15102019 - What Benin, Niger must do to get borders reopened — FG

More documents

Recommendations

Info

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 AWARD: From left— Executive Head of Department (Ag) Operations, Olumide Idowu, Finance Director, Oluseyi Olanrewaju, Finance Manager Treasury, Fejiro Adaka and Finance Manager, Tax, Yusuf La-Kadria all of Vodacom Business Nigeria, at the 5th Nigeria Finance Innovation Award where the company won awards for CFO of the year and Finance team of the year in Lagos. No opposition comment: APC frustrated over leakage of its plan on Atiku's appeal —CUPP •Asks party to stop day dreaming of a one party state, 3rd term By Joseph Erunke ABUJA—THE Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, yesterday carpeted the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, over the statement credited to the party on Sunday that Nigeria lacked opposition and was drifting towards a one-party state. The coalition in a statement, said the ruling party’s claim was borne out of frustration that it leaked its plan to alter seniority in the Supreme Court justices that will preside over the appeal between candidates of the APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In the statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, CUPP said it noted what it described as the uncharitable words used by the party’s spokesman, Lanre Issa- Onilu, in describing the CUPP which had remained a thorn in the flesh of the APC government whose sole agenda is to subdue the legislature, judiciary, the media, opposition members and those it felt made it accountable. The statement read: “Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has read a statement credited to the All Progressives Congress, APC, that Nigeria under its government is becoming a one party state. “We also note the uncharitable words used by the party’s spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in describing the CUPP which has remained a thorn in the flesh of the APC government whose sole agenda is to subdue the legislature, judiciary, the media, opposition members and those it feels makes it accountable. “The party’s outburst against opposition parties did not come to us as a surprise. The APC has shown that it is pained by CUPP’s recent exposure of its plan to alter the seniority tradition of selecting Supreme Court justices who sit on presidential election appeal, hence the outburst. “The attack by the APC is part of the party’s failed evil agenda to turn Nigeria to a Uromi leaders back Okiye as Edo Speaker By Alemma Aliu BENIN CITY—THE Uromi Leaders of Thought, ULT, yesterday, threw their weight behind Hon. Frank Okiye as Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly. The leaders made this position when they paid a courtesy call on the speaker. Made up of elder statesmen including the intelligential, businessmen, members from the academics and others, the group also called on the Speaker to extend the olive branch to members yet to be inaugurated to make it possible for them to be inaugurated. Presenting an address on behalf of the group, Professor Mike Obadan said: "Mr Speaker, your election did not come to us as a surprise because in your previous two terms, you distinguished yourself as a reliable representative of your Constituency. We therefore have faith and implicit confidence in you to do more in this new dispensation." The group also commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for the developmental work his administration is doing in the area particularly the Uromi - Ugboha water works which it was gathered has the capacity to serve the whole of Edo Central Senatorial District. The leaders urged the speaker to use his position to influence government to address some challenges in the area including security, the abandoned cassavita industry which they said since it was built 20 years ago, it has never been put to use, the dilapidating state of Esan Grammar School and a development plan for Uromi. In his response, Okiye said he was humbled by the support he got from such array of prominent sons from Uromi. He said considering the fact that late Chief Tony was one party state and to get third term for President Muhamadu Buhari. “We want the APC to know that this unwarranted attack will not deter us from continuing to expose all the evil plans of this government. We advise the party to forget these evil agenda because they will not materialise in Nigeria. “Nigerians will not allow enemies of the country to build a Museveni or Paul Biya country here. They should stop their day dreaming. “We also ask the party, since it claimed it has no opposition, to settle down and fix Nigeria. This is the least Nigerians expect from them. Or are they blaming their supposed lack of opposition as the cause of their woeful performance?” from the area and a pillar of the Peoples Democratic Party, he was able to win his election because the support he got from the group whose membership cut across several Political parties. Okiye said the Obaseki administration with his redesigned security architecture would tackle the security concerns raised by the elders. TGI Distri launches campaign to feed 10,000 indigent persons By Prince Okafor LAGOS—WITH over one billion people undernourished globally, TGI Distri, has launched its campaign to give free meals to over 10,000 underprivileged individuals nationwide. This development according to the company will commence from the 16th of October, to December, 2019. TGI Distri Ltd market and distribute all products of Tropical General Investments, TGI, Group companies such as Terra seasoning cubes, Renew Starch, Shine All Dishwashing Liquid, Shine All Scouring Powder. According to the Managing Director, TGI Distri Limited, Mr. Sunil Sawhney, "this Terra Cares4Naija initiative is a way to reciprocate the overwhelming love and affection received by Terra Cubes & Big Bull Rice since inception, by doing our humble bit for over 10,000 Nigerians. “Our products are made by Nigerians, for Nigerians, in Nigeria and our watch words are: Food, Care and Love. “Do we have the power to help Nigeria and the world solve the problems they are facing? No, but we can help to put smiles on people’s faces, our products are made in Nigeria and with Nigeria materials”. Also speaking at launch, Mr Govind Agarwal, Marketing Manager, TGI Distri Limited (Marketers of Terra Seasoning Cubes, Renew Starch amongst others), stated “The TerraCares4Naija initiative is true to the values which make Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, a responsible business entity in Nigeria. Through the Terra Cares4Naija initiative, we aim to put beautiful smiles on the faces of over ten thousand fellow Nigerians”. Stocks meander on caution over trade talks, dollar gains T HE U.S. dollar gained on Monday as initial opti mism ebbed over a potential U.S.-China trade deal that President Donald Trump outlined last week, but a gauge of global equity markets was little changed as investors sought details. Oil prices fell more than 3 percent as scant details about the first phase of a Sino-U.S. trade deal undercut optimism over a thaw in the dispute that has sparked a slowdown in global growth. A slide in Chinese exports picked up pace in September while imports contracted for a fifth straight month, evidence of further weakness in China’s economy as tariffs take their toll. China’s exports fell 3.2% from a year earlier in September, the biggest fall since February, customs data showed. Zimbabwe unveils plan for $12 bn in mineral revenue by 2023 ZIMBABWE is targeting a fourfold increase in revenue from minerals by 2023 but an ambitious plan unveiled by Mines Minister Winston Chitando on Monday gave little detail on how the government would achieve this. The policy document, known as the Strategic Road to the Achievement of US$12 Billion By 2023, sees gold exports at $4 billion and platinum at $3 billion as the government focuses on “value addition, enhanced investment within the sector, increased productivity and employment creation and increased exports and foreign-currency generation.” However, the document makes no mention of an eagerly awaited overhaul of the country’s mining legislation that would be crucial in attracting foreign investment to the industry. It states that “in several cases the companies undertaking the various projects have been indicated. Where negotiations are yet to be concluded and or where the companies in question are quoted on stock exchanges and relevant announcements are yet to be made, reference will only be made to an investor.” AfDB,CIF partner to develop green financing instruments for Africa The African Development Bank, AfDB in partnership with the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has commissioned the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC)) to prepare a study on the creation of national climate change funds and green banks in Africa. CGC will identify and work with six African countries to conduct feasibility studies for the project, which was initiated at the Green Bank Design Summit held in Paris in March 2019. The Summit tasked 23 developing countries to craft a new model to mobilise and accelerate investment in clean energy. Andrea Colnes, Director of Global Green Bank Development at the CGC noted: “For countries to better access climate finance and fully engage the private sector, the climate finance system must reorient toward national financial capacity that is able to channel capital to projects and markets where it is needed most.” EIN set to boost energy sustainability in Nigeria ENERGY Institute Nigeria, EIN in partnership with the UK Department for International Trade (UK DIT) is set to hold this year's edition of its annual Energy Sustainability Conference. The conference, scheduled to hold from 16th to 17th October 2019 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel presents a suitable platform for all stakeholders within the energy industry to discuss, share ideas, and make valuable recommendations that will enhance further growth and development of the sector. Under the theme "Energy Landscape: Minimizing Risks and Maximizing Opportunities", this 2-day conference seeks to enable knowledge transfer, foster relations, and sharpen skills of participants through specialist hubs, breakfast sessions and various industry specific panel sessions. Speaking about the conference, the Chairman of Energy Institute Nigeria Mr. Osten Olorunsola FEI said "The dual challenge of meeting the demand and the supply side of energy on one hand, as well as being environmentally responsible and sustainable on the other hand, simply means that industry practitioners have to devise a means of pulling in two opposite directions at the same time". "This is the reason we gather all players across the energy spectrum to co-create solutions to global energy challenges" he added. Reiterating its undertaking to be Africa's leading investor by 2022, Emma Wade-Smith, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner to Africa said: "Promoting the merits of Nigeria and the broader African continent as an economic partner, means advancing one of the continent's most prosperous sectors to realize its optimal potential."
Arewa songs of Araba THOSE who know history will not find it very difficult to put a string to the lullabies of leading Arewa voices lately. Second Republic House of Representatives member, Dr Junaid Mohammed and former Vice- Chancellor of ABU and Convener of Northern Elders Forum,Prof Ango Abdullahi have lately been leading voices in the unfortunate “Araba” orchestra from the land of DanFodio. “Araba” is the Hausa word for “let us break it“ and the first signal of it was during the riots that started from Kano in 1953 after Mr Anthony Enahoro of Action Group, AG, moved the motion for Nigeria to become self-governing in 1956.How any people should embark on violent protests against those advocating independence and not against the colonialists remains at the heart of the clash of civilization that has stopped Nigeria from becoming a nation 59 years after its eventual independence in 1960. By the time the bloody riots were over, the North came up with an eight-point demand to return to the Federal parliament in Lagos It may be necessary here to reproduce this programme so we can properly to locate why leading lights of the North became enemies of restricting (return to federalism).The North asked for the following: (1) That each region shall have complete legislative and executive autonomy with respect to all matters except the following: External Affairs, Defence, Customs and West African Research Institutions; (2) That there should be no central legislative body and no central executive or policy making body for the whole of Nigeria; (3) That there shall be central agency for all regions which will be responsible for matters mentioned in Paragraph (1) and other matters delegated to it by a Region; (4) That the central agency shall be a neutral place preferably Lagos; (5) That the composition and responsibility of the Central Agency shall be defined by the Order-in-Council establishing the constitutional arrangements. The agency shall be a non-political body. (6) That the services of railway, airport, posts and telegraphs, electricity and coal mining, shall be organised on an inter-regional basis and shall be administered by public corporations. These corporations shall be independent and covered by the statutes under which they are created by the board of experts with a minority representation of the regional governments; (7) All the revenues shall be levied and collected by the regional government except Customs revenue at the port of discharge by the Central Agency and paid to its treasury; (8) The administration of the Customs shall be so organised so as to assure that goods consigned to the region are separately cleared and charged to duty. Each region shall have a separate public service. Those who demand restructuring from the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria today don’t go this far but the discovery of oil after 1953 and VAT subsidies that Lagos generates about 60 % and takes home just 7% have made federalism an unpopular word to hear by those who now reap without sowing. The forces of negotiation will continue to push for restructuring as we cannot allow Abuja to continue the decimation of our lives Re: Banditry, kidnapping not exported to the North Yinka, thank you for the above article . It is a pity that some of our brothers from the North often come out to distort historical facts. It likely that this is the reason for stopping the teaching of history in our primary and secondary schools. I would like the two people you mentioned in your write up to answer the following questions:1.Where did the trafficking in human beings across the Sahara begin in the area that later became Nigeria? 2.The Head of State that dipped his hands deep into the nation’s treasure vaults and had multiple foreign bank accounts is he from which part of the country? 3.The person behind the controversial boxes of money at a time Nigeria was changing her currency is he from which part of the country? 4.The man connected with our missing oil money ranging in billions of American dollars, is he from which part of Nigeria?5.The first man who forged the nation’s travelling document , where is he from? 6.. Those who threatened to make the country ungovernable for a sitting president and eventually did so, are they from which part of the country? The questions are endless.Please, let these our brothers from the North think twice before making statements that can incite people from other parts of Nigeria. They should allow us to make do with the fragile peace we now enjoy in this country. Enough is enough.- Tony O. Ekwe. Re :Taxing poverty Nigeriana Hi Yinka, I am your fan, but I think you are beginning to miss the point. Do you believe sincerely that any president of any country will deliberately allow their country which they swore to secure its LIVES and PROPERTIES and ENHANCE THE CITIZENS’ WELLBEING, to go down so deplorably within five years? No. That’s why I said you are missing the point. Firstly, Mr President can’t swear falsely; he is a devout Muslim and a man of integrity, remember? Secondly, he is a soldier who knows one or two things about security; he wouldn’t allow rag-tag armies of Boko Haram and all kinds of marauders to overrun his beloved country. I say no again. Yinka you are missing the point if you continue to dwell on the erroneous belief that our president has deliberately reneged on his campaign manifesto and promise that Nigeria would return to federal Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 —17 FEEDBACK The spirit of of 1953 was further solidified in the July 1966 revenge-coup from the North against the January 1966 coup.The coup was code -named “Araba” and there was no government in Nigeria as officers from the North insisted on breaking up the country after the putsch. It took British and American diplomats that length of time to make the North see the disaster they were going to bring upon themselves if they left Nigeria for a country without resources and unprepared. They eventually agreed to remain within Nigeria on the condition that Lt.Col Yakubu Gowon who had seniors from the South ahead of him in the Army must become the Head of State. This desire to sustain the original iniquity is why Dr Junaid Mohammed would tell a bareface lie against the decisions of the federalism-inspired decisions of the 2014 National Conference that were unanimously adopted without voting once.I recall Pastor Tunde Bakare crying for joy the day the conference ended and the 492 delegates held hands and sang: “Nigeria we hail thee!” There was excitement in the land that a new day had dawned for Nigeria prior to the “change” of 2015 that returned power to those who believe the status-quo that has robbed Nigeria of its status among dignified countries must be sustained at all cost . Dr Mohammed who was a delegate with us at the conference now claims that decisions not taken at the conference were smuggled into the final reports by former President Goodluck Jonathan and some unnamed people. This is an amazing claim for a conference whose first daily business was to look at the votes and proceedings of the previous day’s business and whose hansards are public records. Not once did we have any delegate rise up to say the records were different from our proceedings. Of course Dr Mohammed was grumpy and disgruntled throughout the conference. We were introduced to ourselves in 2002 by former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I could not recollect if we greeted for more than once or twice on the floor of the conference as he was grunting about as we adopted resolution after resolution for the progress of Nigeria. He was to later drop a very treasonable one last week when he said the North would remove any Southerner who becomes President and tries to implement the 2014 National Conference report. A very senior colleague and one of the best Nigerian journalism ever produced sent the following to me after reading Mohammed’s inflammatory comments: “Undoubtedly, I have always known we are not the same people. We are too far apart. The ingredients for compatibility are just not there. See the arrogance, see the recklessness. He does not believe other nationalities amount to anything. I posted it round for those who brought Buhari to the helms to see the harm they have brought on everybody! system of government instead of the unitary system former President Goodluck Jonathan and his predecessors in PDP were practising! Instead of hitting the nail on the head, you are blaming paid labourers like Fashola and Lai Mohamed who must justify their wages. Instead of having some pity on our dear President and pray fervently for him to be rescued from the hijacking cabals so we can have back our dear president who we so religiously trusted and thought to be infallible, especially in matters of curruption. A woman “in the other room” once cried as early as two years ago that her husband wasn’t in charge. But Nigerians never believed her, especially Nigerians from the South-West who should know better. Today, most of them are blaming my dear innocent president! Why? None of you can be closer to him than the wife. If he were to be in charge we won’t be going through this harrowing experience that is unprecedented in the annals of this beleaguered country. If he was in charge he won’t be crying that foreigners from Libya and other war-torn counties are killing our farmers and raping their wives. No he wouldn’t be saying that and They were warned by our leaders. Imagine him calling the 2014 a fraud. Can any documents be more fraudulent than the imposed 1999 Constitution that even lies against itself? What do they take us for? All of you participated in the conference; we know how divisive issues were negotiated. I remember Akintola confronting Coomaise! They think we are afraid. Who were the people who won the Biafran war? Was it not the Yorubas? No group can threaten us. Not at all. See him talking as if we are slaves; indeed talking down on everybody else. We don’t accept their population. Nigeria is the only country in the world where as you head towards the desert the population increases and as you head towards the forest region which, everywhere in the world, is the centre of economic activities, the population decreases! It is contrary to the law of economic activities. And it affronts common sense and logic. He has even forgotten that the Creator is up there in His Realm and His inflexible and incorruptible Laws do not permit of injustice. Where injustice reigns the contraption must collapse from its own weight. Some day, we shall definitely have Gorbachev.” And as if to complement Mohammed, Prof Ango Abdullahi has added his voice to the Arewa songs of division when he said that having taken political power in the country, the North will not relinquish power for the next 100 years. He said: “81% of Buhari votes in 2015 and 2019 came from the North. Though I am not a cardcarrying member of any political party, I am not sure whether APC has any arrangement like this. Hence, they don’t have the issue of power shift and zoning does not arise. It could be right or wrong to adopt it, yet the decision is left to the party. I think it’s something that we have to be careful about. I think there is nothing wrong at all if the north keeps power for a century because democracy is all about numbers and we have it.” It is clear that it’s another Araba season in Arewa land but the forces of Aburi(negotiation) will continue to push for restructuring as we cannot allow Abuja (domination)to continue the decimation of our lives. If this child would die, let it be on the mother’s lap! then goes ahead to tell them to register within six months or risk being sent back from whence they came! The President I knew would have known that we don’t need extra mouths to feed and extra “visitors” to shelter when we are now the number one in poverty and a substantial number of our citizens are living in IDPs camps! As early as October 1, he promised to make lives easier for our suffering masses. But this same begoted cabal reversed it within days by imposing all kinds of taxes on the same citizens. See what I mean? He says yes, they say nay. He goes this way, they go that way. So my dear, stop blaming Mr President. I assure you, whenever he comes around and puts his acts together, he will make the crooked parts straight and all valleys shall be filled and all mountains shall be made low. Trust me. I have known him since my secondary school days and I am 62 years now. Yes, I know he can do it. I know this can’t endure. This too, shall come to pass, because: “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” (John 11.4). No prayer is ever a waste and we have not been praying amiss. *Patedy Printedge C M Y K
Page 1 and 2: MINIMUM WAGE: Our country will neve
Page 3 and 4: Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, , 20
Page 5 and 6: Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019
Page 13 and 14: VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019
Page 15: Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019
Page 19 and 20: Financial inclusion rises marginall
Page 21 and 22: Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER
Page 23 and 24: 22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1
Page 29 and 30: 28—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OC
Page 31 and 32: 30—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OC
Page 45 and 46: 42— VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15
Page 47 and 48: 44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15,
Page 51: Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019

15102019 - What Benin, Niger must do to get borders reopened — FG

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?