09012021 - Nigeria must stop paying ransom to kidnappers

Arrest of Nigerians in UAE: FG must urgently
interface for citizens — Amb Ode
*Detainees decry Nigeria’s indifference to their plight
By Victoria Ojeme
Nigeria’s immediate
past Ambassador to
Singapore, Ogbole Amedu
Ode has called on the Nigerian
federal government
and her embassy in
the United Arab Emirates
to urgently mediate with
authorities there to secure
the release of citizens detained
in the emirates.
Ode, who is also a
former spokesman of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
spoke to Vanguard in
Abuja explaining that in
recent times, there is a
reckoning within foreign
policy experts that Nigeria
is punching far below
its weight.
It was gathered that on
December 9, 2020, security
operatives raided the
homes of many African
migrants, most of whom
Suspension of Electricity Tariff: CSOs call on FG to
fix power sector, provide stable light
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA-
FOLLOW
ING suspension of
electricity tariff hike by the
are Nigerians living in Al
Qouz, Abu Hail, Sharjah,
Al Barsha, Deira and other
places.
“It is already established
that the arrests were as a
result of visa overstay.
Consequently, the UAE
authorities are enforcing
the immigration laws. And
the Nigerian authorities,
as represented by the Nigeria
Consulate General
in Dubai must be on top of
the game,” Ode said.
According to the Ambassador,
“Diplomatic and
consular missions, in accordance
with relevant international
instruments,
especially the Vienna Convention
on consular relations
-1963 provides for
consular access to nationals
of a sending state in detention
facilities of a receiving
state.”
He explained that it is
only by interfacing,
through consular access,
with those arrested that the
mission can establish the
veracity of their circumstances.
“Were the arrests rightly
or wrongly done? Are the
detainees being accorded
the right treatment,” he
questioned.
One of the Nigerian citizens
who was arrested said
“It was early morning time
like 2am -5am, some
masked individuals who
called themselves CID burst
into African accommodations
and abducted all of
them. They were taken
straight to jail without any
charges or trial. Several attempts
to connect to the Nigerian
Embassy and Consulate
as usual failed.”
According to the victim,
whose identity will not be
disclosed for security reasons,
“80 per cent of the persons
arrested are legal resident
while the rest 20 are
those with either visit visa
or having any visa related
issues. I was in jail and I
made several attempts to
reach the embassy but without
success. After a couple
of days in jail, I finally got
hold of the secretary of the
Nigeria consulate who directed
the call to a certain
man and he promised the
consulate would swing into
action, till now they never
did.
“Barely 30 hours since I
came out from jail, I went
straight to the embassy in
Abu Dhabi and I met one
director, Mr Ibrahim, who
said that they would channel
our complaint to the ambassador
but till today we
have not heard anything”.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (5th right), his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (5th left), the State
Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Priscila Ngozi Emehelu (4th right), the President, State Customary Court of Appeal,
Hon. Justice George Nnamani (3rd right) and the six new Judges of the Enugu State Judiciary, after they were
sworn-in by the governor, at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
Federal Government on
Thursday, Civil Society Ogrganisations,
CSOs including
ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, One
Love Foundation, OLF,
Grassroots Empowerment
and Justice, GEJ Initiative,
and others, Friday, called on
Federal Government to fix
power sector and provide Nigerians
stable electricity.
The Country Director, ActionAid
Nigeria, Ene Obi,
said, “for me the government
is toying with the lives of Nigerians.
Before they hike the
tariff didn’t they take permission
from the Federal government?
Is there no regulatory
commission? My shock is
that the government is taking
loan for the power sector
and the power sector is privatized
and we don’t really
know what is going on.
“It is really the first time
they are causing divisions,
which is in terms of specifying
those in highbrow areas
and those at the low level areas,
but the division of power
consumption is already there,
where you have high industrial
areas, and those people who
don’t have enough appliances
to consume power, but now you
are coming up with tariff hike
to rob these poor people.
“Does it mean government
wants the poor people to remain
poor, and what does government
have to alleviate their
plight or the kind of discrimination
we have in the power
sector now? The level of corruption
in the sector is so appalling.
“We need to refocus. Government
is of the people, by
the people and for the people.
If government can really
focus on the power sector
it will transform the lives of
Nigerians. Right now we
have a generator economy
that has negatively affected
the economy. Many companies
have died and others left
the country because of the
power problem. We should
stop extorting money from
Nigerians. Let the people
have meters and pay as they
go.
“Nigeria is sitting on a
time bomb because of the
large population of young
people who wake up every
morning and don’t know
where to go. We condemn the
increase and adjustments
going on including the instability.
All of these shenanigans
must stop.”
The Founder, One Love
Foundation, OLF, Chief
Patrick Osagie, said, “It is
disheartening and shameful
that Mr. Babatunde Fashola,
a chieftain of the APC and
a former Minister of Power
once told Nigerians that any
serious government should
be able to fix electricity within
six months. It is shameful
that as a Minister of Power
for four years, he wasn’t able
to do anything.
SATURDAY VANGUARD, JANUARY 9, 2021 — 5
UAE firm to build world-class
specialist hospital, medical
diagnostic center in Osun
*Lauds Oyetola’s commitment to
quality healthcare delivery
The MGT Group — a multi sectoral and multidisci
plinary firm with patented technologies headquartered
in the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and operating
in several countries of the world has expressed readiness
to invest in building a world-class specialist hospital and
a medical diagnostic center in the State.
The firm also expressed interest in investing in the
State’s solid mineral asset, just as it applauded the Oyetola’s
administration for building, renovating and revitalising
332 Primary Healthcare Centres across the State,
describing it as worthwhile, unprecedented and unparalleled.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ismail
Omipidan, said in a statement that the Founder and
Chairman of the MGT Group, Ashok Puri, made these
disclosures when he received Governor Adegboyega
Oyetola, who was on a working visit to the firm’s office
on Thursday.
The Governor was accompanied on the visit by his
Deputy Chief of Staff,
Prince Abdullah Adeyanju
Binuyo.
Puri noted that the firm had been following news about
Osun’s giant strides in the health sector, and was ready
to complement the government’s efforts in boosting the
sector. He also commended the Governor’s leadership
style and his commitment to attracting investments to
the State.
COVID-19: Buhari, Govs agree
on local production of vaccines
*Consider involvement of religious
leaders, musicians in vaccination
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with
the Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, NGF,
Dr. John Kayode Fayemi on the need for local production
of Coronavirus vaccines.
This is as President Buhari has expressed the willingness
to engage Bishops, Chief Imams, top musicians,
sports personalities among others in the COVID-19 vaccination
in order to remove the doubts of many Nigerians
that may be harboring negative opinion on the vaccine.
The NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr.
Fayemi disclosed this after meeting with the President at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the
meeting, the NGF boss said that the issue of worsening
security situation in the country was also discussed and
that the President assured that there would be a remarkable
improvement in the security this year.
He said he was at the State House for the usual routine
meeting with the President, adding that the meeting being
the first in the year, they reviewed a number of issues
that were of interest to the governors such as security,
economy, vaccines management and the general outlook
for 2021.
Asked what they discussed on vaccines management,
he said, “for us as governors, the number one priority
in vaccine management relates to public health and risk
communication.
“I commended the Presidential Task Force on COVID-
19 for at least, wanting to use Mr. President and the Vice
President as their publicity vehicles for reassuring those
who may have their doubts about vaccines use that, this
is no threats to them.
“You know there are cultural and religious concerns in
various parts and we are at the state level, we are reviewing
that with all of our colleagues. But the good thing is,
Mr. President has agreed with me that he would convey
to the PTF the necessity of using other influencers, maybe
the Chief Imams, the Bishops, top musicians, our
sports personalities because, the more of such people are
seen taking the vaccines the more the likelihood of resistance
will break down in our various localities. So, we
discussed that.
Three docked in Ondo for
kidnapping three minors for rituals
By Dayo Johnson Akure
Three persons have been docked before an Akure
Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly kidnapping
three minors for money rituals. They include Loto Temitayo
aged 34, Olabode Omoboye aged 54 and Ogunbamila
Erioluwa aged 52.
The accused persons were arraigned on three count
charges of conspiracy, abduction, and deprivation of liberty,
misdemeanors and others.
Police prosecutor, Adeoye Adesegun, told the court
that the offence was committed on December 13, 2020 at
Igodan Lisa, Ondo State.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges
İnspector Adesegun said the children were abducted
for the purpose of having carnal knowledge of them and
using them for money ritual.
According to him the minors were found with the suspects
when they were arrested.