14012020 - 50 years after: Let's revisit issues that caused Civil War

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
USE OF PRESIDENTIAL JET:
I can’t wait for another
project, says Hanan Buhari
ABUJA—HANAN, one
of the daughters of
President Muhammadu
Buhari, says she is
anticipating another of
her personal projects after
the initial one that caused
a backlash.
Hanan, a first-class
graduate of photography
from a UK university,
recently flew to Bauchi
state for a private
engagement using the
presidential jet.
She was said to have
been invited to a durbar
by Rilwanu Adamu, Emir
of Bauchi, and while
there, she documented
the event and other tourist
attractions in the state.
Many Nigerians had
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway:
Traffic diversion on ‘Kara’
Bridge begins today
LAGOS—THE Federal
Ministry of Works and
Housing has said that
traffic diversion for construction
works to continue
on the 600-metre
‘Kara’ Bridge section on
the Lagos outbound corridor
of the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway will begin on
Tuesday.
The engineer
supervising the
project, Mr. Kayode
Ibrahim, told the News
Agency of Nigeria, NAN,
that the decision was
reached after a meeting of
the relevant stakeholders.
Ibrahim said: “We might
need to effect the
diversion on Tuesday
morning so as to avoid the
Monday morning rush.
There is usually heavy
traffic on Monday
morning, so we feel it is
better to make it Tuesday
morning.
All the stakeholders are
involved in reaching this
decision. They are the
Federal Roads Safety
Corps (FRSC) and the
Lagos State Traffic
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said such trips would
increase the maintenance
cost of the aircraft in the
presidential fleet. N8.5
billion was set aside for
maintenance of the
presidential fleet in the
2020 budget.
While defending her,
Garba Shehu,
presidential spokesman,
had said there is nothing
wrong with the trip and
that the president’s family
is entitled to use the
presidential aircraft.
He added that the
office of the National
Security Adviser (NSA) —
overseeing the
presidential air fleet —
was informed of Hanan’s
private engagement.
Management Authority
(LASTMA).
Others include the
Ogun State Traffic
Compliance and
Enforcement Corps
(TRACE), the Police,
Julius Berger
Construction Plc., and the
Federal Ministry of Works
and Housing.
“We have been working
together and we are on
ground to minimise
gridlock. It is nothing
special, it is just a normal
diversion.
“All the agencies are on
the ground, all hands are
on deck, we have tow
trucks, emergency
response units. Julius
Berger has a 24-hour
emergency response unit
that responds to all
emergencies alongside
other agencies.
“FRSC and Julius
Berger have their tow
trucks deployed,
sometimes when we need
NEMA and Fire Service
we call them and they
quickly respond to our
calls."
50,000 applicants for 1,000
teaching jobs in Lagos — Official
LAGOS— A member of
the Lagos State Civil
Service Commission, Mr.
Suru Avoseh, yesterday,
said that no fewer than
50,000 applicants applied
for 1000 vacant teaching
jobs announced by the state
government in 2019.
Mr. Avoseh made this
known during the New
Year Party organised by the
Badagry Women
Development Forum on
Sunday in Badagry.
The News Agency of
Nigeria, NAN, reports that
the Lagos State
Government had on
November 11 announced
the plans to employ one
thousand teachers into the
public secondary schools
across the state.
Mr. Avoseh said some of
the applicants that qualified
for the job had been invited
for the examination.
He said: “After the
examination, those that
passed and meet up with
the standard will be called
for oral interviews. At
present, some of the
applicants who succeeded
in the examination have
started receiving text
messages through their
phone numbers.
“It is certain that not
everybody that applied for
the job will be employed,
and not all that passed the
examination will be given
employment.”
No decision yet on Okada, tricycles
—Lagos govt
LAGOS—THE Lagos
State government, yesterday,
said it was yet to
take a decision to ban illegal
operations of commercial
motorcycles and
tricycles on restricted
routes across the state.
It said this was borne
out of the need to achieve
a generally acceptable
solution to the menace.
Commissioner for
Information and Strategy,
Mr. Gbenga Omotoso
briefed newsmen after a
4-hour Security Council
meeting chaired by
Governor Babajide
Sanwo-Olu, and attended
by all commanders of
security agencies in the
state.
Omotoso said the
government’s delayed
action against the
restriction of motorcycles
and tricycles was
informed by the need to
achieve a generally
acceptable solution to the
menace.
The commissioner said
that relevant parties and
stakeholders had reached
out to the government
with suggestions and
representation that could
be adopted to proffer a
win-win solution on the
matter.
According to him, the
Security Council is
currently considering the
suggestions and
recommendations
submitted to the
government before
coming up with definite
plans on the Okada menace.
He said: “We have just
concluded our routine
security meeting, during
which the issue of Okada
and tricycles was
discussed exhaustively.
For now, no major
decision will be taken on
the matter.
“There are several
factors for this
development, but the
main reason is to reckon
with various opinions
expressed by
stakeholders.
“So many people have
made representations to
the government
concerning commercial
motorcycles and tricycles,
including human rights
groups, unionists and
traders. They came up
with many reasonable
observations; all their
views have been collated
and are being considered.
“We feel it would not be
good enough for the
government to make the
final decision on the
matter without
considering the opinions
of the stakeholders. That
would be against the spirit
of democracy for which
the Sanwo-Olu
administration stands.”
According to the
Commissioner, the
ongoing enforcement of
the extant Traffic Laws and
Okada restriction will go
on, pending the final
decisions of the Security
Council, adding that
advocacy was currently
on-going to sensitise
riders of Okada and
tricycles on the need to
obey traffic laws.
*VISIT: From left: Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi;
and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the visit of the Ministers to
Alaafin’s palace in Oyo on Monday.
No respect for king who drinks alcohol in public
— ALAAFIN
IBADAN—THE Alaafin
of Oyo, Oba Lamidi
Adeyemi, yesterday, said
any monarch who takes
alcoholic drinks in public
does not deserve respect.
Alaafin said this during
the installation of the Fuji
maestro, King Wasiu
Ayinde Marshall, as the
Mayegun of Yorubaland.
Alaafin, who clarified
his earlier statement, said
he did not tell anyone to
dishonour kings but
added that any monarch
who denigrated his throne
by drinking or clubbing in
public should not be
accorded any respect.
Talking about Ayinde
Mashall, Alaafin said:
“He understands the
culture and I am not
saying that he should
disrespect the culture.
But, kings who go about
clubbing and drinking do
not deserve any respect.”
The monarch also said:
“I did not mean that he
should disrespect the
royal fathers. I did not
mean that Wasiu will not
respect the culture after
being installed. He will
honour our kings but will
not prostrate to kings who
are ignoble. A king
should not be drinking
(alcohol) at clubs and in
public places and a king
should not smoke.”
Underscoring the
importance of music, Oba
Adeyemi said: “Through
music, some of them
criticised government
excesses. A king who
wants progress for his
people should listen to
good words of music that
are deliberately picked to
correct societal problems.
“I looked round and
acknowledged the efforts
of some of our musicians
who are not just singing
for the sake of it. For a
long time, I have been
documenting some of the
works of our good
musicians in Yorubaland.
IK Dairo of blessed
memories was honoured
in the United Kingdom
many years ago. Then,
Sunny Ade was
discovered. They called
him King of Juju music.
What we have done is to
discover our own talents.
The music of Wasiu is
philosophical. It is time
we honoured our own.”
I'll unify Yoruba race—
Wasiu
Speaking after his
installation, Wasiu said: “I
give thanks to God
almighty for deeming me
fit. I thank Kabiyesi
Alaafin and all our royal
fathers for supporting me
on this occasion. The
responsibility that I am
given is about the unity
of Yoruba.”
“The music part of me is
on one side while the
Mayegun part of me is
another side. Henceforth,
I stand for the interest of
the Yoruba nation.
“11 years ago when
Kabiyesi first muted the
idea of installing me with
the title, he sent me back
midway apparently so
that I can go for more
tutelage. He sent me to
learn about more
rudiments of life. I am
better off today. I stand
before everybody today
and assure you of my
readiness to play my roles
diligently.”
President Muhammadu
Buhari was represented
by the Minister of
Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed
and Minister of Interior,
Rauf Aregbesola; while
Babafemi Ojudu
represented the Vice-
President Yemi Osinbajo.