10042018 - Why I'm seeking a 2nd term — BUHARI

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018—35
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Onoja, Gov Bello’s Chief of Staff has
threatened to kill me—Daily Post editor
•Odunsi a lying janjaweed reporter; should go back to journalism school—Onoja
By Boluwaji Obahopo
LOKOJA—THE Deputy
Editor of Daily Post
Newspapers, Mr. Wale
Odunsi, has petitioned the
Inspector General of Police,
Mr. Ibrahim Idris, accusing
Mr. Edward Onoja, Chief
of Staff to Governor Yahaya
Bello of Kogi State, of
threatening to kill him.
However, in a swift
reaction, Mr. Onoja has
refuted the claims,
declaring that he has
already instructed his
lawyer to institute a law suit
against the online
newspaper over a false,
disheartening and
discrediting report that his
wife, child and he were
involved in a road mishap.
According to Onoja, “the
Daily Post has reported that
I am incapacitated and
unconscious after the road
mishap. So I ask how
possible it is for an
‘unconscious’ person like
me to threaten an ablebodied
person?
“That cannot be true. It is
the continuation of the spirit
of lies that has enveloped
them. That is a quantum of
lies and falsehood. I never
threatened anybody’s life.
“Wale Odunsi is a quack
and ‘janjaweed’ reporter. I
never travelled with my
wife or child; I am hale and
hearty.
“He should enroll back
into a journalism school
and spend at least six
months to get the proper
journalism training. They
failed to look into the tenet
of the journalism
profession. They didn’t try
to cross check the
authenticity of the story.
“They will soon hear from
my lawyer. But on the issue
of threat to life; it is a lie. I
didn’t and can’t threaten
his (Odunsi) life.”
Odunsi’s petition
Meanwhile, in the
petition submitted to the
Force Headquarters in
Abuja yesterday, Odunsi
said: “Mr. Onoja called me
at exactly 10:39a.m. on
Sunday, April 8, via phone
number 07088698212.
“The call was less than
three minutes. He
complained about a story
we published about him
and insisted it was false. I
politely told him to write to
our management to
formally complain. But he
dismissed my advice.
“He claimed the story was
a hatchet job, but I quickly
replied him that some other
media houses reported a
similar story.
“Mr. Onoja continued to
speak in harsh tones and
told me point blank that he
would order a hit on me. I
asked if he was threatening
me and he said ‘Yes, mark
my words. I will kill you’.
“He went on to say
‘Anywhere I see you, I will
tear you apart’. These are
weighty statements which
any reasonable person
must not take lightly.
“I am writing to you to
please use your good
offices to investigate this
threat before my life is cut
short.
“Even though I believe
God Almighty gives and
takes life, a direct and
unequivocal statement
such as Mr. Onoja’s should
not be swept under the
carpet.”
NOAH'S ARK ANNIVERSARY: From left— MD, TBWA Concept, Kelechi Nwosu; MD,
Noah's Ark Communication, Lanre Adisa; Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic
University, Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya; Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, and
Keynote Speaker, Thomas Kolster, during the 10th anniversary of Noah's Ark Communication in Lagos.
Prayers, only option to sustainable peace— Al-Makura
By David Odoma
L AFIA—FOLLOWING
increasing cases of
farmers/herdsmen
clashes leading to loss of
By Suzan Edeh
BAUCHI—THE United
Nation Children Fund,
UNICEF, yesterday, said it
had supported the
enrollment of no fewer than
one million girls in school
under the Girls’ Education
Project, GEP, in the last
eight years.
Speaking at the opening
ceremony of the National
Development Workshop on
Gender Right
to Education, Advocacy
lives and properties
across Nigeria, Governor
Tanko Al-Makura of
Nasarawa State has taken
the campaign for peace
and tolerance to the
and Mentoring Skills for
High Level Women
Advocates, HILWA, in
Bauchi, the Chief of Field
Office of UNICEF, Nigeria,
Bauchi Field Office, Mr.
Bhanu Pathak, said: “Over
the years, UNICEF has
supported the development
of women and children
through teacher training,
including training of 1,417
female teachers though
Trainee Scholarship
Scheme.
“UNICEF is also
Christian Association of
Nigeria, CAN, for
spiritual intervention.
Governor Al-Makura,
who spoke when he
received the leadership of
We've supported enrollment of
over 1m girls in Nigeria—UNICEF
supporting school
enrollment drives,
empowering communities
and assisting in the
establishment of the Girls
for Girls (G4G) and HILWA
groups in various states.”
In her address, the First
Lady of Bauchi State, Hajia
Hadiza Abubakar, said
HILWA had been working
round the clock to ensure
enrollment of the girl-child
in school, that she remains
in school and transits from
one level to another.
Nasarawa State branch of
CAN, said with the
unabated killings of
innocent Nigerians, the
only option left for a
sustainable peace was for
the religious bodies to take
Nigeria’s problems to God
in prayers.
According to the
governor, “my
administration has put in
place several measures
including resuscitating
the state’s inter-religious
council to foster religious
unity and peaceful coexistence
in the state.”
Earlier, state Chairman
of CAN, Bishop Joseph
Masin, commended Al-
Makura for his policies
that had brought about
relative peace across the
state and assured him of
CAN’s continuous
prayers for peace to rein
in the state.
Mark saved our democracy
from collapse—Ekweremadu
By Peter Duru
M AKURDI—THE
Deputy Senate
President, Ike
Ekweremadu, has said
the political tenacity and
foresight of former
Senate President, David
Mark, helped stabilise
Nigerian polity and
saved the country’s
democracy from collapse.
He explained that
Mark's ‘doctrine of
necessity’ saved the
country’s democracy
from collapse and the
constitution review
which he anchored were
achievements and
BMSG lauds Buhari’s
decision to seek re-election
BUHARI
Media
Support Group,
BMSG, has lauded the
resolve by President
Muhammadu Buhari to
seek re-election in 2019,
describing it as
encouraging and soul
lifting.
In a statement by
BMSG Coordinator,
Austin Braimoh, and
Secretary, Cassidy
Madueke, in Abuja, the
group congratulated All
Progressives Congress,
APC, on the President’s
declaration, noting that it
could not have come at a
better time, “as Nigerians
expect he will continue to
serve as a stabilising
factor.”
The group urged APC
to get prepared with
strategies to lead a
successful campaign for
the President to get reelected.
Winners emerge in
DiamondXtra promo
DIAMOND Bank has
rewarded 1,016
customers with N59
million, with Miss
Catherine Ulunma from
Abuja branch emerging
winner of the star prize
of an Hyundai Accent car,
in the DiamondXtra
Season 10 first quarterly
draws.
At the draws, held in
Lagos, Richard Anyanwu
from Mbaise branch
emerged winner of the
educational grant category
of N100,000 every
month for five years,
while Millicent Dufia,
Adedayo Adewale and
Charles Ikechukwu won
N1 million each in the
rent for a year category.
Speaking at the event,
the bank’s Head of
Consumer Banking,
imprints that would remain
indelible in Nigeria’s
history.
Ekweremadu, who
spoke at the 70th birthday
and thanksgiving service
at Saint Augustine’s
Catholic Church, Otukpo,
in honour of Mark, said:
“No doubt, the period the
former Senate President
presided over the National
Assembly was the golden
era of our democracy.”
In his speech, the
celebrant, Senator Mark,
appealed to Nigerians to
continue to pray and
ensure the enthronement
of peace and stability in the
country.
According to BMSG,
“we praise the President
that his efforts to diversify
the economy yielded fruits
in many folds, making
agriculture to take the
driver’s seat and offering
employment opportunities
to millions of hitherto
deprived Nigerians.
“It is also apposite to laud
the President on the zeal
his government displayed
in fighting corruption with
emphasis on loot and
assets recovery, as stolen
monies were recovered
from impossible places
where they were stashed.
“For these and more, we
appeal to Nigerians to
appreciate the President’s
declaration of intent to run
again, strong in our
conviction that he will
continue to run an open
and transparent
government if given a
second chance.”
Karmont Tukur, revealed
that since the inception of
the promo, the bank has
rewarded 11,000
customers with over N5
billion in the last nine
years, adding that the bank
will continue to change
lives and ensure closer
bonds with its customers.
Also, a representative of
the KPMG, the audit firm
in charge of the validation
process, Kenneth Ukanwa,
said the processes put in
place for picking eventual
winners and even those
qualified for the promo
were eligible Xtra savings
customers, adding that the
winners were selected
from a pool of electronic
tickets belonging to
DiamondXtra Savings
subscribers who had
balances in the account.