12062019 - How Lawan, Gbaja, others emerged winners

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2019
AWARD: From left, Mr Ephraim Nwokonneya, Director Research and Development; Funlola
Akiode, Director Licence and Authorisation; Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman,
all of Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Prof. Philip Oguntunde, Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Development) Federal University Technology, Akure; Mrs. Maryam Bayi, Director, Human Capital
Administration; Efosa Idehen, Director Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, both of NCC,
and Prof Muhammed Bashir Mu'azu, Chairman, Inter-Agency Committee, during the presentation
of award letters to Academics with Successful Proposals for the NCC 2018 Research Grant, yesterday
at the NCC Conference Room.
Why we’re celebrating June 12
—Osinbajo
THE
Federal
Government’s
decision to celebrate
Democracy Day on June 12
attests to President
Muhammadu Buhari's
administration’s
commitment to progressive
ideals, especially as it
relates to the political
history of the country, Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo
has said.
Osinbajo stated this,
yesterday, when he
received at the Presidential
Villa, Mr Aristobulo Isturiz,
the Vice President of
Venezuela, who is leading
the country’s delegation to
Nigeria’s Democracy Day
celebration.
Isturiz is among world
leaders at the head of their
countries’ delegation
attending Nigeria’s 2019
Democracy Day activities in
Abuja.
Explaining that the
Buhari administration
believes in resolving some
of the issues around the
annulled June 12 1993
presidential election,
Osinbajo said: “One of the
principal issues, politically,
was the recognition of that
election in 1993, which was
won by, now late, Chief
MKO Abiola, an important
progressive opposition
leader.
HEALTH TIPS
By Sola Ogundipe
Relief for back pain
Lifestyle has the biggest
influence on back pain and
healthy habits such as a
good diet, exercising,
stretching, and posture can
give you back pain relief or
help you prevent future
problems.
Staying fit is important for
avoiding back pain. Extra
kilos stress your back and
can cause pain. Also, keep
your back muscles strong.
The most common back
problems happen because
you aren’t in shape and start
doing heavy lifting or hard
work and stress your back.
In addition to exercise,
stretching is important for
staying flexible and
avoiding back problems. It’s
also a key part of recovering
from a back injury. Stretch
before doing heavy lifting
or exercise and make a
habit of doing it before bed.
Stretches can be as simple
as bending forward,
bending back, and
bending side to side. Try
yoga.
Poor posture is another
major contributor of back
pain. Standing up straight
with your ears over your
shoulders, your shoulders
over your hip joints and
your hip joints over your
ankles will help keep your
healthy pain-free. Sit on a
chair designed to keep
your back straight will help.
When you pick up a heavy
object, bend at the knees
and keep the item close to
your body. Take care not to
twist your body when you
lift. Stress tends to make
back pain worse. Soft
mattresses push your back
out of alignment, so it’s best
to choose a firm mattress.
‘’That is why we are
celebrating June 12 as our
new Democracy Day. So,
we are really very happy
that you are able to share
with us a very special event
— the celebration of our
new democracy day.”
On deepening ties
between Nigeria and
Venezuela, Osinbajo said:
“We believe that the
collaboration between our
countries in the economy,
culture and science, among
others, will be useful to our
people.
‘’We need to do a lot as
there are many areas for
potential cooperation,
including in agriculture, oil
and gas and mining.”
On his part, Vice
President Isturiz spoke on
the need for improved
cooperation between both
countries, including under
the auspices of the nonaligned
movement,
describing Nigeria as an
important mobiliser on the
African continent.
Saraki congratulates
Lawan, Gbaja
Former President of the
Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki,
has congratulated Senator
Ahmed Lawan on his
emergence as the
President of the 9th Senate.
In a statement signed by
his Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Saraki
also congratulated Senator
Ovie Omo-Agege, who is
the new Deputy Senate
President as well as Femi
Gbajabiamila, and his
deputy, Ahmed Idris Wase,
on their emergence as the
new presiding officers of the
9th House of
Representatives.
Saraki said:
“Congratulations to Senate
President Ahmed Lawan,
In the same vein,
Osinbajo, in a similar
meeting with the Vice
Premier of North Korea, Mr
Ri Ryong Nam, said the
potentials for an enhanced
cooperation between both
countries were enormous.
Vice Premier Ri Ryong
Nam congratulated
Nigeria on the occasion of
the country’s Democracy
Day celebration.
He said DPRK
acknowledged the efforts of
the Federal Government
under President Buhari to
improve the economy and
ensure socio-economic
stability.
According to Mr Ryong
Nam, “I am moved by the
efforts made by your
government to ensure
social stability and unity.
Your country has also
achieved eye-catching
successes, through reforms,
in the economy, making
Nigeria a leading economy
in the region.”
Speaker, Femi
Gbajabiamila; Deputy
Senate President, Ovie
Omo-Agege, and Deputy
Speaker, Idris Wase, as they
begin their journey as
presiding officers of the 9th
National Assembly.
“As you set forth on your
legislative endeavours in
the next four years, I ask
that you always put the
Nigerian people first in all
that you do and protect the
integrity of the legislative
institution.
“I wish you all,
distinguished senators and
honourable members,
utmost success as you work
to serve our nation and its
great people.”
PDP congratulates 9th
Assembly leadership
•Urges lawmakers to prioritise
legislative independence
By Dirisu
Yakubu
AWorking BUJA—NATIONAL
Committee,
NWC, of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
yesterday congratulated the
9th National Assembly for
its successful inauguration.
The party commended
the newly elected Senate
President, Ahmed
Lawan;Deputy Senate
President, Ovie Omo-
Agege, as well as the newly
elected Speaker, Femi
Gbajabiamila and Deputy
Speaker, Idris Wase, for
their victory in the keenly
contested elections.
In a statement signed by
its spokesman, Kola
Ologbondiyan, the party
vowed to stand on the side
of decency and utmost
respect for the institution of
the National Assembly and
“the values we hold as a
people.”
The statement further
read: “Our party charges
the federal lawmakers, as
representatives of the
people, to place the
welfare, wishes and
aspirations of Nigerians
above every other
consideration by ensuring
a strong and independent
legislature that upholds the
tenets of democracy and the
dictates of our constitution.
“The 9th National
Assembly, therefore, must
work hard to save our
nation from the prevailing
despondency caused by the
misrule of the President
Muhammadu Buhari
administration, by
effectively applying its
statutory legislative
instruments to guarantee
good governance and fiscal
prudence, curb corruption,
check the excesses of the
executive and protect the
rights of Nigerians from
incessant violations.
“The PDP reminds the
National Assembly
members to bear in mind
that their allegiance is to
the people and the
constitution and not to any
particular leader or group.
“Our party charges the
legislature to work only in
the interest of our nation
and resist the
manipulations and
pressure that might come
from quarters that seek to
undermine our democratic
order.”
MNJTF alerts parents,
leaders of ISWAP's
recruitment plans
A
B U J A —
Multinational
Joint Task Force, MNJTF,
has uncovered plans by
Islamic State of West
Africa Province, ISWAP, to
launch recruitment drive
in the coming months
through misinformation
embedded with
radicalisation
programmes.
ISWAP in 2016 pledged
allegiance to Boko Haram
terrorist group.
The MNJTF urged
traditional, religious,
community leaders and
parents to closely monitor
their wards to prevent
them from being recruited
by the terrorist
organisation.
According to a
statement by the
MNJTF’s spokesman,
Col. Timothy Antigha,
ISWAP is resorting to
misinformation and
propaganda to retain its
sponsors, supporters and
also impress potential
recruits.
Antigha explained that
ISWAP resorted to
propaganda following its
operational losses in the
last couple of weeks.
He further explained
that the terrorists in series
of falsehoods contained in
Issue 185 of its NAL-
NABA Magazine of June
7, claimed to have
attacked locations in
Nigeria and Niger
Republic.
Antigha said: “These
claims are misleading,
untrue and should,
therefore, be disregarded
by the public.
“The reality is that in an
effort to shore up its
waning influence in the
Lake Chad area, ISWAP
instigated some
skirmishes, which were
all neutralised at heavy
personnel and equipment
costs.
“This can in no way
justify the falsehoods
contained in the ISWAP
propaganda publication.
“In the light of the
forgoing, it is important
and urgent to warn the
public that part of a
recently discovered
ISWAP deception plan is
to continue on its current
misinformation with the
embedded radicalisation
programme, as a prelude
to launching a
recruitment drive in the
months to come.
“The ultimate aim is to
find replacement among
the population for the
hundreds of terrorists
killed by the MNJTF and
national forces in the
ongoing Operation
Yancin Tafki.”