27062021 - Kaduna, Borno, Niger, Benue strruggle over 3 million IDP

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PAGE 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 27, 2021 ADETUTU AUDU 08023849036, 08112662587 Aluyor is Jolly Good Fellow of Engineering Academy The Vice Chancellor, Edo University, Uzairue, Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, has been inducted a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, NAE, alongside nine others during the 2021 NAE Annual Lecture and Induction Ceremony held at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, on Thursday. Speaking on the development, Aluyor, a Professor of Chemical Engineering, said he was elated to become a Fellow of the prestigious body of great men and women in engineering. “Your heard when the compere said most Fellows of the Academy are between the ages of 60 and 70 or more. I am not up to that age and I have the great privilege of becoming a Fellow of the Academy, who will now sit with great men and women in the field of engineering”, the pioneer VC said. “It is in recognition of my contributions to the engineering profession and I am happy that my little contributions are recognised and appreciated. “I promise not to relent on my oars and to do more for the good of the profession and our society at large”. Aluyor said the determination to do things in better and different manners had set the young university on the path of greatness. International recognition for Seun Shobo •Shobo igeria’s leading voice-over talent and speech coach, Seun Shobo, Nhas become the first African to be elected into the Board of Directors of the global professional body, Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). VASTA, which has its headquarters in Washington, the United States, is an international organisation of over 5, 000 members, and its mission is to advance the research and visibility of the voice and speech profession, globally. Shobo, a leading voice coach in Africa, is the founder of Africa’s first training hub for Voice Over Talents - Voice Over Academy and Africa’s largest pool of professional voices - VoiceOverBank. The elated voice over talent and coach described as laudable the appointment by a global and credible organization like VATSA, stating that Nigeria and Africa are gradually being recognised as reference point for excellence at the international stage. Popularly known as the Brand Master due to his wealth of experience in the marketing communications industry, the sought-after voice coach said opportunities abound for African talents with the latest recognition for the continent by the global body that has existed for over three decades. Shobo is expected to be the African representative on the VASTA board for threeyear term. VASTA is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to spreading the word about the voice and speech profession—promoting both the art and science of the human voice. Innocent Ike Hits Ground Running W •Ike “Despite our young age, we have set a number of records and we are giving the older universities a run for their money”, the VC stated. “In 2016 when we started, we were ranked in the bracket of 25,000, but now we are between 9,000-8,000. That means within a few years, we have moved from among the 25,000 ranked universities to between 9,000 and 8,000 best in the world”. According to him, soon, Edo University, Uzairue would be among the best globally. The President of the NAE, Engineer Alex Ogedegbe, said the theme of the day’s lecture, ‘Locating engineering and technology in government policy: Framework for growth and development’, underscored the importance of engineering to national development. The lecturer, Prof. Ayo Francis Ogunye, called for the appointment of seasoned engineers to positions of authority in the country for them to rightly guide in policy formulation that would be beneficial to the society in general. He also advocated the appointment of a Special Adviser on Technology to the President and an increment of budgetary allocation to at least 2.5 percent of the national budget. hen he assumed office as Acting CEO, Polaris Bank, the whole world was badly hit economically by COVID-19. Many private businesses had closed shop while many top organizations downsized as a result of the dwindling global economy. But he knew he was in for a huge task ahead of him. He immediately blended well into the office by taking some decisions which has today paid off for the bank. The self-effacing and financial expert was able to keep the ship of Polaris Bank away from the tsunami wave caused by the pandemic. Apart from sustaining the bank, he also helped increased revenue. Within just six months in charge, Innocent Ike, the 1988 best graduating accounting student of the University of Lagos, took an innovative step that has skyrocketed Polaris Bank to the next level with the launch of the VULTe, ranked among the best in digital banking channels on May 18. According to sources, the launch didn’t come as a surprise to those close to him as it just the tip of the iceberg of what he has in stock for the bank’s improvement policy. The platform is also a stable and robust one that offers high availability and transaction success rate for users. It’s a fully homegrown digital solution developed by Polaris Bank’s Digital Banking and Information Technology Teams. Despite his quest to keep a low profile lifestyle, results keep throwing the former Executive Director, Technology and Services in the cynosure of all eyes. “Everybody affiliated with the bank from the Board of Directors to the least staff is happy at his approach to work ethics. His innovative ideas have made banking simple”, a source disclosed. •Tinubu •Adeola •Aluyor Wale Tinubu rocks at 54 To say Jubril Adewale Tinubu is an accomplished and ambitious businessman is stating the obvious. The Group Chief Executive Officer, Oando Plc reminisced on his inspiring journey in life yesterday, June 26, 2021, when he celebrated his 54th birthday. The shrewd businessman, rather than throwing an elaborate party, announced that he would rather mark the day glorifying God for all He has done for him. Family, friends and business associates surrounded him as usual to celebrate the milestone. In the past years, another side of his life that has enjoyed interesting discourses is his philanthropy. He is indeed a champion extraordinaire, and in today’s Nigeria, when you think of a philanthropist, his name will pop up so deservedly. It will be recalled that in 2019, he, alongside some prominent Nigerians, visited the IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State to attend to the needs of the inmates. Recently, Tinubu also donated books to 15 universities and two national libraries across Nigeria. Speaking on the initiative, the Oando boss said it was aimed at educating students and the public on the country’s oil & gas sector, a sector which remains the largest contributor to Nigeria’s forex earnings. In addition to giving back to the society, Tinubu, a devout Muslim, recently donated hundreds millions of Naira towards the building of a mosque in Abuja. For this and more, friends, close associates as well as well-wishers had nice words to say about him yesterday as he marked his birthday. Hajara Adeola towers high These are definitely the best of times for woman of substance and founder of Lotus Capital, Mrs. Hajara Adeola. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted a non-interest banking licence to the outfit founded and chaired by her. Adeola’s Lotus Capital pioneered non-interest finance in Nigeria. Not known to do things in half measure, the bank, we gathered, is starting operations on a solid foundation of experienced leadership and a strong Advisory Council of Experts. Married to Fola Adeola, co-founder of GT Bank, she has continued to carve a niche for herself in her spheres of influence. Prior to Lotus, she was a Director at UBS Warburg heading their London Islamic Finance Desk. She earlier worked as a Convertible Bond Research Analyst at BNP Paribas, London. Adeola started her career as a consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). From there, she joined ARM Investment Managers as a pioneer staff and rose to Vice-President and Head of the Research and Financial Advisory Units. In all, she has over 20 years of international experience in research and analysis, investment management and corporate finance.
Social Media and Guerilla Legislation in Nigeria The insurgency which began in the Northeast some years back has had a major impact on social life in the country. Several negative happenings; banditry, kidnapping etc. are largely seen as the impact of insurgency. If nothing else, it has pushed the term ‘security’ far above all other sectors of the nation. In fact, the budgetary provisions for security have on an annual basis become larger than that of many other sectors combined. Yet, the nation is still in crisis. A major reason why the situation has lasted this long is because as big as Nigeria is, she has been unable to defeat a handful of insurgents due to the latter’s reliance on guerilla tactics- a strategy of irregular, hit and run set of attacks. Interestingly, our innovative politicians appear to be following the footsteps of the tactics by introducing guerilla legislation. A cursory look at the intermittent attempt to shut down free speech in the country will no doubt reflect, hit and run, irregular guerilla legislation. Here, an overview of the efforts will suffice. In an attempt to muzzle dissenting voices and stifle free speech under the cloak of national security and defamation of character, Senator Ibn Bala Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South) sponsored a Bill in 2015 that was described as an ‘Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and Other Matters Connected Therewith.’ The Bill intended to make it unlawful for anyone to submit any petition, as well as statement intended to report the conduct of any person for the purpose of an investigation, inquiry without a duly sworn affidavit confirming the content to be true. It was overwhelmingly rejected by Nigerians. The Senate was forced to withdraw the Bill on two grounds. First, it was not supported by President Muhammadu Buhari and second the relevant Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters also found that most of the provisions of the bill had already been covered by other extant laws of the Federation. After the withdrawal of the Bill which many thought would bring respite to the subject, two Senators from the same state – Niger, began their own scheme to introduce two Bills different in title but similar in content and intention to stifle free speech in the country. The first of the bills, titled ‘Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill, 2019’ was sponsored by Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger East). As usual because of the guerilla disposition of the senate to laws relating to media and free speech, articulate members of the red chambers distanced themselves from the Bill leaving only a few with problems of public perception. Among them was Senator Elisha Abbo (PDP, Adamawa North) who was earlier caught on camera doing what Igodomigodo would categorize as ‘vandalistic deliverance of blows’ with a young lady. Besides the woman-battering senator, there was also Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South). Moro was not long ago Nigeria’s Minister of Interior who presided over a phantom hire for jobs at the Immigration Service which led to the death of many young Nigerians. Moro was probably still haunted by media publicity of public condemnation of his performance. As if in partnership with falsehood, Senator Musa’s Bill created offences for which truth was not to be accepted as a defence! The second similar bill was on Hate Speech sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi, (APC, Niger North). Following widespread criticisms, the Hate speech Bill was formally disowned by the Senate. The then acting spokesperson of the senate, Godiya Akwashiki told the media that contrary to general impression, the bill was not the idea of the 9 th Senate; but With the contents of the Social Media and Hate Speech Bills, it became obvious that our senators were and are still working at cross purposes with themselves rather the handiwork of Abdullahi, based on his conviction. The seeming merit of the Hate Speech Bill was its sponsor’s presupposition that it could dissuade violence. Unfortunately, members of the political class to which Abdullahi belongs are the greatest culprits of false statements which are made and denied now and again even where documentary evidence abounds. Yet, he is more keen on making laws that are targeted at the media and no other group. How we wish all those anxious to control the media can get better educated that all apprehensions about poor media reportage are covered by existing laws such as the Penal Code, the Criminal Code, the cybercrime Act, the Law of Defamation, the Nigerian Communication Commission Act etc. With the contents of the Social Media and Hate Speech Bills, it became obvious that our senators SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 27, 2021, PAGE 13 were and are still working at cross purposes with themselves. They introduce a bill, withdraw it, and then reintroduce it severally with new titles. When the Human Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) petitioned the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan on the recurring efforts to silence Nigerians, he gave assurances that the National Assembly would not pass any anti-people laws. It is also hoped that our legislators would not overregulate the media space in such a manner that Nigerians may become confused as to what can or cannot be said. In truth, many Senators and other politicians do not appear willing to be held accountable which they hope they can easily achieve by constraining the media and free speech. They seem to be unaware that just as the Constitution gives them functions so does it mandate the media under Section 22 of the same constitution to make the government accountable to the people. If media professionals are caged through a multiplicity of laws who then would ensure that those in power are compelled to account to the people? In a country where government is not accountable to the people, the whole talk of power belongs to the people is reduced to a slogan in place of democracy It is not an overstatement to imagine that it is the oxygen supplied by the legislature that has made the executive to become quite confident and active in the current drive to constrain free speech in the country. At a point the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS was contemplating introducing communication tax. According to the former Chief Executive of the FIRS, Babatunde Fowler, our people can afford to pay because they are always talking. We can only hope that the new boss is not similarly inclined. To do so would be to negate section 39 of our constitution which expressly provides for not just freedom of expression but also freedom as per subsection 2 to use whatever medium to receive and express opinions In the last couple of weeks, moments of tension in the country have probably pushed government officials into seeking to control twitter and other digital platforms of the social media. While it can m o m e n t a r i l y assuagegovernment feelings, there are negative consequences. Luckily President Buhari has washed his hands off the scheme. All government officials ought to note that the control of free speech can render the public docile and unable to meaningfully contribute to national development. It can also intimidate media professionals to lose their discretion, Under the circumstance, government messages to the public would neither be creditably delivered by the media nor believed by the people. By the time the current actors leave the public scene, they would have irreversibly turned back the engine of societal development. We therefore need to watch it because as we say in my part of the country, anyone who goes blind to avoid seeing his enemies would also not see his friends. PhD,Department of Philosophy, Universityof Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@gmail.com On the increasing possibility of Nigeria’s disintegration (5) Northern (that is, muslim Fulani) political domination would not have been possible without the northernisation of the military which began in earnest after independence. It was implemented by the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, and other northerners who occupied the four most senior posts in the ministry of defence: Inuwa Wada (defence minister), Ibrahim Tako Galadima (minister of state for the army), Sule Kolo and Ahmadu Kurfi (permanent secretary and deputy permanent secretary ministry of defence respectively). These officials,encouraged by the laid-back attitude of southern politicians regarding skewed recruitments into the army,lowered the educational qualifications for enlistment into the officer corps of the military and introduced quota system which guaranteed northern region over fifty-percent of all new recruitments. Moreover most of the major military institutions and installations have always been located in the north. In his book, The Nigeria Revolution and the Biafran War, Alexander Madiebonotes that before the first military coup of January 15, 1966 sixteen of them were located in the north, three in the west, while the east had only one, a situation that jeopardised the chances of Biafra successfully defending itself against Yakubu Gowon and his jihadist army. Focusing attention on the present, President Buhari is not only the most divisive occupant of the highest political office in Nigerian history he has also put the continued existence of the country into question due to malignant nepotism made worse by his pachydermatous and obstinate refusal to catalyse the birth of a new constitutional framework that addresses the genuine concerns of Nigerians, especially the major ethnic nationalities in the southern part of the country. In fact never before in the history of Nigeria has Usman Dan Fodio’s Islamisation and Fulanisation project gained more traction than in the current presidency of Buhari. Keep in mind that in every public position he has occupied at the federal level, Buhari wears favouritism of the north(particularly Islamic Fulani north) as a badge of identity without qualms. When he was military dictator, his supreme military council and the most consequential military positions were occupied by northern muslims. Also as Chairman, Petroleum [Special] Trust Fund (PTF), about 75% of the projects executed by the organisation went to the north. To start with, Buhari publicly supported Boko Haram and scathingly criticised Jonathan’s government for the onslaught against the sect. He encouraged muslims to Why does he almost always prefer northern muslims whenever a position occupied by a southerner becomes vacant whereas he tends to appoint northerners into posts vacated by northerners? vote for only those that would promote their religion; he equally expressed his unflinching support for the spread of sharia across the country. Now, Ndigbo have always been at the receiving end of Buhari’s ringing nepotism. Notwithstanding vaporous denials and hot air about his integrity and sense of fairness by the president’s bootlickers, particularly useful idiots from the southeast, Buhari probably dislikes Ndigbo more than members of any other ethnic group in the country. Shortly after his inauguration as president six years ago, he made it clear that his administration will treat different parts of the country to reflect the quantum of votes he received from them in the election, a veiled indication that Ndigbo who have always rejected him during elections for very good reasons should not expect much from his government. From all indications, the Buhari government seem to be implementing the muslim Fulani subjugationist vision of Dan Fodio and Ahmadu Bello. Think about this: for the first time in any civilian dispensation since independence about sixty-one years ago the three arms of government are headed by northern Fulani muslims; over 90% of the topmost positions in the military and agencies of government responsible for security are occupied by northerners many of whom are Fulani muslims. Now,the four principal sources of revenue for the federal government are headed by the Fulani, namely NNPC (Buhari is the minster for petroleum while Mele Kyari is the GMD of NNPC); FIRS (Muhammad Mamman Nami); NCS (Hameed Ali); and NPA (Mohammed Koko who is currently in acting capacity because another Fulani, Hadiza Bala Usman, is suspended). Fulani dominate the zenith of major ministries and agencies to which the bulk of the revenue is allocated. These include: Defence (Bashir Salihi Magashi); FCT (Mohammed Musa Bello); Aviation (Hadi Sirika); Communication & Digital Economy (Isa Pantami); Humanitarian Affairs (Sadiya Umar Farouk); NYSC (Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim); FAAN (Capt. Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu); AGF (Ahmed Idris); Water Resources (Hussein Adamu); Power (Kwagyang Saleh); Police Affairs (Maigari Dingyadi); AGF & MJ (Abubakar Malami); Finance (Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed); PTDF (Bello AliyuGusau); and NTA (YakubuIbn Mohammed). What about the most powerful anti-corruption agencies? The story is the same: EFCC (Abdulrasheed Bawa); NDLEA (Muhammad Buba Marwa); NFIU (Tukur Modibbo). It is not surprising that Buhari closed Nigerian borders in the south whereas northern borders remained open to allow the influx of Fulani from all over West Africa and the Sahel into the country. That is why the topmost officials in charge of Immigration Service and Boundary Commission, Mohammed Babandede and Adamu Adaji respectively had to be Fulani. Several critical agencies in the education sector and specialised institutes are in the hands of Fulani as well: NUC (Prof. Abubakar Rasheed); NERDC (Prof. Ismail Junaidu); NTI (Garba Dahuwa Azre); UBEC (Hamid Boboyi); NNRA (Dr.Yau Usman Idris); NAEC (Prof. Yusuf Ahmed); NASENI (Prof. M.S. Haruna); NASRDA (Dr.Halilu Ahmad Shaba); RMDA (Ibrahim Hussaini Doko); NERC (Sanusi Garba) and SON (Farouk Salim). Even if, as some buharimaniacs argue, President Buhari inherited some of these appointments from his predecessor, why does he almost always prefer northern muslims whenever a position occupied by a southerner becomes vacant whereas he tends to appoint northerners into posts vacated by northerners? Moreover Buhari claims that his appointments are based on merit. Merit with respect to which criterion? Education, experience or what? In terms of education, for instance, the south outperforms the north by far despite decades of quota system, as indicated by the cutoff marks for different states in qualifying entrance examinations at all levels and performances in tertiary institutions here and abroad. The fact is: by his deeds Buhari sees himself first and foremost as the champion of Fulani interests and only secondarily as a Nigerian. That is why he enjoins communities to accommodate Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen who destroy their farms, rape their women and kill those defending their ancestral lands whereas he sends the military to destroy and kill IPOB members agitating for selfdetermination and defending their homeland against marauding terrorist herdsmen. Even in the southwest, the geopolitical zone whose votes helped him become president in 2015 and 2019, Buhari still sides with his Fulani kinsmen who seem determined to extend their annexation of Yorubaland beyond Ilorin. The latest public remarks of Buhari during the heavily edited boring interview by irritatingly genuflecting and overly patronising staff of Arise television shows that Ndigbo supporting Buhari sheepishly did not suck their mothers’ breasts to the full. Buhari thinks that IPOB is a dot in a circle and that the Igbo have nowhere to go even if they succeed in pulling out of Nigeria. He also bragged that leaders of non-Igbo communities in the southsouth had assured him that they were not interested in seceding. All this shows that the President(or more appropriately, “the presidency) is operating with a rusty conquistadorial mindset that served Gowon and his Fulani caliphate puppeteers well in the middle and late 1960s. He does not realise that 1967 to 1970 is quite different from the present circumstances in which certain sections of the country that ganged up to defeat Biafra are coming to terms with the negative consequences of their egregious mistake during the civil war. ApparentlyBuhari cannot envision a complex democratic society governed by a truly secular constitution: his negative triumphalist promotion of Fulani supremacy will take Nigeria to the Omega Point of dismemberment. If that happens he would have confirmed the core principle of the law of unintended consequences in that in trying to extend Fulani hegemony he ends up destroying the colonial amalgam created by British imperialists. I am sure millions of people will welcome such an outcome. Concluded.
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