NNPC Contracts Innoson Motors To Manufacture CNG Cars For Nigerians By Ukpe Philip

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd has contracted Innoson Vehicle Motors (IVM) to produce Condensed Natural Gas cars, the indigenous car manufacturer has said. The Chairman of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma, also revealed that the company is ready to manufacture electric cars. Chukwuma disclosed the mega deal with the state owned company while commenting on the race to face out fossil fuel. The Nigerian government had unveiled plans to sponsor the conversion of one million cars to run on gas. Gas is Nigeria’s transition fuel. The NNPC Ltd, Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, had announced in December 2020 that the Ministry of Petroleum will provide the structure for the free conversion services to enable automobiles switch from premium motor spirit to gas. Speaking to local station, Arise TV, Chukwuma revealed that IVM has been contracted to manufacture cars for the NNPC Ltd. But the businessman did not reveal the details of the deal. The Innoson Group Chairman said, “I am now producing some vehicles with CNG engine for NNPC. I am almost through with the production and I did the best quality of the CNG cars and it was built from my factory. “CNG will help everybody because the consumption of CNG is better than fuel. If people can convert to CNG, it will benefit the nation, transport cost will drop down. Nigeria has a lot of CNG wasting.” IVM has a plant at Nnewi, South Eastern Nigeria that has the production capacity of 60,000 cars. The billionaire businessman was also optimistic of venturing into the manufacturing of electric cars. According to him, electric car manufacturing is not a big deal when the country begins to see demands. Chukwuma said, “The most important thing that am doing in a vehicle is to build the body, I don’t produce engines, I import engines from engine companies. “If I want to do electric vehicle, it is the same vehicle, I will buy the battery and other things. It is the same thing. so, electric vehicle is nothing, I can do it easily, because I have the capacity do it. It is very easy. But it is when the demand comes that I will start.”

New President Of MWAN in Kaduna State, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris Inaugurated By; Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani

The Kaduna State Branch of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) on Saturday inaugurated Dr. Zainab Muhammad-Idris as its President for the next two years. Muhammad-Idris, a Consultant Public Health Physician with over 20 years experience, was inaugurated at the end of the association’s 8th Biennial Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Kaduna. She was inaugurated alongside Dr Aisha Mustapha, as Vice President, Dr Marufah Lasisis, Secretary and Dr Amina Jelili, Assistant Secretary. Dr. Hassana Yakasai was elected as Financial Secretary, Dr Lubabatu Abdulrasheed, Treasurer, Dr Amina Umar, Zonal Coordinator, Zaria, while Dr Salamatu Akor and Dr Maryam Makarfi are to serve as Public Relations Officer I and II respectively. Others are, Dr Yusra Muktar, Dr Hadiza Muhammad and Dr Elizabeth Ebel as Welfare Coordinators for Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan respectively. Also, Dr Hannatu Kachiro was elected as Coordinator of Young Doctors Forum with Dr Jamila Wuyahku as Secretary. Speaking on behalf of the executives, Muhammad-Idris, a lecturer with the Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, described her emergence as a “honour to serve” the great association. She pledged to serve the medical women and the people of Kaduna State in line with the motto of the MWAN, “Healing with the Love of a Mother ” to ensure better health outcomes for the people of Kaduna state. She thanked the immediate past president of the association, Dr Anisah Yahya, for the exemplary leadership and for bringing the association thus far. She solicited for the support and cooperation of members such that together, they will move MWAN to greater heights. “We will build on the achievements and legacies of the past leaders of this great association and build strong leadership and commitment of members to move the association forward. “We will strengthen existing partnerships and build more collaborations with relevant stakeholders with a view to serve humanity in our respective areas of expertise,” she said. Muhammad-Idris, a gender and health management expert is currently serving as the Project Coordinator of the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria in Kaduna State. She has worked with UNDP-supported North West Zonal Technical Officer, under the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs Conditional Grants Scheme to Local Governments. She also served at different capacities as the Team Lead on the United Kingdom DFID-funded flagship programmes, including Partnership for Transforming Health Systems and Strengthening Nigerians Response to HIV/AIDS among others. Muhammad-Idris equally served as consultant on development of various multi-sectoral strategic plans initiatives at the federal and state levels. She chaired and served as a member of various government and civil society working groups and committees at federal and state levels. She is currently the Chair, Board of Trustees of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Education as a Vaccine, and member of National Steering Committee on Neglected Tropical Diseases among several other positions.

3.4m Nigerians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 By Isaac Ukpoju

Dr Faisal Shuaib, NPHCDA boss The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has said that 3,487, 298 eligible persons in Nigeria have been fully vaccinated against Coronavirus (COVID-19), having received their second jabs. Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director, NPHCDA, disclosed this during the inauguration of mass vaccination exercise for Nasarawa State on Friday in Lafia. Shuaib said that as at Friday, Nov. 26, a total of 6,242, 224 eligible persons in the country had received their first doses of the vaccine. “From the data above, it is clear that Nigeria is still far from reaching its target of vaccinating almost 112 million of its eligible population,” he said. Shuaib said that the Federal Government came up with the mass vaccination campaign in view of the festive period characterised by large gathering with risk of spread of the virus. He said the campaign was geared towards creating access to the vaccines in order to ward off a potential 4th wave of the pandemic. He said the mass vaccination campaign was a carefully designed service delivery strategy to rapidly increase the number of fully vaccinated eligible people and fast track the country’s economic and social recovery. “The main aim of the mass vaccination campaign is to vaccinate 50 per cent of Nigeria’s eligible population by January 2022,” Shuaib added. In Nasarawa State, the executive director pointed out that based on data from the National Population Commission (NPC), about 1.5million persons in the state were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. “As it stands, we have only been able to vaccinate 8.1 per cent of eligible Nasarawa residents with the first dose and only 5.3 per cent are fully vaccinated. “This is below our target which is to vaccinate all eligible residents with the COVID-19 vaccines in order to ensure full protection against the deadly virus. “In order to address the logistical problems of getting to vaccination site by Nigerians, the Federal Government in collaboration with the State Government has expanded the vaccination sites in Nasarawa State. “The COVID-19 vaccines are now available in our public health facilities, designated private health facilities, shopping malls, open markets, schools, general hospitals, tertiary health institutions, recreation parks, religious centres, motor parks and other designated sites, he said. Shuaib encouraged Nasarawa residents, who are 18 years and above to come out en masse to receive the vaccines in order to protect themselves, their loved ones and communities. He appreciated the media for their support so far and called on them to intensify actions in mobilising eligible Nigerians for improved vaccination. “We count on your support to ensure the overall success of the mass vaccination campaign across the country. “Please remember, no one is safe from COVID-19 until everyone is safe from it,” Shuaib added. In his remarks, Gov. Abdullahi Sule gave assurance that his government would ensure that every citizen of the state was vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and safety of all.

10th Anniversary of Ojukwu’s burial: What Fredrick Forsyth said. By Nehru Odeh

Fredrick Forsyth and Ojukwu Fredrick Forsyth indeed saw tomorrow. An English novelist and journalist, he is famous for bestsellers such as The Day of the Jackal. Odessa File, Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative and The Biafra Story. Still, he is legendary for covering the Nigerian civil War for the BBC throughout the time the war lasted, for establishing a very strong relationship with the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for keeping his company throughout his years in exile and also for accompanying him on his triumphant return to Nigeria In August 2015, Forsyth revealed that he was an informant for MI6 during the war, a relationship that continued for 20 years. Though, according to him, he was not paid. Forsyth and Ojukwu were so close that on 26 November 2011, the day the Igbo leader’s body was interred, not only was Forsyth at the graveside he also paid a glowing tribute to him. However, a remarkable thing about Forsyth short but powerful oration is that 20 years on, what he said about Ojukwu still holds true, what with the late Igbo leader assuming a legendary status, the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra by Nnamdi Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra – ., a cause Ojukwu championed in the 60s and which led to the Nigerian civil war- assuming new dimensions According to Forsyth though Ojukwu is dead yet he lives. “You can bury a man, you can bury a body but you cannot bury a legend… My friend Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has become a legend,” Forsyth said. The British writer also gave reasons he considers Ojukwu a legend, saying that in spite of the fact that “he was rich. He had his father’s immense fortune. He had mansions in Lagos, many properties, an assured income ….” yet he made a lot of sacrifices and fought for the liberation of his people. 50 years after the end of the civil war, the cause that Ojukwu led and fought for has taken on a new intensity that not only validates him but also legitimizes the cause he fought for. Here is Forsyth’s speech: “It has been almost almost forty years since the first shots were fired in what became known as the Biafra War. A man would have to be almost sixty to remember that day…. Yet, many of you gathered here are not yet close to that age; yet, you have come. Why? “…..It is because you can bury a man, you can bury a body but you cannot bury a Legend. And for the people of what was once Eastern Nigeria, my friend Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu has become a Legend….” Forsyth said. “Again I ask, Why?” “It is because back then, after the horrors of the slaughters of the Igbo in the summer of 1966 it would have been easy for him, as military governor of the Eastern Region, to have withdrawn and left you all to your fate. “After all, he was rich. He had his father’s immense fortune. He had mansions in Lagos, many properties, an assured income….Yet he stayed. He stayed to try to represent you; to speak your cause, To negotiate on your behalf….and when that failed, to fight with you, “This is why he remains Ikemba Ndi Igbo, the man who speaks for his people… So, I, who was his Friend, say this to you….. “When you speak of him, talk softly, “When you write of Him, carve his name with PRIDE.

Bandits terrorising us are terrorists, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) backs FG By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

*…as Prof Usman, Olawepo-Hashim, Gen Haruna give panacea to banditry *Declaring them terrorists is not for judiciary, says Brig-Gen ID Bello The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has said that the declaration of bandits as terrorists was long overdue because those who terrorise a whole country had no other name. “It is long overdue. The court has done well. “What else do you call people who have terrorised a whole country for such a long time?” Emmanuel Yawe, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, asked Vanguard on Friday night. In a related development, General IBM Haruna(rtd), observed that the reason why the wrong prescriptions are made in Nigeria “is because the leadership had been blamed.” According to him, “first, they probably are short-sighted. In order to fortify their positions which, perhaps, they did not merit.” However, in his reaction to the declaration of bandits as terrorists, Brigadier General Idris Bello(rtd) wondered how a court assumed the role and responsibility of the Federal Government. He said: “It’s definitely of no consequence because it’s the purview of only the Executive and the Legislative arms of government and not that of the Judiciary.” Kaduna-Abuja Road of hell Also, former Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, said the Kaduna-Abuja Road had become a highway to hell. He said in an interview that “they have not been able to secure this highway in the last six years. “A nation that has a standing military and a standing police force cannot secure a highway of 166 kilometres. “We should do better. We are not doing as we need to do. These hundreds of female soldiers that were brought with all the funfare, where are they? “We must do better. There are three main villages along that place that are troublesome—Jere, Katari and Rijana. “You mean we cannot dominate these places? Do we not see our security forces dominate Anambra State for their election? “So protecting the ballot box is more important than protecting people? “So government needs to do more. It’s not doing as it needs to do. “Banditry is a social problem. There is a role for the military, there is no military solution to this,” he said. ‘We need special forces’ On his part, former Presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said Nigeria should’ve developed the capacity of her special forces to be able to rescue people who are abducted with minimum casualty and apprehend the perpetrators. He said: “So this is to complement this bombardment that you’re seeing and all that. “Those are kinetic action. But you also need some police action where those people who do this kind of things can be identified in communities and punished adequately. “Once kidnappers see that when they kidnap you don’t have to pay ransom because people get released, there would be no incentives for their kidnapping. “This would reduce, progressively. So it’s very important for us to have our special forces trained. “This is something I believe should be on the front burner for government.” Vanguard News Nigeria

APC National Chairmanship: Al-Makura, Adamu, Yari, Others May Be Disqualified By Isuma Mark

Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress aspiring to contest for the National Chairmanship of the party are in danger of losing out due to indictment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, THE WHISTLER has learnt on Friday. The APC is currently being administered by a 13-man Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC led by Governor Mai Bala Buni of Yobe State. It was inaugurated in June 2020, following the removal of Mr Adams Oshiomhole, about two years to the end of his tenure. While there was high hope that the Buni-led Committee will steamroll the party to early successful National Convention, that hope was dashed early on when many bigwigs started feasting on the party following the decision of the Supreme Court on Ondo State Governorship Election. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, had gone to court to challenge the legal validity of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu’s nomination by the national Caretaker Committee of the APC headed by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mal Buni. The Supreme Court ruled through the majority decision that the non- joinder of Buni as a party in the matter, proved fatal to Jegede’s case, acknowledging that the issue raised by the appellants had merit and constitutional implications. Soon after that decision, party top shots and stakeholders began to call for Buni’s removal as all decisions undertaken by the caretaker Chairman will be a nullity if joined in any suit. The schism finally reached boiling point few weeks ago leading to the convenance of APC Governors Forum to chart a new course towards the party’s convention. While the meeting hit a stalemate, a closed-door meeting by some delegated governors of the party with President Muhammadu Buhari led to the announcement that February 2022 will be ideal for the party to hold its convention. However, the party, sensing bashing from the main opposition PDP, has decided on easing out from the race those who have been indicted by the EFCC, a reliable source told this paper. The PDP held its National Convention which produced Mr Iyorchia Ayu in October, and few days ago held a 2-day national retreat for all elected officers at both the national and state levels. It has put the PDP on good footing, a development that the APC national hierarchy and supporters are not unaware of thus triggering systematic purging of the contenders to ensure whoever eventually emerges does not have the baggage that could be used against it as the election year approaches. With the development, top contenders may directly be affected. One of the few frontrunners that may be eased out is current senator, who’s a former governor of Nasarawa State, Mr Tanko-Al-Makura. The senator and his wife were arrested in July 2021 for illegal retention of government funds, misapprehension and money laundering. EFCC indictment was based on possessing about 55 accounts controlled by the couple and their companies, that they were involved in suspicious transactions, amounting to billions of naira, when Mr Al-Makura was the governor of Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2019. It said in one of the accounts, less than $250 was lodged there in the two years preceding his assumption of office, but soon started receiving huge sums after he became governor. In one case, one business entity paid over N200 million, broken into structured nine transactions, in a single day, August 9, 2016, into one of Mr Al-Makura’s accounts, according to the anti-graft agency. Also, another contender from Nasarawa State, Mr Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of the state and current senator, was arrested in 2010 by the EFCC for allegedly misappropriating N15 billion alongside 18 others. He was subsequently arraigned on a 149-count charge of fraud to the tune of N15 billion alongside his co-accused. The case is yet to be concluded In February 2018, the EFCC arraigned Nuraini Adamu, a son of the senator, and one Felix Onyeabo Ojiako before judge, Farouq Lawal of the Kano State High Court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence. Yet another contender and former governor who is having a running battle with the EFCC, is Mr Danjuma Goje of Yobe State. Goje, who has been standing trial since 9 years ago and still a senator, is being accused of conspiring with four officers of his administration while he was a governor, to defraud the state of N25 billion via illegal acts. The former governor of Zamfara State and current senator, Mr Abdulaziz Yari has also been arrested severally by the EFCC on suspicious monies stuffed in his bank accounts including the sum of $56,056.75 reportedly lodged in his account with Polaris Bank; N12.9m, N11.2m, $l303m, N217,388.04, and $311.8m said to be kept in different Zenith Bank accounts in the name of the ex-governor and his companies, EFCC indictment said. In February 2021, Yari was first arrested and grilled by EFCC operatives in Lagos, while the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on January 26, 2021, ordered the final forfeiture of funds belonging to Yari domiciled in Zenith and Polaris Banks. But for former interim Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, his controversial nature and alleged excessive baggage like his linkage to Boko Haram terrorists is working against him. THE WHISTLER could not verify this claim as calls and text messages sent to the phone of Mr John Akpanudoedeh, the National Publicity Secretary of the party were not replied. However, the source at the APC National Secretariat revealed that these individuals will most likely miss out because of the need to ensure a rancour-free convention and getting a clean National Chairman. “It’ll be suicidal for the APC to elect a national Chairman who has a case with the EFCC,” he said, noting that the way the PDP handled it convention was encouraging and that APC cannot do less. He pointed out that the APC, facing already angry Nigerians, will be faced with cleaning the image of its National Chairman, “who looted the treasury of his people because he was a governor. “The 2023 election will be crucial. We will have to prove we are a great party to transit from one president to another and not end with President Muhammadu Buhari.” He said the guidelines that will emerge towards the convention will be one that will first and foremost disqualify these persons with “questionable characters and past misdeeds.”

APC Convention: Chairmanship Aspirants Gear Up For Top Seat. By Saawua Terzungwe

Akume and Saliu Mustapha The wave of uncertainty over the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention has ceased sequel to the scheduling of the party’s national convention for February next year. Following the development, aspirants for the office of the party’s national chairman have renewed their scheming and lobbying to win the hearts of top shots of the party ahead of the exercise. Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, had led some APC governors to a meeting with President Buhari on Monday at the State House in Abuja, where they fixed February 2022, for the convention where a new leadership would emerge for the ruling party. Pundits say age, experience, character, ability to resolve the life-threatening crisis in the party among others would come to play in the choice of the next national chairman. This is especially as the APC is poised to retain power in 2023. Some of the old horses in the race are mostly former governors. They are; former governors of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura, Sen Ali Modu Sheriff (Borno), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Sen George Akume (Benue), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Kashim Shettima (Borno). A chieftain of the party from Adamawa state, Sunny Moniedafe who is equally in the race is in his 60s. Among the young contestants are; Saliu Mustapha, Mohammed Saidu Etsu and Muhammed Bello. **The older aspirants** *Tanko Al-Makura* Al-Makura is 69 years old. He is a serving Senator and former governor of Nasarawa State. He is seen as the political bulldozer the APC needs now. When denied the PDP ticket in a controversial manner in 2011, Al-Makura picked the ticket of the newly formed CPC and routed PDP and its federal might, defeating then-incumbent Governor, Aliyu Doma in the PDP endemic state. During APC’s formation, he was the only CPC governor, the legacy party that President Buhari brought to the negotiation party. Many see this as a plus for him, but he was a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption, a development that may count against him. *Danjuma Goje* Aged 69, Senator Goje is a former governor of Gombe State and senator representing Gombe Central since 2011. As a key player in the formation of the party, Goje enjoys the support of his colleagues in the parliament and beyond. But analysts say his chances of winning the party’s chairmanship may be affected by his feud with Governor Inuwa Yahaya of his state. Goje and Yahaya are at daggers drawn over the control of the party structure in the state ahead of the 2023 polls. *Abdulaziz Yari* Abdulaziz Yari is enmeshed in a long-running feud with party members in his state, most prominently, Senator Kabiru Marafa. Analysts say his inability to manage the crisis under his watch cost the party the control of the state in 2019. The 53-year-old politician has unresolved issues with the anti-graft agency; the EFCC, over corruption allegations. *Ali Modu-Sherrif* Modu Sherrif is in his late 60s. He is Borno State’s first governor to serve two consecutive terms (2003-2011). In 2003, he ran on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and won. He was re-elected in 2007 and sworn in on 29 May, the same year. Sheriff later played a key role in the formation of the APC. He also served as a senator representing Borno Central for three terms. He later defected to the PDP where he became national chairman of the party. But pundits say his alleged poor handling of the PDP, which led to a protracted legal battle with a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and his eventual ouster following a Supreme Court judgement that declared the Makarfi-led faction as the authentic leadership of the party, as well as his history of defection, maybe his stumbling block. The younger contenders *Saliu Mustapha* Mustapha, 49, was among those who followed President Muhammadu Buhari when they formed the CPC and led millions of its followers to APC. In his sojourn in the political terrain, he held various positions getting to the position of the deputy national chairman of the defunct CPC. Mustapha enjoys the massive support of his state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for being a bridge-builder at the local chapter of the party in Kwara. He also enjoys the support of young idealists within and outside the party, and many analysts believe it would count for him. With age on his side, if he becomes the chairman of the APC, he is bound to use that as an advantage to sway the youths on his side and that of APC for the 2023 general elections. *Mohammed Saidu Etsu* He is from Niger State. At age 36, he is the youngest of all the aspirants, and he is believed to have the support of the state governor, under whom he is presently serving as a Senior Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. *Muhammed Bello* Muhammad Bello Mustapha is a Constitutional Lawyer and former governorship candidate from Taraba State. He was the pioneer National Youth Leader of The Buhari Organisation (TBO) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governorship candidate in Taraba State in the 2011 general election. In 2018, he contested for the office of APC National Secretary but later stepped down for the then consensus candidate from the zone, Mai Mala Buni, who incidentally is the current chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee.