24052018 - BUHARI-OBASANJO FACEOFF : Crossfire, as supporters bombard each other

14—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Military, backbone of Nigeria’s
unity, says Olonisakin
•Tasks ex-servicemen to unite under single association
By Joseph
Erunke
ABUJA—CHIEF
of
Defence Staff, General
Gabriel Olonisakin,
yesterday, attributed
Nigeria’s continued unity to
the critical roles being played
by Nigerian Armed Forces.
This came as he asked the
nation’s ex-servicemen to
unite under a single
umbrella, regretting that the
proliferation of associations
of military veterans was
hampering their efforts at
getting attention of
authorities in addressing
their needs.
The military chief, who
spoke in Abuja, in his
address at the opening of a
three-day workshop on
Unification of Veteran’s
Association, insisted that the
Armed Forces had been the
bastion of unity of the
country.
He said: “In Nigeria, the
Armed Forces have been the
bastion of unity from various
divisive tendencies that
constantly threaten the unity
of the country.“
According to him, the
critical and professional roles
being played by military
institution earned it ”the
pride of the nation. As an
institution, the Armed Forces
do not only concern
themselves with
maintaining the territorial
integrity of the nation, they
also contribute to the
maintenance of international
peace and security, and
perform other functions in
support of civil authority.”
He said the Nigerian
Armed Forces “can pride
themselves as having
professional men and
women comparable of being
the best anywhere in the
world.
Olonisakin while
commending retired armed
forces personnel for forming
various groups with a view
to addressing their problems,
noted that the development
had not allowed for focused
efforts for the benefits of
retirees across service, ranks
and place of abode.
He said: "Veterans have
explored the freedom of
association as enshrined in
our constitution to form
various associations, all in an
attempt to address the
welfare needs of veterans.
This has led to the
proliferation of veteran
associations, all seeking to
promote the welfare of
veterans.
"While this is good, it has
not allowed for focused efforts
for the benefits of all our
retirees across service, ranks
and place of abode.”
In his welcome address,
Director of Veteran Affairs
Division, Defence
Headquarters, Major-
General Edmund Obi, said
there was no doubt that those
who opted for military service
chose to make the greatest
sacrifice of self for the peace,
security and development of
the country.
“Their sense of patriotism
Falana @ 60: He's a great patriot,
defender of workers —NLC
By Victor
Ahiuma-Young
ABUJA—THE Nigeria
Labour Congress, NLC,
yesterday, said Nigerian
workers and masses would
continue to celebrate and hold
human rights activist and
Lagos lawyer, Chief Femi
Falana, SAN, high as he had
been in the forefront of the
crusade for the emancipation
of the Nigerian people.
NLC in a statement,
yesterday, celebrating the
60th birthday of Chief Falana,
its President, Comrade Ayuba
Wabba, described the activist
as a great Nigerian patriot,
lawyer and defender of
workers’ and people’s rights.
According to the statement,
“Femi Falana, since his
student days, has been in the
forefront of the crusade for the
emancipation of the Nigerian
people.
"As a student, even before
he became a lawyer, Femi
Falana was in the habit of
bailing fellow student union
activists who got captured by
the state. As a lawyer, Femi
Falana has continued in the
footsteps of Nigeria’s
numerouno Senior Advocate
of the Masses, Chief Gani
Fawehinmi.
"Femi has always broken
through the noise of silence
to speak out against
oppressive policies and
actions of those in the
corridors of political power.
His interventions as a human
rights crusader and activist
transcend ethnic, religious
and political sentiments and
have kept successive
governments in Nigeria on
their toes.
"Comrade Femi Falana is
not just a rabble rousing
activist, he is a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria with an
illustrious pedigree as a
lawyer’s lawyer and a
thorough bred professional.
His commitment to pristine
principles has elevated him
above many of his colleagues
in the legal profession, who
hide under the principles of
WAYS condoles Olabode
George over son's death
WOMEN and Youths
Support Group,
WAYS, for ATIKU 2019 has
commiserated with the
former Deputy National
Chairman of Peoples
Democratic Party,PDP, Chief
Olabode George over the
death of his son, Mr
Oladipupo George.
In a condolence letter
signed by Princess Kemi
Adesanya-Eboda, National
President/Global
Coordinator and Mr.
Christian Aburime, General
Secretary, the group
conveyed its heart-felt
sympathy over the death of
Oladipupo.
The letter, which was
officially delivered to Chief
George by Princess Kemi
Adesanya-Eboda in
company of her executive
members, which include the
Vice President, Mr Martins
is never in doubt and does
not end with the termination
of active service, “he said.
Obi explained that ”the
workshop is expected to form
the nucleus for the
attainment of the standard
obtainable in countries where
veterans are highly
respected and accorded
privileges."
AGM: From left, Mr Akinleye Olagbende, Company Secretary,
Forte Oil Plc; Mr Femi Otedola, Chairman, Forte Oil Plc, and Mr
Akin Akinfemiwa, Group Chief Executive Officer, during the 39th
Annual General Meeting of Forte Oil Plc, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo:
Kehinde Gbadamosi.
'adversarial litigation' and
'right to defend' to go to bed
with all manner of shady
characters, Mr Femi Falana
has continued to live above
board.
"In tandem with his avowed
commitment to the liberation
of the Nigerian State from
retrogressive forces, Comrade
Femi Falana has always been
on the same page with the
Nigeria Labour Congress in
so many of our campaigns for
social justice, equity and
national renewal."
Nomuoja; Publicity Secretary,
Mr Femi Afolabi and
Director of Mobilisation, Mr.
Victor Ezewi, read in parts:
“While death remains the
ultimate end of all mortals,
we take solace in the fact that
Dipo, as a young man, was
humble, gentle, diligent and
very hard working.
“He was generally loved by
all and sundry which was an
evident testimony to the way
and manner his death was
received across the length
and breadth of Nigeria. We,
therefore, sympathise with
you and pray that God
Almighty will give the entire
family the fortitude to bear the
loss.”
Receiving the WAYS
members, George expressed
gratitude to the WAYS
delegation for the show of
love and concern over the
death of his son.
AFRIMA 2018: AU unveils
calendar in Accra
•President Nana Akufo-Addo
embraces AFRIMA
THE All Africa Music
Awards, AFRIMA,
experienced the warmth of
the music and culture
industry of Ghana on
Monday, May 21, 2018
when the calendar of events
for the 5th edition of the
biggest awards event on the
continent was unveiled by
the African Union following
a meeting and courtesy visit
to the President of Ghana,
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-
Addo.
Welcoming the visiting
delegation led by Head of
Culture, African Union
Commission, Mrs. Angela
Martins, at the Presidential
Office, Jubilee House, Accra,
PreidentAkufo-Addo
lauded the initiative of
AFRIMA in conceiving a
platform that showcases
Africa positively to the world
through the creativity of the
music talents and the
distinctive African cultural
heritage.
He said: “The people of
Ghana are proud to host the
2018 AFRIMA World Media
Calendar Unveiling event
and to receive the delegation
of officials of AU and
AFRIMA as well the talented
artistes and the media.
"I’m excited to hear
AFRIMA is engaging the
rest of the world on an
intellectual platform with
conferences and the music
awards. We hope you have
had a remarkable experience
of Ghanaian hospitality. Our
hope is that we will host the
main awards ceremony.”
Earlier, while delivering
the AU’s remarks to President
Akufo-Addo, Mrs. Angela
Martins expressed
gratitude to the government
and people of Ghana for the
commitment and support
displayed towards hosting
the 2018 AFRIMA Calendar
Unveiling.
“We cherish the
partnership with the
government of Ghana since
it will enhance the pan-
African nature of the
AFRIMA initiative. The AU
also uses the AFRIMA
platform to voice key
messages related to the Arts
and Culture and other social
issues for example the
campaign on Ebola in 2014”,
she buttressed.
Meanwhile, the Calendar
Unveiling of the 5th
AFRIMA took place later in
the day at the Movenpick
Ambassador Hotel in Accra
where the theme of the
awards “Africa is Music” was
also revealed to the large
gathering of African and
international media.
This conference preceded
the formal unveiling of the
2018 AFRIMA Calendar by
Mrs. Angela Martins and
Director, Brand
Communications, AFRIMA,
Ms. Matlou Tsotetsi. The 5th
AFRIMA Calendar details
build up and main events
activities leading up to the
5th AFRIMA Main Awards
ceremony slated for
November 25, 2018.
Oyo-Ita lauds Buhari over
minimum wage c'ttee
ABUJA—HEAD of the
Civil Service of the
Federation, Ms. Winifred
Oyo-Ita, yesterday,
applauded President
Muhammadu Buhari for the
constitution of the
Presidential Committee on
Minimum Wage.
Speaking during a service
wide sensitisation workshop
on the 2017-2020 Federal
Civil Service Strategy and
Implementation Plan,
FCSSIP, Oyo-Ita said the
committee’s resolve would
bring a lasting solution to the
prayers of “poor civil
servants.”
The workshop, which was
organised for Directorate
Level Officers (GL 15-17) in
the ministry and Extra-
Ministerial Departments, was
held at the International
Conference Centre in Abuja,
the nation’s capital.
Oyo-Ita said the President
had undertaken to bridge the
salary difference between
civil servants and the public
service.
She described the 80,000
civil servants that make up
the 1.2 million public servants
in the country, as the “backbone
of government” and
most patriotic set of Nigerians,
as they don’t protest or go on
strike.
She said: “There is a
misconception that almost the
whole country has, as regards
civil servants salaries viz-aviz
public servant salaries,
now the public service is the
entire gamut of organisations
that source their funds from
the federal treasury and their
activities are guided by
government operations."
“The public service includes
military, para-military,
parastatals, agencies and the
core civil service.
“So when people talk about
the personnel cost of
government being so high,
they are talking about the
entire public service structure,
but within the public service
structure there are a few
people that are just about
80,000 in number and this
80,000 are the poor civil
servants in the ministries and
departments."