Category Archives: National Vanguard

The global economy is trying to battle its way out of the coronavirus movement restrictions, but the process is far from easy.

While some analysts still talk up prospects of a V-shaped recovery, others are wary as fresh Covid-19 outbreaks are reported in countries that thought they were clear.

This leaves investors in a quandary. Some will be looking to take advantage of recent share price falls to invest in assets at much lower prices than before the crisis. Others will be wondering whether to play it safe right now.

If you are looking to invest $10,000 (Dh36,725) over the next quarter, here are three investment trends to consider right now. The first will grow if consumers leave the house and start spending again, the second will rise if a lost continent plays catch up with the US stock market, and the third could help build a brighter, greener future.

Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial, says the stay-at-home trade was all the rage during the global lockdown, as investors bought shares in companies that benefited from a captive audience working or seeking entertainment at home.

Video teleconferencing giant Zoom, streaming company Netflix and e-commerce giant Amazon were hugely popular, he says.

Telemedicine and virtual healthcare company Teladoc Health, cloud computing software specialist Okta and digital payment company PayPal were also stay-at-home trade winners.

Mr Valecha says investors may now want to target the get out of the house" trend, as movement restrictions are lifted around the world.

Malls, theme parks and restaurants are starting to reopen. People will hit the gyms, go to movie theatres, and start travelling again. Even if we get a second wave, governments will be less inclined to reimpose a lockdown, says Mr Valecha.

This is a relatively high-risk trade, but rewarding for those who are willing to accept the potential downside, if nervous consumers prove reluctant to spend.

Mr Valecha suggests airline stocks including Texas-based carrier South West Airlines and British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines Group. UAE-based theme park operator DXB Entertainments, which owns Dubai Parks and Resorts, could be another beneficiary, especially when overseas visitors return, he adds.

Brave investors could even take a chance on cruise operators such as Carnival, whose ships include virus-stricken Diamond Princess. "It was one of the biggest losers in the March crash but has enough money to sail through 2020. Pent up demand for leisure travel should benefit the cruise stock.

Mr Valecha also tips ride-sharing company Lyft: This is Ubers only competitor in the US, and can rally as the ride hailing market recovers.

Europe is now emerging from the movement restrictions and this could provide an opportunity for this underperforming region to play catch-up with the superior performance seen on US stock markets lately.

Moukarram Atassi, head of investment management at the National Bank of Fujairah, says European equity markets have been trading at a discount of up to 20 per cent to US equities for years, but that may soon reverse.

He says the EUs massive 750 billion (Dh3.1 trillion) recovery plan is a major step towards greater fiscal union and should power growth. Similarly, Germany's U-turn from austerity, as the government embraces a programme of fiscal spending at home, will provide more than 30 per cent of gross domestic product available to offset the pandemic slowdown. Both measures coincide with more accommodative monetary policy from the European Central Bank, Mr Atassi says.

This massive fiscal and monetary stimulus should help European equities shine, in turn enticing "global institutional investors to increase their allocation to quality European growth companies with an international footprint", he says.

Mr Atassi recommends looking for companies with sustainable earnings growth and stable business models: The luxury goods, healthcare and technology sectors all have strong growth prospects.

Fund manager Invescos chief global market strategist Kristina Hooper expects Germany and northern Europe to recover fastest, due to their focus on manufacturing and business services. In the South and France, the share of GDP is heavier in tourism," she says.

Europe boasts plenty of top companies with global reach. These include pharmaceutical firms such as Germanys Bayer, Switzerland's Roche and Novartis and Denmarks Novo Nordisk. Other big names include Swiss food and drink multinational Nestle, and French luxury goods firm LVMH.

Alternatively, you could diversify and spread your risk by investing in a low-cost exchange traded fund that tracks European indices.

Options include Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK), iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU), and SPDR Euro STOXX 50 ETF (FEZ). Or you could target the continents powerhouse through iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG).

The Covid-19 pandemic is focusing minds on other threats facing mankind, of which climate change is perhaps the most serious.

Growing numbers are now investing in a socially responsible way, according to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, to use the latest term for green investing.

Mitch Reznick, head of research and sustainable fixed income at global investment manager Federated Hermes, says green finance has grown in strength during the pandemic, with record flows into ESG funds.

During the long bull run, critics dismissed ESG investing as a mere nice-to-have as opposed to a necessity, he says. If that were true, we would have expected this wave to break in the first quarter of 2020. Yet green activity has continued to grow.

Mr Reznick sees evidence of this in unexpected places, with Barclays Bank and French oil and gas company Total committing to becoming net zero companies by 2050. Last week, London-listed oil major BP took steps to clean up its image and pay down debt in the process, by selling its petrochemicals business to Ineos for $5bn. New chief executive Bernard Looney has also set a target of becoming a net zero company by 2050 or sooner.

The pandemic has ushered in a heightened sense of social awareness as companies and policymakers seek to build resilience in healthcare, food and water security, as well as across supply chains, Mr Reznick says.

This is feeding through to investment performance. ESG indexes are now outperforming the broader market, he adds.

Managers launched about 100 sustainable ESG funds in the first quarter of this year, up from just over 80 last year, Mr Reznick says, quoting Morning Star research. He says this is nothing short of astonishing, given current pandemic disruption.

Separate research from Deloitte shows that in 2017, some 48 per cent of investors applied ESG principles to at least a quarter of their portfolios. By last year, that had risen to 75 per cent.

A wide range of ETFs now invests in ESG themes, but check for any that match your own ethical principles, as all use slightly different criteria.

Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund Admiral (VFTAX) gives you a diversified portfolio of companies in non-controversial industries, with low of fees of just 0.14 per cent a year. The iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF (SDG) targets companies that aim to further the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Meanwhile, the iShares ESG MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) invests in developed world stocks, while iShares ESG MSCI EM ETF (ESGE) targets emerging markets. There are plenty more and their numbers will grow.

Updated: July 5, 2020 01:30 PM

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Three ways to invest $10,000 in the next three months - The National

You would be amiss to not make yourself familiar with the name of marketing and production genius Oliver el-Khatib.

Oliver is a Lebanese-Canadian producer, DJ, manager, and businessman. Along with fellow Lebanese-Canadian Noah 40 Shebib, he is largely behind the massive success of superstar Drake, as well as the owner of the talented ear that discovered famous talents like The Weeknd and PARTYNEXTDOOR.

On top of being Drakes creative director and brand manager, he is the co-founder and managing partner of the Octobers Very Own (OVO) label, which is massively successful with 11 flagship stores/boutiques around the world and a revenue of over $50 million.

He is the host of OVOSound radio, and the leading director for OVOs other initiatives, including its festival, educational summits, and partnership with the Toronto Raptors.

The OVO label he helped found and create has an undeniably major cultural and social influence in Canada and beyond, a testament to el-Khatibs talent and genius, on top of his work in creating one of the most successful artists of all time.

Oliver is elusive and prefers to stay behind the scenes, but here is what we were able to find this major Lebanese talent up to in the past couple years.

The Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (CAFA) are a yearly event that celebrates outstanding achievement in Canadian fashion.

This year, they honored Oliver with the revered Vanguard Award, recognizing his innovation and pioneering in Canadian and global fashion.

They describe his company as a global lifestyle brand that will inspire the next generation all while staying true to the family values and dedication that made it what it is today.

In late December 2019, Oliver released a 50-minute mixtape titled EL-KUUMBA TAPE VOL. 1.

It included new music from Drake- the track War and samplings from Lil Uzi Vert, Roddy Rich, and more.

The tape has over 400k streams on Soundcloud alone and has been remixed by popular DJs, including DJ Candlestick.

While Oliver tends to stay out of the shadows, he sat down for a rare interview with GQ in 2016.

He revealed that one of the major tools he used to achieve his dreams was to go against the mainstream- or, in his words, zig when everyone else zags.

He applied this mentality in order to gain OVO partnerships with Apple Music when other artists were going for TIDAL, and the Jordan Brand when other celebrities were leaning towards Adidas.

He credits blind faith in himself and his team as another major factor that contributed to their many achievements.

Drake and the OVO team have essentially helped to rebrand the city of Toronto.

Naming it the 6, the team has created a young, fresh image for their hometown, and have established educational summits, and the OVOFest. They even partnered with the city to create the Toronto Music Advisory Committee.

Kids around the world sing along to tracks praising the city of Toronto and wear jerseys celebrating the citys team The Raptors.

In 2016, Mayor John Tory presented Drake with the Key to the City of Toronto. While Olivers name may not have been on that key, his influence in helping Drake represent, invest in, and progress their shared hometown is reputable.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) recently partnered with the OVO label.

Their wide-ranging collaboration will include giving the banks customers special access to the OVO Summit as well as the brands wide range of content and experiences.

Oliver commented on the collaboration to Forbes that the OVO label represents the hard work of Drake, 40, and himself, and that ..its brilliant [to recognize] that there are just as many young people aspiring to be entrepreneurs as there are wanting to be artists.

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Meet The Lebanese-Canadian Honoree Of Vanguard Award 2020 - The961

Bola Tinubu

The APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday night declared that there were no differences to be sorted out at the party.

Tinubu, also said, there is no crisis in the party, hence, no fight to reconcile.

He made the declaration shortly after a closed-door meeting with Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, and other members at his Bourdillon Residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Buni, also Governor of Yobe, led other members of the APC National Caretaker Committee to the Lagos meeting with Tinubu.

We have no differences to be sorted out in the APC; we just had a consultation and it is how our party, the APC, would continue to be a progressive party, he said.

According to him, the committee is a consultation and not reconciliation committee since nobody is fighting anybody.

There are instances when you disagree, but it doesnt mean that you cannot discuss it over and be a good example in leadership and politics, Tinubu said.

The former Lagos State governor also said that politics without seeming media crisis would be less interesting.

But the question is, are we committed to building this party and Nigeria? That is what we are all about.

We are steering the ship of our nation and our party in the right direction, Tinubu said.

He said that the party leadership had trust and respect for the chairman of the caretaker committee and would support him to succeed for the party to continue in its progressive governance of the country.

The committee chairman, who led other members to the meeting, said that the meeting was part of the consultation the committee was making.

You know the task before us is daunting, and we need guidance, experience, and prayers from our leaders, Buni said.

The host Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, expressed his pleasure to have his colleagues in the state.

Its been a very fruitful discussion we have had here this evening, Sanwo-Olu said.

Other members of the committee in attendance included the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Gov. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Secretary of Caretaker Committee, APC, Sen. James Akpan Udo-Edehe and Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello.

NAN

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Weve no differences to sort out in APC Tinubu - Vanguard

*Samson Siasia

Samson Siasia has said when the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS, hears his story concerning FIFAs ban and fine, he would be exonerated.

Siasia, a retired professional footballer, who has won medals as a national team player and youth teams coach, also said neither the Federal Government nor the Ministry of Sports had asked me whether what they heard was true, or how I am going about the case. This is a country I gave my life to as a youth and won honours for.

According to FIFA, the adjudicatory chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee found Siasia guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

The world football governing body said it began an investigation into Siasia on February 11, 2019, which stemmed from an investigation into attempted match-fixing committed by Wilson Raj Perumal.

FIFA added that Siasia did not respond to emails sent to him. But Siasia had earlier told Vanguard: I couldnt check my mail because I wasnt steady. As a jobless man, I was always moving. At times for months, I dont open my mails.

However, FIFA slammed a life ban on him and then fined him CHF 50,000 ($51,000). Siasia appealed and would get a chance to defend himself before CAS in October.

Telling Vanguard he is innocent, Siasia said: It was one fateful day in 2009, when I was going through my email and I came across this mail from an unknown source.

In the email, they said we have a coaching position in Australia, asking would you want the job? I didnt have to think twice before I said yes. I got interested because it was Australia, I played there.

So we started this email back and forth, exchanging correspondences. We discussed players and how much he was going to pay and all that. It was a normal football discussion when one wants to get a job and nothing more. I never met the person one on one.

Siasia said it was later discovered that the man he was exchanging correspondences with was a FIFA agent.

His words: When FIFA went through his emails, they found our exchanges and concluded that if he had given me the job, we would have used it to fix matches.

How then am I guilty? The job I did not get, no player went anywhere, so how did I fix matches? That is why I want to clear my name. I am innocent.

But Samson Siasia said there was a financial snag to fighting the FIFA ban: I remain confident that the truth would set me free. I am sure of victory if only I can afford the money to defend myself.

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Match-fixing allegation: When CAS hears my story, itll lift the ban Siasia - Vanguard

Hey, how have you been? Hopefully, your brief break wasnt too rough, and if youre taking the summer off then hopefully your transition into a less academic and more chill modeif thats possible nowadayshas been smooth! Alrighty, anyway

Have you heard about the next round of CARES Act funding coming available soon? Yeah, its true! Portland States administration is currently working on the particulars, but keep your eyes peeled for a notification soon about the availability of this summers round of limited funding. Consider your needs, find your receipts and hopefully soon youll be able to apply for this assistance.

Did you notice that COVID-19 cases in Oregon have been spiking? According to news reports and the Oregon Health Authority, the culprit this time is large close-quarters places of employment and personal social networks. This means so many of you just gave up and went out to see friends the first chance you got. For hundreds of Oregonians, this resulted in a COVID-19 infection. Let me make one thing clear; if we all pull together and have patience, your friends will still be there when quarantine is over! And if we cant pull that off? Well, at least you have memories, right?

Hey, one more thing on that last issue. Have you noticed how utterly nice and warm the weather has been? Well, stop being so wistful. Sure, you can head off to some state and national parks and campgrounds, but honestly, consider this: a few weeks of low to zero attendance means these public gems can heal a bit, and fewer people out there smoking in them means we might avoid another terrible fire season. Remember the Eagle Creek fire? Fewer fireworks and cigarettes carelessly discarded means less fire. Win-win!

Have you noticed an epidemic of fireworks going off these past few weeks? Admittedly, fireworks in summer isnt out of the ordinary, but given national protests and the COVID-19 crisis, there has been some discussion of the possibility that these arent exactly celebratory incendiaries. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has fielded a task force in the New York Police Department that will monitor and assess firework usage throughout the city. Here in Portland, the problem does not seem as acute, but it is a strange thing either way.

Speaking of fireworks and fires, it looks like this years forest fire risk is fairly high. The Boise, Idaho National Interagency Fire Center says above average risk began in late June and will continue ramping up. Go read that previous paragraph again: this means you! Stay put, douse fires if you must go camping, dont flick cigarettes or fireworks into the forest and by no means should you plan to practice your poi stick routine in the middle of the Mount Hood National Forest. You think Im kidding? A bear I presume to be Smokey was seen in Gresham last monthhes not messing around and neither should you.

Finally, a quick reminder for those who arent fans of the late evening sunshine: well begin losing sunlight hours rapidly super soon. Have hope.

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Have You Heard? - Psuvanguard.com

NNPCBy Michael Eboh

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Sunday, confirmed the resignation of its Chief Operating Officer, Ventures and New Business Directorate, Mr. Roland Ewubare, while it appointed Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji as his replacement.

Until his appointment, Adetunji was Chief Operating Officer in charge of the NNPCs upstream division.

The NNPC also redeployed and appointed five other senior management staff to critical positions within the corporation, while it also confirmed the retirement of its Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Engr. Farouk Said.

In a statement in Abuja, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the resignation of Mr. Roland Ewubare, and also approved the retirement of the immediate past Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Engr. Farouk Garba.

According Obateru, President Buhari also thanked the two former COOs for their meritorious service to the corporation.

Obateru explained that the new appointments and redeployments in the NNPC were part of ongoing efforts to strengthen and reposition the corporation for greater efficiency, transparency and profitability in line with the Next Level Agenda of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

Giving a breakdown of the redeployments and appointments, Obateru stated that Mr. Adokiye Tombomieye, Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD), was appointed the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Upstream; while Mr. Mohammed Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, the position formerly held by Engr. Farouk Garba Said, who retired last week.

Hr said, The top-level staff movement also affected Sir. Billy Okoye who has been redeployed from the NNPC Downstream Company, NNPC Retail Limited, as Managing Director, to replace Mr. Tombomieye as the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division; while Mrs. Elizabeth Aliyuda, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing NNPC Retail Limited, takes over from Sir Okoye as Managing Director.

Similarly, Mr. Usman Farouk, Executive Director Asset Management and Technical Services at the NGMC takes over from Mr. Ahmed as Managing Director.

Commenting on the redeployments and appointments, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, said the new appointments would enable the corporation live up to the expectation of her shareholders, Nigerians, and give impetus to the ongoing restructuring within the Corporation.

According to him, this was in line with the corporate vision of Transparency, Accountability & Performance Excellence (TAPE).

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NNPC names Ewubares replacement, appoints, redeploys five others - Vanguard

AzikiweBy Douglas Anele

For the first time in the twenty-two years I have been writing for Sunday Vanguard, I will do what I have never done before, namely, publish verbatim a reply from one of the teeming readers of Perspectives, Mazi Chike Chidolue. Because a large percentage of Ndigbo have an unfavourable view about late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the riposte by Mazi Chidolue should be given thoughtful consideration by the Igbo as we continue to grapple with contending narratives concerning the defining events in Nigerias political history.

Inasmuch as I agree that Chief Awolowo played a morally reprehensible role against Biafrans during and immediately after the civil war notwithstanding the exculpatory hot air by Yoruba revisionist commentators who want to deodorise the putrid stench of his endorsement of Operation Starvation and the Twenty Pounds policy, Ndigbo should also realise that in spite of his legendary status Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was largely responsible, directly and indirectly, for the plight of Ndigbo from 1960 to date. Let me allow Mazi Chidolue to speak for himself.

In the first instalment of your article The unending quest for the sovereign state of Biafra, on page 18 of the Sunday Vanguard of June 7, 2020, you blamed Zik and Awolowo for failing to forge a united front during the independence struggle, which made it easy for the colonial master, Britain, to hand over power on a platter of gold to their well-nurtured obedient children, Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Tafawa Balewa who contributed nothing, absolutely nothing but delays and obstructions to the struggle.

You spoke the mind of Ndigbo when you said, As an Igbo, I feel deeply about Biafra, because, inter alia,it is impossible to erase completely, the horrendous memories of that conflict. Besides, there is hardly any family in Biafra, Igboland particularly, that did not lose a loved one and property during the war.Therefore, for anyone affected by the Biafran war, May 30, 1967, is in an important sense equivalent to 1939 to the Jews or Israelites who, rightly, have continued to commemorate the Nazi Holocaust on Jewish people during World War II.

Accordingly, notwithstanding the federal governments irascible attitude to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu, one must commend the organization for instituting May 30 annually as a day of remembrance for Biafrans killed during the civil war. A people that forget the defining moments of its past would eventually go into oblivion. Still, you do not have to be an Igbo or belong to the defunct eastern region to understand the significance of the very day that Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the independence of Biafra from Nigeria. I am with you all the way until you came to blame Zik and Awolowo.

It was Zik who refused to accept Awolowos handshake across the Niger since after the 1951 parliamentary elections to the three regional Houses of Assembly, namely, Eastern, Northern, and Western Houses of Assembly.

Before that election, some concerned Yoruba and thoughtful members of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC) had advised Zik to allow Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, the iron man of Ibadan, the thorn in the flesh of the enemy, to be the leader of the NCNC in Western Region while he remained the national leader of the party; because, when the NCNC would have won the election which it would win, it would leave a sour taste in the mouth of Yorubas to have Zik, a non-Yoruba, not even a westerner as the leader of parliament in the Western House of Assembly.

Zik flatly rejected this wise advice, claiming that he was free to lead his party in any part of the country. My impression is that Ziks reason which he did not make public, was that Lagos, where he had his parliamentary seat, being part of the Western Region then, he would serve under Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu if he accepted that strategic arrangement. Again, unknown to his colleagues, Zik had probably made a secret vow, that having served under Herbert Macaulay, a situation he could not help, he would never serve under another person again no matter the circumstance.

The NCNC won the election as expected. But before the parliament was convoked, Awolowo summoned the Yoruba Obas and the elites of the Yoruba nation to a meeting. He told them that he was not worried that his party, the Action Group (AG) lost the election. He said that what worried him was what future Yoruba generations would say about their own generation for allowing Zik, an Igboman, to rule them in their own land considering that the Yorubas were exposed to western civilization and Christianity before the Igbos! A shout of otio,otio the Yoruba word for no, exploded in the meeting.

The Obas asked Awolowo what he wanted; he told them to order six Yoruba NCNC parliamentarians to cross the carpet and join the AG when the House of Assembly was convoked. Carpet crossing is a legal and constitutional feature of parliamentary democracy. The Obas gave the order and the Action Group formed the government with Awolowo, a westerner and a Yorubaman becoming the Leader of Government Business in the Western House of Assembly just as a northerner and an easterner held that office in their respective house of assembly.

Zik and the NCNC lost. Had Zik accepted the wise and strategic advice of his colleagues, Awolowo could not have succeeded because Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu was a Yoruba man. Awolowo acted as a Yoruba/Western patriot, pure and simple. Because of this event, Zik regarded Awolowo as an enemy and decided he would never cooperate with Awolowo in politics even though it is said that in politics, there is no permanent enemy, only permanent interests.

After the federal elections that ushered in independence, Awolowo saw that the combined seats of the NCNC and the AG gave them the majority in the Federal House of Representatives. He offered Zik the post of Prime Minister while he took the post of Minister of Finance. Had Zik accepted the offer, Ahmadu Bello would have made good the repeated threat of the North to pull out of the federation. Britain might delay granting the South independence.

Independence would eventually come and independent Southern Nigeria would be better off without Ahmadu Bellos north! This would have spared us the January 1966 coup, the counter-coup and the catastrophic civil war. The only remaining struggle would be, to free the Middle Belt Region from Ahmadu Bellos grip.

Awolowo repeated this offer several times and even after the civil war while Zik rejected them all. I am happy that Zik lived long enough to see how his northern feudalist political friends, agents of neocolonialism wasted and are still wasting the fruit of independence struggle. Maybe he was probably satisfied that as long as he kept Awolowo out of Federal Government power, he enjoyed the vacuous post of Governor-General and ceremonial President in which he was of no use to southerners.

But history has a way of compensating people. According to Chinua Achebe, Awolowo had been a steadfast Yoruba nationalist from the 1940s to date. He had no record of betrayal, double-talk or even indecision in the pursuit of his goals. But above all he had in recent years as the leading civilian member of Gowons administration presided over a monumental transfer and consolidation of economic, bureaucratic and professional power to his home base. This singular achievement secured for Awolowo for the first time in his political career something approaching 100 per cent support among the Yoruba.

The deliberate misinterpretation which was given to this straightforward parliamentary practice of carpet crossing by Zik, the NCNC and the vast majority of the Igbo nation was unfortunate, regrettable and very mischievous. It sowed the seed of friction which thankfully did not germinate between the Igbos and the Yorubas.

Awolowo adroitly secured for the Yoruba nation and Westerners what rightly belonged to them. It must be noted that nearly all the money that the Igbos made which made others envy them was made in Yoruba land. What is more, since the first Igboman set foot on Yoruba land till date, the Igbos never went to bed any night fearing if their heads will be on their necks at daybreak! This is not so in the north.

To be concluded

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Zik is the trouble with Nigeria! (1) - Vanguard

John Appleyard, Special to the News Journal Published 7:00 a.m. CT July 4, 2020

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Across the United States and beyond many already are preparing forevents that will help us celebrate Independence Day 2020 - perhaps in different ways than we have celebrated in the past.

On that day Americans will be heeding the urging which had been stated just into the 19th century by former President John Adams.He said that he hoped that due celebration of our birthday of freedom would always be cited and applauded for the unique happening that it represented.

July 4th, 1776 WAS dramatic, a day when compromise had been achieved among the 55 men who had gathered in Philadelphia as the Second Continental Congress.By June the men had discussed countless happenings, and by then the word 'independency' was entertained.

Finally, the chairman, John Hancock, appointed a committee of five men whose voices had been heard on the issue.These men, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, were to prepare a statement a declaration which might be addressed to the world, providing the legal reasons for seeking separation of the colonies from England, which had been the site of origin for members of the thirteen colonies represented in Philadelphia.

1776: This undated engraving shows the scene on July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pa. The document, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman, announces the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. The formal signing by 56 members of Congress began on Aug. 2.(Photo: Associated Press)

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In words assigned to Hancock in a much heralded play and motion picture:We want the world to appreciate that what we have endured has been insufferable.Ours is not some simple revolution. We are acting upon principles voiced by men of good will for centuries.

Jefferson was chosen to be the declaration's penman.His work was appraised by the other four, who made the smallest changes.Next, the full Congress viewed Jefferson's work.Here adjustments were made, some dealing with specific colonial positions, a few related to language.Then, after proper hearings and debate, the document was approved, printed, signed and distributed, as far and as fast as possible.

July of 1776 was five years removed from when the guns of battle were laid down at Yorktown, when General Cornwallis had surrendered to General Washington.A peace treaty had determined national boundaries, and in 1789 a new government had become functional.Of the early national leaders, two of the Declaration's authors were in the vanguard.John Adams served as president 1797-1801, and Thomas Jefferson the two terms following.Then, decade after decade, those two men at times traded barbs and insults (as political parties took form).But, as their years were extended the two conducted an amicable correspondence, Jefferson from his home in Virginia, Adams from Braintree, Massachusetts.

Thomas Jefferson was an American statesmen, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, expert distiller of alcohol and Founding Father, who served as the third President of the United States, from 1801 to 1809. He too dreamed of an east to west national linkage. The country had vastly expanded since Washingtons time, and Jefferson worked to make it come true.(Photo: Image provided)

Then came July 4th, 1826 50years beyond the Declaration's signing date.As the hours passed into the date the aged Jefferson, now 83, asked a servant if this was indeed July 4th.Assured that it was the aged president settled back; death came to him at 12:30 p.m.

Hundreds of miles away Adams, 81, had been in ill health for some days.As the afternoon shadows of July 4th settled in he felt his grip on life easing.Tradition says that he turned to an aide murmuring Thank goodness Jefferson still lives!

President John Adams(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

At 5:30 p.m.John Adams, the second United States president, passed away.

As we schedule our 2020 July 4th celebration, it would be interesting to remember the amazing coincidence that those two authors of the Declaration, and United States presidents, should die within hours of one another, on the 50th anniversary of the signing of their declaration.When this occurred there were many including men in their pulpits who believed that here was another signal that God's hand had truly been with the men who were so much a part of the nation's beginning.

Coincidence? However one views the happening, that was the way it was.

John Appleyard is a Pensacola historian and writes a weekly historical column in the Pensacola News Journal. His 15-minute films about Pensacola are viewable, without charge, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in The Cottage, 213 E. Zaragoza St.

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Incredible happenings of July 4, 1826 are reminder of nation's beginning | Appleyard - Pensacola News Journal

Executive Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai.By Emmanuel AdoReform is Chinas Second RevolutionDeng Xiaoping

TherampagingCOVID-19 pandemic for obvious reasons has dominated the entire media outlets,pushingother major developmentsexpectedlyto the background. Itsonly natural that other events will suffer news black outconsidering that it hascontinued to knock off people at will.A virus that has brought thealmighty United States of Americato its knees, thathasseen Americaburying more people than it did during the notorious Vietnam war,avirus, that kills at will and that has demystified nuclear power byits farreach andcost effectivenesscertainly deserves some respect even though itsrude.The unspoken but real fear,is that rogue nations like North Korea, Iran etc do not abandon their nuclear programmes for biological warfare-the small but mightycoronavirus.

In the midst of the pandemic, one gladdening development was the official anointing of Kaduna state as the undisputed Number one state inthe World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results, in which it achieved the highest number of results (nine) andearned for itself a whoopingN3,960,000,000.00.The Annual Performance Assessment (APA) carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) asanIndependent Verification Agent (IVA), incollaborationwith the renownedK Consulting Limited and the SFTAS Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) wasstrictlybased on key reforms- as contained in the Fiscal Sustainability Plan(FSP)-Framework ForSustainability of Sub- National Governments of Nigeriaagreementbetween the Federal Government, the36 States,the Federal Capital Territory and 774 Local Governments of Nigeria,which aims to fundamentally address the issue of fiscal responsibility.

Since 2015, the Buhari administration has forced down somereform packagesdown the throats of the 36 states and the federal capital territory,the notable exception being Kaduna state which was alreadyreforming, such that when the then Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun,signed the Fiscal Sustainability Plan(FSP)-Framework ForSustainability of Sub- National Governments of Nigeria with the36 States,the Federal Capital Territory and 774 Local Governments of Nigeria, kaduna State was already far ahead, because the reformswerent forced on it, rather they were pointing the way. The FSP aims to address the issue of Fiscal Responsibility with 5 Key strategic objectives anda22 point Action Plan that will drastically improve accountability and transparency. It will increase public revenue,rationalize public expenditure etc. States were also expected to publish Annual Audited Financial Statements, Budget Implementation Performance Report, Implement TSA,R review various revenue laws,biometric capture of civil servants etc.

The 5 Key strategic objectives became necessary,especiallyas the need for states to becomefinancially independent functional entitiesthroughincreasingtheirPublic Revenueby improvingindependently generated revenues, becameglaringlyobvious. Stateswhere also expected to make every kobo count, through a rationalized Public Expenditure, efficiency, reduced costs and plugging of leakages.ToImprove Public Financial Management by embarking on a series of reforms, the revision of archaic laws, civil service rules etc.And finallya Sustainable Debt Management, such that the debts of states are sustainable and at a healthy level. FSPin a senseis to save the stateswhom are permanently on blood transfusion (FAAC) from themselves, likesickle cell patients.

Though there is a morbid fear of the word reform, largely due to gross misconception and the nature of man to fiercely resist change, the truth is that reform(s) are basically a correction of abuses, that are very critical for organizations and governments to periodically undertake, if they dont want tobecome lethargic. Fundamentally the objective(s) of reforms remain makingthe public sector more efficient, operating from the premise ofwhy they dont. Right from his swearing in, El- Rufais goal to enhance the capacity of the state government , its various agencies so as to improve service delivery to the people, tackle corruption, to enforce cooperation amongst the agencies, institute transparency and accountability in the delivery of services on behalf of the people, who in faith have entrusted their rights to elected representatives was neverin doubt.

El- Rufai inherited a dysfunctional Public Service,that was unproductive due to an aging workforce that lacked the capacity to deliver,but that was most unfortunatelyfocused on taking care of itself. The Kaduna State Public Service Revitalization and Renewal Programme, the brain child of the El-Rufai administration which was long over due has improved the efficacy and capacity of the service to effectively deliver serviceto the people of the State. The reform has resolved several issues impeding public service efficiency, addressed low productivity, redundancy, duplication of roles, high proportion of aged workers, and the issue of unskilled staff.Like El RufaiarguedNo Nation develops beyond the capacity of its Public Service.

Key to the success recorded in increasing the IGR,are the reforms that were put in place, workingwith Ifueko Omoigui, one time Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service,a drasticrestructuring of the Kaduna State Revenue Board into a Service,that is capable of effectively raising the much needed finances, for the myriads of projects he hadon his tablewas effected.From a paltry N600 million IGR a month, the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service now generates over N2 billion monthly,collectinga whopping N45 billionin 2019, due tothe new Kaduna State Tax Lawthatattacked leakages, criminalizedcash collectionand the Service as the sole collecting and accounting authority, though all taxes and fees are still assessed by the relevant ministries and agencies.

The centralization of collection and ease of payment ,through the deployment of PoS and other electronic payment system has also helped in voluntary compliance. Theissue of multiple levies has also been tackled, such that theugly experience of road blocks by all manner of agencieswasalso prohibited by the law.Its thereform equally emboldened the Service and last year it dragged the Ahmadu Bello University(ABU),to court for backlog of taxes amounting to over 12 billion naira.

Since 2015, the Kaduna StateGovernmentas part of the Reforms has consistently subject its budget estimates to town hall meetings for inputs and scrutinyandin2015 over 3 billion naira was added to the budget from inputs by citizens.

The statealsoconsistentlypublishesits Audited report in line with the Fiscal Responsibility,which is critical considering theimportance of Audited Statement of Account,in terms ofcost of projects and income.

Definitely its not yet uhuru for theKaduna State Government,but the vision is clear,the results improved accounting clearer mandates for the ministries, strengthened partnerships andlike the Chinese will say,the journey of a thousand miles,starts with the very first mile. Kaduna State has certainly taken those steps andthe sincere commitment to deepen the reforms,mainstream transparency mechanism,increase access to information,enhance citizen engagement and empowerment is not in doubt.

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Kaduna: The benefits of reforms - Vanguard

Ian Bishop cautions India from not overburdening Jasprit Bumrah.  |  Photo Credit: AP

India has been blessed with many match-winners in the past in the form of batters, spin bowlers, and few all-rounders, such as Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh, etc., who have contributed to the Men in Blue's rise over the years. Nonetheless, while India's pace battery has also played a supporting role to perfection, the current national side is enjoying the luxury of some solid match-winners among the speedsters, who are working really well in tandem and taking the charge in Test cricket.

In this regard, the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah has surely transformed the pace department, whose career continues to see an upward spiral since he first broke into the scene in early 2016. Bumrah has been a revelation who escalated into the national side owing to his sparkling performances in the domestic circuit and the IPL, whereas he now spearheads the attack in the longest format.

While Bumrah's career is just slightly over four years, Team India want to use him judiciously and do not wish to run the risk of overburdening their premier pacer. With the modern-day game requiring every player to survive the rigorous demands of all three formats, Bumrah needs to used in the best way possible.

Hence, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop opinedon Sony Tens Pit Stop show, "India are at the forefront, the vanguard, of this fast bowling renaissance because they obviously recognised this years ago. Jasprit is one of a small group of bowlers who transcend the various formats of the game. But you cant expect him to last if he is playing every game in every format. The human body cannot do that. You have to manage these precious resources because he is a generational talent."

Since his debut in 2016, Bumrah has been a force to reckon with in all forms of the game with his discipline, fitness, smart variations and has been the main partnership-breaker. In 14 Tests, 64 ODIs and 50 T20Is, Bumrah has claimed 68, 104 and 59 wickets respectively.

While he wasn't at his usual best in India's tour of New Zealand, earlier this year, he still picked up few crucial wickets -- especially in the T20Is -- and will be eager to return to the cricket field once the pandemic ends.

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'Cant expect him to last if...': Ian Bishop cautions Team India from not overburdening Jasprit Bumrah - Times Now