Africa's most sensational murder trial of it's time. “I know something you want- something you're looking for” came from the
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other side of the window. The Detective Sergeant threw aside the blankets, swung his legs off the bed. “Don't come to the window or put on the light. If you do, I shall disappear.” From his bedside, the detective took his note book and pencil. “All right, talk on” he whispered back- “I know that who killed Apalara” said the voice and made the detective swear by heaven
said: “one secret password spoken by the night visitor, not only revealed to me that this man was a member of the secret AwoOpa Cult- to which I also belong- but convinced me that he knew what he was talking about.” “To this day, I do not know who he was or why he risked his life to tell me these things- He has never returned for thanks or reward,” according to the
and earth, he would in no way disclose how he had received his information. The man mentioned fifteen names and disclosed the name and address of one important person, who was not connected to the murder, but knew everyone in it. He then related how Apalara had been killed with a machete at Number 8, Tapa Ebutte Metta, carried to the Lagoon, foreshore and dumped in a canoe. The Detective Sergeant
Detective Sergeant. From there, Detective Sergeant Aboderin went to Number 8, Tapa street and made a thorough examination of the area. His conviction of the night callers, honestly was confirmed when he discovered blood stains. “I followed the trail of blood which led me to the foreshore. There I found quite a pool of blood and what last bit of doubt I had, that I was on the right trail disappeared; but it was the fact that the gruesome www.thebossnewspapers.com
incident had arisen from an open conflict with a secret society- the ancient Oro cult- which raised a storm, which was to make this the most sensational crime in the annals of Nigerian criminology – and which posed a problem for Detective Sergeant Aboderin for he was an unabashed member of the cult. “As a police officer, would I betray the police to the cult? I have no such dilemma. There never has been any conflicts between the true ideals of the cults and the mission of the police and that is why I was able to maintain my membership of both.” As the court later found, Apalara's murder, resulted from a conflict with the Oro cult. But it was only a wing of it. The Muslim preacher was treading dangerously on the toes of a section of the members of the ancient cult. He threatened their exposure, for they were prostituting the powers of the cult, frightening people from the streets, whenever they wanted to carry out their smuggling or burglary expeditions. And the late Alfa Apalara knew it. He was a dangerous firebrand and had to be expiated at all costs. The Awo Opa cults of the Yorubas, is a very ancient society, known amongst devotees, as Ijinla Olokun and to the outside world as Awo Opa. “what is not generally known to the public is that even within the Oro society itself, there are cabinets and inner cabinets
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of oaths. The innermost cabinets operates in complete secrecy from the inner one and so on” Aboderin said. “It is often quite easy for new rotten branches to stem from the main trunk. And it can be appreciated that even within that section there are many members who are not party to, if cognizant of, the corrupt and often criminal practices of the inner circle. I was able to convince the cults that I was out to help them break the crime ring and to clear the good name of the cults. “This is how the notorious wing of the Okobaba men operated that night. Apalara had no chance of escape as all routes – four of them – had been securely barred by the gangsters. They wore loin clothes and were otherwise stark naked, to make escape easy and leave no blood stains. “At the given Oro signal, they threw off their covering clothes and approached the scene of the murder stark naked. Even juveniles were employed in collecting the cover clothes, and in minor roles near the scene of the crime. Thus the gangsters were able to make a clean getaway, leaving as they believed, no clues behind them. The canoe-men who had been hired for the operation then refuses to carry the dead body- it would leave stains on the bottom of their canoe. In the delay, the blood from the hideous cuts left me one of my most valuable
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clues on the foreshore. “Another factor that aroused so much interest during the trial, was speculation as to why the body of Apalara was never found. The jury themselves attached great significance to a well-known maxim specifically attached to the Oro cult from time immemorial. That is- “a ki ri ajeku Oro”, literally meaning, “no one is ever expected to see the leftover of the Oro,” the detective sergeant went on.
into little pieces and thrown piece by piece into the lagoon from a moving canoe. “But remember, it was to true, honest members of the various cults that I owed almost all the clues, which ultimately brought eleven men to a just death.” The incidence that occurred on the evening of January 3rd, 1953 on Tapa Street, Ebute-Metta Lagos, led to the arrest of several persons linked to the crime
found in his house and he has never been seen again and we have got the evidence of the blood (which was human) which was found leading from that place, Tapa Street to the foreshore. The hearing of the case took approximately five weeks at the end of which the jury delivered their unanimous verdict of guilty against each of the accused persons. They were thus condemned to death, for the murder of a person
“This tradition arose a long time ago, when a certain rich man, not a member, desired to be taken to the meeting place of the Oro men- usually deep in the forest and secluded from prying eyes. He sought to know their secret. “He was escorted there, but has never been seen since. And it has been the tradition of the Oro people never to leave any traces of food or anything behind at their meeting spot. “In keeping with this tradition, the body of the late Apalara was cut up
and they were charged with Apalara's murder. The first accused person, was Joseph Ogundipe. There were also other accused persons, including two Oteka brothers, who were tried by Justice De Comarmond and a Jury at the Lagos High Court, who found them guilty of killing the deceased. It was a case rooted in circumstantial evidence. The trial judge in his summing up, with the evidence of the victim's death said: “His belongings were
whose body was not found. The convict, dissatisfied with the judgment of the court, lodged a Notice of Appeal at the West African Court of Appeal (WACA). The Appellants urged WACA to quash their convictions. At the hearing of the Appeal, Mr. Ali Balogun appeared for the first Appellant, Mr. A. Tejuoso, whom the popular Tejuoso market, Yaba was named after, appeared for the 3rd, 7th, 8th and 11th Appellants. Mr. G.B.A Coker for the second, fourth and ninth
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A p p e l l a n t s a n d M r. Tejuoso led Mr. Coker for fifth and sixth Appellants; the tenth Appellant argued his own case and the Crown was represented by Mr. Madarikan- who later became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The case of the appellants who relied heavily on the ground of appeal was that the verdict of the lower court was unreasonable and against the weight of evidence. The appellants also complained that the Judge did not direct the jury properly, on the possibility of returning a verdict of manslaughter. Delivering judgment, the WACA said “we have examined the evidence against each appellant, with anxious care and are satisfied that there are evidence against each one of them, upon which the jury could properly, come to the conclusion they did.” The court said the evidence in each case was carefully and fairly dealt with, by the trial Judge in his summing up to the jury, who had the advantage of seeing and hearing the witnesses, and there is in our view, nothing which would justify our interfering with the verdict of the jury, in any one of the cases, on the ground of appeal in question. The WACA held that it was unable to agree with the appellants, that the trial Judge failed to direct the jury properly as to the nature of evidence required in the absence of corpus delicti.
According to the court – “It appears to us that there was ample evidence, if accepted by the jury as it clearly was, that Apalara died on the night of the 3rd of January, 1953, as a result of injuries inflicted upon him, and we are of the opinion, that this aspect of the matter was clearly and adequately put to the jury, by the trial Judge, when he summed up the case to them. The WACA noted that the appellants' lawyers, also argued that the trial Judge erred in leaving the question whether the seventh witness called by the prosecution, Yesufu Aka, was an accomplice, to the jury, and in the absence of corroboration of his evidence, the jury ought not to have convicted some of the appellants. But the court declared that there was no substance in this complaint, even as it held that the prosecution had proved in the court below that the 10th Appellant, accused No. 19, was at the scene of the crime on January 3, 1953. It said “the accused denied that the statement he was alleged to have given to the police, exhibit C1 was a voluntary one. He denied attending the meeting held at the Bale's house on the 2nd of January, 1953 or being at the scene of the crime on the night of the 3rd of January, 1953 and there was ample evidence, obviously accepted by the j u r y, s h o w i n g h i s complicity in the crime. ”for these reasons we are .of the opinions, that there
Feature is no substance in any of the appeals and they, therefore, dismissed.” In effect, the WACA affirmed the conviction of the appellants and the death sentence passed on them. The men were actually executed on May 27, 1954. Alfa Bisiriyu Apalara, a notable Nigerian Muslim Cleric of his time, in the early 1950s and who held a series of crusades and Dawha in Ebute-Metta and Mushin area of Lagos, with a common theme of speaking out against traditional Yoruba cults, such as Oro, Awo Opa and Egungun and drawing more adherents of Tr a d i t i o n a l A f r i c a n Religion to Islam, may y o u r s o u l a n d undiscovered corpse, continually find peaceful repose with the Almighty Allah.
HON. (BARR.) FEMI KEHINDE IS A FORMER MEMBER, H O U S E O F REPRESENTATIVES, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, A B U J A , REPRESENTING AYEDIRE/IWO/OLAOL UWA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF OSUN STATE (19992003) & PRINCIPAL PA R T N E R , F E M I KEHINDE & CO (SOLICITORS) IBADAN OFFICE- NO 84, IWO ROAD, IBADAN. LAGOS OFFICE – PLOT A , O L U WA L O G B O N MOTORS BUILDING, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY, IKEJA, LAGOS. ABUJA OFFICE – NO 8, S U E Z C R E S C E N T, IBRAHIM ABACHA ESTATE,WUSE ZONE 4, ABUJA, FCT.
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ADDING VALUE WITH HENRY UKAZU henrous@gmail.com
Your Life Is Not Over Yet
G
reetings Dear Friends, I officially welcome you to the last month of the year. The year is gradually coming to an end. At the inception of the year, we all made resolutions and had plans and expectations of what we intend to do before the end of the year. Some of us measured our successes every quarter. The question we should be asking ourselves however, is if we have been able to accomplish our goals and desires. If your answer is no, just know it's not over for you. If your answer is yes, just relish in the words of Les Brown, “it's not late to set another goal”. Sometimes in life, we may not reach our goal, but at least it is expected we try our best. According to Bruce Lee “A goal is not always something to be reached, it often serve as something to be aimed”. When 2020 came, we were all beaming with joy; no one saw the pandemic neither did anyone see the recession some countries experienced due to the pandemic. In the journey of life, nothing is guaranteed, as widely acclaimed, tax and death are the only things that are guaranteed because we all must pay tax and we all must die one day. In the same way, life may have thrown tantrums at you, you may have lost your job, lost a loved one, experienced divorce,
experienced a set back in your personal and professional life. I don't know what your situation or story is, but I just want to let you know that it is not over for you. It is generally believed you can never have a second chance to make a first impression, but we fail to realize that we all need a second chance. A student needs a second chance, an employee needs a second chance, a businessman needs a second chance, a divorcee needs a second chance, the prodigal son was given a second chance, even Christ died for us to give us a second chance. Getting a second chance is about giving yourself the opportunity to grow beyond your past failures. It's about positively adjusting your attitude toward future possibilities. According to Edgar Caycee, “Don't feel sorry for yourself if you have gone the wrong road, turn around”. As human beings, we are always
in a haste to make the next step without even taking stock of previous steps or decisions we have made which may have consciously or unconsciously led us to where we are today. It is because the philosopher was so busy focusing on the journey ahead of him that he forgot there was a ditch in front of him, and the rest is history. Human beings are very important in our journey to success. According to Roy Bennet, “Good things happened when you surround yourself with good people”. Challenges come in different shapes and styles, but what makes the difference is not only the way you managed it but what you learn from it. According to Robert Schuler, problems are stop signs, they are guide less”. Some of us go through different challenges, and we allow the experience, circumstance, or situation to define and shape us. Regardless of what you may be facing or have experienced, just
know that your life is not over yet, there's still a ray of hope for you. If you have ever watched a football or soccer match, you'll realize that nothing is guaranteed until the referee officially ends the match. That's simply how life works. Furthermore, just like education is the greatest leveler, the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow if properly educated. This simply tells you the only thing that is permanent is change. The mistake most of us make is that we measure and compare our progress with that of others. The only comparison you have to make is with yourself. That's simply how to measure matured growth otherwise you may be heading into defective success. If you are feeling downcast or thinking that your life is messed up, please note that there are people who are in a worst situation and have not given up. If you have plans of opening a
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new page in your life or business and you are afraid of what the future upholds, just take a leap of faith. Do you know you have a voice, and a message the world is itching to hear? There's somebody crying and literally begging to be where you are today in addition to having what you have. Sometimes in life, we feel it is over for us, we feel that there's no other path, we feel we have lost it completely just because you lost a family member, business, or even an election, but we fail to understand that there's a lesson and experience for us to learn. If you continue to worry and be afraid in your mind, it will be hard, Charlie Chaplin has a word for you “You will never find a rainbow if you are looking down”. Learning how to overcome life is not rocket science; all you need to do is know what you want and what you don't want. For example, you should know how to say no in a polite way without being offended. Saying no makes you focus on the needful because whatever “distracts” you can serve as an “attraction” if you are working on focus. Another way of overcoming challenges is by finding what you love. In a world filled with so many distractions and negativity, you need to channel your energy on what you truly love and build on it. It's by doing that you overcome unnecessary pressures and challenges. In order to move ahead, here are some guidelines 1. Let go of the past Sometimes, we are used to holding on to past experiences or hurt we suffered. These guilt feelings make us feel we can't move ahead; most of us are always tormented by this
feeling. We fail to understand that every difficult moment in our lives is accompanied by an opportunity for personal growth and creativity. When life throws dirt at you, dust yourself and move on, nobody cares what happens to you, rather they are concerned about what you were able to do with what was thrown at you. When you do this, you identify the lesson or situation that put you in such a mess and never allow it to reoccur. 2. Accept accountability & eesponsibility One of the greatest disservices we can do to ourselves is to lie to ourselves. Most times, we don't tell ourselves the honest truth. Sometimes we put ourselves in a difficult situation and expect someone to clean our mess. For example, if you don't manage your money, you'll lose it, if you don't manage your marriage, you'll lose it, if you don't manage your business, you'll lose it. If you don't manage your anger, you'll lose it, if you don't manage a good loyal friend, you'll lose it. Accepting responsibly is the first step in owning a problem. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. M o r a l : Yo u m u s t t a k e accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is giving up. 3. Focus on the things you can change. Another mistake we make is feeling we can solve every problem. For instance, a man who has an ego problem will find it difficult to ask for help when he needs assistance, and by the time challenge gets to the peak, the issue might have deteriorated.
Getting assistance from professional or trained personnel will go a long way to fix any problem. Don't channel your energy on what you can't solve, rather channel it on what you can change or fix. In that way, you get peace of mind. Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery, and stagnation. Moral: Invest your energy in the things you can change. 4. Figure out what you really want. In some situations, we don't know what we actually need. As a bachelor, you must know the kind of woman you want, and the same principle is applicable to a woman. As an entrepreneur, you must know what your skills set are, as a businessman, you must know what business you can manage in addition to having a good b a c k g r o u n d a n d understanding, as a student, you must know the subject that interests you. Failure to do your due diligence might make you frustrated down the line, and it won't take long for your life will be over. The journey of life is truly not for the feeble minded. Just like marriage, you must brace up.
From birth, you grow up, go to school, get a job, get married, start a family, have grandkid/ great-grandchildren before meeting your creator at the appointed time if life does not take us earlier. So, as you journey through life, don't give up, no matter the challenges that come your way. According to Winston Churchill, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. We a l l h a v e d i f f e r e n t experiences which shape our life. To put it in a proper perspective, an encounter is an experience that makes your life story incomplete without the mention of that experience. To know if you have had an encounter, look at your life before that experience came and after it has made an impact on you. An encounter can result on account of somebody you met, a job, your spouse, or even a spiritual transformation. In conclusion, I don't know what your storyline is, but I will leave you with the words of Roy Bennet, “be happy for everything that happened to you, is an experience”.
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U.K. Health Officials Approve Pfizer's COVID Vaccine By: Vetiva
W
hat shaped the past week?
Global: Global markets traded in a mixed manner last week amid escalations in U.S. – China tensions, and positive news on a COVID vaccine. In the U.S., a bill passed by the U.S. House of Reps, would give the government the power to delist Chinese firms on U.S. exchanges; in addition, The Trump Administration blacklisted Chinese chipmaker Semiconductor
Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and energy firm China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), over national security concerns, no doubt raising tensions between the two superpowers; this weighed on sentiment in the first two trading sessions of the week. However, in the latter stages of the week, U.K. medicines regulator, the MHRA approved the Pfizer vaccine candidate; with 800,000 doses due in
the coming days, according to Pfizer. This boosted investor sentiment primarily in U.S. and Asian markets. The optimism over a vaccine, was further supported by a positive reaction to news that U.S. drug-maker Moderna filed for approval for its vaccine candidate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, unlike their counterparts in Asia and America, major European markets closed in the red,
with the FTSE being the lone gainer as statements from EU and British negotiators were not enough to ease investors' fears of a no-deal Brexit and push markets higher. Domestic Economy: The week started with demand pressures at the parallel market, weakening the Naira to N500/$. In a bid to improve foreign exchange supply at the window, the Central Bank of Nigeria directed International Monetary
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Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to fund agent banks' correspondent accounts, which will be responsible for final payments to beneficiaries. Tr u e t o t h e C B N ' s expectations, the move by the Bank eased the pressures on the Naira in the parallel market, resulting in a ₦30 appreciation. The policy by the CBN could provide short-term relief to the Naira as improved economic activity in advanced economies buoy remittance inflows. On the flip side, the continued expansion in the country's
the banking sector shed 313bps w/w, driven by profit-taking activity, e s p e c i a l l y o n ZENITHBANK (-204bps w/w), FBNH (-405bps w/w) and UBA (-238bps w/w). Meanwhile in the Industrial Goods sector (221bps w/w), after significant gains in previous sessions, investors booked profits o n F r i d a y, d r a g g i n g DANGCEM (-293bps w/w) and BUACEMENT (-179bps w/w). Moreover, the Consumer Goods space lost 278bps w/w, in large part due to broadbased selling across the
income market traded in a largely bearish manner last week, driven by profittaking activity in the bonds space. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), conducted an OMO auction where it offered ₦70 billion and sold ₦60 billion across the 124Day, 194-Day and 362Day maturities, at stop rates of 1.99%, 4.85% and 6.24% respectively. Yields across benchmark bonds surged 11bps w/w, as investors took profit at the tail-end of the curve. Meanwhile, with investors monitoring the developments in the
markets in the coming week? Equity market: It was a relatively quiet session on the last trading day of the week as investors continued to stay on the sidelines. Crosses in DANGCEM, UBA and S TA N B I C b o o s t e d market turnover, which would have closed lower otherwise. We believe, as prices continue to decline, investors on the sidelines will begin to take position in fundamentally sound stocks with attractive dividend yields as rates in the fixed income
manufacturing sector - as reflected in November's PMI numbers - could translate to pent-up demand for raw materials by manufacturers. This, alongside seasonal demand pressures by consumers, could continually mount demand-side pressures at the parallel window, limiting the policy's moderating impact on the Naira exchange rate in the near term. Equities: Nigerian equities edged higher last week, advancing 72bps w/w, despite three out of the four major indices closing in the red. Firstly,
space, with UNILEVER (5 4 5 b p s w / w ) , FLOURMILL (536bps w/w) and DANGSUGAR (500bps w/w) shedding value. Finally, the Oil and Gas sector closed 171bps higher w/w, driven by gains in MOBIL (+920bps w/w) as well as other midcap stocks in the space. However, despite the profit-taking activities, strong gains in AIRTELAFRI (+19.63% w/w) helped prop-up the market for a green w/w close, while volume and value traded eased xx.xx% and xx.xx% w/w respectively. Fixed Income: The fixed
macroeconomic sphere, it was a relatively quiet week in the OMO space, where yields advanced 8bps w/w. The NTB space witnessed little to no participation last week, as rates closed flat in 4 consecutive sessions, resulting in a 2bps increase in yields, as investors took profits in Friday's session. Currency: The Naira appreciated ₦3.75 w/w at I&E FX Window to settle at ₦395.00 and while appreciating ₦30.00 w/w to close at ₦470.00 against the dollar in the parallel market. What will shape
market continue to decline. Fixed Income market: We expect investors to m o n i t o r t h e developments in the macro space before executing their trading strategy in the coming week. In addition, the buoyancy of system liquidity at the start of the week could influence activity levels in the market. Currency: We expect the naira to remain largely stable across the various windows of the currency space as the CBN maintains interventions in the FX
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market. Focus for the week ACCESS BANK PLC (ACCESS) - Strong 9M results, thanks to NonInterest Income lines Profits surge 16% y/y on back of strong NonInterest Income ACCESS recently released 9M'20 results, reporting 15% y/y growth in Gross Earnings to ₦592.8 billion (Vetiva estimate: ₦568.8 billion). Once again, this came despite a 7% y/y decline in Interest Income and was mainly the result of a 100% y/y surge in Non-Interest Income, which was driven by net gains on financial instruments, and foreign exchange gains totaling ₦96.8 billion. On the other hand, provisions jumped 223% y/y to ₦34.2 billion (Vetiva estimate: ₦24.7 billion) while Opex grew 27% y/y to ₦262.9 billion, in line with our estimate. As expected, the bank's operating costs softened in Q3, falling 2% y/y to ₦77.4 billion after the oneoff charges recognized in Q2 which caused the initial surge. Overall, this led to a 16% y/y growth in PBT to ₦116.6 billion and PAT of ₦102.3 billion, already surpassing FY'19 PAT of ₦98 billion. Stronger cost synergies drive strong Q3 outperformance Access Bank's Q3 performance was mixed, with Gross Earnings climbing 5% q/q to ₦196.0 billion. Interest Income rose 12% q/q to ₦128.6 billion while Interest expense declined 4% q/q
to ₦58.5 billion, resulting in a 30% q/q rise in Net Interest Income to ₦70.1 billion. Meanwhile, NonInterest Income was 6% lower q/q, dragged by a ₦50.6 billion net loss on financial instruments. Amid these, Opex fell 14% q/q as one-off charges and expenses present in Q2
improvements in economic activity, whilst we forecast lower provisions to be recognized in Q4. Therefore, we raise our FY'20 Non-Interest Income estimate to ₦285.8 billion (Previous: ₦227.4 billion). Conversely, we revise our provision expectation to
(Previous: ₦2.573) and a 12-month target price of ₦13.47 (Previous: ₦ 11 . 3 5 ) . T h u s , w e maintain our BUY rating on the stock. The bank's shares are currently trading at P/E and P/B of 2.9x and 0.5x vs a Tier-I average of 4.1x and 0.8x respectively. Whilst reasonable care
were not repeated. Furthermore, provisions grew 124% q/q to ₦17.8 billion. This led to a 51% q/q rise in PBT to ₦42.3 billion, while PAT came in 106% higher q/q at ₦41.3 billion. Looking forward, t h e e x p e c t e d improvements in quarterly performance have begun to materialize and we foresee further improvements in both Interest and Non-Interest Income in the final quarter due to further
₦40.7 billion (Previous: ₦32.9 billion), while raising our Opex forecast to ₦321.9 billion (Previous: ₦306.2 billion). TP revised to ₦13.47 (Previous: ₦11.95) As a result of our revisions and the bank's s i g n i f i c a n t outperformance, we have raised our FY'20 PAT estimate to ₦134.9 billion (Previous: ₦97.4 billion). This yields an EPS projection of ₦3.80
has been taken in preparing this document to ensure the accuracy of facts stated herein and that the ratings, forecasts, estimates and opinions also contained herein are objective, reasonable and fair, no responsibility or liability is accepted either by Ve t i v a C a p i t a l Management Limited or any of its employees for any error of fact or o p i n i o n e x p re s s e d herein.
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Arik Air Sacks 300 Workers
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he management of Arik Air has relieved 300 members of staff of their appointments. This was announced in a statement by the airline on Friday. It blamed the sacking on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The press statement was titled, “Arik Air management declares 300 staff redundant”. The company explained that a redundancy package would be provided for the affected workers with the help of the aviation unions. The statement read in part, “Arising from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,
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leading to the constrained ability of the airline to complete heavy maintenance activities and return its planes to operations, stunted revenues against increasing operational costs, the management of Arik Air (In Receivership) has declared 300 staff members redundant to its current level of operations. “The leadership of the impacted unions has been contacted to negotiate a redundancy package for the affected staff.” The airline added that over 50 per cent of its workforce of over 1,600 staff have been on furlough in the past six months.
In a separate statement also forwarded to our correspondent by its Public Relations and Communications Manager, Banji Ola, the airline apologised to passengers whose travel plans were disrupted by the protest carried out by the National Union of Air
Transport Employees on December 3, 2020. The picketing disrupted operations in Lagos and prevented the airline from processing passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal 1 and 2.
NPA Generated N291bn In 10 Months – MD
he Nigerian Ports Authority generated N291bn revenue between January to October 2020. This was disclosed by the M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r, Hadiza Bala-Usman, in a television programme on Thursday. Usman noted that the revenue of N291bn was in contrast to the N298bn received last year, as she explained that a month was left to surpass the previously set record. She said, “Despite the challenges within the economy, the Nigerian ports between the period of January to October, was able to raise 291bn as revenue. “In 2019, we raised 298bn between January to December. You can see
t h a t t h e differential is marginal. “In NovemberDecember we may be able to meet up to what we made in 2019 or we may not. There was a reduction but it was not huge in t e r m s o f revenue.” The NPA boss said port operations suffered a downtime of two days after recent attacks on port headquarters. She said, “Regarding our operations, we had a downtime of two days sorting Internet services provisions for payment. We were up after 48 hours to continue operations.
“The offices torched were corporate and strategic communication and some part of the audit department- the windows got burnt but we didn't lose any documents. “On one side we look at it as random hoodlums, on the other hand, we also
have a lot of questions to answer like why your office? However seven people were arrested and we have CCTV footage of the attack.” Usman highlighted that some of the push backs she has faced include the Secure Anchorage Area.
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Dangote Refinery Named Among 20 Most Influential Projects
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angote oil refinery has been listed among the top 20 influential projects surveyed in the last 18 months by the Project Management Institute. Dangote Industries Limited said in a statement on Thursday that the refinery was recognised for the potential to fuel Nigeria's economic transformation from an importer to a selfsustaining powerhouse in petroleum refining. According to the statement, the PMI said the 2020 Most Influential Projects list highlights compelling projects around the world and across industries that
achieved significant milestones and impacted society. It said the list identified the noteworthy projects that had defined the past year – a year that has been dramatically transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. PMI's Vice President of Global Engagement, Otema Yirenkyi, was quoted as saying, “When it's completed in 2021, the Dangote oil refinery in Nigeria will be the largest oil refinery in Africa and one of the largest in the world, processing 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day and creating nearly 35,000 jobs in and around Lagos. “But its benefits run
deeper than that. By creating a self-sustaining supply of high-quality refined petroleum products, the project will reduce the country's reliance on imports, help stabilise its currency and aid in the fight against poverty.” The President and Chief Executive Officer, PMI,
Sunil Prashara, said the most influential projects reflected how project managers and change managers had found ingenious ways to keep initiatives moving forward in the face of unexpected obstacles associated with the pandemic.
CBN Expects $2bn Diaspora Remittances Monthly, Says Emefiele
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he Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on Thursday, said the target of the CBN is for the country to attract about $2bn monthly as remittances from citizens in diaspora. Emefiele's position is coming after the apex bank introduced its new Diaspora Foreign Exchange Remittances Policy. The CBN boss told journalists during a press briefing on the new policy in Abuja that countries that had similar demographic features with Nigeria, such as Pakistan, often received about $2bn monthly from their citizens in diaspora. He said, “I'm aware from the data available that, for
i n s t a n c e , Pakistan, even in the midst of COVID-19 receives $2bn monthly from flows from Pakistani in diaspora. “If Nigeria is able to receive even if it is just $1bn monthly or moving close to $2bn monthly, I'm so certain you all know what will happen to the exchange rate in Nigeria.” Emefiele noted that should the $2bn monthly target be met, Deposit Money Banks would after some time have no need of calling the CBN to fund their commercial operations.
“So, that is why we are saying that we want to aggressively take on this and see how this will help o u r e c o n o m y, ” t h e governor said. He declared to Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora that the policy of recipients receiving their monies from abroad would kick off on
December 4, 2020. He noted that in a bid to block any loophole to manipulate the policy, the CBN had ordered all DMBs to close all their Naira General Ledger through which the naira remittances were hitherto being carried out.
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Buhari To Go Tough On Discos, Agents Selling Prepaid Meters
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r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his resolve to mete stiff measures to any of the Discos or their agents selling prepaid meters to their customers against the directive that they should be distributed free. This is in furtherance of the directive that a total of six million meters, manufactured or assembled locally, should be rolled out to electricity consumers to end the agitation against estimated billing. The Special Adviser to the P r e s i d e n t o n Infrastructure, Ahmed Rufai Zakar, who represented Buhari at the
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FGN/NLC-TUC adhoc committee on electricity tariff stakeholders engagement in Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday, said the president understood the citizens' plights on issues surrounding electricity and was determined to deal with bad elements. He said, “We have made it very clear through the regulators direct order as well as intervention from the Ministry of Power that the meters are to be provided to Nigerians at no cost. “Even for meters that were paid for, there is the directive from the
regulator to the discos that they would need to find a way to reimburse those citizens over time. “In cases where we find any disco or disco representative selling the meters or exploiting Nigerians to be able to get meters by paying, we
would take the full measures of the law. “The President has mandated that these meters must be free. We have also said that they must come from local manufacturers. “This would create jobs and revive our industry.”
Naira Gains, Exchanges For 490/$ c r u d e o i l
aira exchanged to the dollar at 490/$ in the parallel market on Wednesday, after it had sold for N500 on Monday. The Bureau De Change operators had attributed the devaluation the naira is currently experiencing to speculative activities of some operators. The Central Bank of Nigeria however retained the official exchange rate at N379/$ on its website. During the Annual Bankers Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, spoke on the exchange rate. He said, “Like other emerging market countries and countries reliant on oil exports, the decline in
earnings as well as the retreat by foreign portfolio i n v e s t o r s significantly affected the supply of foreign exchange into Nigeria. “In order to adjust for the decrease in supply of foreign exchange, the naira depreciated from N305/$ to N360/$ and subsequently to N380/$. “With the decline in our foreign exchange earnings and successive exchange rate adjustments, the CBN has continued to implement a demand management framework, which is designed to
bolster the production of items that can be produced in Nigeria, and aid conservation of our external reserves.” Due to the unprecedented nature of the shock, he said, it had continued to favour a gradual
liberalisation of the foreign exchange market in order to smoothen exchange rate volatility and mitigate the impact which, rapid changes in the exchange rate could have on key macroeconomic variables.
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Continued Border Closure Counterproductive – MAN
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he Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has said the continued closure of the nation's land borders is counterproductive to the Nigerian economy. “There is a definite urgency to reopen the borders and re-establish that the normal protocol and normal trade treaties continue to take place because it is in our interest,” MAN President, Ahmed Mansur, urged the Federal Government on Thursday. Nigeria had in August 2019 closed its land borders to curtail illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products into c o u n t r y f r o m n e i g h b o u r i n g We s t African nations. The Minister of Finance,
Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had recently said the nation's land borders may be reopened soon. According to the MAN President, one year is enough time to address the reasons for the border closure. He said some Nigerian manufacturers exporting goods through the land borders may permanently lose their market share in the West Africa sub-region with continued border closure. Mansur, who spoke today while featuring on a television programme in Lagos, however, stressed on the need for a regulatory framework to ensure the safe reopening of the borders. “We are aware that the border closure is a two-way
thing; it affects us and it also affects our neighbours. Since the closure last year August, o u r ( We s t A f r i c a n ) neighbours have recognised the futility of what they were doing and the need to respect agreements. “There may be need to put in place further arrangements to ensure that the purposes with which the borders were closed are not defeated,” he submitted. Mansur said his association has been in constant dialogue with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ministries of trade and finance as well as various Nigerian agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service, National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, amongst others. “Many of the agencies have been looking inward to see what they can do to improve their operations. For instance, we are aware that the Customs Services is now introducing more computerised systems for import control. I believe the agencies are rising to the occasion. “I believe that the issues that necessitated the border closure in the first instance have significantly been ameliorated and under such circumstances, it is counterproductive to continue to keep the borders closed,” he stated.
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Reps Summon Ahmed, Emefiele Over $21bn NLNG Funds, N1.2tn Proceeds
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he House of Representatives, on Thursday, summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, over alleged illegal withdrawal of $21bn from the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Limited's Dividends Account between 1999 and 2020. The House Committee on Public Accounts issued the summons after a presentation by the Group M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, who argued that the deductions from
the NLNG Dividends Account were approved by relevant authorities, namely Federal Ministry of Finance, CBN and NNPC. Kyari, who was represented by the Chief Financial Officer, NNPC, Umar Ajiya, stated that the proceeds from the Dividends Account were the Federal Government's share of revenues from oil shared among the federal and state tiers of the Federation. He said, “All withdrawals were based on approved mandates of the relevant authorities. As far as NNPC is concerned, investments in NLNG were done on behalf of the Federal Government. “I was the treasurer of NLNG, so I was aware of the Federal Government's investment in the project.
The same matter came up at the FEC and was referred to a committee headed by the Governor of Kaduna State (Nasir elRufai). “But the fact is that, the Federal Government, through the NNPC, is the true owner of the investment. It is accrued to the Federal Government, not the Federation Account. “There is no question of illegal withdrawal. Nobody can withdraw from the account, illegally; the CBN Governor can be invited to attest to that.” While noting that NNPC sits on the NLNG board on behalf of the Federal Government, he said proceeds from the
investment were managed and disbursed or dispensed or utilised, based on the instruction of the Federal Government. He said, “When I say Federal Government, I do not mean NNPC. Ordinarily, it is the Federal Ministry of Finance that directs the u t i l i s a t i o n . We a r e merely the agents of the Federal Government.” While responding to an audit query on the alleged unauthorised deduction of over N1.2tn from proceeds from oil in the 2014 fiscal year, Ajiya said, “The NNPC couldn't have remitted all its earnings” into the Federation Account, during the period under review. www.thebossnewspapers.com
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Stock Market Down By N42bn On Profit-Taking
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he Nigerian equity market returned to negative territory on Wednesday as investors began to take profits to increase capital gains. Key market indicators, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index declined by 0.3 per cent as bargain hunters widen sell-offs to take profits from gains recorded last week. The market breadth closed negative with 22 losers against 19 gainers. Consequently, the AllShare Index dropped by 90.8 basis points or 0.3 per cent to close at 35,056.82 basis points as against 35,147.62 recorded the previous day. The market capitalisation of equities depreciated by N42bn to close at
N18.32tn from N18.36tn as market sentiment returned to the red zone. Meanwhile, a turnover of 368.97 million shares exchanged in 4,598 deals was recorded in the day's trading. The premium subsector was the most active during the day (measured by turnover volume); with 162.20 million shares exchanged by investors in 1,620 deals. Volume in the subsector was largely driven by activities in the shares of FBNH Plc and Access Bank Plc. The banking subsector of the financial services sector was boosted by activities in the shares of Fidelity Bank Plc and GTBank Plc followed with a turnover of 56.62m shares in 763 deals. The number of gainers at the
close of trading session was 19 while decliners closed at 22. AIICO Insurance Plc led the gainers' table with a gain of 9.90 per cent to close at N1.11 per share while Regency Alliance Assurance Plc followed with a gain of 9.09 per cent each to close at 24 kobo per share. FTN Cocoa Plc added 8.70 per cent to close at 25 kobo per share.
On the other hand, C and I Leasing Nigeria Plc led the price losers' table, dropping 9.90 per cent to close at N4.46 per share. AXA-Mansard Insurance Plc followed with 9.70 per cent to close at N2.14 per share while NNFM Plc posted a loss of 9.67 per cent to close at N6.26 per share.
NPA Hands Over Tarkwa Bay Land To Navy
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he Nigerian Port Authority has handed over 18 hectares of land at Tarkwa Bay to the Nigerian Navy for the establishment of a Forward Operating Base. The ceremony was held at Tarkwa Bay Island on Wednesday. Prior to now, the issue of a Forward Operation Base had lingered between the NPA and NN for some time. The Flag Commanding Officer, Western Naval Command represented by the Chief Staff Officer, Rear Admiral Tanko Pani, assured that the land would be used by the Nigerian Navy judiciously for the purpose for which it was given and checkmate the rise of criminal elements. He said, “It is a shared vision
that the proposed base will further checkmate the nefarious activities of criminal elements and other miscreants on the high seas and on Tarkwa Bay Island, while enhancing the safety and security of navigation within our waters in line with our collective mandate.” Pani explained that the Tarkwa Bay Island had been under siege due to the activities of the unpatriotic Nigerians who carried out piracy and vandalism of the NNPC pipeline, as well as involve in other criminal activities which necessitated the authorisation of 'Operation Kurombe' by the defence headquarters. According to him, the operation had dislodged the criminals and their
collaborators from their hideouts outside the island, and also helped in the arrest of some suspected vandals, confiscation of nine trucks of which six were fully loaded with siphoned petroleum products from the NNPC pipelines earlier. The General Manager, Lands, NPA, Ahmed Yusuf, in his remarks, said that the discussion on the Forward Operating Base started since 2010 between the NPA and the Nigerian Navy.
“We are pleased with the partnership we have with the Nigerian Navy, it has been a long one and we believe that the establishment will go a long way to strengthen the relationship between both parties in securing the facilities,” he said. Yusuf also hoped that ceding the land to Navy would quell the threat from the miscreants both on the island and in the water.
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Lifestyle
Vol.2.75
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A Publication of Ovation Media Group
TOP-NOTCH
Burna Boy Finally Reacts To Allegations of Cheating With An American Lady FASHION
Senator:
Fashion Statement For All Occasions
Praise Nelson Celebrates His Sister With One Arm on Her Birthday
Neymar: I Want To Play With Messi Again
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TOPNOTCH ...Celebrity Gist Unlimited
Osaze Tenders Apology To Kanu Nwankwo Over Attack On Amara
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saze Odemwingie, former Super Eagles forward, has apologised to Kanu Nwankwo, also a former Super Eagles captain, for calling out his family on social media. Osaze had lambasted Amara, wife of Nigerian legend, Kanu, accusing her of chasing him relentlessly. According to the Russia-born former Nigeria international, Amara was sending him private messages. He called her Delilah adding that she was destined for destruction for living an American lifestyle. But in his apology, which he also announced via the same medium, Instagram, the former Lille player said he didn't mean those words as the Nigerian media portrayed them. Kanu, also known as Papilo, had in his reaction to Osaze's ranting, reminded the player that he would always choose his family before anything else.
I'll Legalize Weed, Embezzle Money If I Become Nigeria President - Zlatan Ibile Tells BBC
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igerian rapper, Zlatan Ibile has said he would embezzle money if he becomes the president of Nigeria. The rapper revealed this while sharing his journey to fame as an artist. Zlatan in an interview with BBC Pidgin said he worked as a bricklayer, gambled at game centres and did other menial jobs to take care of himself. The musician said those were a few of the challenges he faced while starting his career as a musician. When asked what he would do if he became the President of Nigeria, Zlatan said that he would embezzle money. “I will embezzle money like our president and governors. “I will also do basic things for the country but will embezzle some money and leave the country,� Zlatan said. The rapper added that he would also set up a farm to grow weed and legalize it in Nigeria if he becomes President. www.thebossnewspapers.com
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Agbani Darego Welcomes Second Child
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ormer Miss World, Agbani Darego has welcomed her second child with husband, Ishaya Danjuma. Sharing the good news on her Instagram page with a picture that announces the birth of her child. Agbani wrote; 'Thankful' Agbani Darego and Danjuma got married in April 2017, had their first child, a son in September 2018.
Malivelihood Gifts His Wife A Brand New Porsche SUV
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opular jeweler, Michael Awujoola, better known as Malivelihood has handed the key of a brand new Porsche SUV to his newly wedded wife. The former boyfriend of Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, gifted a Porsche Cayenne to the woman after his heart, Deola, at their traditional wedding. The wedding gift however came as a surprise to the bride, Senator Smart Adeyemi's daughter, as she could be sighted jumping for joy. Videos sighted on social media captured the elated bride inside the brand new car as her husband watched in equal excitement.
Burna Boy Finally Reacts To Allegations of Cheating With An American Lady
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urna Boy has finally responded to the deceiving gossip of engaging in extramarital relations with one American woman, by name of Jopearl. The side chick distinguished as Jopearl had gotten down on oneself acclaimed African Giant of how being his side chic has influenced her psychological wellness, adding that she can't do it any longer. Burna Boy responds to his cheating rumor with a "boot.ylicious" side chic Burna Boy anyway has been quiet regarding the matter since the most recent couple of days that the gossip broke out up to this point. Sharing an image of his posting through Instagram, the Grammy candidate indirectly teased the improvement by citing verses from one of Baba Frayo's melodies that signifies ''bragging or forming.' "Dem go dey Denge Denge , Dem go dey pose," he composed.
Burna Boy responds to his cheating rumor with a "boot.ylicious" side chic
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Praise Nelson Celebrates His Sister With One Arm on Her Birthday Big Brother Naija Star, Praise Nelson has celebrated his little sister, Favour Nelson on his Instagram page. According to him, even with one arm, she has gone on to do many amazing things. The reality star also shared her beautiful photos to celebrate her birthday today. He also left a catchy message in his caption which showed how much he adores his little sister. His caption reads: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY PRECIOUS JEWEL, MAY YOUR DAYS BE FILLED WITH LANDS AND DIAMOND, MUCH LOVE BABY GIRL. BIG BRO LOVES YOU
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Check Out Headies Awards 2020 Nominees' Full List
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he organisers of the Headies Awards have announced the list of nominees for its 14th edition. Earlier the organising body of the awards called for submission of entries in different categories. The Headies Awards nominees list is compiled from music works released between July 2019 and September 2020, the yearin-review. Breakout stars Omah Lay and Bella Shmurda bagged nominations in the coveted 'Next Rated' category. Other nominees in the 'Next Rated' category are Oxlade and Tems. See the list of the nominees below for the 14th edition of the Headies Awards. Next Rated 1. Omah Lay 2. Bella Shmurda 3. Oxlade 4. Tems Producer Of The Year 1.Pheelz – 'Billionaire' By Teni 2.Spax – 'Away' By Oxlade 3.Kel P – 'Pull Up' By Burna Boy 4.Sarz – 'Mad' By Sarz & Wurld Best Rap Album. 1.God'S Engineering – Aq 2.Illy Chapo X – Illbliss 3.Ypszn2 – Psycho Yp 4.Cult! – Paybac Iboro 5.The Erigma Ii – Erigga Best Alternative Album 1.Yellow – Brymo 2.Lucid – Asa 3.The Light – Bez 4.Pioneers – Drb Lasgidi 5.Roots – The Cavemen Best Pop Album 1.Apollo – Fireboy Dml
2.African Giant – Burna Boy 3.A Good Time – Davido 4.Woman Of Steel – Yemi Alade 5.Afro Pop Vol. 1 – Adekunle Gold Best Recording Of The Year 1.Ozymandias – Brymo 2.Smile – Wizkid Feat. Her 3.Wonderful – Burna Boy 4.Dreamer – Fireboy Dml 5.Ghost Town – Wurld Best Music Video 1. Eli – Fireboy By Clarence Peters 2.1 Milli – Davido By Director K 3.Smile – Wizkid By Meji Alabi 4.Billionaire – Teni By Tg Omori 5.Shekere – Yemi Alade By Ovie Etseyatse African Artiste Recognition 1.Master Kg 2.Kuami Eugene 3.Sauti Sol 4.Shaata Wale 5.Stonebwoy Best Collaboration 1.Know You – Ladipoe Feat. Simi 2.Nobody – Dj Neptune Feat. Joeboy & Mr. Eazi 3.Sweet In The Middle – Davido Feat. Naira Marley, Zlatan & Wurld 4.Don'T Call Me Back – Joeboy Feat. Mayorkun 5.Honeypotri – Id Cabasa Feat. Wizkid & Olamide 6.Get The Info – Phyno Ft Phenom And Falz Best Rap Single 1.Ogb4ig – Reminisce 2.Shut Up – Blaqbonez
3.Country – Illbliss 4.Get The Info – Phyno, Falz & Phenom 5.Bop Daddy – Falz Feat. Ms. Banks Best Vocal Performance (Male) 1. Wurld – Ghost Town 2.Chike – Forgive 3.Praiz – Under The Sky 4.Cohbams – Plenti 5.Nonso Amadi – What Makes You Sure 6.Johnny Drille – Count On You Best Vocal Performance (Female) 1.Simi – No Longer Beneficial 2.Lindsey Abudei – One On The Outside 3.Niniola – Addicted 4.J-Dess – Chi Efo 5.Yemi Alade – Lai Lai 6.Imanse – Ajala Headies Revelation 1.Victor Ad 2.Fireboy Dml 3.Joeboy 4.Teni 5.Rema 6.Chike Lyricist On The Roll 1. Aq – Eunice 2.Blaqbonez – Define Rap 2 3.Mi Abaga – Trinity 4.Illbliss – Country 5. Phenom – Get The Info
6. Phyno – Speak Life Best Street-Hop Artiste 1.Naira Marley & Young John – Mafo 2.Mayorkun – Geng 3.Reminisce Feat. Olamide & Naira Marley – Instagram 4.Rudeboy – Audio Money 5.Ivd & Zlatan – Bolanle 6.Olamide – Pawon Album Of The Year 1.African Giant – Burna Boy 2.Apollo – Fireboy Dml 3.Afro Pop Vol. 1 – Adekunle Gold 4.Yellow – Brymo 5.Boo Of The Booless – Chike H e a d i e s ' Vi e w e r ' s Choice 1.Davido 2.Omah Lay 3.Burna Boy 4.Falz 5.Fireboy Dml 6.Mayorkun 7. Dj Neptune 8. Wizkid Rookie Of The Year 1.Olakira 2.Alpha P 3.Jamopyper 4.Zinoleesky 5.Bad Boy Timz
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Relationship
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How To Know If Your Partner Is Faithful
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heating is the worst thing that someone can do to another human being, and one of the most traumatizing and horrible feelings is finding out that your partner has cheated on you. Imagining your partner with another person can drive anybody mad, so sometimes it's better to take a deep breath and evaluate whether there's really something to be worried about. It is important to be sure about your position in your relationship, so we collected a list of the signs that can indicate that your partner is fully committed and doesn't think about cheating. They show their commitment to the relationship All relationships have their ups and downs, but your partner shouldn't disappear
on you at the first sign of trouble. If your partner is always ready to talk things through and doesn't ignore you when things get tough, it's a sign that they are committed to this relationship and only have eyes for you. Be sure that they will do their best to make the relationship work. They are honest with you about everything In a mature relationship, partners should be able to share all their news with each other, and not just the pleasant news. If you notice that your partner even avoids telling white lies, it can be a sign that they're loyal to you and see you as a person who they can completely confide in. This can be their way of showing their respect and trust since they know that you won't judge them. They see that the
relationship is strong enough that you'll find a way to get through any situation together. Real and emotionally open with you Many people feel insecure in the relationship once they open up to another person. If your partner shares their worries and insecurities with you, it's a sign that they want to stay emotionally connected and are eager to let you into their life. If your partner is emotionally unavailable, it's better to have a conversation so you don't put distance between the two of you and find out the reason for this behavior. Their feelings are consistent If something is right for you, your gut will probably tell you about it right away. If your partner's feelings don't
change all the time and they don't suffer from mood swings, they're sure you're the one. They know what they want for their future and it's you, so there's no room for doubt. Put in enough effort to make the relationship work At the beginning of the relationship, partners are usually willing to communicate with each other more to make the relationship work. However, if you've been together for a while and this enthusiasm hasn't faded away, it's a sign that your partner sees you as the person who they can imagine their future with and this perspective is quite appealing. And no bumps in the road can prevent it from happening.
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Fashion
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SneakerFest: Inaugural Sneakers Festival In Nigeria Set To Hold In Lagos
T
he most populous and commercial city in Nigeria, Lagos, is set to experience a new trend in fashion and style as the city braces up for the first ever sneakers festival 'Sneakerfest' geared towards bringing together and celebrating sneakers' enthusiasts. SneakerFest is an initiative by a growing Nigerian S n e a k e r C o l l e c t o r, Ikemesit, otherwise called
'BadBlood' NkereuwemTim, with the aim to promote the Sneaker Culture in Nigeria through guaranteed exhibition of adequate fun and entertainment, including chances to win a minimum of 20 sneakers, set aside for youths who showcase their talents and win the various contests to be featured. According to statista.com, Nigeria's revenue in the sneakers segment amounts
to US$361m in 2020. This proves sneakers are not just accessories to Nigerian youths but an important fashion asset and a sense of belonging, which birthed a reason for a culture to celebrate these enthusiasts. The festival, which will take place on December 19, amongst all its goals is set to celebrate youths' achievements in street wear fashion, music,
dance, sports, arts, and also in a festival of games peculiar to the sneakers' culture, such as basketball. Despite the notch to flaunt and showcase individual's high taste of fashion in kicks, the event promises exciting shows like rap battles, dance battles, concerts, fashion shows, a retail marketplace, and networking.
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Fashion
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Senator:
Fashion Statement For All Occasions By: Ajibade Morakinyo
S
enator wear is one male fashion massively accepted even amidst females, and commonly known for its ability to blend the elegant look of traditional attire with a modern fashion wear that cut across all occasion. Senator wear is a two-piece ensemble that comprises a long top/shirt that almost touches the knees. This is outfit, although peculiar to people of Igbo and NigerDelta origin, was made popular by former Nigerian senate president Anyim Pius Anyim (2000-2003) who usually graced almost every occasion with this outfit during President Olusegun Obasanjo's tenure. Little wonder the garment won the name Senator. The senator wear bears much semblance to the Igbo traditional attire but unlike that of the Igbos, senators are made with plain suit fabrics of any desirable colour, rather than the tiger head prints known as Isi Agu used in making Igbo traditional attires. There are many latest senator wear styles such that if a man decides to sew a senator attire, he'd be presented with a wide range of classy styles which may make him wish to sew all at once. Below are pictures of the wear that suits all ocassion. www.thebossnewspapers.com
Fashion
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Fashion
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Sermon
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Water of Life By Babatunde Jose
W
here does the order in nature come from? Discoveries, especially those made in the 20th and 21st centuries, have shown that the flawless design of the universe is clearly the work of a supreme intelligence. What we do not understand is the automatic institution of the laws of nature as we know them today. Did the law of gravity evolve with time or it has always been there from the beginning? Was there a time when matter was floating as it does in outer space? Where did water come from? If animals we know today are products of evolution, what of plants. Did the oak tree evolve from potatoes? How did plant life come about? Where did mangoes come from? What of onions and tomatoes? Ginger and coconut? How and when in the development of the earth did the seeds of plants come about? There are too many questions begging for answers. The explanations given in science books are not satisfactory, too technical for the ordinary man to understand and raise many more questions and at times only confuse the enquirer the more. How did the common grass turn to barley, wheat, rice, and oats? We are tempted to agree with the English physicist Sir James Jeans in his book- The Mysterious Universe, who described the flawless order in the cosmos thus: A scientific study of the universe has suggested that the universe appears to have been designed by a pure mathematician. Every planet in the universe, is the critically important part of a larger order. Not one of their
positions in space or any of their movements is random: Of all the innumerable factors influencing the balances in the universe, a change in the position of just one planet is enough to bring chaos. But these balances are never upset. He Who created the seven heavens one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah). (Quran 67:3-4) Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. (Quran 2: 255) Charles Darwin first proposed the theory of evolution, which suggests that all living things came into being by the mechanism of chance. But the universe's perfect design led even Darwin to admit that there is no room for chance in its creation. As he wrote: This [conviction in the existence of God] follows from the extreme difficulty or rather impossibility of conceiving this immense and wonderful universe, including man with his capacity of looking far backwards and far into futurity, as the result of blind chance or necessity. The Quran says: To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: When He decreeth a matter, He saith to it: "Be," and it
is. (Quran 2: 117) The distance between the Earth and our moon ensures many important and vital significance for life on earth. Indeed, the slightest variation in the distance between the two bodies could give rise to significant imbalances: If it were much closer, the tides that the moon causes on the earth would become dangerously larger. Ocean waves would sweep across low-lying sections of the continents. Resultant friction would heat the oceans, destroying the delicate thermal balance needed for life on earth. A more distant moon would reduce tidal action, making the oceans more sluggish. Stagnant water would endanger marine life, yet it is that very marine life that produces the oxygen that we breathe. Thou seest the mountains and thinketh them firmly fixed: But they shall pass away as the clouds pass away: (Such is) the artistry of Allah, Who disposes of all things in perfect order: (Quran 27: 88) See also; (Quran 50:7) The distribution of heavenly bodies in the universe is designed exactly to conform to the needs of human life. In his
book The Symbiotic Universe, American astronomer George Greenstein explains the importance of the huge voids in space and the distances between heavenly bodies: All that wasted space! On the other hand, in this very waste lies our safety. It is a precondition for our existence. Most remarkable of all is that the overall emptiness of the cosmos seems to have no other consequence in the astronomical realm. Had the stars been somewhat closer, astrophysics would not have been so vastly different. The fundamental physical processes occurring within stars, nebulas, and the like would have proceeded unchanged. The appearance of our galaxy as seen from some far-distant vantage point would have been the same. About the only difference would have been the view of the night-time sky from the grass on which I lie, which would have been yet richer with stars. And oh, yes—one more small change: There would have been no me to do the viewing. Such is the Creation of Allah. . . . . . (Quran 31:11) Contemporary philosopher Jean Guitton of the French Academy writes: The first conditions that determined the
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Sermon basic constants of nature and the emergence of life were set in place with amazing exactness. To give an idea of how precisely the universe appears to have been constructed, it is enough to think of a golfer who can hit his ball from Earth to a hole on Mars! Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; (Quran 13: 2) See also (Quran 22: 18) ; (Quran 71:15-16); (Quran 41: 12) and (Quran 77: 25-27), He sends down water from the skies, and t h e c h a n n e l s f l o w, e a c h according to its measure: . . . . (Quran 13: 17) If the laws of the universe allowed only the solid and gaseous states of matter, life would never have come into being. This is because the atoms in solid matter are compact, relatively motionless, and do not allow the dynamic molecular activity needed for living organisms to develop. The atoms in gasses have no stability and move freely, preventing the functioning of the complex mechanisms of living organisms. In short, there must be a fluid environment for the functions necessary for life to develop. The most ideal fluid—rather the only ideal fluid—is water. The suitability of Earth's environment for the sustaining life is too wondrous to ever be explained by chance occurrences. Lawrence Henderson, a professor in Harvard University's department of biological chemistry, says the following in this regard: The fitness… [of these compounds constitutes] a series of maxima—unique or nearly unique properties of water, carbon dioxide, the compounds of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen and the ocean—so numerous, so varied, so complete among all things which are concerned in the problem that together they form certainly the greatest possible fitness. God has created the amount of water in the world in the way most appropriate for the survival of living things. The 18th century English natural scientist John Ray, writes the following in this regard: … If there were but half the sea that now is, there would also be but half Quantity of Vapours, and consequently we could have but half as many Rivers as now there are to supply all the dry land we have at present, and half as much more; for the quantity of Vapours which are raised, as well as to the heat which raised them. The Wise Creator therefore did so prudently order it, that the seas should be large enough to supply Vapours sufficient for all the land. To claim that all these events resulted from chance events, a person would have to be completely deluded. For that We pour forth water in abundance And We split the earth in fragments, . . . (Quran 80: 25-32) The molecular biologist Michael Denton writes: The fitness of water [for life] would in all probability be less if its viscosity were much lower. The structures of living systems would be subject to far more violent movements under shearing forces if the viscosity were as low as liquid hydrogen… If the viscosity of water were much lower, delicate structures would be easily disrupted . . . and water would be incapable of supporting any permanent intricate microscopic structures. The delicate molecular architecture of the
cell would probably not survive. If the viscosity were higher, the controlled movement of large macromolecules and particularly structures such as mitochondria and small organelles would be impossible, as would processes like cell division. All the vital activities of the cell would be effectively frozen, and cellular life of any sort remotely resembling that with which we are familiar would be impossible. The development of higher organisms, which is critically dependent on the ability of cells to move and crawl around during embryogenesis, would certainly be impossible if the viscosity of water were even slightly greater than it is. See Quran 67: 30 and Quran 56: 6869
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Wa t e r i s r e n e w e d i n a continuous cycle, in a state ready to be used by plants, animals, and human beings. Due to the sun's influence, the Earth's water is purified by evaporation. Evaporated water condenses in the atmosphere, forming clouds, and falls to the earth again as rain. In one year, for example, it is calculated that roughly six to seven hundred million tons of water evaporates at the equator, rises into the atmosphere, is carried towards the North and the South Poles, and eventually returns to the seas again, in the form of rain. If this transformation did not occur—life would certainly come to an end. Allahu Akbar!!! God is great! Barka Juma'at and a Happy Weekend
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Sports
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Stoke Boss O'Neil: Mikel Extremely Doubtful For Middlesbrough Clash
S
toke City manager Michael O'Neil says John Mikel Obi is a major doubt for his side's Sky Bet Championship h o m e c l a s h Middlesbrough on S a t u r d a y , Completesports.com reports. Mikel missed the Potters 10 away win against Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday as a result of
N
injury. The former Nigeria captain failed to complete 90 minutes for the first time this season after limping off the pitch in Stoke City's 0-0 draw at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend. “John Obi's still an extreme doubt, Steven Fletcher, Jordan Thompson… it's unlikely that we'll have any of those players back for the game tomorrow,”O'Neil stated during his interaction with the media on Friday. “We'll monitor them later today and see where they're at but I think we have to be mindful of the schedule as well and not rush people back too soon. “We are a wee bit stretched in terms of players that are out.”
Newcastle United Target Tomori Loan Move the Magpies expect to face The centre-back has
ewcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Fikayo Tomori on loan from Chelsea in January. Tomori has struggled for regular playing time at Chelsea this season following the arrival of Brazil captain Fikayo Tomori. According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are considering making a loan move for Tomori, however
competition from other clubs domestically and from overseas. It is not yet clear as to whether Tomori would prefer to stay in the Premier League or move abroad for experience in a different league. The 22-year-old had turned down a deadline day loan switch to West Ham United in the summer transfer window.
played just one Premier League match this campaign – coming on as a substitute in the defeat against Liverpool – while his o t h e r t w o appearances both came in the EFL Cup.
Neymar: I Want To Play With Messi Again
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aris Saint-Germain Brazilian star Neymar says he wants to link up with former teammate Lionel Messi in 2021. Neymar scored twice to help PSG to a 3-1 win over Man United at Old Trafford, a result that puts them in a strong position to reach the Champions League round of 16. The Brazilian joined PSG from Barca for a worldrecord €222million fee in 2017, partly, it has been suggested, to escape the shadow of Messi at Barcelona.
The Catalans won the treble in 2014-15 with an attacking trident of Neymar, Messi and Luis Suarez, but it has been claimed the former Santos man left Camp Nou so he could have a better chance of winning the Ballon d'Or. Neymar has since repeatedly been tipped to return to Spain but has made it clear he will stay in Paris until at least the end of the 2020-21 season. Messi failed to engineer a move away from Barça in the previous transfer window but, with his contract running out next June, it remains unclear whether he will choose to leave next year.
For his part, Neymar wants nothing more than to reunite with his old team-mate, telling ESPN on Wednesday: “What I want most is to play with Messi again. “I want to play with him. I'll let him play in my position if he wants! “Next year, we have to play together, for sure.”
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The
Editorial
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Is ASUU Being Greedy or FG Insensitive?
T
he Academic Staff Union of Universities
In this country, when you enter the university,
(ASUU), the umbrella body of all
your time of graduation is not determined by
academic activities in Nigerian
your brilliance or ability to pass all your
universities, have been on strike for as many
courses without carryover, but on the whims
months as one can remember, crippling
and caprices of the federal government or
learning processes, and rendering the students,
ASUU, depending on whose stubbornness or
who constituted over 60 per cent of the
greed is more pronounced.
Nigerian youth inactive.
If truth be told, the amount ASUU needs from
Much as ASUU strike is a recurring decimal in
the government to end the lingering imbroglio
the Nigeria body polity, many are of the
cannot bring the country to its knees, in fact, it
opinion that this is one strike too many. Not
is just a drop in the ocean. This is a country
only that, it is believed that this is good a time
where cash has been found stashed and
to continue in the strike. The reasons are not
abandoned, with no specified owner. Most
farfetched. In the first instance, the country is
times, in decaying condition. What is difficult
grappling with recovery from a disastrous
about giving It to ASUU, at least those stranded
pandemic, and as such everyone is making
children can go back to school. The
sacrifices to contribute to a speedy recovery. It
government must respond to the lecturers'
is expected that ASUU should be part of this
demand. It doesn't matter if they attend classes
sacrifice. While no one is asking them to
once in a whole session, leaving the students at
jettison, no matter how sensible or otherwise it
the mercy of what they can do for themselves
is, this is not the best of times for the children to
on their own. It doesn't matter if they belong to
stay at home.
more one campuses where they also earn as,
On the other hand, one wonders what it will
what do they call it, yes, visitor.
take the government to grant the lecturers their
But what is the bone of contention, especially
demand, no matter how unaccommodating
as it has been said that the government has
they think it is. The Nigerian public will reason
made some concessions. The strike according
that after all the government are paying
to ASUU, is to press on its demands which
themselves mega fees and allowances. Of
include revitalisation, Earned Academic
course, imagine where a whopping sum of
Allowances (EAA), renegotiation of the 2009
N2.2 billion is spent just for prayers against
Agreement, Visitation Panels, among others.
Boko Haram or where the Police budgeted the
However, recently, it has mandated
sum N2.8 billion just to fuel cars and bikes for a
government to leave the Integrated Payroll
season. Yes, ASUU must therefore, demand its
Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as
own bogus share of the national cake. It doesn't
condition to call off the strike. It prefers
matter if what they are getting already is quite
Transparency and Accountability Solution
substantial and enough. Yes, they should, or is
(UTAS) with the National Information
N29 million payment not enough for a
Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
lawmaker in the lower house? So why would
ASUU's position is captured thus:
the arms of government appropriate to
“…Our members have reduced their demand
themselves such huge and robust share of the
of one tranche N220bn of the outstanding
'loot' and leave ASUU out of it?
revitalization fund by 50 per cent.
Listening to the Exclusive Dollar Club
“The Union has also agreed that N30bn out of
president, who is also a former President of the
the so far verified arrears of N40bn of the
Nigeria Medical Association, Dr.Jerry Oguzie,
earned academic allowances (EAA) be paid to
speaking the other day, one would understand
our members while the balance of N10bn could
the insensitivity in the government's decision
be spread over the next two tranches…”
to ignore ASUU's request.
One of the them should shift ground so we
“We are perturbed that ASUU has been on
know who's being greedy or insensitive.
strike for the past six months, we are perturbed that our children are no longer in school, we are
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EDITORIAL TEAM PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dele Momodu momodudele@yahoo.co.uk ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Mobolaji Momodu EDITOR Michael Effiong mikeffiong2009@yahoo.com mikeffiong@ovationinternational.com ASST. EDITOR Eric Elezuo PHOTO EDITOR Adekoya Adegbite PRODUCTION MANAGER/ART DIRECTOR Isaac Edoh-Philip GRAPHICS DESIGNER Ajibade Morakinyo PHOTO JOURNALISTS Colin Ramsay...Ade James (USA)...Dayo Adedayo Isaac Adegbite...Dragan Mikki (UK)...Bodise Wilson Soji Adekunle...Vera Odjugo...Tope Brown Segun Lawal...Ken Ehimen...Adeyemi Funmilayo Guy L’Avenir (Benin Republic)...Ben Dzakah (Ghana) WEB DESIGNER/MANAGER Kwaku Yeboah Darteh MARKETING/ADVERTS Zed Dominic Okolue (Benin Republic) US CORRESPONDENTS Samantha Ofole Prince...Shola Orolugbagbe CONTRIBUTORS Jimi Akinniyi...Sanya Ojikutu...Isatou N’jie Dayo Olomu...Makeba Boateng LAGOS OFFICE Babatunde Martins - Head Admin Aderemi Abiola - Admin. Officer UK OPERATIONS 7, Du Maurier House, Lawn Road, London Nw3 2XE Tel: +447951026178, +447956967160 UK DISTRIBUTION/WORLDWIDE SUBSCRIPTION Jay Magazine & Newspaper Distribution, UK +44(20) 76358888, +447976628251 UK AND EUROPE DISTRIBUTION Quality Magazine Distribution Global Distribution MANAGING EDITOR BENIN REPUBLIC BUREAU Jeanne-Frances Maduakor Centre Commercial Xanadu-Ancien Pont, Wlacodiji Contonou Tel: +229 97221918, +229 98155422 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ike Okonta...Sunmi Smart-Cole...Okagbue Aduba Osasu Obayiuwana...Dupe Ashama Isha Tejan-Cole (West Africa)...Richie Dayo Johnson GHANA OPERATIONS 17, Asafoatse Afua Street, West Airport. Tel: +233244843099, +233244839737 LAGOS 2, Gabriel Akinmade Taylor Estate, Opebi-Allen Roundabout, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria Tel: +(234)8055069220, (0)8023002090, (4)4543030 TOGO BUREAU King Nee +2289160855 Chinyere Ndukwe +22890039631 DIRECTORS Segun Fatoye, Mobolaji Momodu, Damola Aderemi, Dele Momodu (CEO)
worried that our children are losing what they know. The FG should address the issue and stop playing politics with that,” he said.
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