Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the acting Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Matthew Seiyefa.
The meeting started at the Acting President’s office shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting ended around noon.
It was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Details Later…
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday presided over the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting with many ministers in attendance.
The meeting started one hour before the usual 11:00 a.m. commencement time.
In the past, many cabinet members found reasons to stay away from such meetings when President Muhammadu Buhari was out of the country.
But the story was different on Wednesday with at least 23 ministers present in the Council Chamber when the meeting started at few minutes past 10:00 a.m.
The Acting President had on Tuesday sacked the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, over the unauthorized siege on the National Assembly.
Osinbajo axes security chief over invasion of National Assembly
Saraki, Dogara cancel meeting
Acting President vows sanctions
Matthew Seiyefa is Acting DG
APC, PDP disagree on DSS action
11 SINS OF DAURA
Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Lawal Musa Daura was sacked yesterday for allegedly denting the image and democratic credentials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, The Nation learnt last night.
Matthew Seiyefa, the most senior director at the DSS, took over the organisation.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo fired Daura for deploying DSS operatives to lay siege to the National Assembly.
The deployment was considered by the Presidency to be “contemptuous” of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
The DSS was suspected to have worked with some principal officers of the National Assembly “to embarrass the Presidency”.
Daura is believed to be “very close” to a principal officer of the National Assembly, which has been at loggerheads with the Executive.
The siege to the National Assembly came few hours after Osinbajo brokered an understanding for the lawmakers to reconvene and consider the supplementary budget to avoid a shutdown of the government.
Neither Buhari nor Osinbajo was informed of the deployment of DSS operatives, it was learnt.
The Presidency is said to have ordered Daura’s detention. He is also to be disarmed.
The police and other security agencies were combing Daura’s office and residences as at the time of filing this report last night.
More heads may roll in DSS and other agencies implicated in the siege to the National Assembly.
Daura was consumed yesterday by the political intrigues in the country. He was fired with immediate effect .
Daura was summoned to the Presidential Villa by the Acting President a few minutes before his sack was announced.
READ ALSO Seiyefa, acting DG DSS meets Osinbajo
He was directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the DSS until further notice.
The Acting President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, in a terse statement, said:”The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the termination of the appointment of the Director General, State Security Service, Lawal Musa Daura, with immediate effect.
“Mr Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice.’’
Daura was joined at the Villa meeting with the Acting President by Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris, who arrived at about 12.35 p.m. Daura got in around 1.15p.m.
Osinbajo described the blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the DSS as unauthorised.
He condemned it as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.
He said that the unlawful act, which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency, was completely unacceptable.
The statement said Osinbajo assured Nigerians that “all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action’’.
Daura, 64, was appointed to head the agency on July 2, 2015 to replace Ita Ekpeyong. He worked and retired from the agency before his appointment by Presidnt Muhammadu Buhari.
An unusual security blanket was thrown around the National Assembly Complex in Abuja early yesterday by men of the DSS.
National Assembly employees, legislative aides and reporters who arrived before 7 am met stern-faced operatives who barred them from the facility.
Shortly before 8 am when our correspondent visited the National Assembly Complex, about 20 policemen were at the outer gate, with only very few bearing AK-47 rifles.
At the second gate, the situation was different, with nine masked gun-wielding DSS operatives in black fatigues, along with several other DSS personnel in suits and regular clothing firmly blocking the entrance.
The armed men who also had black face masks and hand gloves carried IMI Tavor Tar-21 assault rifles produced by Israeli Military Industries.
Three Ford Ranger SUVs without number plates were packed in front of the gate, ostensibly to disallow anyone from driving in.
A young man who was making a video recording with his mobile phone promptly stopped after receiving verbal threats from one of the masked DSS personnel who said: “If I catch that your phone now, I go march am”.
Initially, everyone, including senators and members of the House of Representatives were being barred from entering the complex, but around 8am, 47-year old Honourable Boma Goodhead, militant leader Asari Dokubo’s sister, defied the security operatives and became the first lawmaker to enter the complex.
After the entry of Hon. Goodhead, a PDP member who represents Asalga/Akulga Federal Constituency of Rivers State, several senators and House members, such as Reps Teejay Yusuf (Kogi), Kingsley Chinda (Rivers), Agbedi Frederick (Bayelsa), Razaq Atunwa (Kwara) and Joseph Akinlaja (Ondo) entered the facility.
Senators who entered by 8.15 am include Ben Murray Bruce, Ubale Shittu, Isa Hamma Misau, Biodun Olujimi and Rafiu Ibrahim.
They walked in through the second gate with their Identification Cards (IDs) on their chests. All their vehicles were forced to stop and park outside the gate unlike the usual practice whereby their drivers drove straight in to their chambers.
Why Osinbajo sacked security chief Daura
Lawal Daura was fired yesterday as Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) for embarrasing the government, a source said.
The source, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, listed 11 reasons why Daura got the push.
They are:
Others include unauthorised deployment of operatives/ sting operations against Supreme Court justices, National Assembly, ex-DG DSS Kayode Are, others; alleged interference in the affairs of other security agencies, especially the EFCC on some sensitive cases, including those involving some ex-Service Chiefs, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), DSS; alleged refusal to take orders from and irreconcilable differences with the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno; controversy over negotiation of freedom for Chibok and Dapchi girls; intelligence report on alleged romance with Saraki and some principal officers of National Assembly; alleged hostility to the media and alleged usurpation/ duplication of the functions of anti-corruption agencies.
The source said: “The DG, DSS had his cup full in the past few weeks when the President detested some of his actions based on intelligence report.
“In fact, the President had agreed on a two-week deadline to remove him. The invasion of the National Assembly by DSS operatives hastened Daura’s exit.
“The President got an instant briefing from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Buhari also had the privilege to watch the siege on television.,” the source said, adding:
“Buhari felt insulted that Daura drafted DSS operatives to the National Assembly without any covert or overt instructions. He, therefore, directed Osinbajo to fire the DG.”
The source gave the details of how Daura ran the DSS to the embarrassment of the Presidency.
He said: “What embarrassed the Presidency most was the affront by the sacked DG in overruling the President on some issues. When AVM JON Ode Committee was set up by the President to probe the $2.1b arms deals, he faulted the composition of the panel, which had no representative from the DSS. He never forgave all those who made input into the composition of the panel.
“The impunity with which he overruled Buhari on the eligibility of Ibrahim Magu as a nominee for the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) with ambiguous security reports shocked the government. The Senate relied on DSS reports to reject Magu twice. There was obvious poor cohesion in this administration.
“When the President appointed VP Osinbajo to head a panel to probe the $43.45million recovered at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos, Daura disagreed with some recommendations in the committee’s report and raised a curious memo citing why security funds cannot be probed. At a point, Buhari alluded publicly to Daura’s representation.”
Responding to a question, the source added that “the saddest moment for Buhari and his deputy was the unauthorised sting operations on the homes of Supreme Court justices by DSS operatives. A perplexed Buhari could not justify the arrest of the justices when a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed met with him on the incident.
“There was no intelligence report made available to the President or VP Osinbajo; no pre-operation briefing, and when he was confronted, Daura reminded Buhari that there was a presidential verbal directive that he should do anything to fight corruption.
“Although it was convenient to overrule Daura but the President allowed the judges to go through the judicial process instead of using fiat to reverse the DSS.
“The same impunity applies to the disobedience of court orders on ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and detention of a journalist, Jones Abiri. Daura cited security reasons for his action.
“After his long medical trip to London, the President once asked Daura if Dasuki was still in detention. He justified Dasuki’s detention by claiming that the ex-NSA was only freed on one of the matters in court. He said he had more legal hurdles to cross.
“When there was too much noise on El-Zakyzaky’s prolonged detention without trial, the DSS quickly arranged a parade of the old man to prove that he was doing well.
“The raid of a former DG of DSS, Col. Kayode Are, in an inhuman manner was said to have smacked of vengeance because Daura was in service when Are led the agency.
“The 2018 International Press Institute(IPI) World Congress in June was expected to fetch some mileage for President Muhammadu Buhari but the President was shocked when IPI Executive Board Chair John Yearwood demanded the release of a detained journalist, Jones Abiri in Nigeria by the DSS since July 2016.
“Some ministers denied that any journalist was detained until the picture became clearer that Abiri was in DSS gulag.”
The source attributed the removal of Daura to lack of synergy among security agencies, especially between the National Security Adviser
“He does not have respect for the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno and he refused to report, to him while in office. This caused a huge gap in inter-security agencies’ coordination.
His irreconcilable differences with Monguno got to a stage that a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayo Oke, had to intervene on why they should forgive each other to ensure a seamless security coordination. The two security chiefs agreed to work together but the truce collapsed, The Nation learnt.
Daura’s outstanding moments were in securing freedom for Chibok and Dapchi girls, but there were issues on the negotiation, with insurgents.
“When a journalist with Daily Independent, Tony Ezimakor, reported the issues on the international dimension to the negotiation, the DSS wasted no time in detaining him.
“In the past two weeks, some organizations had been advertising in some dailies to ask the Presidency to revisit the negotiations.”
The source also alleged that Daura had allegedly tried to interfere with the investigation of some high-profile suspects, scuh a former Chief of Army Staff, by the EFCC.
He was also accused of pettiness on security issues.
“The crux of the matter between the DSS and EFCC bordered on moves by the former to cause a stay of action on some cases. At a point, the DG became uncomfortable that Magu was not taking instructions from him. The battle line was drawn between Daura and Magu when the EFCC started probing the tenure of a former DG of DSS, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong, and discovered that Ekpenyong left huge funds in the accounts of the agency, contrary to the allegation that he diverted same. Daura felt Magu was after him because he was introduced to the President by the NSA.
“Even when peace was initiated, he told Magu that his rank was not worth more than an Assistant Superintendent of Police in DSS cadre. Also, he reminded Magu that he wrote the position paper which led to the establishment of EFCC and he coordinated the take-off of the anti-graft commission.
“It was the same venom with which he opposed the clearance of Magu by the Senate. As if he was not done with the Acting EFCC chairman, an operative stopped him a few weeks ago from joining the President at the mosque at the Presidential Villa based on orders from the DSS headquarters.
“The same ill-treatment was meted out to Sen. Ali Ndume when he was prevented from praying at the mosque by DSS.
“As we speak, the accreditation of a journalist with The Punch, Olalekan Adetayo, has not been restored because of security reasons cited by DSS DG in spite of intervention by some media aides.
“At intelligence meetings with top editors, Daura assumed unusual airs. He once told editors that if he wanted to cause a crisis in Nigeria, he can do it within five minutes.
The source explained that in the last few months, the Presidency had been uncomfortable with Daura when it discovered that he had been very close to a principal officer of the National Assembly.
“President Buhari initially ignored the alleged romance between Daura and the principal officer until it became evident that the officer and his loyalists have more intelligence about government than meet the eye.”
DAURA DETAINED
Our correspondent could not locate where Daura was detained after his arrest. But a reliable source said: “The initial steps taken by the Presidency was to disarm Daura because a DG of DSS has a lot of arms and ammunition under his control.
“He was arrested and detained to enable the police and other agencies to mop up arms and ammunition under his care.
“All I can tell you is that he is in a safe location.”
The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) has praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for its visionary and timely economic diversification agenda. It also pledged its commitment to rebuilding Nigeria through its numerous partnership initiatives.
The society made the pledge when its national executive visited Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House in Abuja.
The umbrella body for all visual artists, which seeks to engender the highest ethical standards in the practice and teaching of visual arts in Nigeria, is, however, handicapped in many ways. To achieve its goals, the society has called on the government to consider the construction of a befitting National Gallery of Arts, in Abuja, to house and promote a national collection of artworks.
Speaking during the visit, President, Society of Nigerian Artists Mr. Oliver Enwonwu, said the creative industry deserved a regular art biennial or triennial such as Dakar, Biennial in Senegal, Bamako Photo Festival in Mali, FESPACO in Burkina Faso and Black Heritage Festival ‘Akwaaba’ in Ghana.
He said the sector also needed an Artists’ Village, complete with studios and technological hubs, which will not only facilitate the production and dissemination of artworks, but spur self-employment of artists and designers of future of eco-cities, alternative models of democracy, domestic robots, smart appliances and self- driving cars.
The initiatives, he said, will boost tourism and gain foreign exchange for Nigeria as well as ‘foster deeper understanding and unity among the diverse cultures, an efficient solution for Boko Haram terrorism, which emanates from an ideology based on social and religious intolerance.’
The society also called on the government to consider the following: appointment of artists and art professionals to head Federal cultural agencies tasked with the promotion of the visual arts; establishment of National Endowment Fund for Visual Art, in collaboration with Society of Nigerian Artists; embellishment of public buildings and spaces with artworks; enforcement of artists’ royalties on the resale of artworks in Nigeria; tax rebates for corporate organisations to facilitate consumption of artworks; establishment of a Presidential Art Advisory Committee, establishment of a committee in collaboration with Society of Nigerian Artists, to work with relevant federal authorities in overseeing the export of artworks.
Enwonwu identified some of the society’s challenges to include non-implementation of various endowment funds and policies on the visual arts, dwindling enrolment for the study of the visual art in tertiary institutions across the country. Many of these problems, he said, can be directly traced to inadequate appointments of professionals to boards or headship of relevant agencies concerned with art and culture.
“The results are to be expected, including the unfulfilled potential of a viable creative sector to lift Nigeria out of an almost sole dependency on crude oil.
Indeed, the visual art has its peculiarities and art professionals themselves are best positioned to improve its understanding and proffer solutions to challenges within the sector. Indeed, the fact that today, we do not have a separate Ministry of Arts and Culture, away from information, might be enough evidence of the poor appreciation of the visual arts as tools for socio-economic development.
“In other climes, the visual art sector is one of the biggest employers of labour and reformers of public attitude. Examples abound in institutions like the Louvre in France, the Statue of Liberty in the United States and with artists like Picasso in Spain. In these examples, we witness the phenomenal power of art to brand a country and improve her image, a situation much needed in a Nigeria dealing with the scourge of Boko Haram,” he added.
Matthew Seiyefa, the most senior director at the DSS took over yesterday following Daura’s sack.
He held a meeting with Acting President, arriving in an official SUV at 4pm.
He clutched a file and was received at the entrance by the ADC to the Acting President.
The Bayelsa-born acting DG came out of the Acting President’s office around 5p.m. he left the Villa in another car and was shielded from waiting reporters.
Seiyefa, who has spent 34 years in service, was the Director, Institute of Security Studies in Abuja. He served in different capacities, including the State Director in Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos States.
Seiyefa is also a Member of the National Institute.
Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu also arrived at the Villa. He walked briskly into Osinbajo’s office but was seen rushing out at about 4:40pm.
Osinbajo also met with Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari.
The meeting was held at the Acting President’s office when Kyari entered his office around 5.22p.m
CHAIRMAN of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday applauded the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), for his timely action on the invasion of the National Assembly by Department of State Security (DSS) operatives.
Obasa, who is also the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, said Osinbajo’s action has succeeded in cooling the already heated polity and brought credibility to the Federal Government both at home and abroad.
“The acting President has acted timely and this has confirmed that the Presidency has no hand in the invasion of the National Assembly. This has brought credibility to the government and show its sincere commitment to rule of law and justice,” the Chairman of Conference Speakers said.
Obasa condemned the invasion, describing it as a desecration on the sanctity of the Parliament.
Atiku hails Osinbajo for halting ‘illegal blockage’
Abubakar, in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Paul Ibe, hailed Osinbajo for listening to the clarion call of Nigerians and taking action to halt the “illegal and anti-democratic blockage” of the National Assembly by DSS operatives.
He said by sacking Daura, the acting president had given meaning to the cries of Nigerians that they would not tolerate such anti-democratic actions.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has described Tuesday’s unauthorized takeover of the National Assembly complex as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said the unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency is condemnable and completely unacceptable.
The statement read:”By this statement, Prof. Osinbajo is consequently assuring Nigerians that all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.”
The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has sacked the Director- General of Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Acting President, Laolu Akande, said Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the DSS until further notice.
Although no reason was given for the sack of the DSS boss, it may not be unconnected with the blockade of the National Assembly complex on Tuesday morning by operatives of the DSS who claimed to be acting on orders from above.
In another statement, Osinbajo said the takeover of the National Assembly complex was not authorised.
He said it was a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.
The meeting was held at the Acting President’s office in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
They arrived the Villa at different times, and likely to update the acting president on security developments including the blockage of the National Assembly by security officials.
The IGP was the first to arrive at 12.35 p.m. before the arrival of the DSS Director General at 1.15 p.m.
They were among 22 youth corps members who had gone on a picnic around the area when the incident happened.
In a statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo extended condolences to the families and relations of the nine youth corps members on behalf of himself and the Federal Government.
He said “This terrible occurrence has ended the lives of these young men and women bringing an abrupt end to their lives while they were dutifully engaged in National Service.
“The Federal Government appreciates their service to the nation and it is my prayer that God will comfort their families and loved ones, and that we would not witness such a calamity again.
“I would like to express my condolences to the families of the late youth corps members, the NYSC management and the people of Taraba State, where the sorrowful incident occurred and Edo, Enugu, Delta and Imo States from where the identified victims hailed.” he said
Before the news of the meeting broke Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had yesterday met behind closed doors with the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The discussions bordered on how to prevail on the National Assembly leadership to reconvene to consider and pass the supplementary budget.
Lawan and Enang briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
According to them, the preparation for the 2019 elections and other financial needs may be hampered by the delay in the consideration of the virement.
Lawan said: “I have come to visit the acting President to brief him on the situation in the Senate and the discussion also considered the need for the National Assembly to convene immediately for us to pass the virement on the supplementary budget sent by Mr. President.
“You know that the budget for 2018, the capital aspect, will be largely funded by foreign facilities, loans. Now we need to approve that. We also need to approve other important and essential requests, especially that of INEC and other security agencies for our security to be improved.
“It is therefore very essential that we reconvene immediately to look into those issues because our government is almost stalled and I believe that if we are able to pass the supplementary budget and virement request from Mr. President, this will enable our administration to provide the various infrastructure that we have planned to provide for Nigerians and also all the other aspects of national development.
“To do otherwise will lead to sabotage of this administration, will lead to sabotage of democracy itself because if we cannot provide the essentials for Nigerians, if we cannot provide funds for INEC to plan for the 2019 elections, what do we call ourselves?
“Certainly, in the case of INEC, for example, INEC could pick some items on the shelves but there are so many important and essential items that INEC will have to place order that could take about two to three months,” he said.
Asked what the response of the Acting President was, Lawan said: “Well, I briefed the Acting President on the situation in the Senate; there is conflicting information coming out from the Senate caucuses. We said we are the majority, the APC caucus, that remains so because we remain 53 senators in the APC caucus and we have given the media the list of everyone. I read it about a week ago, every senator’s name was there and his state or her state and the PDP caucus will tell you they are in the majority. I will take this opportunity for the third time to challenge the PDP caucus to publish the names of the PDP caucus members.
“They have never done that, they will only tell you that they are 55, they are 60, they are 65. Publish the names let Nigerians see where their senators are.
“We have done our own and it is also important that whatever crisis we have in the Senate and indeed in the National Assembly that Nigerians don’t suffer. We as politicians can do anything; it is a parliamentary practice.
“In fact, in Parliament, worse things could happen but parliaments that are responsible and responsive will always take into account the national interest, work assiduously to ensure that the country does not suffer.
“Here, in our case we have our budget suffering; we are not able to implement anything today because we are not able as a legislature, the National Assembly, to pass the request of Mr. President. So I believe that we should be on the same page with Nigerians, we are not aliens; we are representing Nigerians.
“Therefore what Nigerians want today is for this administration to provide those essentials that it has promised and it has started providing. That we should plan properly for free, fair and transparent elections in 2019.”
Lawan spoke on the likely consequence of not reconvening the Assembly.
He said: “If we don’t reconvene and pass the request, what that means is that we have turned against this country; we are stalling the administration and, invariably, fighting the people because the people want us to do those things that will make them happy. So, I believe that my colleagues are listening and we should be able to reconvene in the next few days for us to pass the budget request of Mr. President as quickly as possible.”
On the allegation that some members of the APC in the Senate tried to force themselves into the chamber to impeach the Senate president, he said: “I am hearing it for the first time. There is a process going into that chamber, I didn’t hear it before that some senators attempted to break into that chamber.
“Possibly, you must have the names of senators, but I want to tell you that we are law-abiding and that we will do everything possible in the national interest but we will try to keep within our processes and our procedures.”
Asked what the next step would be if the presiding officers fail to reconvene the Senate, Lawan said: “The presiding officers are people like you and I, they are Nigerians; they listen or they should listen. So I don’t even want to contemplate that the presiding officers will say they will not reconvene the chambers of the National Assembly based on the fundamental and primary request of Mr President of passing the budget.
Enang said: “Just in line with what the Senate Leader had said, we are still appealing to the National Assembly to reconvene. You remember that we passed the budget with understanding that the greater amount of it would be gotten by foreign loans.
“Although this was approved, that there would be loans, amount to be gotten was not approved. The Fiscal Responsibility Act requires that the President should specifically state the amount the government wants to get from foreign loans and present it before the National Assembly.
“That letter has been presented to the National Assembly and the National Assembly has to pass that amount before the money could be obtained from foreign financing institutions.
“This is what we are asking and if it didn’t happen in the next few months, we may have a complete government shutdown. What we are receiving from the federation accounts as the Federal Government’s share of the capital component is not enough to sustain even the 15 or 20 percent of the budget.
“So there may be a complete government shutdown and I know that Nigerians are not going to like it. That is why we are still appealing.”
Enang spoke on division in the Senate. He said: “Now the leader of the Senate has said that they are 53, but I want to assure him that the APC has harvested more people from the PDP and other political parties.”
According to him, the head of the PDP in the Senate is formally joining the APC family in a big ceremony on Wednesday the 8th if August in Akwa Ibom State.
“So, the head of the PDP who holds all the documents of the PDP, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (CON), is coming over with a great team and other minorities will join the APC family and we are good and strong,” Enang added