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Inside Stuff With MARTINS OLOJA

‘MY JOURNALISTIC MISSION TO ABUJA…30 YEARS AGO’

All glory for this milestone must be to the Lord; For He is worthy of my praise; No man on earth should give glory to himself; All the glory must be to the Lord!

There is indeed a time for everything. Though it is a time to lament about the state of anomie in the land today, it is also a time to thank God too for how far He has blessed us in the city and in the field. As for me and my household, it is a time to thank God for ordering my footsteps to Abuja, the nation’s capital where I was appointed Editor of the city’s premier newspaper exactly 30 years ago. I recall as if it were yesterday that it was in December 1990, Alhaji Bukar Zarma, the publisher of “Abuja Newsday” promoted me Editor of the premier newspaper set up in 1988 in the Federal Capital Territory.

The story of the first newspaper in Abuja is not about my promotion three decades ago. It is a significant story about how the founding fathers of Abuja and pioneer investors and promoters of enterprises in the nation’s capital once made conscious effort to promote Abuja as a unity (and unifying) capital of the complex federation.

General Yakubu Gowon claimed he had surveyed the Abuja site before his mission to Kampala in 1975. Bishop Mathew Kukah, (PhD) had confirmed that background in a book before the claim. General Murtala Muhammed dreamed and proclaimed it on February 3, 1976. General Olusegun Obasanjo actualised the Murtala’s great dream. President Shehu Shagari threated to relocate there in 1980. General IBB legalised it on Thursday December 12, 1991. Before then, a former Editor, “New Nigerian”, Bukar Zarma had in 1988 set up the first newspaper in the Territory without a soul then. I was the pioneer Lagos Bureau Chief of the newspaper with our first office at Norman Williams Ikoyi, Lagos. From there we relocated to 12A Oko-Awo Close, Opposite Eko Hotel Victoria Island, Lagos. We moved from Victoria Island to No.10 Thorburn Avenue Sabo, Yaba Lagos. It was from the Yaba office, Alhaji Zarma called me to fly to Abuja in December 1990 as Editor of “Abuja Newsday”. I could recall that Nigeria Airways flight to Abuja in December 1990 cost me only N250 (two hundred and fifty naira).

As I had noted in 2016 when I wrote a piece on the possibility of our Abuja becoming a toxic federal capital, not many young people would know why I have always been very passionate about Abuja affairs. The nation’s capital is actually my second home.

My journalism career grew luxuriantly like yam tendrils in the rainy season, thanks to my relationship with the capital, which began about 32 years ago when Alhaji Bukar Zarma established the first newspaper there as I was saying.

I was pioneer Lagos Bureau Chief from 1988 to 1990 when I was promoted Editor of the newspaper. Abuja is the place my colleagues (Bureau Chiefs) including the dangerously hardworking Yusuf Ali, the ever clean Sam Akpe, never-say-die Yomi Odunuga, among other notable Bureau Chiefs and Editors named me, “The Dean” of the Bureau Chiefs’ community in Abuja while some others outside journalism would call me “The Mayor of Abuja”.

There is nothing extraordinary about the sobriquets other than my long-standing experience as a reporter, writer and editor in the 44 years old “capital of the federation” as the letter of the constitution names it.

This background is germane to the points at issue today in Abuja and indeed Nigeria where religion and ethnicity have become political tools in the hands of our politicians. I would like to use this background to trigger some rhetorical questions later about where rains began to beat us as a nation. We are talking about a nation where the bogeyman called the national question is threatening the security of the nation again, no thanks to some emerging political mismanagement of the complex federation by some Abuja-based political leaders and their inner- circle men.

Here is some background that will help us: When the newspaper civilization kicked us in the face in Abuja in 1988, there was a good country where religion and ethnicity did not play so much overt role in interpersonal relationships, let alone in recruitments into public and private enterprises. As As I had once recalled here, then Alhaji Zarma, who hails from Borno state shaped the business plans of publishing the first newspaper in Abuja with Alhaji Hassan Adamu Wakilin Adamawa, from Adamawa state. They are both Muslims.

But the striking element in the story in 1988 in Abuja was that Alhaji Zarma, who advertised the vacancies for journalists in a national newspaper then did not consider religion and ethnicity when he hired very resourceful journalists from different parts of the country.

One thing was clear then: he never asked any candidates their states of origin. And so coincidentally, all the senior editors and most reporters recruited from the North and South were Christians. This is the evidence: Mr. Nick Dazang (Christian from Plateau) was the pioneer Editor (He is now Director of Voter Education and Publicity Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC); Mr. Jackson Ekwugum (Christian from Delta State) was News Editor, Mr. Dennis Mordi (Christian from Delta State) was Chief Sub Editor; Mr. Samm Audu (Christian from Kaduna State, and a relation of the late Professor Ishaya Audu) was Sports Editor; Mr. Skekwogaza Wasah (Christian from Abuja) was Features Editor, Martins Oloja, (Christian from Ondo State) was Lagos Bureau Chief. Other notable names in the newsroom then included Shok Jok, (Kaduna South) Camillus Eboh (Akwa Ibom) Moji Olaniyan, Moji Olajide, (now Moji Ekwugum), Alex kabba, (Delta state) Emmanuel Obe (Rivers State) etc, all of them Christians. It was a great house of pan-Nigerian journalists.
It is significant to reveal here that when Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s National Electoral Commission was releasing the June 12 election 1993 results piecemeal then and Chief M.K.O Abiola was in the lead and it was clear the Egba wealthy politician was going to beat Bashir Tofa from Kano, the publisher, Zarma was quite upbeat about imminent return to democracy through a free and fair election. And when the result was suspended, he was very sad. Only young Nigerians would not recall that the Abiola campaigns for president was run on a Muslim-Muslim ticket of Alhaji M.K.O Abiola & Alhaji Babagana Kingibe. It was incredible that Christians in the country did not raise any eyebrow anywhere after the Jos remarkable primary that produced the solid ticket.

In fact, Alhaji Zarma did not know my state of origin until long after the newspaper was shut down by the military junta then in the wake of the June 12, 1993 crisis in the country. It should be noted that at that time, the Chairman of the Abuja City Press Limited, Publishers of “Abuja Newsday”, Alhaji Adamu was the Chairman of National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria Limited, (NAFCON).
I met him several times in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Abuja. He never asked even once where I hailed from. What is more, at that time, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) was military president (Head of State) and most of the prominent officers in the then presidency were Professor Jerry Gana, Professor Omo- Omoruyi, Professor Jonah Isawa Elaigwu, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, etc. These were Christians, among others who were quite visible in government then, although they were still in Lagos. But Professor Omo Omoruyi was then in Abuja as DG of the Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS) before the historic movement to Abuja on December 12, 1991.

The point really is that as a young Nigerian, I have seen the good part of the country even in Abuja where it is now becoming increasingly difficult to associate with it as the
capital of the federation. I succeeded Nick Dazang in 1990 as Editor in Abuja and I can recall that Abuja was gloriously promoted as a great city, a unity capital. In fact, our newspaper’s masthead carried a motto: ‘A great paper for a great city.’

Besides, the FCT administration we were covering then had a lot of Christians, Muslims and free thinkers alike from different parts of the country. There was a sense in which one could say then that even the military leaders in Nigeria then made everyone to have a sense of belonging unlike now when the current leaders run Abuja as if it were one of the core northern states.

In Abuja today, both the Minister (and minister of state) FCT and the Executive Secretary of the FCDA hail from the North (Adamawa, Kogi and Niger states) and all of them are Muslims. This is not what the founding fathers advertised to us. And Abuja was not run like this in the beginning. The atmosphere then was so conducive in the nation’s capital to the extent that even the land administration department then had a code of conduct in plots allocation to states. In other words, if Plot 25 in Garki was allocated to a citizen of Anambra state, for instance, Plot 26 would be allocated to a citizen of Adamawa, and not to another allotee from Anambra or any south-eastern state. That was what led to naming Abuja “Centre of Unity” when the Federal Road Safety Corps came up with various slogans for the 36 states and Abuja then.
It is quite tragic today in this very toxic country where a Muslim-Muslim ticket had won a free and fair election that no political party even in the nation’s capital can organise a convention that would produce a Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim ticket for president as we did in 1993. This is a sad commentary on today’s politician and their toxic politics. It is really catastrophic that the nation’s capital that Justice Akinola Aguda (from Ondo state) recommended as a “Centre of Unity” through a Presidential Panel he headed in 1975 has become a dangerous “Centre of Disunity”. In Abuja a few months ago, a Christian and former deputy governor from Nasarawa state was nominated as Chairman of National Population Commission. His name had been submitted to the Senate for conformation. There was a scoop in a newspaper that some powerful political leaders in Abuja would not like a Christian to be Chairman of National Population Commission and so the nomination of a Christian from Nasarawa state would be cancelled. It was cancelled and replaced with a Muslim from the same Nasarawa state – before our very eyes. How would Nigerian leaders who executed this atrocity against Christians and our Constitution sleep well? Why do they run Nigeria, a delicate federation carelessly this way as if tomorrow would not come?

My anniversary message to our leaders in Abuja at this time is that they should take interest in running Abuja as Nigeria’s ‘Centre of Unity’. The dream is being destroyed by unlawful change of the original plan. They should study the Murtala’s proclamation speech on February 3, 1976. The people in power today should be careful not to fall on to the dark side of history of Nigeria’s development. That is my message for our leaders in Abuja as I dedicate my 30th anniversary as Editor of “Abuja Newsday” to the glory of God!

Buhari’s Barren Fig Tree By Lasisi Olagunju

By Lasisi Olagunju Ph.D

The leaves do fade and fall away,

Berries rot and sheaves decay;

The deer is fled back to the field.

That is all your promises yield.

All wind and words, your vows, I see,

Are barren as the fruitless tree. — Lauren Willig

We may soon have a Federal Ministry of Banditry. The government will fund it the way it funds similar outfits in the North. We have a commission treating victims of the interminable Boko Haram war in the North East. And in the Kankara mass abduction and rescue, we can see a national cruise to perdition. Everything appears normal, a buying-and-selling enterprise. There was another abduction and rescue on Sunday that had 80 Arabic/Islamic school pupils as victims. It is no doomsaying to expect more and more of such tragedies. Bandits in the north appear to have as many groups as there are Almajiri cells. One feeds the other in back-and-forth ceaseless streams. Bandits are Almajirai of yesterday and fathers of today’s street boys. Tomorrow’s bandits are today’s boys on the street begging to eat. It is too late for the North to save itself, that is why you find it appeasing its nemesis. The North West bandits who abducted 344 schoolboys and kept them for six days, where are they and when is the punishment for their crime? The world is asking these questions and is not getting answers. Instead, what we feel is that the characters are privileged felons, forever free to roam and stage the next acts of terror. They appear to be the law under whose jackboots the helpless Nigerian state begs to breathe.

There are other questions. Governor Bello Masari of Katsina State announced on Saturday, 12 December, that 333 students were kidnapped. On Thursday, 17 December, he announced that the bandits had released 344 abducted schoolboys. Where did he get the extra eleven boys? Or could there be more of such captives in the warehouse of these merchants of misery? We did not ask any question. We just heaved a sigh of relief and welcomed back the boys. Just as in Yambo Ouologuem’s ‘Bound to Violence’ (Le Devoir de Violence), Nigeria is inexorably yoked with beastly, demonic savagery.

Speaking truth to today’s power has been a very perilous enterprise. If you and I had said last week that President Muhammadu Buhari had not done well in securing Nigeria, the attack on us would have been very vicious. Audacious people who said so suffered insults from creators of alternative realities. But the Kankara mass abduction happened to Buhari and his presidency and the Daura man retrieved himself from his abductors and confessed that he was not the highflying victor that his mad lovers said he was. The old man went on his knees and admitted what has been very clear to everyone with inner and outer eyes. He wrote his five-year security exams, marked the script himself and declared that he had not passed. He said: ”It is our responsibility to secure this country for all the citizens to do their businesses without any problem. We haven’t achieved that yet, but we will keep on trying…I hope next year it will be different.” That was very candid and a repudiation of insulting presidential spins and its witch doctors. The flowery bard who heard those words would use the adjective ‘candor’ to describe the president.

Buhari’s confession of the fruitlessness of his over five years fighting insecurity and his promise of a better outing in 2021 led the wailing me to the Biblical parable of the barren fig tree; it is in Luke 13, verse 6-9: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ The gardener replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Friedrich Adolph Krummacher was a German theologian, poet and prose writer who lived between 1767 and April 1845. He wrote his own story of an unfruitful tree and why it had to be barren. It is the story of a greedy farmer who wanted the fruits of whatever he planted for only himself. Everything was about himself and for himself. The farmer is like Buhari who appointed all his key security chiefs from only his part of the country and expected the whole country to help him fight his wars. “If I plant it on the hill,” said the greedy farmer to himself, “the wind might catch it and shake down the delicious fruit before it is ripe; if I plant it close to the road, passers-by will see it and rob me of its luscious apples – but if I plant it too near the door of my house, my servants or the children may pick the fruit.” Then he planted the tree behind his barn, saying to himself, “Prying thieves will not think to look for it here.” But behold, the tree bore neither fruit nor blossoms the first year nor the second – then the farmer sent for his brother the gardener who gave him the seedling, and reproached him angrily, saying: “You have deceived me, and given me a barren tree instead of a fruitful one. For, behold, this is the third year and still it brings forth nothing but leaves!” The gardener, when he saw where the tree was planted, laughed and said: “You have planted the tree where it is exposed to cold winds, and has neither sun nor warmth. How, then, could you expect flowers and fruit? You have planted the tree with a greedy and suspicious heart – how, then, could you expect to reap a rich and generous harvest?” Greedy people never win. I hope Buhari learns from his own admission of failure and mend his nepotistic ways.

Apart from Buhari and his bad behaviour, two other things are fundamentally wrong here. We love to plant the wrong tree in our farm and expect it to bear fruits. The soil of Nigeria itself is resistant to good seedings, it is structurally toxic. A whimsical presidential hope or promise will return a failure again next year. So, what is the way out of this or we just resign to the daily doses of death and banditry? I asked a very senior colleague at the weekend. We discussed long, deep and agreed that the answer is in breaking down the structure of this bedridden behemoth called Nigeria. We went further on to interrogate the futility of sending out soldiers to police the country. He told me: “You cannot have a plural society of this size with different world views, values, standards and levels of exposure and have only one policing system. This is the only federation with that kind of foolish arrangement. In any case, where is the executive capacity to run such from Abuja? We have seen its disastrous failure.” In Britain, there are 43 police formations, each independent of the other. Canada, as of 2018, had 177, with 141 of them as stand-alone police services. In the US, there are 17,985 police agencies. Every university with a student population of no fewer than 5,000 in America is expected to have its own police independent of the sheriff called local government police in other climes. India has Federal and state police service with its large cities having their own police forces under their respective state police. “That, in my view, is what we have to fight for. Buhari is too parochial to see this. He can’t bear to hear of other zones or states having instruments of coercion. What is he afraid of? He cannot continue to endanger our lives by his own private agenda…,” my senior said.

Now, I go back to the Biblical parable. The last line of the narrative tells us that a tree cannot remain barren forever and expect to be pampered forever. Ornamental trees have no place in orchards. Nigeria has been mismanaged to barrenness just as pig-headed incompetence has turned out Buhari’s regime as unfruitful in securing lives and property. And, a tree that won’t bear fruits will be asked to go. There is an end to every period of grace; Buhari’s own is in its fifth year with a very sad harvest of victims – dead and dying. He has, however, asked that he be given a sixth chance to prove that he is not a comprehensive failure. But, what happens next year if Buhari’s fig tree still bears no fruit? What choices have we? He said “I hope next year will be different.” What kind of dark promise was that from a president who asked his predecessor to resign because of similarly persistent insecurity?

Today is December 21 – next year is about eleven long days away. Every day has been bloody and nasty this year – not just for the poor in the North East and the North West and in parts of Niger and Kaduna States. The only safe persons everywhere in Nigeria appear to be the rampaging bandits and their Miyetti Allah friends. The past one week, for instance, has been horrific for everyone everywhere. From Kaura Namoda where the Emir suffered gun attacks on Friday; to Edo where the Head of Service was kidnapped on Saturday; to Mahuta where 80 Islamiyya school children were abducted on Sunday, the promise of security next year raises a red flag for all. In matters of life and death, even 24 hours is a long time. In other words, review this year and the scalding waters that have passed under its horrid bridge and agree with me that Buhari’s promise of security next year is a very long shot. What happens between now and that next year? Or rather, between last Thursday when he made that pledge and now, how many more have joined the murdered and the abducted? You heard what happened between Maiduguri and Damaturu at the weekend? The murdered and the abducted, how many were they? Who is next? What will happen going into next year? Buhari also said those that would remain in charge of our security services in 2021 “would be extremely busy.” And I ask: busy doing what? Busy burying the dead in mass graves or busy negotiating the release of many more school kids? What, really, is the meaning of busy?

Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli dies of COVID-19

The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, is dead.

The monarch died on Monday morning, barely a week after his fifth coronation anniversary.

He was said to have met with the late Major General John Irefin, who died earlier this month from COVID-19 complications.

Though none of the palace chiefs was willing to confirm or deny it, there was palpable apprehension in the palace vicinity on Monday while some people were also in a sombre mood.

A source confirmed the news to SaharaReporters, saying the monarch died on Monday morning from the coronavirus.

Another source said many palace workers besieged the adjoining shops selling strong alcoholic drinks to buy from them as they believed it would cure them of COVID-19 should they have contracted it from the monarch.

“Olu of Warri is dead but the palace chiefs are trying to keep the information hidden from the public till they are sure the time is right,” the source added.

The late monarch, who was born on March 19, 1955, ascended the throne on December 12, 2015.

Covid: US President-elect Joe Biden gets vaccine live on TV

President-elect Joe Biden has received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, saying he was getting the jab to show Americans it is “safe to take”.

Mr Biden joins a growing number of political leaders getting the jab, including Vice-President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

On Sunday, the roll-out began for a second vaccine, by Moderna, which was approved last week.

More than 500,000 Americans are said to have now been vaccinated.

“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it’s available to take the vaccine,” Mr Biden said from Newark, Delaware, where he got the jab live on TV. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

He said the Trump administration “deserves some credit” for launching the country’s vaccine programme.

Mr Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, received her first dose earlier in the day, the president-elect said. Mr Biden’s running mate, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff are expected to receive their first shots next week.

The Biden team has set a goal of 100 million Covid-19 vaccinations in the US during the administration’s first 100 days in the White House.

During the pandemic, the US has recorded more than 18 million cases and 319,000 deaths.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.36.7/iframe.htmlmedia captionUS Covid vaccine: Three key questions answered

President Donald Trump, who spent three days in hospital with the coronavirus in October, has not said when he intends to get the vaccine.

The president is now one of last of the country’s top elected officials to have not received the first of the course of two jabs.

“I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time,” Mr Trump wrote in a 13 December tweet.

Some of his advisers have defended the delay, saying he is still protected by the treatments he received to beat the virus.

Who gets the vaccine first?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday released a new set of guidelines for the next groups of Americans to be eligible for vaccination.

  • Phase 1A: US vaccine distribution has so far 21 million healthcare workers, as well as the three million elderly Americans living in long-term care facilities. Vaccinations for this group began last week.
  • Phase 1B: Americans aged 75 and older, in addition to frontline workers will be next up. This broad category includes some 30 million workers “who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society” with high risk of exposure. First responders, corrections workers, US Postal Service employees, and those who work in education, public transit, grocery stores, manufacturing, food and agriculture will be eligible. This phase is expected to begin in January.
  • Phase 1C: Americans aged 65 and older, those with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness from Covid-19, and other essential non-frontline workers. This category includes an estimated 129 million people.

How has the rollout been so far?

Roughly three million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been shipped and more than 500,000 Americans have been vaccinated so far, according to the CDC. And on Sunday, distribution of the Moderna vaccine began in the country too, with some six million vaccine doses available for immediate shipment.

The army general in charge of distributing Covid vaccines in the US on Saturday apologised for a “miscommunication” with certain states over the number of doses to be delivered in the initial stages of distribution. More than a dozen states had expressed concern at a cut in the expected number.

Vaccines delivered in Boston, Massachusetts
image captionBoston health workers received shipments of the vaccine last week

On Friday, more than 100 doctors at Stanford Medical Center protested against the university’s plan for vaccine distribution. They say only seven of more than 1,300 residents – recent graduates of medical school – were selected to receive the vaccine in the first round of 5,000 doses. Hospital administrators and doctors working from home were given priority over those working directly with Covid-19 patients, according to the protesters.

Stanford officials later apologised, saying the university was working “to address the flaws in our plan”.

BBC

DHQ to Zulum: “You cannot rely on open air accusation to tag Nigerian Army personnel as extortioners

The Defence Headquarters has accused Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum of relying on media or open-air accusation to tag Nigerian Army personnel as extortioners at check points.

Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, John Enenche, in a statement reacting to the accusation of the Governor said the Armed Forces of Nigeria had internal mechanisms to checkmate and sanction appropriately its erring personnel.

“The attention of the Nigerian Military has been drawn to the media/air accusation by the Executive Governor of Borno State, that Nigerian Army personnel deployed at check points in Operation LAFIYA DOLE collects money from commuters.

“While the Nigerian Military is in no way joining issues with the Governor, it is necessary to clarify this generalised statement against the troops who without hesitation lay down their lives for all Nigerians.

“It is worthy of note that, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have internal mechanisms to check mate and sanction appropriately its erring personnel,” Enenche said.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, added that reported cases from the public in this regard were investigated and given the desired attention.

He said it would not be correct to rely on media or open-air accusation to tag the Nigerian Army personnel as extortioners at check points in Borno State.

Enenche further stated that all personnel of the Armed Forces were patriotic and focused on their call of duty.

He said the High Command of the Nigerian Military re-stated the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other Security Agencies to tackling and ending the insurgency and terrorism in the North East.

Nigeria is at risk of becoming a failed state

With kidnapping and insecurity rife, the government needs to restore trust

December 22, 2020 10:19 am by The editorial board
More than 300 Nigerian schoolboys were reunited with their families last weekend, days after they had been abducted by kidnappers from their dormitory in the country’s north-west. The kidnapping revived memories of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted in Borno state in 2014. Just as then, Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group, claimed responsibility.

The government insists no ransom was paid. Scepticism is warranted. In a country going backwards economically, carjacking, kidnapping and banditry are among Nigeria’s rare growth industries. Just as the boys were going home, Nigerian pirates abducted six Ukrainian sailors off the coast.

The definition of a failed state is one where the government is no longer in control. By this yardstick, Africa’s most populous country is teetering on the brink.

President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 pronounced Boko Haram “technically defeated”. That has proved fanciful. Boko Haram has remained an ever-present threat. If the latest kidnapping turns out to be its work, it would mark the spread of the terrorist group from its north-eastern base. Even if the mass abduction was carried out by “ordinary” bandits — as now looks possible — it underlines the fact of chronic criminality and violence. Deadly clashes between herders and settled farmers have spread to most parts of Nigeria. In the oil-rich, but impoverished, Delta region, extortion through the sabotage of pipelines is legendary.

Extortion is a potent symbol for a state whose modus operandi is the extraction of oil revenue from central coffers to pay for a bloated, ruinously inefficient, political elite. Security is not the only area where the state is failing. Nigeria has more poor people, defined as those living on less than $1.90 a day, than any other country, including India. In non-Covid-19 years, one of every five children in the world out of school lives in Nigeria, many of them girls.

The population, already above 200m, is growing at a breakneck 3.2 per cent a year. The economy has stalled since 2015 and real living standards are declining. This year, the economy will shrink 4 per cent after Covid-19 dealt a further blow to oil prices. In any case, as the world turns greener, the elite’s scramble for oil revenue will become a game of diminishing returns. The country desperately needs to put its finances, propped up by foreign borrowing, on a sounder footing.

In its three remaining years, the government of Mr Buhari must seek to draw a line in the sand. It must redouble efforts to get a grip on security. It also needs to restore trust in key institutions, among them the judiciary, the security services and the electoral commission, which will preside over the 2023 elections.

More than that, Nigeria needs a generational shift. The broad coalition that found political expression this year in the EndSARS movement against police brutality provides a shard of optimism. At least Nigeria has a relatively stable democracy. Now Nigeria’s youth — creative, entrepreneurial and less tainted by the politics of extraction — should use that system to reset the country’s narrative.

A new, slimmed-down state — ideally one with fewer, bankrupt regional assemblies — must concentrate on the basics: security, health, education, power and roads. With those public goods in place, Nigeria’s young people are more than capable of turning the country round. At the present trajectory, the population will double to 400m by 2050. If nothing is done, long before then, Nigeria will become a problem far too big for the world to ignore.

PDP decries Killing, indiscriminate arrests of members by state actors in Ebonyi

…Expresses worry over passive posture of security agencies to these heinous crimes and infringement on the constitutional rights of members

By Chibuike Nwabuko

Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Peoples Democratic Party has decried the killing and indiscriminate arrest and harassment of its members by state actors in Ebonyi state trailing the “lives will be lost” threat issued by the Governor David Umahi.

The party also expressed worry over alleged passive posture of security agencies to these heinous crimes and infringement on the constitutional rights of its members in the state.

The party stated this on Tuesday in a statement signed by the Acting National Vice Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Southeast Zone, Chief Ali Odefa made available to Sundiata Post.

According to the statement, the Party noted with serious concerns the ugly developments in Ebonyi state in the last few weeks which has led to the deaths of several innocent citizens of the state.

The party recalled that on November 27, 2020 the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi in a Press Conference at the Government House Abakaliki made wild allegations against the leaders of our great party including the former President of the Senate, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, former Governor of the State, Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba and the Acting National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Southeast Zone, Chief Ali Odefa.

Governor Umahi in his wild allegations specifically declared that “I needed to raise an alarm because lives will be lost”!
True to his threat, barely three days after that televised open threat to members, supporters and leaders of the PDP in Ebonyi State, on November 30th, 2020 our member and loyal supporter, Mr. Shedrak Nwode a native of Umuezoka alongside his fiancée were shot dead-execution-style by a senior official of Umahi’s government. Late Shedrack Nwode’s crime was that he refused to shout “APC –Change” at a wedding ceremony!

As if that was not enough provocation, three days after the killing of late Shedrack Nwode on Friday December 4, 2020, three prominent supporters of our party in Ugwulangwu community in the governor’s home local government, Ohaozara were arrested on trump up charges of being sponsors of cultists and the IPOB, they were handcuffed both their hands and legs like condemned criminals and shipped to Ebonyi State Police Command Headquarters, Abakaliki in the middle of the night. It took serious interventions including a threat to protest naked in Abakaliki by old women of Ugwulangwu Community for them to be released.

Ever since, Governor Umahi in carrying out his threat of “lives will be lost,” has continued to sponsor violence in different parts of Ebonyi State, specifically targeting the members and supporters of the PDP.
Just last week members of Ebele and Anyi Chuks Foundation (a non-partisan and well known philanthropic organisation) gathered at the Home Galaxy Hotel, Isu, the Headquarters of Onicha Local Government Area to deliberate on their planned philanthropic reach out to the less privileged in the spirit of the Christmas season (as is their custom for over a decade now) were brutally attacked by armed thugs led by a well known senior appointee of Chief Umahi’s government. Members of the NGO suffered various degrees of injuries including machete cuts on the flimsy excuse that they were PDP members, the party said.

“Also, on Sunday December 20, 2020 law abiding members of the PDP who gathered at the home of a prominent figure in Okposi Community and a supporter of our great party, Chief Ajim were again brutally attacked by armed thugs led by a prominent member of governor Umahi’s government.

“Our members yet again suffered serious injuries with cars vandalized and many of them lost their valuables including money, phones and other personal properties.
Despite these unwarranted, evil, unnecessary attacks and grim provocations, members of the PDP in Ebonyi State have remained calm and law abiding, yet the security agencies in Ebonyi State have remained passive and seemingly unconcerned by these heinous crimes and infringement on the constitutional rights of our members by known state actors.

The PDP said it is at loss at this point as to why the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ebonyi State have found it very difficult to rise up to the occasion and do their statutory duty of protecting the lives and properties of law abiding citizens of Ebonyi State whose only crime may have been expressing their constitutional right of freedom of association.

“We are constrained to ask, could it be that the security agencies in Ebonyi State have been compromised by the “crushing and grinding” machineries of Ebonyi State Government? Or are the security agencies in Ebonyi State incapable of protecting the lives and properties of Ebonyians?

The PDP therefore stated clearly that as Nigerian citizens, they are not unaware of their rights and the basic principles of democracy which guarantees their rights to exist and belong to any lawful association of their choice. Adding that they have chosen to be members of the PDP and no form of intimidation can change that.

The party however said it will henceforth deploy all lawful means to protect members, businesses, properties and supporters anywhere in Ebonyi State and called on members to remain steadfast, unmoved, unshaken and resolute and go about their normal lawful businesses including deliberating collectively for progress and growth of our great party at various levels as we shall henceforth deploy all the necessary legal avenues to ensure their protection at every point in time.

Nigeria remains a multi-party democracy and we implore His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi to respect his oath of office by protecting and adhering to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and face his duties as the governor of Ebonyi State, Odefia said.

Ebonyi State Belongs to all of Us! Enough is Enough, he stated.

Sundiatapost

Oladimeji Shotunde, son of mechanic who shattered LASU’s 37-year record with 4.95 CGPA

At first, it was 4.78. A year after, he bagged 4.86. Aiming at the prize annually set aside for the best graduating student (BGS), Oladimeji Shotunde would thereafter rake in 5.0 twice as his grade point in 300 and 400 level, a feat that saw him spiral up to 4.95 in his final year — setting a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) that shattered pre-existing records in the Lagos State University’s (LASU) 37-year history.

It was on the back of this achievement that the Lagos state government awarded Shotunde, a 22-year-old graduate of Business Administration, the monetary prize of N5 million alongside a postgraduate scholarship and automatic employment in the civil service. Yet, thriving in the labour market and attaining career success demands more than academic excellence, Shotunde’s university journey had seen him take up several leadership positions.

He had founded Excel Minds, an educational services brand that is now morphing into an edutech startup, while still on campus. He’d enlisted his colleagues to deliver course-specific tutorials, trainings to ready students for jobs, conferences, compendia, debates, and other sessions. In the dusk of his campus life, he would stage an award and dinner night where he recognised executives of the brand as well as lecturers that made an impact on his colleagues.

“People think I read 12 hours a day. But what if I tell you I don’t do more than an hour? I’m not the type to read for a stretch like that; what am I reading? One of the things that helped me was that I founded Excel Minds Academic Group. What we did was to provide free academic services like tutorials, training, mock exams, and conferences. I did the sessions often. By virtue of taking my colleagues, I was already reading,” Shotunde tells TheCable Lifestyle.

So, ‘Dimeji, you were recognized and awarded by the Lagos state government for emerging the best graduating student at the Lagos State University (LASU). Go ahead and tell us how that happened.

Well, the news came while I was home; exhausted from the previous day’s activities. Someone called me from school to inform me of the development that the governor made the speech, on Thursday. I’m yet to interact with any government official but what I plan on doing is to reach out through my vice-chancellor. But from what I saw in the papers, I was told the governor made a promise of N5 million alongside a scholarship. I also saw on another medium that the package includes automatic employment. But I’m yet to confirm the specifics of the award. Being named the best-graduating student, I felt fulfilled but also felt an additional responsibility on my shoulder to meet up with expectations. With that prize comes a name to which one must live up to. I’d say it was a mixed feeling.

Achieving a CGPA of 4.95 must have been tough. Tell us about how you were able to pull this off.

Actually, I started with a 4.78; that was in my 100 level. Thereafter, I had a 4.86, making it a CGPA of 4.82. Subsequently, I began having a 5.0 till I graduated. What helped the most was the fact that I was intelligent — let me put it that way. I’ll always tell people to develop intelligence because there’s a distinction between intelligence and brilliance. When you’re brilliant, it implies you know everything about something. But intelligence implies your ability to know something about everything. And if you really want to thrive in the contemporary world of today, there’s a need for you to develop intelligence as opposed to brilliance. To a large extent, intelligence helped me. And interpersonal relations also did. I understood the environment in which I was; LASU is a very complicated one. I was able to build interpersonal relations with students, lecturers, and everyone. I knew what they all wanted. It’s all about intelligence, humility, persistence, and ensuring you have a good understanding of your school environment.

What were those strategies that you deployed? How many hours did you have to study daily?

It might be surprising; people will expect you to say you read like 12 hours a day. But what if I tell you I don’t do more than an hour? I’m not the type that reads for a stretch like that; what am I reading? Apart from intelligence, one of the things that helped me was that I founded Excel Minds Academic Group. What we did was to provide free academic services including tutorials, training, mock exams, and conferences. I took these sessions often and, by virtue of taking my colleagues, I was already reading. To a large extent, this played a pivotal role in my emergence. Beyond academia, I led social impact campaigns, held leadership positions here and there, and chaired committees. Balancing these things led to my emergence. I came to understand that books don’t solve it all. There’s a need to have a combination of social and academic life. When you do, it makes you exceptional. I tell people I’ve never used the school library except when I went there for library registration. It’s just about understanding yourself. The only time I forced myself to read up to two hours was like a day to exams. But other times, I did 30 minutes to one hour.

At what point did the idea of graduating with a first-class occur to you? What was the drive?

It occurred to me in my 300 level. Upon gaining admission, my intention was to have the best possible grade. It might not be first-class but something to make my parents proud. When I had a 4.78, it was a plus. Some people were discouraging me then like, “Oh, LASU? They’ll fail you.”  I had all these normal admonitions from our seniors. I didn’t take all those to heart but kept pushing. It was at 300 level that I said to myself, “You can give this a shot. You’re leading the faculty.” As of the first semester of 100 level, I wasn’t even in the top-50 of the university. I would later place my gaze on the ultimate prize when I was in 300 level until my announcement as the 2020 BGS.

I made a lot of personal sacrifices. I’m of a humble background. My dad is a roadside mechanic and my mum a trader. She grinds pepper.  I share the sentiment of the average Nigerian student. Everyone has their story. There are times that, even as an undergraduate student, I still helped my mum to grind pepper before going to school. I washed her machine every morning till I graduated. I live not so far from LASU. It’s just like N50 /N100 bus. There are times when I had to go to my daddy‘s carwash to work just to raise money for the family. I had chronic myopia from the start. All of these things are just some of the challenges I faced but I’m grateful for where I am today.

And how did this priority you gave to academics affect you personally, socially, and professionally?

Funny enough, despite all these, I was indeed a very social person. I organized an award dinner where I had about 400 guests. I held it under Excel Minds to reward committed executives and lecturers that have contributed to the success of the platform. I attended parties, beyond the dinner. I connected with everybody because no one is useless. I lived a balanced life, not focusing solely on academics because I was very much conscious of these things.

Tell us about some achievements you stacked over the course of running your programme.

My most significant achievement is the number of lives I’ve touched. I touched over 20,000 students during my life on campus through the compendiums we created, tutorials we did, mock exams, training, and events we organized. There’s also the excel minds arena we donated which we built for N1 million. It’s a place where students can sit and read. It’s a mini-project but it houses 32 students in one meeting. We built the arena and had the VC come open it. That was a very great one. I was also the outreach manager for SDGs ACT (Sustainable Development Goals Awareness Campaign Tour) at LASU. It was the first campus-led SDGs movement we had in Nigeria. Beyond that, I was also a local coordinator, African Students for Liberty. I took up a lot of leadership roles and global challenges.

What drove you to study business administration? Was this always the option from day one?

As I said, while growing up, I had chronic myopia. There are times when I wouldn’t see what’s on the board while in class. It got to a point where I was only flowing with courses that had to do with dictations. When they start writing things on the board, I won’t lose track. I was sceptical about telling my parents because I knew the treatment was going to come at a huge cost to them. To some extent, that affected my coordinative abilities. I would later develop competence in anything theoretical. Aside from that, I saw myself becoming an entrepreneur. I’m currently working on my start-up which is focused on leveraging technology and human competence to promote learning. The ultimate aim of all of this is to become a business person. That’s why I had opted for business administration.

How easy was it making the cut in your UTME and Post-UTME?

It was quite easy, although I tried LASU thrice. I didn’t undertake SS3. I wrote my GCE when I was in SS1 going to SS2 and passed. I had three As, three Bs, and two Cs. I didn’t go for Yoruba then. When I had the result, and we saw that it was impressive, my dad saw no reason in me writing WAEC or going ahead with SS3. I went to YABATECH then. From there, I tried LASU the second time. I had a good score but they gave me a course I couldn’t work with. They gave me Management Technology after which they changed it to Physical Health Education (PHE). I decided that year wasn’t mine. I completed OND 2 in YABATECH and tried LASU the third time. The floodgates opened. There was a point when I combined 100 level first semester at LASU with OND 2 second semester at YABATECH.

What were the challenges you faced during your programme that you think the Lagos government should address or that the Nigerian educational system should work towards overhauling?

I would say there is a need for the government to work on the infrastructures we have, that is, in terms of facilities. We’re short of lecture halls, especially with the new training we’re having now. The faculty and all other areas are always congested. I think the government should do well to erect additional buildings and other facilities that are typical of a world-class university. LASU is getting better but we still have a long way to go. Also, in terms of our curriculum, I don’t think that is really within the purview of the government. But there is a need for an upgrade. In my opinion, the curricular are obsolete. They’re not fully in tandem with what is currently obtainable. There’s a need for the lecturers to start taking us on things that are industry-specific; things that are relevant out there. Excel, data analysis. All of these things are very important, not just the usual note-taking. There’s a need for us to work in line with what is happening now. If we can have a course that will involve acquiring contemporary skills.

I understand you were granted a postgraduate scholarship, should in case you wish to further your studies. You were also offered employment in the civil service. What’s your plan going forward?

My immediate plan is to proceed with NYSC. After that, I plan on running my master’s in perhaps innovation and management. I would also possibly go for a Ph.D. also. As for the money, I plan on using it to advance my start-up, the one I told you about. I need a substantial amount to work on it. Some personal needs will also be taken care of.

2020 has been tough. There’s COVID-19 ruining academic calendars of varsities nationwide. There is an ASUU strike worsening the situation by causing a clash in terms of admitted candidates, those looking to purchase Post-UTME forms, and those to whom JAMB is selling fresh UTME forms. How do you think the whole situation should have been handled to avoid this backlog crisis, so to speak?

For me, I think the challenge in Nigeria is that of misplaced priorities. There is a need for government stakeholders and those at the helm of affairs to realize that the education system is a crucial sector that stimulates what we call critical thinking. Critical thinking is what would lead to innovation. Innovation is what will birth the much-needed growth and development in our society. There is a need for FG to brace up and yield to what ASUU is demanding, in as much as I’m trying to be careful because ASUU has some accountability issues. But it’s not something I want to go into because I’m neither a lecturer nor a federal government person. ASUU knows the government has the resources so FG should be serious about addressing whatever demands the union might have and put in place an accountability mechanism to ensure that whatever money is being disbursed will have a meaningful impact.

As a graduate versed in business, you would agree that the economic crisis facing the country has never been more pronounced. You have inflation, the fallen value of Naira due to the realities in the oil market on which a great deal of Nigeria’s export earnings is based, shortage of forex, and the increase in living cost almost sending entrepreneurs to the verge of bankruptcy. How do you think indigenous businesses could have better prepared for this? How should they be handling it?

I’ll address this in two folds. One is that there’s a need for these businesses to start leveraging on technology. And then there’s a need for the government to reduce the cost of governance. It’s too high. The current system is not really for a country like Nigeria. I don’t see a need for a bicameral legislature. A unicameral legislature would have been better. The hierarchies are too much. In a nutshell, I would suggest that the cost of governance is cut down and these funds should be channeled to those areas that are more pressing. There is also a need for us to encourage local consumption and patronage. This will ensure that a lot of things change automatically. It’s going to have a multiplier effect on our export earnings. We have Innoson Motors. Let’s patronize these indigenous firms and see the economy grow naturally. Regarding power supply too (hisses)… I just think Nigeria is a country where things are just moving round and round. We’ve been talking about some of these things for over 20 years, yet, no progress has been seen. But I know that if some of these ideas are implemented, a lot will change for Nigeria in just a year.

I’m working on my start-up on which we’ve spent over N1 million already. I’m working with some of my friends who are my partners. And I’ve come to a realization. The challenge is not really about the government giving loans; N5 million or N2 million loans. The main thing is to create an enabling environment. For over six months, I’ve been having headaches over a particular area about the start-up we want to initiate and that’s the pricing mechanism. What prices should we even fix for our services? We’re looking at having an education technology platform where we can pick a student online via our platform and maybe go to their house once a while. But when you look at the cost of transportation and the security situation in the country, all these things are making us scared. It’s not just about giving loans. There’s a need to have an enabling environment where these businesses can thrive.

What the government needs to do is address all those things that serve as hindrances to the advancement of these startups. Sincerely, Nigeria is a country where startups are most vulnerable. Everything is just bad; you’re paying tax for something you’re not even enjoying. A lot of things are just wrong in the system. For instance, I did business registration back in August. Since then, I’ve not gotten a certificate. Why? They said there’s a new process now. We can’t even open a corporate account because they’ll request for it. These little things we think are not consequential actually matter. We’re meant to launch a start-up by January 1 and, as of now, we can’t even open a bank account.

Do you have any regrets in your academic journey so far? If you were to lend any fresh student some knowledge from your experience, what would you say to them?

I lived a fulfilled campus life. The only thing I regret is not applying for scholarships. I was so busy with Excel Minds, tutorials, and leadership positions. So I didn’t get to really apply for scholarships. To a great extent, I didn’t have time. I regret it. Secondly, I didn’t also go for internships. Going by the nature of my own calendar, it wasn’t a necessity though. But I knew that, if I had gotten that exposure earlier on, I should have been able to get one or two internship opportunities. I think these are my regrets but, aside from that, I think I lived a fulfilled campus life.

I wouldn’t tell some coming behind to be persistent, diligent, and all those random things that everyone always tells them. There is a need for first-class students to start looking beyond academics now. The world is changing. Good grades aren’t enough to stand you out. Ask yourself this question, “If my first class is taken away, what will be left? What am I bringing to the table?” They need to start getting skills that are contemporary, industry-specific, and relevant out there. I advise that the same way they’re reading and having sleepless nights, let them dedicate time to personal development and branding. Do not allow the fear of falling to stop you from jumping. Don’t allow the fear of responsibility to stop you from committing. And lastly do not allow the fear of exposure to stop you from shining.

TheCable

Deeper Life School management begging us to withdraw case, parents of sexually assaulted student say

Iniobong Archibong, father of Don Davis, a student of Deeper Life High School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who was allegedly molested sexually by his seniors, has revealed that the school authorities told the family to withdraw the case to cover up the assault.

In a viral video on Facebook, Deborah Okezie, Davis’ mother had cried out to Nigerians, pleading for help to get justice for her son who had been molested by his senior students and starved consistently at the Uyo Campus of the school despite the full payment of school fees.

According to information obtained from the video, Don Davis’ mother had gone to pick him up on Friday from the school and was the last person to pick up her child there.  However, she noticed that he was sick and had not been attended to. The mother also alleged that she noticed her son was not able to sit properly, which prompted her to check his buttocks. From the look of his anus, Deborah said her son had been sexually molested.  This was later confirmed by doctors at the hospital where Don Davis was taken. He was put on a drip at the hospital and is currently on the 12th one.

Don Davis claimed that his seniors in the school inserted their fingers into his anus.

Archibong stated that the state Superintendent of the Church, Deeper Life Christian Ministry, had visited the hospital where the boy was being attended to alongside the principal of the school, Ndidi Solomon; chairman of the school’s medical forum and another prominent member of the school board, per SaharaReporters

He said, “They all came here yesterday. Before the superintendent arrived, the three of them came. They were on their knees begging us to withdraw the video from the Internet but I told them we had no control over that. It had gone viral already.”

Archibong stated that the State Superintendent of the church expressed shock over the feeding conditions of students in the school.

He said, “The superintendent said he approves N2.2 million every week for the feeding of the students and that he didn’t understand why this could have happened. He said the principal has to explain.

The distraught father said rather than explain, the principal was begging on her knees.

“She apologised, stating that she was the one that caused the incident. She said when the boy’s mother (my wife) came on November 11, and talked about it, she promised to expel those children from school but never did.”

Archibong added that the Akwa Ibom State Government has set up a committee to investigate the matter.

“The Commissioner for Education and some other state government officials were here with us this morning in the hospital. Members of the investigation committee are going to the school.

“The issue does not have to do with my child alone, what about other children that are being abused?”

The father said he was sure that justice would be served on the issue.

“These things should not continue; brutality and bullying should stop in our schools,” he said.

He said the case had been reported to the police and that a meeting had been scheduled for Monday afternoon with the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state.

Theexpressng

Covid-19: Close all event centres, bars, night clubs – FG directs

President Muhammadu Buhari has authorised the return of most of the initial restrictions imposed earlier in the year for the prevention of the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Among the re-introduced restrictions and regulations are closure of most public places and social events, including religious, occupational and recreational activities.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, disclosed these during the task force’s media briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Mustapha explained that President Buhari had directed state governments, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to immediately assume responsibility for the enforcement of the re-introduced restrictions and measures.

As part of the efforts to curtail further spread of the disease and prevention of the new strain surfacing in other parts of the world into Nigeria, the SGF said international travels, both into and from the country, are being considered.

Giving specific actions that President Buhari had authorised in the fight to keep the spread of the second wave down, he said the restrictions, which would affect travelling, holding social events like parties and religious events and many more, would past for five weeks in the first instance.

“The PTF has surveyed developments and actions taken by governments around the world, assessed our domestic environment and has accordingly submitted its recommendations to Mr. President on immediate measures to be taken.

“Accordingly, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has authorised the PTF to engage with the States and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdictions:

“In line with the authorisation, the PTF wishes to issue the following advisories to sub-national entities for implementation over the next five weeks because these activities are considered super spreader events:

“Close All bars, night clubs, pubs and event centres, and recreational venues;

  • Close all restaurants except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins shall remain closed; Restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events shall be restricted to not more than 50 persons;

“Limit All gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50% capacity of the facility of use during which physical distancing; mandatory use of face masks shall be strictly enforced; Where more than 50 persons are attending, any such events, the gathering should be held outdoors only;

“Public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50% of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules. Enforce compliance with NPI protocols especially the advisory on wearing of face masks in public spaces;

“To reduce overcrowding in public spaces, markets, shopping centres, offices and schools States are advised to implement the following: Encourage virtual meetings in government Offices. The leadership of such offices are to ensure that all offices are well-ventilated offices, and encourage staff to work from home where possible;

“All government staff on GL.12 and below are to stay at home for the next 5 weeks; Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives are to be held accountable for enforcing NPI rules in their domains with frequent spot checks;

“The PTF on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Education, expects that schools would have vacated from the 18th December 2020 and remain closed till at least the 18th of January, 2021 to enable the measures introduced to take effect;

“All persons above the age of 60yrs and/or with comorbidities are to be encouraged to stay at home and avoid crowds; All non-essential travels – both domestic and international during the holiday season are seriously discouraged;

“To strengthen risk communication and community engagement activities over the next 5 weeks, States are encouraged to; Engage community and religious leaders, arrange town hall meetings (ideally set outdoors) to address concerns;

“Intensify public messaging activities, leveraging on existing government and partner assets; Reach out to youths and younger adults with health promotion activities; Invest in local face mask purchase and distribution to the general public to encourage use,” he said.

He said further that besides the enforcement instruction issued to the states and the FCT by the President, the PTF would also, in necessary circumstances, play roles to ensure the measures are complied with.

“Where applicable, the PTF shall also implement these authorisations. For example, it shall work with the Nigeria Immigration Service to impose sanctions on all in-bound travellers who violated the travel protocols and endangered the lives of their loved ones and other citizens by refusing to take the post-arrival test.

“The PTF will similarly work with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to implement aspects related to the Public Service,” he added.

Speaking specifically to the issue of international travels, he said “a lot of discussion is still going on around the calls for the restriction of international travels due to the discovery of new strains of the virus in certain countries.

“The PTF, Aviation and health authorities including the WHO are assessing the situation closely and would take a position as soon as cogent scientific basis are established. The protection of Nigerians remains our primary concern and we reassure Nigerians of our resolve not to relent.

“Tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd December, 2020 at 3.00pm, the PTF shall be submitting its end of year (2020) Report to Mr. President and Nigerians shall be kept abreast of developments in this regard,” he said.

Observing the recent developments around the COVID-19 phenomenon in the country and the continued response efforts attending it, Mustapha pointed out that, among other reasons, the refusal of Nigerians to heed instructions issued by the PTF, especially the non-pharmaceutical interventions had given vent to the rise and spread of the second wave of the virus.

“The result of the analysis carried out by the PTF further indicate that the current pattern of spread, and the surge is likely to be driven by the following factors:

  • The lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions – particularly the disregard for mask use in public, large gatherings as a result of events linked to the yuletide season and recent civil demonstrations.

“Further disregard for other public health preventive measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distance requirements; The activities and assumptions of our youthful population which has resulted in an increase in the infection rate among young people, who are subsequently infecting older and more vulnerable family members.

“From our assessment, the current situation are clearly the consequences of certain occurrences and events of the last few weeks. These include sudden increase in social gatherings involving large congregations from different parts of the country, and the world, at events such as weddings, religious activities, political rallies, conferences and end of year celebrations;

“These events, classified globally as ‘supers-spreader events’, make the risk of a single infection causing a large outbreak among attendees significantly higher;

“Furthermore, as we reopened the economy, we experienced increased economic, social and religious gatherings and activities all of which have combined to play a part in viral transmissions. These include:

a) The opening of the international airspace in September 2020 – While the average number of daily imported infections into the country in the last 90 days is estimated to be about 7 cases, compared to 100-150 reported new infections in the community since the beginning of community transmission, the test positivity rate in travellers arriving Lagos has recently doubled to 6.3%;

“The resumption of schools – outbreaks have been reported in schools following the resumption of physical classes; The resumption of NYSC orientation camps – this risk has been mitigated by ensuring that all NYSC members were screened for COVID-19 prior to admission to camp, but confirmed cases have still been identified through tests carried out;

“The full opening of offices with the return to work of government workers from GL. 12 and below – outbreaks have also been reported in public offices, most likely linked to overcrowding, poor ventilation and the lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions; and the opening of the economy with progressive relaxation of restrictions in congregational areas such as places of worship, restaurants, bars, lounges, shopping and event centres,” he said.

Thenationonlineng

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