The Federal Government has stressed the need for synergy in tackling current security challenges across the country.
It has also emphasised the need to provide basic amenities for citizens at sub-national levels, declaring that the gesture would play a key role in reducing insecurity.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, in a speech at the third Quarterly Meeting of Secretaries to State Governments (SSGs), in Abuja on Thursday, March 18, also underscored the need for synergy among security agencies.
The theme for the meeting was “The Role of Secretaries to the State Governments in Strengthening Sub-National Level Security Architecture”.
According to Mustapha, the theme underscored the need for the security agencies to share their thoughts with the forum and thereby highlight critical areas in which they can provide the necessary support and facilitation for the strategies.
He said: “Nigeria has been confronted with an inexplicable escalation of violence resulting in insecurity across the nation.
“I will not want to bother you with the details of these forms of criminality, but it is good to add that it not only serves as a drain to our national resources but creates a climate of uncertainty and challenges the ability of the nation to provide a convivial atmosphere for its citizens to go about their everyday normal businesses.
“Governments at all levels have been doing their utmost best to address these challenges. However, its persistence calls for approaches that are more than conventional and normal.
“We need to involve all arms of government, all apparatus of government and most importantly, those that have a relationship directly with the rural communities and the citizenry.
It is, therefore, in line with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, with support from all the State Governors, that this forum should bring to bear its coordinating and monitoring role at all levels for a holistic approach to a resolution of these problems,” he explained.
Mustapha said that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen the National parks Service to ensure that all the previous seven National parks and the 10 new ones created remain inviolate for use by criminal elements.
In his remarks, the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno called on the SSGs to see security as everyone’s business and work toward mobilising everyone to participate in the efforts to tackle the challenge.
“The fight to end insurgency is a fight for everyone, no one should be left out.
“We need to complement each other to put an end to security challenges in the country.
“The success rate in the fight against banditry will be higher if everyone takes it serious. It shouldn’t be left for the government alone,” he explained.
Monguno urged them to develop a robust internal framework that would involve all critical stakeholders, most especially the traditional and religious leaders, to complement the work of the security agencies in their states.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said that the Federal Government had developed strategies to deal with issues of insecurity, but regretted that the strategies were yet to get the maximum cooperation from the state governments.
Adamu said that the Federal government had realised that policing should come from the grassroots and there was a need for the SSGs to be coordinators.
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said: “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources presented a memo on the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery for the sum of $1.5bn and it was approved by council today.
So, we are happy to announce that the rehabilitation of the refinery will commence in three phases. The first phase is to be completed in 18 months, which will take the refinery to a production of 90 percent of its nameplate capacity.
“The second phase is to be completed in 24 months and all the final stages will be completed in 44 months and consultations are approved.
“And I believe that this is good news for Nigeria.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had reportedly held talks with investors to raise around $1 billion in a prepayment with trading firms to refurbish the refinery.
The Federal Government has congratulated Nigerian Afrobeat superstars, Burna Boy and Wizkid for their success at the 63rd Grammy Awards edition.
The Federal Government revealed that it was specifically impressed with the efforts of Damini Ogulu better known as Burna Boy following his win on Sunday, March 14.
Burna Boy won the Best Global Album award at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the award represents a global endorsement for the Afrobeat genre of music that has propelled Nigeria’s increasing dominance of the music world.
The statement reads
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has congratulated music stars Burna Boy and Whizkid over their Grammy Award victories.
“In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday, the Minister described the much-deserved awards as fitting rewards for the persistent hard work of the duo.
“He said the awards also represented a global endorsement for the Afrobeat genre of music that has propelled Nigeria’s increasing dominance of the music world.
“Alhaji Mohammed expressed the hope that the clinching of the prestigious awards by the two music stars would not only spur them to greater heights but would also serve as a source of inspiration for others.”
Burna Boy clinched his first Grammy Award after winning the ‘Best Global Music Album’ category for ‘Twice As Tall‘, his 2020 project.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has said that narrow gauge rail lines were not inferior to the standard gauge lines.
He made this clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, March 14, in Lagos.
According to him, the only difference between the two lines was speed.
Amaechi was reacting to allegations that the narrow gauge lines were inferior, sub-standard, and outdated in other parts of the world.
Ripples Nigeria gathered that some stakeholders had accused the minister of recommending the narrow gauge to the federal government instead of the standard gauge to maximise the benefits of modern rail transportation.
However, Amaechi explained that the Eastern rail line was going to have both the narrow and standard gauges, adding that the cost of the standard gauge, feasibility, and time frame informed the choice.
The minister said it was cheaper to rehabilitate the narrow gauge, which would cost about $3.2 billion dollars, and could be delivered within the approved time frame.
Amaechi said that the standard gauge lines was going to cost about $11 to 14 billion dollars to construct, adding that getting the funds within the limited time was not feasible because of other projects awaiting funding.
The standard gauge line is between $11 to 14 billion dollars to construct on the Eastern flag, the standard gauge as designed in Nigeria is 150km design speed, operational speed is 120km; what is the difference between 120km and 100km? The narrow gauge is about $3.2 billion dollars at 100km per hour.
The narrow gauge is cheaper at $3 billion against the $11 to $14 billion to construct the standard gauge. Why we did not get the approval for the narrow gauge on time was because of the President’s insistence on the standard gauge from Port Harcourt-Maiduguri.
“My argument was if I can achieve the same length of rail with $3 billion dollars why not take that first until when we get money, we can now go for the standard gauge.
“The difference made him approved the standard gauge as designed but until we get the money, because if we continue to wait until we get the $11 billion to &14 billion, we may not be able to construct the Eastern flag before we leave government,” Ameachi said. On his part, the Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhria, said that the narrow gauge line was not outdated or less efficient, stating that there should not be a comparison.
Okhiria said that Nigeria was the first African country to introduce standard gauge lines, noting that South Africa and other African countries still use the narrow gauge lines.
“In the whole of Africa, Nigeria is the only country that has introduced a standard gauge line.
“South Africa, India, and other countries are still using the narrow gauge lines introduced by their colonial masters, other African countries are still using what the colonial masters constructed.
“The Eastern rail line has both the standard and the narrow gauge lines to be constructed; the narrow gauge will be rehabilitated now because the fund is available but the reality of getting the $13 billion now to construct the standard gauge line is not feasible.
So, the narrow gauge is not inferior in any way, the difference is in the speed and it cannot carry more load like the standard gauge because the standard gauge is wider while the narrow gauge is narrower which doesn’t make it less effective than the standard gauge.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government to pay over N53 million to a German, Mr. Martin Gegenheimer, for unlawful arrest and detention.
The court’s communications department disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The court delivered the verdict on Thursday.
According to the statement, the court ordered the payment of N53 million as special damages to Gegenheimer for various losses he suffered during his detention.
It explained that the costs were incurred while Gegenheimer was under unlawful arrest and detention by the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The statement read: “The cost related mainly to hotel expenses incurred by the German while under forced detention by the government.
“Delivering judgment in a suit filed by the German, a panel of three judges headed by Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, also ordered the government to pay another N10 million in general damages.
“As reparation for all violations and moral prejudice suffered for the violation of his rights and another $10,000 being the expenditure incurred by the applicant to secure his bail.
The court also ordered the ‘immediate and unconditional release’ of the German passport which was ‘arbitrarily and unlawfully’ seized by the government as well as his removal from the government’s watch list.
“The court, however, ruled that it found no evidence of the violation of the plaintiff’s right to torture.”
“In suit no: ECW/CCJ/APP/23/20 Mr. Gegenheimer, who is married to a Nigerian citizen but based in Nairobi, Kenya, through his Counsel, Mr. Festus A. Ogwuche, sought the enforcement of his fundamental human rights along with those of his children arising from his wrongful arrest and unlawful detention and the seizure of his German Passport.
The applicants, which also included SAT Swiss Aviation Nigeria Limited, the company at whose invitation he visited Nigeria, are contending that the German legally entered the country for business purposes.
“But he was wrongfully arrested and detained while on his way back to Kenya, resulting in the violation of his rights to fair hearing, freedom of movement, and dignity of his human person.”
The Federal Government has stated its plan to ensure the construction of one oxygen plant in every state in order to increase medical supplies to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday, March 4, during the COVID-19 briefing at the State House in Abuja.
“The FG is building one oxygen plant in every State, to increase supplies,” he stated.
Furthermore, Ehanire reiterated the need for peer policing in order to tackle the pandemic nationwide.
He said, “The President signed Public Health Regulations in February 2021. The idea is not to use law enforcement to chase people, but instead for us to police ourselves – peer policing. I want to appeal for that self and peer policing.
The Health Ministry priorities include:
Continuing to reduce infection
Improving treatment options
Sustaining routine treatment
Develop a National Emergency Medical Service, to provide emergency services to citizens where & when they need it
Deployment of Vaccines.”
Ehanire also revealed the “three 3 sources of Vaccines for Nigeria:
COVAX (GAVI & others) Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), supported by African Union.
Bilateral Assistance: Governments of India and Russia have offered us doses of their vaccines
The Federal Government said on Sunday, February 28, that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative would help to stem illegalities in the mining sector.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, made the assertion while featuring at a news forum in Abuja.
Speaking on how to promote solid minerals export to maximise the potential and benefits of AfCFTA, Adegbite expressed his optimism that AfCTA would discourage illegal mining.
“Right now, many Nigerians are into artisanal mining and this was caused by the fact that when oil was discovered, Nigeria moved away from mining, which was the mainstream of the economy.
Before oil and gas, Nigeria relied on coal and tin; we were exporting and were indeed, quoted on the London Metal Exchange.
“And that is basically what was giving Nigeria money in those days before oil came but when oil came, we moved away. We left mining behind.”
The minister recalled that the Indigenisation Decree of 1973 sent many companies out of Nigeria.
This, he said, resulted in many workers being laid off by the companies they were working pushing some of them to resort to artisanal mining.
Adegbite noted, however, that the artisanal miners did not have formal experience or skill in mining, making them engage in subsistence mining to make their livelihoods.
Some people now exploit this and they aggregate whatever they mine and take them out of Nigeria illegally.
“Gold is the most traded mineral in Nigeria and these people mine gold and get nuggets. There are several thousands of such miners, when you aggregate what they mine, it comes in large volume and several kilos of gold.
“To know the extent of the money they make in the gold business, they hire private jets to take them out illegally because they realise a lot of money.
“At the rate gold is selling, one ounce of gold is selling for $2,200 and by the time you carry a thousand kilogrammes, you are making several billions of naira.
But with AfCFTA coming into effect, we hope that other countries will cooperate with Nigeria because now it is a free trade but there is documentation.”
Adegbite lamented that a lot of the illegal miners used neighbouring countries, especially the Niger Republic as a route to get to their destinations.
The minister argued that there must be active connivance of highly placed people because one would not fly an airplane into another country without clearance in such a country.
“They essentially fly the planes into neighbouring countries and take the minerals through our land borders.”
Adegbite recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people helped the ministry with videos of how gold was being taken out of Nigeria.
“During the COVID-19 lockdown, no flight was coming into Nigeria and they were getting the quantity of gold they needed to take to Dubai.
So, with AfCFTA coming into effect, we hope this will help to stem the problem because now we are supposed to trade freely among ourselves with documentation.
“We hope that other countries will cooperate with Nigeria. I will not allow such illegal activity to go on within those countries,” the minister vowed.
Nigeria joined 53 other African countries on Jan. 1 this year, to set AfCFTA in motion.
AfCFTA, the world’s biggest trade bloc, was established to speed up intra-continental trade.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, has confirmed that Nigeria will on Tuesday, March 2, receive the first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines.
Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, made the disclosure on Saturday, February 27, in Abuja while evaluating the country’s fight against the disease.
“They (vaccines) should depart India on March 1, 2021, in the night and arrive in Abuja on the 2nd of March, 2021, ” he said.
Ripples Nigeria had reported that Nigeria is set to receive its first four million shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, a global scheme set up to procure and distribute vaccines for free, as the world races to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
COVAX, which was set up in April 2020 to help ensure a fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines between the rich and poor nations, said it would deliver two billion doses to member-states by the end of 2021.
Nigeria’s four million vaccines would be its first COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility.
The facility promised access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries’ population with an initial supply beginning in the first quarter of 2021 to inoculate three per cent of their populations.
The Nigerian government had earlier announced that the first four million doses of the vaccines would arrive in the country by the end of February.
The SGF disclosed that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) would be organising the shipment from Mumbai, India, with the World Health Organisation (WHO), both backers of COVAX.
Meanwhile, the PTF chairman praised Nigeria’s health workers and the various frontline workers for working hard to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Mustapha, while evaluating the county’s response to COVID-19 in the past year, said the PTF had performed “very well’’ with a very robust national response.
We have succeeded in discharging our mandate of managing the pandemic with a well-defined process and a robust national response,” he noted.
The SGF said that the strategies evolved by his committee to manage the pandemic had been replicated in some other countries, especially the compulsory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for travellers.
He explained that the pandemic had helped the country to scale up its health infrastructure, citing the increase in the number of infectious diseases testing laboratories from four to 132 across the country.
Nigeria’s health minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday admitted that the country may have to wait till March to receive its first doses of the vaccines.
Ghana received 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines on Wednesday, making it the first country on the continent to benefit from the COVAX programme.
Cote d`Ivoire, a country with more than 32,000 COVID-19 cases and 188 deaths, also received over 500,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.
It is exactly one year ago, Feb. 27, 2020, that Nigeria detected its first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), believed to be the first reported case in Sub-Saharan Africa.
With more than 150,000 cases reported since then, the NCDC said Nigeria’s response had been led by science and driven by the power of coordination, collaboration, and solidarity among federal and state governments, partners, the private sector, and the citizens.
The Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen Bashir Magashi, has inaugurated a 21-man committee to facilitate the reforms of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Mr Mohammad Abdulkadri, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Magashi explained that the committee would facilitate the necessary defence sector reforms with a view to addressing the perceived administrative and operational gaps in the nation’s military.
He said the military must be refined in compliance with the current globally acceptable 21st century standards.
The minister also urged the committee to see its assignment as a patriotic call to national service and the need for its members to play their roles in defence of the country’s territorial integrity against the infractions of the insurgents, bandits and kidnappers.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is optimistic that the recommendations of the committee at the end of the assignment will drive his campaign promise to return the military to its rightful place of global reckoning.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr Musa Istifanus, said the members of the committee were carefully selected and balanced to meet national representation and aspirations capable of delivering on their mandates.
The Chairman of the committee, retired Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Umar, assured that members of the committee would bring their experiences and expertise to bear in carrying out the assignment.
Umar said teamwork, dedication and commitment would be their watchwords within the ambit of national realities.
The committee has, retired Air Commodore Darlington Abdullahi as Secretary while some former service chiefs, as well as some top serving and retired officers, are members.
The Federal Government and the non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities will resume their meeting on Thursday.
The meeting between the two parties held earlier this month was inconclusive.
But the federal government and the workers who came together under the aegis of Joint Action Committee on Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions agreed to set up a committee to resolve the dispute over Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the N40billion earned allowances.
The Deputy Director (Press) in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, who disclosed this in a statement, said the meeting would hold at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The workers are challenging the inconsistencies in the implementation of the IPPIS, non-payment of arrears of national minimum wage, delay in the renegotiation of FG/NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement and non-payment of retirement benefits of former staff of the universities, among others.
Self-styled Yoruba activist and freedom fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has cried out after his bank accounts were frozen by the Federal Government.
Igboho who made this known on Tuesday, said his accounts were frozen on the orders of the FG following his attack on the criminal herdsmen in Oyo State some weeks ago.
Igboho confirmed that the freezing of all his bank accounts came after some of his supporters opened a Gofundme account and started making donations in response to his request for buses to carry his fighters to different parts of Yorubaland to flush out the ‘killer-herdsmen’.
Igboho who said he was told about the donations, however said he had no hands in the said donations, warned that if his accounts remained frozen, there will a nationwide protest by youths across the South-West region.
“They have frozen my bank accounts because I am fighting a just course. I know Yoruba people are behind me. I will not relent. I must achieve my aims by putting an end to criminalities in Yorubaland.
“If they refuse to release my accounts, there will be serious protests across the South-West. Yes, the Yoruba are living in fear. They are afraid that the killer-herdsmen might attack them,” he threatened.
The Federal Government spent a whooping N123.45 billion on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) on the country’s four refineries in 12 months.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which disclosed this in its Monthly Financial and Operations report obtained by Ripples Nigeria on Sunday, revealed that the TAM was carried out on the refineries between October 2019 and October 2020.
The refineries are the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).
The refineries have a combined production capacity of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The PHRC has a production capacity of 210,000 bpd, KRPC 10,000 bpd, and WRPC has 125,000 bpd.
The NNPC report showed that the WRPC, KRPC, and the PHRC recorded no operating surplus in October.
In the straight 13 months, KRPC recorded the biggest loss of N45.53 billion followed by PHRC with N40.87 billion while WRPC had N37.04 billion.
President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday his administration was fully committed to the fight against graft and diversification of the country’s economy.
Buhari stated this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Committee of Heads of State and Government on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APR Forum) and Nigeria in Abuja.
He said: “We remain fully committed to promoting the good governance practice enshrined in the ideals and vision of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development which gave birth to this review mechanism.
“Our administration has continued to vigorously pursue security, economic diversification and anti-corruption as the main thrust of the national change agenda.”
The president said Nigeria had since the first Peer Review in 2008 implemented the national programme of action.
President Buhari added: “The totality of this strategy is premised on the promotion of democracy, respect for the rule of law and human rights, gender equality, and by far the largest investment in social change in Nigeria’s post-independence history.”
He stressed that his administration would continue to participate in the review exercise, adding that Nigeria is ready to join the league of African Union Member States that would undergo the second peer review exercise.
Buhari expressed the hope that Nigeria would continue on the pathway to a peaceful, secure and more democratic nation.
National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, has urged schools to send pupils with respiratory symptoms consistent with coronavirus (COVID-19) back home to reduce risk of transmission.
Aliyu gave the advice on Monday at the COVID-19 National briefing in Abuja.
Speaking on school reopening, he said that PTF would like to re-emphasize adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions by schools, particularly screening and heightening awareness with regards to COVID-19, following issues it had with Lagos State over outbreaks in some schools.
“Any student presenting with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, particularly respiratory symptoms or fever, should not be allowed to come to school.
”When teachers notice a child with respiratory symptoms, the child should be sent back home so that we can reduce the risk of transmission.
”Just as it is important to communicate effectively with parents, staff, school health teams should be creating protocols and providing regular updates on any change to the school procedures as it relates to COVID.
“We encourage schools to continue to consider creative solutions to abide by our COVID guidelines including staggered learning to avoid overcrowding, platooning, daily attendance and adjusting teachings among others,” he said.
Some young Nigerians who participated in the #EndSARS protest against police brutality and extortion in the country have their accounts frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria after the apex bank got the nod from a Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze the accounts of 19 individuals and a public affairs company linked to the protests till January, 2021.
The request which was filed by the CBN on October 20, was granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed on November 6.
The affected individuals were said to have been used by the protesters to either solicit for funds or actually received funds to support the protest.
The court order, which was addressed to the head offices of Access Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank of Africa, and Zenith Bank, directed the banks to freeze all transactions on the 20 accounts on the list.
We bring you the profile of some of the individuals and company that were affected by the CBN’s order.
Bolatito Rachael Oduola was one of the major figures in the EndSARS protest and played a key role in it. The Lagos State-born Oduola who is popularly known as Rinu, was one of the coordinators of the protest in Lagos and made sure it was very successful.
Rinu, a graduate of Chemistry Education from the Lagos State University, is an entrepreneur who runs an outfit called Rinu Retails.
During the protest, she was very vocal and was one of those who addressed the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, where the popular phrase, ‘Soro Soke’ was coined.
Gatefield Nigeria Ltd. got the hammer from the CBN because it raised funds to support independent Nigerian journalists who covered the nationwide EndSARS demonstrations that lasted over two weeks.
The public affairs company which is run by Adewunmi Emoruwa, reportedly raised the sum of N100m to support journalists during the protest.
It was not only in support of the protest, but helped to mobilize and solicit for funds from international donors as well as Nigerian corporations to support the protesters.
Before the CBN’s order, Gatefield, had sued Access Bank Plc for allegedly blocking an account used to promote media coverage of the protests against police brutality in the country.
The company had contended that the blocking of the account was illegal and demanded damages of N100m from the bank.
The CEO and lead strategist at Gatefield Nigeria Limited, Emoruwa, is a young Nigerian who has had a successful run in communications, public relations and public affairs across Africa, Europe and North America.
His expertise includes legislative and issues-based advocacy, strategic communications, crisis and reputation management, political campaigns, policy analysis and design. He once served as a Ministerial Advisor at the Ministry of Health.
The Ilorin, Kwara State-born Sa’dat Temitope Bibi may be from a privileged background with a father who is a top politician in the state but her passion for the downtrodden made her join up with other Nigerian youths during the EndSARS protest.
Bibi, as she is fondly called, is a luxury Vlogger, fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger and the CEO of Eight30Media, a beauty and lifestyle brand.
She also runs SAAB Foundation, an outfit she uses to campaign against molestation, girl-child mutilation and every form of abuse against women and rape.
She is a Mass Communication graduate of Al-Hikmah University, and a one-time contestant at the Miss Nigeria International and Mr. and Miss Nigeria International pageants.
Bassey Victor Israel is a young activist who joined the EndSARS protest after losing some friends to the excesses of police officers.
The Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based Israel who believes every youth in Nigeria is not a criminal, recently posted on his Twitter handle that if given the opportunity, he would come out to protest again and again.
When someone drew his attention to the fact that his account has been frozen by the CBN, Israel responded thus:
“I refuse to be intimidated. You can go ahead and freeze my accounts and assets but this won’t stop me from speaking up against the ineptitude and incompetence of our corrupt leaders who saw our protest against police brutality as a threat to their tyranny. Justice must be served!”
Promise Ezenwanyi Uhuo is a young writer, poet, actress and a youth activist. She decided to join the protest after seeing young Nigerians who have been shunted and denied their rightful places.
She helped in sourcing for funds for the protesters and that was how her account was flagged by the Federal Government, leading to it being frozen by the CBN.
Mosopefoluwa Odeseye was one of the brains behind the success of the EndSARS protest in Lagos as she used her personal resources to cater for the protesters at various points.
The experienced event planner is the creative director at Mode Seven Events and the CEO of Iyameto’s kitchen, a catering company she founded about three years ago.
She has a diploma in Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, and a basic presentation certificate from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Lagos.
She has worked as a co-host on two different shows on radio and also worked as a production manager at a movie production company.
Mosopefoluwa personally fed the protesters every day and it was her zeal that made some donors identify her and sent money through her account to take care of the protesters.
Pamilerin Adegoke Emmanuel, also known as ThePamilerin, is a social media influencer, PR guru and a journalist.
The 25-years-old Pamilerin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering from the University of Lagos, but his passion for public relations led him away from the profession into the media and entertainment industry.
Pamilerin started out as the entertainment editor at Black House Media, before leaving to pursue his passion. He gained massive success when he worked on public relations for Pepsi in 2015.
He has also worked with several celebrities including Peruzzi, Adekunle Gold, Korede Bello, Adedimeji Lateef and many others.
Umoh Grace Ekanem was one of the brains behind the success of the protest in her Abuja base, and used her connections to help source for funds for the protesters.
She is an accomplished lawyer, maritime law expert and chattered arbitrator who has also worked for the Federal Government of Nigeria but that did not deter her from joining other youths to fight against police brutality, extortion, torture and murder.
Mary Damilola Oshifowora, one of the Nigerian youths whose account has been frozen by the CBN, is a social media manager, blog manager, tech enthusiast and activist.
Her social media profile reveals that she has a passion for youths and would not sit back and watch her contemporaries being molested, intimidated and brutalized without doing anything to help.
The Lagos-born Oshifowora was one of the most vocal during the protest in and was a rallying point for other protesters.
Winifred Akpevweoghene Jacob’s profile reveals that she is a strong feminist and a member of the feminist group that donated money to the protesters during the EndSARS demonstrations.
She was one of the major coordinators of the protests and the unofficial accountant who disbursed money meant to cater for the demonstrators.
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