09042021- Insecurity: Tension mounts in Imo, Abia, Rivers

Vanguard, , FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2021 — 11
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:
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PRESENTATION—From left: Minister of State for Education, Dr. Emeka Nwajiuba; Executive
Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed; Permanent
Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono; Chairman, Nok University,
Bishop Matthew Kukah, and Proprietor of Nok University, Chief Anthony Hassan, during
the presentation of licences to the 20 new private universities, approved by the Federal
Executive Council, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.
Nigerian Press instrumental to birthing
Nigeria —Osinbajo
....Tasks media on curbing fake news
By Prisca Sam-Duru
LAGOS—VICE President
Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday,
commended the media for being
instrumental to the birthing of
Nigeria, just as he called for the
need to curb the proliferation of
fake news in the country.
He said this at the launch of a
book on The Guardian and
posthumous award to its founder,
Mr. Alex Ibru, held at the Federal
Palace Hotel in Lagos.
The event attracted notable
Nigerians and media icons,
including former governor of
Cross River State, Mr. Donald
Duke; Chairman of Board of The
Guardian, Professor Wale Omole;
Publisher of ThisDay, Nduka
Obaigbena; General Manager
and Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard
newspapers, Mr. Gbenga
Adefaye; Ambassador Patrick
Dele Cole, Senator Anyaogu Eze,
and others.
Tracing the history of the
Nigerian press and that
of The Guardian newspapers,
the Vice President said: “To grasp
the significance of The Guardian,
it is important to situate its
odyssey within the larger
Nigerian story and particularly in
the context of the evolution of the
Fourth Estate in our country. The
Nigerian press has deep roots,
going back about 150 years.
Indeed, the Nigerian press came
into existence before Nigeria
itself, and was instrumental to the
birthing of this nation.”
The Vice President eulogized
the late founder of The Guardian,
Mr. Alex Ibru, for gathering a cast
of insightful thinkers with a
profound understanding of the
Nigerian media landscape, who
were eager to make a change.
He said: “But the change could
not have happened without an
entrepreneur who shared that
vision, a co-visioner, Chief
Olusegun Osoba. While Dr.
Stanley Macebuh, Dr. Patrick
Dele-Cole, Mr. Lade Bonuola,
Mr. Femi Kusa, Dr. Eddie Iroh,
later joined by Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi
and Mr. Nick Ndukwe, formed
some of the core team of thinkers
behind The Guardian. Mr. Alex
Ibru was that visionary-investor
that was courageous enough to
trust the thinkers.”
Assessing the role of the media
in a democracy, the Vice
President said there is a need to
checkmate the proliferation of fake
news.
He said: “Even as we strive to
make governance more
transparent and accountable in its
workings and to abandon the
habits of secrecy and opacity that
became deeply ingrained during
the era of military rule, we have
realized that abuse of state power
is not the only threat to the liberal
tradition. Right now, we also have
to deal with issues such as the
proliferation of fake news.
“Almost daily, fake news or
mischievously manipulated news
is trafficked with the clear intent
of warping the perception of
reality and inducing conflict.”
Earlier in his address, chairman
of the occasion, Aremo Olusegun
Osoba, relived memories of his
association with the late Guardian
founder, describing him as a deep
intellectual.
Osoba said: “Ibru never
interfered with the professionals
in The Guardian. He tolerated
what they wrote. He never
dictated to the columnists.”
He, however, frowned at the
attitude of Nigerians, who have
made giant strides but fail to
document them.
True federalism has
come to stay
—Maiden Ibru
In her remarks, wife of the late
founder of The Guardian,
Maiden Ibru who hailed the
authors, Aaron Ukodie and
O’Seun Ogunsetan, for honoring
her late husband, said that the
publication of the book was very
valuable to the family.
On the state of the nation, she
said: “True federalism is an idea
which its time has come and no
one can repel that idea and that
is why we have been committed
to weekly commentary on the
front page of The Guardian on
the issue.
“We would like our president
to know that a return to true
federalism will solve most of our
security and economic
challenges. It is not new, the issue
of restructuring is one of the
promises of the administration of
president Buhari hasn’t kept; it
is part of the APC manifesto and
there’s a report on the El Rufai
committee by the party since
2018. There have been many
other reports on this including a
2014 report on restructuring from
the conference during President
Jonathan’s administration which he
handed over to President Buhari.
“There is, therefore, a crisis of
coherence. What is worse is the serious
allegations of northernisation and
Islamisation as a fundamental objective
and directive principle of state policy.
These are signs of a sinking state. The
president should at this time,
demonstrate that he indeed belongs to
nobody.”
Lekki Gardens decries attack on its contractors
By Kingsley Adegboye
LAGOS—A real estate
development company, Lekki
Gardens, yesterday, decried an
alleged attack on its contractors
by Osborne Foreshore Residents’
Association, OSFRA.
The firm, in a statement by one
of its officials, Mr. Emmanuel
Essien, said: “The baseless and
desperate vendetta of the
residents’ association was taken
to a new dimension, yesterday,
when they resorted to violence by
attacking the contractors and staff
of the developer.”
The statement reads: “This is
coming barely a week after the
stakeholders’ meeting convened
by Lagos State Ministry of
Physical Planning and Urban
Development where stakeholders
were advised to engage and
resolve all issues among them.
“Lekki Gardens had mobilized
its contractors to some of its sites
at Osborne Foreshore, following
approvals recently received from
the state government only for the
contractors to be prevented from
gaining entrance into the estate
by OSFRA. They were only
allowed in after the intervention
of the relevant authorities invited
by us in a bid to maintain peace.
“Feeling thwarted in their plans
to frustrate the developer by
constituting a major nuisance at
the gate of the estate thereby
disturbing free flow of movement
into the estate, the association led
by the chairman mobilized touts
and stormed the site of the
company where they resorted to
rough handling and beating up
everyone they saw on site, insisting the
contractors must leave the site.”
O boy!...this one na my portion,
in Jesus name. Amen!
When your papa born a whole community
and still de call am family!
Inside life, you go see deeper life!