12072020 - Uzodinma, Ngige, Nnamani others meet, vow Igbo united front

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PAGE 4—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 12, 2020 B/Haram Ambush: Pray for our son, his fate is unknown – Family of missing soldier ENUGU: Why we are focusing on digital economy – Chilo-Offiah, Special Adviser on SME By Kelechi Okoronkwo Arinze Chilo-Offiah is the Special Adviser, SME Development & Investment Promotion, and Head, SME Center, Enugu State. Since his appointment in 2019, he has worked to refocus the interest of the youths in the state, train and empower them to earn good living and impact the state economy. In this interview, Chilo-Offiah speaks on feats at the SME Centre, the novel e-YES initiative, among other empowerment schemes in the state. Offiah How has it been at the SME Centre and what is e- YES all about? The SME Centre is all about job creation and empowerment. It has been a wonderful experience engaging and helping people to realize their ambitions. Moreover, since the commencement of my tenure in November 2019, we decided to refocus our strategies on the following impact areas: Access to credit (Enugu Loan), access to job creation schemes (Enugu Jobs) and access to capacity development programs. The Enugu Youth Employ- ment Scheme (e-YES), is one of the many programs in our result-oriented Enugu Human Capital Development Loan scheme. The e-YES program is a partnership with Wild Fusion Limited, an IT firm, through its Digital Center, to up-skill hundreds in several certified digital marketing capacities. It is expected to run for 4 weeks and consists of in-class sessions and offline sessions. However, after the training period, some applicants would be assisted for job placements. Others would be supported through the Gig economy where the program would provide access to jobs for these “entrepreneurs”, tracking, and enabling repayment of the human capital development loan (HCDL). Why the focus on youths and digital economy? The youths constitute almost half of the state's population and engaging them productively implies more productivity, positive impact on the gross domestic product (GDP), and most importantly, reduction in crime and restiveness in the state. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburu Gburu) has the interest of the youths in mind and the initiative has been part of his critical human development projects. We are also focusing on the digital economy because we are a forwardlooking government and we have also recognized the place of technology and digitization, which are obviously the new global currencies today. As well, the digital world offers limitless opportunities and space to everyone to work from anywhere and earn a living. What makes e-YES different and how sustainable is it beyond the first phase? The difference is our realistic approach and the commitment of Governor Ugwuanyi to the empowerment of youths across the state. Also, we are not going the whole mile alone. We are partnering a renowned technology company, but the HCDL program will definitely make the scheme work because it is practical and deliverable. Many youths from the state may be interested in the initiative. How do you ensure that those who really need it are engaged in the empowerment programme? We run an open system devoid of any form of nepotism and the training is open to all youths from the state with free registration. Again, it is limited to jobseekers and youths who are interested in acquiring digital skills in areas such as: Advertising, Digital Marketing, Internet Promotion, SMS Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Analytics and Content Marketing. Moreover, Wild Fusion is a competent partner and it is helping us to get the right people and the best out The Ndokwa Union crisis story – Imegwu, ex-Delta House Speaker Honourable Olisa Imegwu, a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly DT- SHA, has since leaving office been involved in community development, with focus on improving the lives of Ndokwa people. Hon Imegwu, in this interview with Victor’ Tunde Oso, spoke on the crisis that once bedeviled the Ndokwa Neku Union NNU and expressed confidence in the latest efforts of the secretariat and BoT to restore peace in the pan Ndokwa socio-cultural apex body. Excerpts: The apex Ndokwa sociocultural group, NNU has been embroiled in crises, what are your thoughts about the situation? Until statesmen, not tied to •REMILEKUN the apron strings of politicalinstitutional god-fatherism, tribal and ethnic cleavages mount the saddle, our growth and advancement will continue to be circuitous and stunted. Our upcoming and potential leaders, men, women and youth should be courageous enough to step up the plate to prove themselves. They should disentangle themselves from the grip of the current elite/political leadership who have their biases. Asa one-time highest political office holder in Ndokwa nation, proffer solutions to the controversies plaguing the NNU? There must definitely be a paradigm shift from fascism, By Adesina Wahab he entire members of TWakil Family of Mogbelerin Compound, Iwo, Osun State ,are now fervently praying for the safety of their son Olamilekan Remilekun Wakil, who was among those attacked by Boko Haram insurgents in an ambush last Monday. Their apprehension is accentuated by the fact that it was barely 48 hours after he left them for his duty post that the news frittered in that his team had been attacked. Lekan, as he is fondly called, joined the Nigerian Army in 2016 after completing a course in Building Technology at the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke and became a non-commissioned officer in the military. At least, that is a better way to serve his fatherland than becoming an internet fraudster that would dent the nation’s image. When he was given a twoweek break from the battle front in Borno State late June, what was his top priority was to reconnect with his family members and friends. He surely did that, but no one, not even him, envisaged what was to follow after. Lekan was among the Nigerian soldiers that were ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents last Monday in Borno State. His cousin, Moshood Isamotu, a former journalist and banker, who brought his matter to public knowledge in a post on his Facebook wall, said after the attack on Lekan’s team, his whereabouts have remained unknown up until now. He wrote: “Lekan, as popularly called, was on a twoweek break from the war front which ended last Saturday, July 5. He was in Iwo for the holiday and stayed closely with his parents and relived scary encounters with the Boko Haram beasts and several misses and escapes. “The mother was worried that Lekan should not go back again. The love of a mother. But that would amount to absconding, he told her. On Saturday, July 5, Lekan left for Maiduguri. On Friday, July 4, at the Jumat Service, her mum stayed long in the mosque to pray for her first son, who had chosen a profession where you are trained to kill. The mother said her spirit was “troubled” for her son’s safety. The father calmed the mother and urged her to continue her supplications. “He got to Maiduguri safely on Sunday and that was even enough answered prayer. He called home and the parents were happy. They prayed for him again,” he wrote. Later speaking on the phone with Sunday Vanguard, Isamotu said the family members got a call from some of Lekan’s colleagues who intimated them of the attack on Lekan’s team. “Lekan was part of a team that was sent to replenish the food stock of their colleagues in the war front and they were ambushed. Some of them were killed, some wounded and some are yet to be seen as we talk. His colleagues have tried repeatedly to get him on phone and it was only on Thursday that I was told a text message to his phone was replied. The reply was “I am coping.” “Since his body was not among the corpses recovered, we don’t know whether he is in captivity of the insurgents or hiding somewhere. If he is somewhere hiding, we hope he will get across to us soon. Now, we are praying seriously that he returns to us alive. “Lekan is a promising guy and is yet to marry at 26. He studied Building Technology at Esa Oke Poly and graduated in 2016. He decided to join the Army immediately. He was said to have excelled at several trainings so well that he became a favorite for leading assaults against Boko Haram since 2016 with much success,” he said. His relatives, friends and well-wishers are on their knees making supplications to the Almighty that Lekan is seen alive to later reunite with his family and live up to his middle name, Remilekun (console me) and be a consolation to his family. DELTA: Aghigho, Ugbokoko part of Obodo community Leaders of Obodo com munity in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have said that Aghigho and Ugbokoko communities do not belong to Omadino Federated Communities, OFC. The leaders said the clarification became necessary against insinuations in a newspaper publication by the leadership of OFC. Obodo, which consists of Aghigho and Ugbokoko communities stated that they neither belonged to nor were they constituents of the OFC. Their position was contained in a statement jointly signed by Pa Samson Amadedon, for Olara Aja Obodo community; Secretary, Elders Council, Obodo community, Pa John Izuagie; Chairman, C.W.C Obodo community, Julius Obah; and Secretary, C.W.C Obodo community, Egbemiye Stanley. They said as much as they commended the efforts of the Itsekiri communities in fighting for their rights in that publication titled “Delta Communities To Buhari: Address Our Demands Within Nine Days Or Face Shut Down Of Oil And Gas Industry”, the inclusion of Aghigho and Ugbokoko communities in the OFC was wrong and false. Ahead of first anniversary, Ogieh unveils DESOPADEC Tower Ahead of the first anniversary of the current Board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, the Managing Director/ CEO, Bashorun Askia Ogieh, has performed the ceremonial ground breaking for an ultra modern 4-storey office complex. Accompanied by the Executive Director, Finance & Administration, Hon. Chief John Obukowho Nani, the Executive Director, Planning, Research & Statistics, Comr. Amb. Shedrack Lucky Agediga and Heads of Departments and Units, the commission’s helmsman expressed delight at the formal take off of the current project essentially designed to address the problem of office accommodation once and Groups present starter packs to Iyara, Warri youths To stem the tide of youth restiveness in Warri and environs, Gboko Association and Pa Matthew Ogbevire Uwhubetiye Foundation have presented starter packs worth over N2 million to artisans under an apprenticeship program to empower youths in Iyara, Warri, Delta State. Making the presentation at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Iyara, the Chairman of Gboko Association, Engr. Frank Ibi, charged the artisans not to sell the starter packs but use them wisely to improve themselves and the trade they have learnt. He said, “Learning a trade will lift you from poverty and empower you to feed yourself and family. dictatorship and imposition to obedience to due process and rule of law, key tenets of true democracy. A few leaders, unknown and unaccountable to the ordinary Ndokwa citizenship, can’t just sit and foist on the people a point of view or solution without their consent and in contravention of the constitution we all swore to uphold. Thus, all actions towards enduring peace and conducting an election must be in sync with the provisions of NNU constitution. You actively participated in the meeting held on June 27 at the Eze Emu Palace;does that meeting signal an end to the crisis? The resolutions from 27th June, 2020, at Emu,presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, HRM Johnson Epechi Ulu, the Obuewe of Emu, is in compliance with the provisions of the NNU Constitution, see Article 12. Anything short of that meeting will breed a culture of political brigandage, thuggery and avoidable rascality. You stated that but for the meeting of June 27 that Ndokwa East bloc would have pulled out of the Union; do you see the outcome of that meeting as solution? Certainly, you cannot expect a people so disenfranchised by the dilution of their votes by 50% without justification or a reasonable explanation to remain in such bondage. As it is now, there appears to be 3 Constitutions and the mostly so called amended Constitution is for all. He stated that the project concept, from architectural design to structural engineering and ancillary requirements, was done by the inhouse technical team of the Commission. He said this feat has changed the hitherto jaundiced perception of the professional staff for which he is so proud. Highpoint of the brief ceremony was the ground- breaking of the multi-storey office project by the Ogieh who also gave assurance of a quality finishing hopefully within the 3rd quarter of 2021. It will be recalled that the Managing Director/CEO and his executive team had an interactive session with staff members yesterday for the purpose of putting them in the picture of the ambitious project which has received the approval of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. Ogieh, in that meeting, had disclosed the start off fund for the project was the proceeds of a dedicated account from absentee staff as revealed by the biometric data capture. Bashorun Askia Ogieh performing the foundation laying of DESOPADEC Towers, in Warri, yesterday. of the training. The state is said to be providing training loan. Why loan and how are the beneficiaries going to repay the loan? At the agency, we have taken the radical step of identifying human capital as the most important sector for funding. We have prioritized human capital development and employment as key to achieving sustainable economic development in the state. The Loan- For-Jobs Scheme is for youths, unemployed and underemployed to access training. In conjunction with a private sector anchor, we shall conduct intensive up-skilling training programs across various competencies in all sectors. These newly evolved human capitals will be retained by the private sector firms that have partnered with the program. We then recover the loan for their training through small monthly deductions over 6-10 months (depending on the cost of the training) from their monthly salaries. Continues on www.vanguardngr.com note asily accessible. In the old Constitution, Ndokwa East LGA (NE) delegates strength in the Electoral College by Clan was 66, Ndokwa West (NW) 18 and Ukwuani 27 UK, in the so-called amended and the one published by defunct NNU as a Electoral College Register for 2020 Election as per Article 12 termed Electoral College, NE delegates strength was diluted from 66 to 23, Ukwuani increased from 9 to 20 and NW from 6 to 12. Thus, while NE Clan delegates were reduced by 50%, NW and Ukwuani were increased by 50%, a clear violation of Article 1, Section 5, which discourages monopolistic or selfish political tendencies amongst Ndokwa people. Continues on www.vanguardngr.com
SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 12, 2020, PAGE 5 Hurdles before PDP candidate as campaign begins By Victor Ajihromanus As Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, prepares for his re-election, he appears oblivious of more traps that may scuttle his ambition He started what was seen as the process of removing impediments to his re-election by defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). That was a few days after he was disqualified by the APC screening committee. Obaseki’s disqualification was the climax of what was seen as a battle between him and the immediate past National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The disqualification was occasioned by discrepancies in the certificates presented. It was a factor the committee believed could compromise his chances. Error Such an error had cost the APC a state in the past. No serious political party would risk the implications of such a grave error in an attempt to please its members. Although Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, made the disqualification from the contest look like a witch-hunt by Oshiomhole, it was obvious the APC was not ready to allow itself win the election for another party. This is bearing in mind its experience in Zamfara and Bayelsa states. “In our interaction with issues raised, we concluded that his HSLC was defective. And based on the party’s constitution, this has made us recommend that Obaseki is not eligible to participate in the election,” Chairman of the committee, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, said in defence of the action. Governor Obaseki’s spokesman, Crusoe Osagie, described the outcome of the screening as a mockery of the democratic process, which he claimed Oshiomhole was superintending over in APC. “It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle,” Osagie said. While Osagiesaw Obaseki’s disqualification as a show of shame, illegality, and travesty of justice, he failed to see the obvious. Showdown n years past, prior to Governor Godwin IObaseki’s administration in Edo State, there was a massive job deficit in the state, which hadcascading effects on the society. Countless youth in the state hadtaken to irregular migration, thuggery and other uncharitable actsand vices in the society as the unemployment rate soared. But Governor Obaseki has steadily changed the narrative, usingthe Edo State Skills Development Agency led by Mrs. Ukinebo Dare as Managing Director. Thus, the economic landscape of the state isbeing impacted positively with regards to the creation of jobs whichhas geared up an hitherto moribund economy. Rightfrom the onset, there was a clear-cut mission by the administrationof Godwin Obaseki, centred around creating 200,000 multisectoraljobs in four years, an initiative that has almost been achieved inthe past three years. Therewas the EdoJobs Project, whose early phases involved registration ofover 200,000 job seekers in all local government areas (LGA) in thestate. The demographic data generated was layered with an in-depthanalysis of each LGA to design demanddriven interventions that havetransformed the job landscape in Edo State and influenced variousprogrammes. Keyfocus Keyfocus areas were itemized based on the core competitive strengths ofthe state and its people. For instance, Agriculture is a key part •Obaseki When Obaseki defected in his desperation to clinch to power, not a few people said his road would be rough, especially with the absence of Oshiomhole, who brought him into politics. In 2016, he was one of the most unpopular candidates, but Oshiomhole’s image covered that deficiency. Now that the former APC chairman has withdrawn his support, Obaseki is back to unpopularity. He faces grave hurdles that are most likely to stop him from coming back as governor of the state in September. Pitching his tent with the PDP offers him some semblance of stability or leeway to succeed in the coming election. But in the real sense of it, Obaseki’s candidature is like a structure built on nothing. By making him its candidate, the PDP has settled for defeat. Obaseki is currently like a general without a command. He has no political structure to drive his ambition. Opposition The governor is still facing stiff opposition within his new party, the PDP. Many PDP members area verse to his emergence as the party’s standard-bearer in the governorship election. Except for the intervention of top interests from within and outside Edo State, picking the ticket would have been a shadow chase, largely because he was not proactive enough ofthe state’s potentials, with its rich oil palm and other crops,well suited for export. GovernorGodwin Obaseki recently said: “If the state must move on after theCOVID-19 pandemic, we must improve capacity, knowledge and skills ofour people. Our focus is on creating an agriculture-based postCOVID-19 economy. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we would not have themoney to rely on import but rather grow what we need to consume andprocess our produce for export.” The governor said this during theinspection of ongoing construction work at the state-owned Edo StateCollege of Agriculture which he says, is being transformed into aworld-class school of agriculture. The college is expected tospecialise in extension services, run short and intensive courses,and train young men and women to support farmers in variouscommunities. Apartfrom the College of Agriculture, the state has implemented programsthrough Edo Food and Agric. Cluster as part of its job creationefforts. The project connects farmers to aggregators of farm produceand provides training, inputs and processing facilities. The statealso has the Agripreneurs Program and the Independent FarmerInitiative which also create jobs in the sector under the purview ofthe Ministry of Agriculture. Thereare four other focus areas for the Edo Skills Development Agency,namely Information Technology, Manufacturing, Construction and theCreative Industry. These are areas that Edo citizens are learning andgetting better. Edocreative hub to build friendship across party lines like his predecessor. Many still see his coming into the party as an imposition by those who want to take over leadership of the state at all costs. A former Commissioner for Information in the state, Kassim Afegbua, is among the PDP members, who are opposed to the adoption of Obaseki. Like Afegbua, who has vowed to join forces with the APC to ensure the defeat of Obaseki, many PDP members are not happy over his coming into their party. Obaseki will need to work harder to convince such opposing voices, to be able to get their votes at the polls. How Obaseki creates jobs through ESSDA Governor Obaseki has steadily changed the narrative, usingthe Edo State Skills Development Agency But the general belief across the state is that the decision of APC may later haunt the party Step down Those who belong to that group wonder how Obaseki the PDP once branded a failure, suddenly merited the ticket so much that all three aspirants stepped down for him. “We will join hands collectively with the APC candidate to ensure that Godwin Obaseki does not return. I am a PDP member, but I will vote for APC. A man with the humility of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is better than a governor who fights everyone who disagrees with him,” Afebgua said. On the flip side, without Oshiomhole’s support, Obaseki is standing on an empty stage without followership or congregation to call his own. That is the truth. Not a few people would agree that he now faces his toughest political battle. He rode on the popularity and goodwill of APC in Edo State to become the governor in 2016. Apart from the overwhelming support for the APC in the state, Obaseki’s access to Government House was also largely aided by the legacies of his predecessor, who took the state to higher heights. Oshiomhole made Edo one of Withstrategic direction coming from Dare, Edo Creative Hub h a s beenunleashing •Ukinebo Dare g r e a t potentials in the people of the state. T h e UnitedNations Conference on Trade and Development’s Creative Economy Report2008 defined the creative economy as “the interface betweencreativity, culture, economics and technology as expressed in theability to create and circulate intellectual capital, with thepotential to generate income, jobs and export earnings while at thesame time promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and humandevelopment.” This is what the governor and the strategic team ofthe agency are working towards. The United Nations further listed thegermane productive sectors which include: Cultural expressions Culturalsites like archaeological sites, museums, libraries, exhibitions,among others, including visual arts like paintings, sculptures,photography and antiques, as well as Publishing and printedmedia like books, press and other publications, are other areas ofdevelopment in the state that are geared towards state developmentand job creation. Otherareas include Design like interior, graphic, fashion, jewellery andtoys; Performing arts like live music, theatre, dance, opera, circus,puppetry; Audiovisual like film, television, radio and otherbroadcasting; New media like software, video games, digitalisedcreative content; and Creative Nigeria’s fastest-growing states in terms of road network, education, job creation, economic growth, youth empowerment and security, among others. As it stands, he has destroyed the legacies of his predecessor and elevated politics above governance. Ize-Iyamu Obaseki is actually walking a tightrope at the moment. There are indications that he is not even as popular as his major rival, Ize-Iyamu, among the Benin people. Those, who described him as a political weakling, are quick to recall that on February 23, 2019, he lost his ward, local government area, federal constituency and senatorial district in the Presidential/National Assembly elections. On March 18,2019, he purportedly suspended Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd) from APC. That aside, on October 6, 2018, the governor was accused to have allegedly imposed his preferred candidates for National/ House of Assembly elections on the party in several local government areas. At the height of his political adventures, on July 3, 2019, to be specific, he sacked those he believed were loyal to Oshiomhole while accusing the state APC leaders of fighting him for access to the state treasury. Governor Obaseki sacked eight commissioners, Special Advisers and many Local Government Chairmen believed to be Oshiomhole’s loyalists. On July 4, 2019, Chris Okaeben, was suspended from the APC by the Oredo Local Government chapter of the party. On July 23, 2019,Obaseki was fingered in the fight against the ministerial nomination of Clem Agba by President Muhammadu Buhari. On July 31, the chairman of Etsako West LG, Yakubu Musa, was suspended. Disqualification Another factor that will make it harder for Obaseki to win the election is the growing level of unemployment and its resultant effect on security. Afegbua aptly captured the situation when he said as a solution to the myriad of challenges, Edo need snew leadership. How the governor hopes to win the people’s confidence remains to be seen. services like architectural,advertising, creative research and development, cultural andrecreational. Accordingto Dare, “This is what the Edo Creative Hub encompasses, withblistering ideas on film and other audio-visuals to tell the Africanstory. This has been developed through collaborations with top mediabrands like Trace, Iroko TV, Tatafo HQ and Benin Film Academy. Someprojects executed by Dare and her team in Edo Creative Hubinclude: Film production and acting training for returnees andother Edo youth; Co- Funding Edo Youth to produce 10 Edo-Centricmovies through the Film-In-Edo Competition; Developing theEdoJobs Documentary Squad; Africa Magic Auditions for aTelenovella; Placing Libya returnees in jobs with the support ofIrokoTV Libya Allof these projects, Dare said, have created employment for youth inthe sector, as results are always a vindication. Hence, a clearvindication of the Edo Innovates program is the victory at theRosatom Atoms for Africa competition conducted by the Russiangovernment. A team groomed at the Edo Innovation Hub, Benin City, wonthe Rosatom Atoms for Africa competition, defeating over 65participants from across Africa. Edo innovates EdoInnovates is an intervention from the Agency, to create jobs in thetech sector. It boasts of robust programs like: CovenLabsArtificial Intelligence and Data Science Training; Google TeklyCode; Girls Can Code; Robotics programs for kids; SiemensPower4Edo Hackathon; HP Life Entrepreneurship Training programand Amazon Web Services Training. Othersare Edo Bits ICT and Digital Design Academy; Laptop and MobilePhone repair programs and 3 Startup Incubation Hubs includingthe South-South Innovation Hub from the office of the Vice Presidentamong others. Read more online @www.vanguardngr.com
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