22.02.18
THURSDAY
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY
No. 3,013
THURSDAY
N200
NIGERIA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL NEWSPAPER
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Evangelist Billy Graham Dies At 99 BY OMONU NELSON with agency report
Renowned Christian televangelist, Rev Billy Graham, is dead. He died yesterday of natural causes (NAC) at the age of 99 at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. Graham who had been in ill health for a number of years long suffered from cancer and other ailments.
He was last hospitalized in 2011 at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C. for what was described as “evaluation and treatment of his lungs.” He was also hospitalized that year due to pneumonia. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association broke the news of his death yesterday morning. In his final decade, Graham had suffered Parkinson’s disease and loss
of hearing and vision, which forced him to substantially retreat from the public eye. He had been hospitalized several times since May 2011 with pneumonia and respiratory problems, most recently on November 20. In his final years, even when his brown hair transformed to a shock of white and the finger swiping that punctuated his most passionate speeches faded to milder gestures,
FIRS To Generate N6.74trn Tax Revenue In 2018 ➔Pg. 25
Graham continued his decades-long legacy of counseling American leaders and using his influence to gently nudge the course of national politics. He was regularly listed in polls as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World. During 2012 presidential race, Graham prayed with both President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney, as he had with a long string of other presidents and their rivals, ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Farmers/Herders Crisis About
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Economic Survival, Not Ethnicity – Sultan Clashes top agenda at Council of State meeting today
GTBank Owes Me N21bn – INNOSON BY OKECHUKWU OBETA, Nnewi
L-R: Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal and executive chairman/CEO, BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, when BUA Group paid a visit to the governor to brief him on plans to commission BUA’s new two million metric tonnes cement plant in Sokoto, yesterday.
PMB Gives Marching Orders On Missing Yobe Students
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The chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Innoson Group, manufacturers of INNOSON brand of vehicles, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, has claimed that the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) is currently indebted to him to the tune of N21 billion. Chief Chukwuma who spoke to a delegation from LEADERSHIP Group, publishers of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, in his Nnewi country home in Nnewi- North local government area of Anambra State also insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari have no hand in his current travails in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Contrary to the insinuations in some quarters, the Nnewi-based INNOSON Vehicles Manufacturing Company (IVM) boss rather stated that the presidency was not only happy with him for his contributions towards ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
APC Blasts PDP Over State Of The Nation Allegation
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Thuresday, February 22, 2018
LEADERSHIP
T
our stand
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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Preserving The Mother Tongue
he world has just marked the International Mother Language Day, an observance intended to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. Its main significance is that it promotes the preservation and protection of all languages. It was first announced by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on November 17, 1999. The day has been observed every year since February 2000, to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. But it was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages. The theme for this year’s event, ‘Our Languages, Our Assets’ is instructive. Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing human tangible and intangible heritage. It is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. It is the means by which culture and its traditions and shared values may be conveyed and preserved. No language is inferior to any language as there are no technical criteria that linguists judge as superior or inferior. There are criteria that you may have reason to prefer, such as ease of learning. A lot of people who want to learn a foreign language prefer that such language should be easy to learn. However, being easy to learn does not make a language objectively better, just better for one particular purpose, and usually worse for other purposes (like describing technical processes with a lot of precision). A dialect of the same language may be chosen as a standard form, making it a dialect of wider communication and give it the status of a dialect or autography-it does not make it superior. All efforts to promote the
dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world so as to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. Languages with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration,
education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalisation processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Dele Fanimo
POLITICAL DIRECTOR/ STATE HOUSE Jonathan Nda-Isaiah EDITOR Muazu Elazeh
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Christian Ochiama
DEPUTY EDITOR Agbo-Paul Augustine
ASS. MANAGING EDITOR George Agba COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD Suleiman Abdullahi
GENERAL EDITOR Silas Ezeugwu
GROUP LTD CHAIRMAN Sam Nda-Isaiah GMD, LEADERSHIP GROUP Abdul Gombe GMD, LEADERSHIP HOLDINGS David Chinda GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Dele Fanimo Felicia Ogbonlaiye Geoffrey Essien HR DIRECTOR Solomon Nda-Isaiah CHIEF PROCUREMENT & ASSETS OFFICER Mrs Zipporah Tanko DIRECTOR, HAUSA PUBLICATIONS Mubarak Umar GENERAL MANAGERS Ibrahim Halilu Femi Adekunle Ebriku John
LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital. We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed. We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being:
For God
and
Country!
At least 43 per cent of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Each year 25 languages in the world die out. We can develop creative ways to keep endangered languages from becoming extinct. It is on the basis of this that we urge the federal government to device a mechanism aimed at encouraging every ethnic group to translate both the national pledge and the national anthem in their languages and translate other national documents into these languages. It is important, in our opinion, that we make it profitable for the nationalities to use their languages by encouraging the use of local languages through the engagement of native speakers in various activities that will help in maintaining any endangered language. This has become imperative because of the understanding that to lift a language invariably entails lifting a people. It is estimated that only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in the education system and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world. To overcome this linguistic barrier in the country, the federal government should encourage the teaching of indigenous languages in all the primary schools. This, in our view, will allow the languages to flourish academically while at the same time making multilingualism a cherished constitutional principle and part of the people’s linguistic rights. In Nigeria, to foster sustainable development, native speakers of local languages should be encouraged to have access to education in their mother tongue. It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, thus playing an important role in promoting sustainable future. Imparting education in the mother tongue should be everyone’s priority and the government, at all levels, should do more to encourage the preservation of every indigenous language. The rights of the various linguistic communities to use their own languages should be promoted and supported so that they can equally take part in what the country offers its citizens.
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Group News Editor: Ekele Peter Agbo PMB Greets Femi Okunnu On 85th Birthday BY JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja
L-R: Chairman Katsina State Independent Electoral Commission Alhaji Ibrahim Bako; Chairman of Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON), Justice Igbozuruike Akomas, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting, by the Forum Leadership with INEC Chairman in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN.
Arms Deal: EFCC Grills Former Army Chief, Ihejirika BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, grilled former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika over his alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal. EFCC sources, who revealed this, said Ihejirika, a retired lieutenantgeneral, arrived at the EFCC head-
quarters in Abuja around 11:00 am yesterday and was subsequently ushered into an interrogation room. According to the source, “He is being questioned as related to the procurement of arms and ammunition during the time he held sway as Chief of Army Staff. “He will be released on administrative bail as soon as preliminary interrogations are over.”
The source further noted that Ihejirika didn’t immediately have answers to some of the questions thrown at him and sought the permission of his interrogators to go back home and retrieve more details relating to the arms purchase affairs. However, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren could not be reached to confirm the story as at press time. Recall that Ihejirika led the Nigerian
Army from September 2010 to January 2014 when he was dropped by President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the Boko Haram war. His visit to the EFCC comes about 20 months after President Muhammadu Buhari said Ihejirika and others should be prosecuted after they were indicted by a panel of inquiry that probed the arms scandal, now widely dubbed the Dasukigate.
APC Blasts PDP Over State Of The Nation Allegations BY ANDREW ESSIEN, Abuja
The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has debunked the assertions from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the federal government is ‘’making plans to manipulate performance indices”, saying the allegations are wild and unsubstantiated. The party also stated that in a bid to launch itself back to political space, the PDP has resorted to engaging in “destructive propaganda, deliberately spreading false, misleading and fabricated tales withintent to cause resentments, distrust and panic in the country.” In a statement entitled “Re: PDP’s Wild Allegations On State Of The
Nation” and signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, and released to newsmen in Abuja, the APC questioned the motive of the PDP’s assertions on the party’s handling of the economy. “It’s either that PDP dooe not realise that allegations such as this are capable of eroding confidence in the economy or they just don’t care as long as their desperate bid to return to power is served.” The statement reads in part: “In the name of playing opposition, the PDP has typically chosen to launch itself back into reckoning by engaging in destructive propaganda, deliberately spreading false, misleading and fabricated
tales with intent to cause resentments, distrust and panic in the country. “While APC recognises the right of the PDP and indeed any other political party to criticise and our party, and the policies and programmes of our government, however, we believe this should be done based on facts and reason. Indeed, democracy thrives on a strong opposition that puts the government on its toes. But engaging in wild propaganda, cooked up tales and deliberate falsehoods in the name of opposing the government is ultimately destructive. “While we do not speak for the INEC, we wish to state however that it borders on cheap black-
mail for PDP to launch wholesale attack on the integrity of this institution in the way it has done. INEC is certainly not yet the perfect institution that we all aspire to. However, it appears that to PDP, INEC can only be good enough if PDP wins election.” Abdullahi noted that the party’s position remained that anyone found to have violated any aspect of the Electoral Act should be dealt with in accordance with the law, adding that it was strange that the PDP has also faulted the EFCC’s offer of assistance to INEC to monitor campaigns funds. He insisted that APC welcomed any measures taken to ensure transparency in electoral financing.
House Accuses INTELS Of Shortchanging Nigerians BY NAN
The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the termination of contract between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) Limited yesterday accused INTELS of short changing Nigerians. Chairman of the House ad hoc committee, Rep. Pally Iriase, who made the accusation at a public hearing
on the probe, alleged that INTELS had been short changing the government in its remittance of revenue. The management of INTELS did not turn up for the public hearing, except for its legal supervisor, Mr Irabor Kenneth. Iriase, who is the Deputy Whip of the House, expressed concern that officials of INTELS failed to attend the hearing. He described the action of INTELS
management as an affront on the National Assembly. According to him, this is an indication that the company, based on evidence before the House committee has been exploiting loopholes in the existing contract with the NPA to deny the government legitimate revenue. “With what we are hearing, it is very clear that INTELS is very comfortable with what they are doing by short
changing Nigeria. “By the time we are through, they will know not to treat the National Assembly with levity and disdain,’’ he said. The lawmaker said that the committee would visit the Onne Port in PortHarcourt, Rivers State to ensure that INTELS was not flouting the contractual agreement in terms of revenue generation because of the face-off with the NPA.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated elder statesman and Nigeria’s former federal commissioner for works and housing, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, on his 85th birthday. President Buhari, in a statement by his special adviser on media, Femi Adesina felicitated with all the family, friends and professional colleagues of the elder statesman for the grace of living a long and fulfilled life, looking back at his foundational contributions to the infrastructural growth of the nation, and its developmental strides. President Buhari recalled that Alhaji Okunnu was among the first administrators to set Nigeria on the path of physical growth by patriotically ensuring a plan and implementation of network of roads for the country in the 60’s that have become the landmark routes after more than half of a century. The president extolled Alhaji Okunnu for his nationalistic position and views at critical moments in the nation’s existence, especially the legendary role he played during the mediatory meetings after the Nigerian Civil War and his contributions to structuring the nation’s legal architecture as the country continued to develop. President Buhari prayed that the almighty God will grant the elder statesman longer life, more strength and wisdom to continue serving the nation he loves so much.
Fayose Visits INEC Headquarters In Private Car BY SUNDAY ISUWA, Abuja
With just four months to the conduct of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, yesterday visited the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a private car. LEADERSHIP recalls that INEC had fixed July 14 for the governorship election in Ekiti State. Fayose alighted at the INEC headquarters at about 3pm in a black Range Rover Vogue car with Abuja registration number: KWL850TC. Fayose, who was apparently trying to disguise himself at the INEC main gate, said “deputy governor” when security men enquired to know who was in the car. “I am here on issues that have to do with INEC with regard to our state election in 2018. Every Nigerian should be able to ask questions as it affects him,” Fayose said after a meeting with the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu. “I saw the national commissioners seated and I expressed my concern and it was a fruitful deliberation. “
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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Thuresday, February 22, 2018
Farmers/Herders Crisis About Economic Survival, Not Ethnicity – Sultan BY JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH And CHIKA MEFOR, Abuja
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, declared yesterday that farmers/herders crisis, which has claimed many lives in the country of recent, borders on economic survival and not ethnicity or religion. He warned that if the government and Nigerians continue to treat the incessant clashes resulting from the crisis as religious or ethnic issues, it would continue unabated. The sultan spoke during the presentation of a book titled, ‘Dynamics of Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences’, written in honour of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB’s) Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede. The royal father cautioned that ascribing the word criminality to a tribe or ethnic group is wrong, even as he urged the federal government to fish out and deal with the criminals who have continued to kill the innocent citizens. He said, “Nowadays, the worst word you can hear is Fulani. There are millions of Fulanis who don’t even know how to train cows. I am Fulani. I was never a herder. Now when everybody sees a Fulani man, he is a killer. To ascribe a particular ethnic group as a criminal is wrong. “All over the world there are criminals. Let us give criminals their due name, not Christian criminals, Muslim criminals or Yoruba criminals. Call them criminals and
deal with them. That is what we are telling government. If the government has failed, they should tell us where to come in and help. “We don’t have statesmen any longer. We only have men of state as people just align with their states and religion more. A governor only sees his immediate surrounding as his constituency. We must be allowed freedom to go wherever we want to and live wherever we want to. We don’t except criminality. If criminals are in our midst, we must fish them out and deal with them”. On the missing money in JAMB office, Abubakar expressed dismay over the high level of corruption in the nation, noting that Nigerians should come together to chat ways and means of getting out of corruption, a societal malaise that had continued to threaten the nation. He said, “The snake issues has been a humorous thing but it is just a sad reality of our county. Where is our moral value? Somebody will just come up and take government money and go away scot-free and nobody challenges it. “The earlier we wake up the better for us. Corruption is at a high level and it is left for us to fight it to the end. We cannot just sit down and be thinking that things are okay. Things are not okay. It is left for us to sit down and find out ways and means of getting things back on track”. He urged Nigerian leaders to emulate the JAMB registrar who proved he is honest and incorruptible.
Sa’ad Abubakar III
Farmers/Herders Clashes Top Agenda At Council Of State Meeting Today Meanwhile the increasing spate of farmers/herders clashes in the country will be one of the primes in the agenda of the Council of State meeting scheduled to hold today, LEADERSHIP learnt last night. A reliable presidency source told our correspondent that President
Muhammadu Buhari convened the meeting to bring past leaders and serving governors together to deliberate on how best to address the farmers/herders clashes with a view end the crisis. This is the third council of state meeting since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. The first one was held on October 21,2015 while the second one held in September 2016. The National Council of State is chaired by President Buhari, with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as deputy chairman. Other council members are all former presidents and Heads of Government, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria; President of the Senate; Speaker of the House of Representatives; all governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Attorney General of the Federation. LEADERSHIP gathered that the meeting will focus on issues bordering on insecurity in the country, following the escalation of killings caused by farmers/ herders clashes. The council has the constitutional duties of advising the president in the exercise of his powers with respect to national census, prerogative of mercy, award of national honours, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Judicial Council and the National Population Commission. It also has the responsibility of advising the president on the maintenance of public order within the federation or any part thereof whenever it is requested to do so.
GTBank Owes Me N21bn – INNOSON FROM COVER
the improvement of the nation’s economy, but that it had given him all the support he requested from it. The vehicle manufacturer spoke when the delegation of LEADERSHIP Group, led by the business development manager, Mrs Mariam Ogbe, visited his office to deliver to him a letter conveying to him the decision by the Board of Editors of the newspapers group to honour him as the LEADERSHIP Person of the Year 2017. Taking the delegation on a lengthy narration of his current travails in the hands of the EFCC, Chief Chukwuma stated that the incident actually dates back to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. He stated that GTB at the time funded an importation business for him with N1.5billion but that the Nigerian Customs Service later seized the goods and illegally auctioned them, claiming that he did not pay the stipulated import charges. He said that while he went to court to challenge the action of the Customs authorities, he however started paying GT bank the N1.5billion knowing that the loan was money belonging to members of the public. He explained that he had paid N1.3billion out of the N1.5billion within the stated 24 months, remaining just N200million, excluding the interest, when the Court delivered judgment in his favour and ordered Customs to pay him N2.4billion being the value of his imported goods that was illegally auctioned. Chukwuma stated that at that time, the Customs had “over N10 billion in GT bank, but that GT bank, rather than agreeing to release the money so that Customs would pay him as ordered
by the Court, approached the Nigerian Customs and advised them to appeal the judgment.” He stated that when the Customs authorities refused to accede, GT bank went and filed an appeal against the judgement but that the Appeal Court rather delivered ruling in his favour and even ordered the bank to pay him the judgment debt. He stated that instead of paying him, GT bank reported him to the EFCC, adding that it was during the investigation, which involved external auditors employed by him, that GT bank and NDIC, following his arrest by the EFCC, that it was discovered that GT bank had been tampering with his account with the bank and in the process had withdrawn illegally a total sum of N560million. Chukwuma stated that it was this illegal withdrawal made on his account and the accruing interests as stipulated in the Monetary Policy Guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Customs judgment debt in his favour that had plunged GT bank into being indebted to him to the tune of N21 billion. The INNOSON boss said: “I don’t have any problem with (federal) government. Government is supporting me in every aspect; all the support I requested from the government, government has approved them. So, I don’t have any issue with the government. “It is GT bank that stole my money from my account with it, and when I discovered, I took them (GT bank) to court. The court told them to pay me my money. They went to the Appeal Court; the Appeal Court told them to pay me the money. They now went to the Supreme Court, and, up until now the appeal is yet to be decided. “This incident started during the President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. At that time
GT bank funded some goods I imported with the sum of N1.5billion. I contributed 25% of this sum. The Customs later seized the containers and auctioned them unlawfully. “I went to GT bank and told them that they should not worry, that I will pay the money; that I know that it was not their fault; that it is Customs that auctioned my containers. I told them that I know that it was public money that they used in funding the importation for me; that I will pay the money. “I begged them that the only thing they will do for me is that they should spread the loan for me to pay within 24 months. I told them that my business can pay the money. They agreed and spread the money for me. Now, after two years, I had paid GT bank N1.3billion, remaining N200million. Let me ask you, if someone owes N1.5billion, and he pays N1.3billion, has he not tried? “I gave GT bank my property ‘which Dangote Group is using’ as security for the loan. The property is worth N3billion, but GT bank said it is N1.4billion. “When I started paying the N1.5billion loan, I focused on paying the principal sum, excluding the accrued interest. My intention was to pay up the principal and then approach the bank to negotiate the amount I will pay on the accrued interest. I did the same with Diamond bank; when I finished paying Diamond bank the principal, I went to them and we discussed the interest because they know that my goods were auctioned, and that the interest is their gain. So, after discussing with them they shared the interest into two and I paid them half. That is how I settled with them. “So, after I paid GT bank N1.3billion, l told them, now that what is remaining on the
principal is N200million, excluding the interest, let me finish paying the principal first. But they refused. I begged them to share the N200million and the interest and let me pay the money in 12 months. They agreed. That time I had already taken the Customs to court for auctioning my containers illegally. “I had paid GTB for three months when the Court decided my case against the Customs. The Court awarded N2.4billion to me against the Customs for auctioning my containers illegally. “At that time, Customs had over N10billion in GTB, I got a garnishee order absolute ordering GTB to pay the judgment debt to me. But GTB refused to pay me. Instead, they went on to ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
HOW DO FRUIT AND VEGETABLES KEEP YOU YOUNG? These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy. They also contain chemicals called antioxidants, such as carotene, which are thought to protect against damaging chemicals (‘free radicals) that get into the body. Regular consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables will keep your bones, teeth and organs healthy and will improve the look of your skin. Basically, this is how they contribute to keeping you looking and feeling young, although the exact way in which they prevent disease is not fully understood. – Culled from 100 Best Ways To Stay Young
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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Wamakko Takes Over As Northern Senators Forum Chair BY SOLOMON AYADO, AHURAKA ISAH, And ANKELI EMMANUEL
Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North) has emerged the new chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum. He replaces Senator Abdullahi Adamu who was yesterday removed as chairman of the forum over allegations bordering on misappropriation of N70 million belonging to it. Adamu’s removal came barely 24 hours after the Senate okayed the probe of the
comments made by dissenting Senators who opposed the reorder of election as passed by the National Assembly. The 10 protesting Senators led by Adamu had declared that the amendment of elections’ sequence was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari. The Red Chamber on Tuesday directed its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the lawmakers and proffer adequate sanctions. But a member of the Northern Senators Forum,
Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna), told National Assembly correspondents yesterday that the forum received information that some monkeys reportedly invaded Adamu’s farm and swallowed the N70 million. This is coming barely two weeks after a snake was said to have sneaked into the accounts office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, and swallowed N36 million cash. Making further revelations
on the alleged missing money said to have been stolen by monkeys, Senator Sani noted that under Adamu’s leadership, the sum was inherited from the 7th Assembly but was not properly accounted for. According to him, the N70 million in question was handed to Adamu by the former chairman of the forum at the beginning of the 8th Senate. Speaking on behalf of the forum, Sani said, “There are some things that some of my colleagues cannot say but I’m not used to holding back what
is the truth. When we resumed as Senators, Sen. Ahmed Lawan tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate. “That N70 million was monies gathered by Northern Senators from the 7th Senate. So, it was handed over to the Senators from Northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate. The rumours going round-whether it is true but I believe most of the Senators know- is the fact that there were allegations that some monkeys raided the farm house of some of the executives in Northern Senators’ Forum
and carted away some of these monies. “I think this country is becoming a huge joke. First of all it was the rodent that drove away the president and we now have snakes consuming about N36 million. Now you have monkeys”. When journalists approached Senator Adamu in his office located in the Senate new building at the National Assembly, he refused to speak on the matter. He simply said, “ I will speak at the appropriate time.”
PMB Gives Marching Orders On Missing Yobe Students BY JONATHAN NDA–ISAIAH, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday directed security agencies to take immediate charge and control of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State and inform him of developments on the 94 students abducted from the school. Minister of information, Lai
Mohammed, disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja. No fewer than 94 students were reportedly missing after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked the Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi, on Monday night.
Mohammed said the president has sent a delegation made of the Ministers of Defence, Mansur Dan - Ali, Foreign Affairs, Goffrey Onyeama and himself to the school to get firsthand information on the missing students. He noted: “President has directed the military and other security agencies to take immediate charge and control
of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, and inform him of developments. “He has released a delegation led by the Minister of Defence to Dapchi to get first hand information as to what is happening. Others in the delegation are Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Information. On additional information the government has as regards
the girls aside the 48 that has returned, he said, “That is precisely why me. President is in direct contact with military and police and as soon as we get any information we will let you know. Meanwhile the Yobe State government has said 48 of the missing ninety-four students from Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi have returned. This was made known by
the state commissioner for education, Mohammed Lamin, who disclosed that while 28 of the missing students returned on Tuesday night, 20 more returned on Wednesday morning. “This has brought down the 94 missing students realised at the yesterday headcount to 48 this morning. We are still hopeful that more are returning soon”, he said.
brought in NDIC. After about two weeks, after thorough examination of the auditors’ reports, GTB auditors admitted that GT bank made some illegal withdrawals of N560 million from my account, instead of the N780 million my own auditor found out. I told GTB to put it in writing, which they did. “I accepted GTB position in good faith and told them that they will refund me the admitted sum to me with interest. They agreed, but said they will pay only 7 percent. I said no because the interest I’m paying them on the loan was 22%. “I wrote a letter to the Central Bank, and requested them to furnish me with the CBN monetary policy guidelines. I discovered from
the monetary policy guidelines that GTB should refund me the N560 million at 22% interest rate within two weeks they admitted stealing the money, and failure to do so will attract a penalty of 100% refund. GTB refused to refund. I now sued GTB to Court. And the Court ruled that GTB should pay me N4.7billion. The court also said the money shall be paid at 22% interest until the liquidation of the judgment debt.” “So, as at today that I am talking to you, the money GT bank owes me is about N21billion. I believe that one day the truth will triumph over lies. I believe that they are doing the same thing they did to my account to some other customers, and one day they will find out,” he said.
GTBank Owes Me N21bn – INNOSON ➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
appeal the judgment. Interestingly the appeal court ordered them to pay the judgment debt to me. They still
went to appeal at the Supreme Court. The appeal is still pending at the Supreme Court as at today. “Because GTB failed to pay the judgment debt as ordered
by the court, I stopped paying them (GTB) the N200million, and the interest. I told them that it is because I have paid you up to N1.3billion out of the N1.5billion that is why
Evangelist Billy Graham Dies At 99 FROM COVER
but threw his support behind Romney, urging his followers to “vote for biblical values this November 6 and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God.” He also weighed in on the gay marriage debate, urging North Carolinians to vote for a state marriage amendment that would firmly ban same-sex unions—an amendment that passed by a comfortable margin but later made moot by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. As he always had, he faced criticism from both sides, some decrying his meddling in secular politics, and others arguing that he did not wield his influence more forcefully in one direction or the other. It was the sort of criticism he had faced throughout his years as an ordained minister that saw the civil rights movement, which he supported, the sexual revolution of the 60s, which he opposed, wars and disease, economic prosperity and decline. His influence, however, had always been more religious than political and was far less partisan than that of other evangelical leaders of his time. Throughout his career, he
developed relationships— often close relationships— with Republican and Democratic presidents. He spent time in Kennebunkport, Maine, with President George H. W. Bush and his family, and was by the Clinton’s side during Bill’s tumultuous second term. In an interview with Time magazine, Graham said he tried to emphasize to all the leaders he grew to know and love, the need for them “to have love for the people who were opposed to them.” His worldwide crusades and role as adviser to United States presidents for decades made him one of the best-known religious figures of his time. His Christian crusades took him from the frenzy of Manhattan to isolated African villages and according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website, he preached to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history. The BGEA put his lifetime audience at nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories, with “hundreds of millions more” viewing him on television, video, film and webcasts. “My one purpose in life is
to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ”, the late Graham once said. Born William Franklin Graham Jr. on Nov. 7, 1918, he was raised on a dairy farm in Charlotte, N.C. At 15, he made his personal commitment to Christ at a revival meeting in Charlotte. After attending Bob Jones College and the Florida Bible Institute, Graham was ordained a Southern Baptist clergyman in 1939. In 1943, he graduated from Wheaton College, where he met fellow student Ruth McCue Bell, daughter of a medical missionary, who had spent the first 17 years of her life in China. They married in August 1943 and had five children, 19 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Ruth Graham died in June 2007 after 64 years of marriage. Graham vaulted to national prominence with his 1948 Los Angeles crusade, scheduled for three weeks and extended to eight. Subsequent crusades in various cities around the globe also lasted far longer than scheduled – in New York, he ran nightly for four months at Madison Square Garden in 1957.
they don’t want to obey the court judgment so that they can pay me. GTB now went on to involve the EFCC. This is the key reason why I’m having an issue with the EFCC now. “It was when they reported me to the EFCC that God now exposed them. When EFCÇ invited me, I told the EFCC everything. I took all my documents to an external auditor who now found out that GTB had made excess withdrawal of N780million from my account in the bank. “I now gave a copy of this auditor’s report to the GTB and EFCC. I told them that I am not going to pay any money again until we counter-balance the account so that we know who owes who. GTB now brought in an external auditor and EFCC
8 NEWS EXTRA
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
C/River 2019: Yala Community Endorses Gov Ayade BY EBRIKU JOHN FRIDAY, Abuja
Chairman of the Occasion, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (left), with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during the 1st Annual Foreign Service public lecture in Abuja, yesterday.
FG Saves N4.5trn From Cases In 2 Years – AGF BY JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Justice has disclosed it saved N4.5 trillion arising from its effective defence of cases and claims against the federal government. This was disclosed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami after the federal executive council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa. Presenting his ministry’s scorecard from 2015 to 2017, Malami said the amount was saved as a result of effective defence of court cases brought against the government within the last two years. He noted that other areas on the scorecard presented to Council had to do with the prosecution of Boko Haram cases which, he said, is still ongoing. He said the Federal Government
has put in place a committee saddled with the responsibility of coming up with policies and strategies that will ease off the congestion of prisons in the country. According to him, over 70 per cent of the inmates are awaiting trials, adding, there are sizeable number that cannot afford to pay limited fine that have been imposed arising from their convictions. “There are those awaiting trials that have never seen the court room for over five years and above and indeed there are multiple legislation that are before the national assembly that are intended to support the decongestion of prison formation process.” Malami said his Ministry also made presentations relating to plea bargain to FEC, adding “there are a lot of pending criminal cases in respect of which the accused persons standing trials made offers for plea bargain.”
During his briefing, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed that President Buhari has approved various tranches of monies to offset debts owed by Nigeria’s missions abroad. The most recent intervention was a N7billion released to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. Some of the debts, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs have spanned over one decade. He pointed out that the intervention became necessary when various Nigerian embassies abroad were failing in their responsibilities over paucity of funds. He said, “government approved special intervention funds to rescue many embassies in distress in several countries of the world. “First was in 2016 when the Naira was fluctuating terribly against the dollars and our embassies were receiving a rate that were too low to
sustain them. We received initially N16.3 billion, and was successfully distributed to all embassies. “The second one was N933 million for renovations and other debts released in October, 2017. The third was $32 million that were released for critically distressed 65 missions that were in serious debts and crisis. This was approved in November 2017 and we are in the process of distributing to the embassies around the world. “Another one was $28 million and it is in the process of also being distributed and finally for ministry headquarters, the sum of N7 billion was made. A lot of the debts and the crisis in our embassies and missions around the world have been building up over the last 10 years and Mr. President decided that he will no longer accept the situation where we are sending Nigerians out to represent this country and not given them the resources to be able to carry out their tasks.
Demolition Of Hunkuyi’s House Legal – el-Rufai’s Aide BY TARKAA DAVID, Abuja
The Special Adviser to Kaduna State governor on Political and Intergovernmental Affairs, Comrade Uba Sani, has said the demolition of a property belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi was in line with the law and done in good faith. Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Comrade Sani said by converting a residential building into commercial purposes or otherwise, Senator Hunkuyi had
clearly lost the rights guaranteed him by the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O). He disclosed that hundreds of houses have been demolished in Kaduna metropolis and Zaria since 2016 and nobody raised an eyebrow, and wondered why Hunkuyi’s case was sensationally celebrated by the media. According to him, the senator also failed to pay ground rent for same property in the last eight years and cannot be seen to be
above the law. He noted that Senators Sulieman Hunkuyi and Shehu Sani are empty political elements who are only trying to make themselves relevant by causing division in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. He further described Senator Hunkuyi as a serial betrayer known for stabbing his benefactors, adding that he is one of the major beneficiaries of the el-Rufai-led government.
“I can tell you emphatically that the demolition of a property belonging Senator Sulieman Hunkuyi was in line with the law and done in good faith. He is not above the law. “Some of Hunkuyi’s constituents have had their houses and property demolished and he didn’t think it was something he ought to bring to the attention of the Senate. It is surprising that he is whip up sentiments to get the sympathy of the public,” he added.
The people of Yala local government area of Cross River State have unanimously endorsed the Governor Ben Ayade for a second term. According to special assistant on ICT and chairman of the media committee the announcer, Yala local government rally/ endorsement of Governor Ayade, the rally now holds on February 22 instead of February 23 which clashes with Central senatorial rally. He explained, “This is based on the fact that the central senatorial rally holds on Friday 23rd and our Digital Governor has directed that we give them the needed support. “Hence, the reason for this change of date from Friday 23rd to Thursday 22nd February, 2018. We regret any inconvenience this would cause us all. While we anticipate the best turnout from all.” Meanwhile, the Cross River North Senatorial district will hold its endorsement and rally on Saturday, February 24, 2018, for the governor’s re-election in 2019 governorship election. In a related development, the Yala Political Forum (YPF), has also endorsed the governor for second term. The group said based on its critical analysis and observation on the governor’s performance and achievement he deserves re-election by the good and great people of Cross River State. It also promised to sensitise the people of the grassroots and ensure there will be a free and credible election. Therefore called on the people who are yet to get their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to go to the designated centres by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and follow the process to get their PVC before the closing date. The group also called on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians who does not mean well for them, but should maintain peace and discipline before, during and after the election.
FG Develops Home Made Biscuits For School Feeding Programme BY JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja
The Ministry of Science and Technology,has presented high nutrient biscuit developed and proposed for inclusion in the federal government’s School Feeding Programme. This was disclosed by the minister of science and technology, Ogbonnaya Onu after the federal executive council meeting presided over
by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa. He said the high nutrient density products will provide at least a third of the desired major macro and micro nutrients requirement stipulated by the World Health organisation, Food and Nutrition Board. He added: “Additionally, the products will be produced by NASCO Foods Limited, Jos that have state-of-the-art processing
equipment with vast experience in Food processing, Food Safety and quality for production and supply chain nationwide. The developed nutritious products have been tested using Nasco Food processing facilities in Jos and have been found to be technically and economically viable. “The pupils in the schools in Jos and Lagos where the sensory evaluation and consumer
acceptability studies were done showed strong likeness for the products and are ready to consume the products if included in the school feeding program.” The Council also approved various contracts including the construction of Ibadan-Kaduna rail line at a cost of $6.7billion for completion in three years. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello
said council also approved a contract worth N1.9billion for the reconstruction of the 20 yearold Bill Clinton Drive along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja. The contract was awarded to CCECC for completion in seven months. Bello said council also approved a contract of N273 million for supply of water treatment chemicals to the FCT Water Board.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
NEWS NORTH-EAST, NORTH-WEST 9
ITF Presents Starter Packs To 300 Skills Trainees In Taraba
L-R: Director-General National Agricultural Seeds Council, Dr, Olusegun Ojo, Vice President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Mr, Emmanuel Ijewere, and Kaduna state commissioner for Agriculture and forestry, Mr, Daniel Manzo, during the Tomato Stakeholders forum Meeting held in Kaduna yesterday PHOTO GBENGA FOLORUNSHO ABIOLA.
BY ANDREW OJIH, Jalingo
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) yesterday graduated and presented start- uppacks to 300 trainees under its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), in Taraba state. The director general of the Fund, Mr Joseph Ari noted at the occasion that the training was part of efforts by the ITF in poverty reduction and job creation. Ari explained that this was the first time the Fund was empowering beneficiaries of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme with start- up- packs in the country. Represented by the director Technical Services, Alhaji Ishaq Shehu, the DG said the presentation of the startup packs was to enable the beneficiaries hit the ground running, immediately after graduation. The DG who said the agency was targeting 11,000 trainees in the current phase of the programme across the country also thanked the state government for creating an enabling environment for the training of the youths in the state. Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku in a remark at the occasion commended the federal government for the training of the youths in the state.Ishaku pledged the readiness of the government to collaborate with ITF in training more youths and women.
NLC Donates Items To Gombe Specialist Hospital BY CHUWANG DUNGS, Gombe
As part of activities to mark the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Gombe State chapter of the union yesterday donated assorted items to Gombe State Specialist Hospital. Donating the items at the hospital premises the state chairman of NLC, Comrade HarunaKamara said they have a responsibility to help the needy, hence the donation of the items to the hospital to mark the 40th anniversary of the congress. He said the union noted the challenges people are facing in the society and decided to mobilise resources to help out. He added that one of their key responsibilities is to make sure that they take part in assisting the needy. “During our congress meeting we resolved to help by assisting the needy and the less privileged in our society to mark the 40th anniversary of our great union, that’s why we are here today to donate this items,” he said. While commending the nurses and midwives for the good work they are doing to ensure quality services in the hospital, Kamara, assured them of NLC’s support to help enhance their productivity. The hospital’s head of Nursing Services, Napoleon Bulus, hailed the union for the donation revealing that as a senior member of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANM), an affiliate body of the NLC, he is very proud of the success story. Some of the items donated include cartons of beverages, soap, sugar, pampers, dettol and variety of sanitary pads.
UNDP To Handover Clinics, Schools, Others To Borno IDPs BY OMONU NELSON, Abuja
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director, Samuel Bwalya has said that the agency would on Feb 28 deliver houses, schools and health centres to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ngwom, BornoState. Bwalya explained in an interview with journalists that Ngwom, an agrarian community in Mafa local government area ofBornoState fell victim to violent attacks by Boko Haram in
2014. He said that UNDP had completed and would deliver 292 permanent houses out of a proposed 300, a primary school and one health clinic to Ngwom indigenes displaced by the insurgence. According to him, UNDP has also completed 288 market stalls, 20 stores- shopping centre, and two water boreholes which would be delivered to the displaced returnees. He said that UNDP piloted a comprehensive community stabilisationprogramme in Ngwom.
``Our intervention was aimed at four inter-related areas of livelihoods, security, basic services, and emerging local governance. ``Using Ngwom as pilot community for the programme, we have built 292 permanent houses out of a proposed 300, one Health Clinic, 288 market stalls, a primary school, 20 store shopping centre, and two water boreholes,” he said. According to him UNDP has also distributed rainy-season agricultural inputs to over 550 farmers in the community.
He recalled that in September 2014, the settlement fell victim to violent attacks by Boko Haram. The insurgents attacked the small settlement twice between 2014 and 2016 leaving behind unimaginable destruction of lives and property. He said that many of the displaced, estimated at about 1,658 are currently registered as IDPs in various camps in Borno State; while many more currently live in host communities within Maiduguri and other parts of the state.
Police Parade16 Robbery Suspects, Kidnappers In Kano BY ABDULLAHI YAKUBU, Kano
In line with the resolve of the Kano State Police Command, to rid the state of criminal activities the command paraded 16 suspected criminals arrested for various offences, ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping. While parading the suspects in Kano, the spokesman of the Police Command, DSP Magaji Musa Majiya, said syndicate of armed robbers, who rob inhabitants of KurnaAsabe, Tudun-
Bujuwa, Tudun Fulani and environs is led by Auwalu Isa of Tudun Fulani quarters. According to him, Isa, who is a jailbird, was recently released from prison custody for armed robbery after having served four years jail term. Hewasleadingthe gang, comprising ofNasiru Yayaha of KurnaAsabe quarters, who is another jail bird that was released from prison after serving eight months for a crime. Another armed robbery sus-
pects, Ukasha Ibrahim, ShehuRabiu, SamshudeenAbdullahi, AbubakarAbdullahi, Bashir Isa, among others were arrested at various flash points for attacking innocent citizens and dispossessing them of their belongings, worth millions of naira. Magaji said they were also able to burst kidnappers syndicate, led by Jabir UsmanSule and Bashir Aminu of ChiranchiGabasDorayi quarters in the Metropolis, who were arrested for criminally conspiring and kid-
napping a four-year old victim and demanding a ransom of N2 million from his father or else they would kill the boy. He said during interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime in addition to two other kidnapping of some children in their neighbourhood. According to him, the rescued victims were identified and investigation is in progress, while the suspects would soon be arraigned before a court of law.
Abubakar Nahuche Heads Kano Under-age Voting Probe BY SUNDAY ISUWA, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced a national commissioner, Engr.AbubakarNahuche as the chairman of the panel that will investigate the under-age voting that characterised the recent local government elections in Kano State. INEC chairman, Prof
MahmoodYakubu made the announcement during a meeting with the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECOM). According to Yakubu, a national commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, AkwaIbom State REC, Barr Mike Igini, Adamawa State REC, Barr Kassim G.Geidam, an electoral officer, Yaku M Duku, offi-
cial from Voter Registry Department, MrsRukayatBunmi Bello, an official from ICT Department, Mr Paul Omokore will be members while Mr Jude ChikezieOkwuonu is the secretary of the investigation panel. The committee, which has two weeks to submit its report, is to ascertain if the voter register requested by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commis-
sion was actually used in the local government election; investigate the widespread report that person below the statutory age of 18 years voted using INEC’s register; engage with stakeholders on issues related to the use of the voter register in the election; and make any other recommendations which in the opinion of the committee are relevant to its assignment.
Katsina Partners Farms To Revive Agriculture BY SUNDAY ISUWA, Abuja
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Governor Aminu Bello Masari’s government and Tamani Farms has startedto yield result following the revival of the agricultural potentials of Katsina State, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Ahmad KabiruAbdulahi, has said. According to Abdullahi, Tam-
ani Farms who are the producers of Gino Tomato paste, are determined to ensure the establishment of a tomato processing factory in Katsina State, which according to him, will revive the agricultural sector in the state. Abdullahi who is the executive secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, said establishing tomato processing plant in Katsinawill reduce unemployment in the state. Abdulahi also commend-
ed the governor for his dedication to the people of Katsina and urged the people of the state to support the government so that they can continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy. While advising the people of Katsina to live in peace with one another, he added that it was the only way they can continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy. “We have gathered that when this factory becomes operation-
al, it will employ about 3,500 people from across the state. The factory will also provide the product to traders both within and outside the state. “This gesture by the state government is a move to promote agriculture by co-operating with the private sector. Governor Masari is reviving the agricultural sector in Katsina. This will transform the lives of 80 per cent of the people of Katsina State,” Abdullahi added.
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
BRINGING THE SOUTH-WEST TO YOU
SMARTNEWS
Security Officer Kills LASPOTECH Student BY HANNAH ONI, Lagos
A student of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) was reportedly shot dead by a security officer in the late hours of Tuesday within the premises of the institution. A student who preferred anonymity told LEADERSHIP that the student was killed by the security man very close to Mass Communication department. He said the killing of the student yet to be identified reportedly threw the institution into a state of confusion with students forming groups and contemplating on what to do next. Confirming the tragic incident, the polytechnic Public Relations Officer, Mr Lanre Kuye said the student killed was nolonger a student of Laspotech as he has been rusticated before the incident happened. "This is what happened the so called student was a rusticated student he is no longer a student of Laspotech and he has been rusticated for a long time. "He came with his escort into the school extorting student with guns and knife, so our security pursued them to leave the premises and one of them whose name is Ahmed Amoo was gotten in the leg unfortunately he died in the hospital yesterday morning." Meanwhile Kuye emphasised that the student was no longer our student as he had been rusticated before the incident happened. He said, "As I speak with you the school is not shut down as I am at the school gate so nothing is happening now and no shut down, the school is calm."
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo exchanging pleasantries with the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams while Mrs Abba Folawiyo looks on at the 70th birthday thanksgiving ceremony of Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu and her installation as Iya Ewe of Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo,Ogun State, yesterday
Stakeholders Deny Shutting 30 Schools In Ogun BY ISMAILA OGUNTADE Lagos
Stakeholders in Yewa North, Ogun State have debunked claims that 30 primary schools were shutdown in Yewa North following attack by Fulani herdsmen. The stakeholders at the meeting that drew traditional rulers, representatives of primary schools in Ketu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of Yewa North, Ogun State, and council officials said the report
that 30 schools were shutdown because of herdsmen attack was mischievous and calculated attempt by faceless groups and individuals to malign the name of the Local Government and portray it as one not sensitive to the plight of the populace. The chairman, Ketu LCDA, Moses Adegbite added that it was also an attempt to paint the picture that the government does not have the interest of the people in the grassroots at heart. He explained that following
claims of the primary schools closure, it was discovered that only Community Primary School, Igbonla, was truly closed down due to fears of attack of the herdsmen. Adegbite revealed that the activities of the herdsmen, particularly in the Local Government was adding to the poverty and misery of the populace as farm produce harvested were mauled down and destroyed by the rampaging cows of the Fulani herdsmen.
Oba Of Lagos Seeks Residents' Support For Clean Lagos Initiative BY GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos
The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has urged residents of the state to support on-going environmental sanitation reforms aimed at keeping the state which has attained the status of African modern mega city clean. The monarch who spoke at a town hall meeting with the residents, traders and, interest groups, said the Private Sector Participants (PSP) currently frustrating efforts to reform the sector will not succeed in
their bid to drag the state backward from adopting modern ways of waste management. He urged the residents not to patronize cart pushers, saying such crude method of waste management was no-longer appropriate for the state. He said,” I was in security service for thirty two years most of these miscreants, armed robbers used to hide their guns, live ammunition under these carts used for carting away refuse but with the initiative
of the Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode things are going to be better we are going to have a cleaner Lagos provided we have 100 percent citizenry cooperation, which is very necessary. “That is why I had to come out today to come and talk to all of them. Lagos has started to grow better and bigger all the market women have to cooperate. I have told them to stop living in the markets. It is only mad people that live in the markets. That is not in our culture.”
Expatriates Disobey Court Orders, Attempts To Take Over Company BY OLAJIDE FABAMISE, Lagos
Despite a subsisting court order to maintain status quo placed on West Africa Ventures (WAV) and Sea Trust Group (STG) by the court in Nigeria, the management of STG has gone ahead to forcefully take over the properties of WAV. The company had gone to court to seek an order preventing STG managed by expatriates from liquidating its assets and taking over its
business in Nigeria and West Africa, as it affirmed that STG was formed from the proceeds of WAV and its intent was to manage offshore investments while WAV manages local investments. LEADERSHIP gathered, STG, led by Fraser Moore ,hired in 2002 by Jacques Roomans, founder and owner of WAV/ STG, allegedly attempted to cart away Jascon 55 on Nigeria’s territorial waters in partnership with Iyke Ejizu and one Ikioda,
a retired rear admiral of the Nigerian navy but were stopped by men of the Nigerian Navy. It was further learnt that this occurred after they had allegedly taken possession of four vessels outside Nigeria’s territorial waters namely Jascon25,Jascon 28, Jascon 31 and Jascon 34 which Fraser has brazenly renamed Telford 25, 28,31 and 34,with Telford based in Dubai, the name of the new company formed by Fraser and other expatriates that left WAV/STG.
LASU Shops For N100m Research Grant BY ADENIJI ADUNOLA, Lagos
Lagos State University (LASU) has said the institution is making frantic effort to access N100 million institutional research grants from industries and international foundations. The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun disclosed this on the sideline of a two-day National Workshop on Research Grant Writing and Administration, held at the institution’s premises in Lagos. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the National University Commission (NUC), Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Open Africa Innovation Research (Open Air) and LASU. Fagbohun said that the university was able to access research grant of N50 million last year and is presently looking at accessing institutional grants of about N100 million. “In the last one year, we have been able to access research grants of between N50 million and N70 million. I am talking about grants ranging between N1.5 million and N2 million. “Right now, we are looking at accessing institutional grant of N100 million that will bring out a research capable of giving solutions to so many problems,’’ he added.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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NATIONAL NEWS 11
Arts, Culture Traders Still In Cell Despite Meeting Bail Conditions BY EJIKEEJIKE, Abuja
About 69 traders of the Abuja Arts and Culture Village, their wives and children are still languishing in cell despite being granted bail by an Abuja magistrate court and meeting their bail conditions. The traders and members of their families who were arrested by the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS on allegation of illegal occupation of the Arts village, spent two weeks in police cell before their arraignment and subsequent release on bail. Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the managing director, UmmaKhlif Ltd, Mahmoud Mahmoud, who leased the properties to the traders at the village, said the traders were on Monday, February 19, granted bail with two sureties. However, as at press time, none of the 69 traders have been released despite the magistrate court processing the bail of more than ten of them on the first day of their bail. On why the traders were arrested, he said, “The reason why
they were arrested on that property was because those people that took lease of the property from us had to protect their properties after the fire incidence of December 15 in that village. Since the NCAC cannot protect the property for them they had to put those boys there to protect the property for them. “Everybody that owns a shop there has to be responsible for his or her shop because of that incident of December 15. Those arrested were working under the owners of the shops.” He further noted that the problem of ownership and management of the arts and culture village started from 2013. In his word, “Well, we have been in court since 2013. We instituted a court case against the FCT, who we signed a lease agreement for the build, operate and transfer arrangement, but in late 2013 decided to transfer the ownership of that place to the Ministry of Culture without taken cognizance of the lease agreement that is biding between us.
UniAbuja To Honor 16 First Class Graduands BY HENRY TYOHEMBA, Abuja
The authority of the University of Abuja, is set to honour 16 graduating students who bagged first class degrees and others, at its 22 convocation ceremony. The University will also honour the founder of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi, and two other prominent Nigerians including late Dr BalaUsman, and AlhajiDikoAliyu. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Michael UmaleAdikwu, while briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja, said other preceding activities include the pre -convocation lecture, expected to be delivered by Dr Umar Bindir, Secretary to Adamawa
state Government, which is slated for Friday February 23,with and the convocation proper on Saturday Giving a further breakdown on the number of graduating students, the VC said that at a total of 7148,made of 16 first class graduants,in the first Degree category,507 second class upper,3173 second class lower ,3160 third class, and 180 pass Degree, He also disclosed that a total of 242 higher degree grandaunts made up of 81 post graduate diploma holders,76 Masters degree and 73 PHD The Vice Chancellor called for the support of the media in promoting the growth and development of the university.
Ministry, Stakeholders Harp On Protecting Children Against Violence BY BLESSING BATURE, Abuja
The Federal Ministry Of Women Affairs and Social Development in partnership with stakeholders have organised a sensitisation and awareness seminar for secondary school students aimed at protecting children against violence. Speaking yesterday during the seminar titled: “Child Rights Act” the minister of Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha Alhassan stressed the need to protect children against violence because the children are the future leaders and the ones that will take over the leadership of the country from the present leaders. Represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. (Mrs) HabibaMudaLawal, the minister said that there is high incidence of violence against
children ranging from child rape, defilement, abduction, kidnapping, trafficking and more. She added that the situation is unacceptable and must be condemned in strong terms. She said that is why the ministry is making concerted efforts to ensure that this ugly phenomenon is brought to an end. She however said that so many policies and strategies had been put in place to protect children, sayingthat there is need for the children to know their rights and responsibilities and laws put in place to protect them. The Director Child Development Department of the ministry, MrsJummai Mohammed said that the sensitisationprogramme was aptly designed to educate children on their rights, responsibilities and other pertinent issues aimed at promoting and protecting child rights.
L-R: Chairman organising committee, Prof Y.O Imam; Registrar, Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede,chairman of the occasion and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore,book presenters, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN and Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN) during the presentation of a book, Dynamics of Revealed Knowledge and Human Science in honour of the Registrar in Abuja, yesterday.
Glo Supporter Of Road Safety – FRSC BY ERNEST NZOR, Abuja
Telecommunications gaint, Globacom has been commended for being a pillar of support to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr. BoboyeOyeyemi, made the commendation in Abuja at the interactive session that preceded the closing dinner organised to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) held at the Nigeria Air force (NAF) Conference Centre and Suites. He appreciated Globacom’s silent contributions towards the success of road safety operations in the country, adding that the company is one of the corporate supporters of the commis-
sion in its bid to make the roads safe over the years. The Corps Marshall who explained that the task to make the roads safe is a continuous one, solicited for continuous support of the corporate entities. Globacom was subsequently presented with an award in recognition of its unalloyed support for road safety in the country. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, who presented the award to the duo of Mansur Opakunle, Globacom’s Acting National Coordinator, Public Sector Sales and the company’s Regional Head, North Central, Ike Onuekwusi commended Glo for its constant support which made it easy for the FRSC to discharge its duties
effectively. In a brief presentation at the conference, Mr. Kolapo Sheriff of Globacom, stated that intelligent and innovative technology remain the backbone of successful road safety measures employed by developed countries, adding that Globacom was happy to provide FRSC with such technology which has helped the commission to discharge its duties efficiently. He explained that the Glo 1 powered data services effectively drives FRSC’s operational processes, in addition to facilitation of seamless communication among FRSC’s officers and men through the deployment of cost-effective communications solutions by Globacom.
Netherland To Increase Investment In Nigeria BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos
The government of Netherland has revealed plans to intensify investments and collaboration with the Nigerian government especially in the agricultural sector. The Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Robert Petri made this known yesterday on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos. Petri said Netherlands government recognised the importance of agriculture sector, saying that the sector is a priority in Nigeria with the huge op-
portunities therein. He added that this is why the netherlands government want to key and expand their investment in the country. “We are planning to intensify our collaboration in different field particularly in Agriculture. There are huge opportunities there. It is the priority of the Nigeria government and we have something to offer in the sector,” he said. While commending the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Petri noted that the Netherlands government and Nigerian government should increase
collaboration between the Exchanges in Nigeria and Amsterdam to further deepen its bilateral cooperation. “We have many things to do together. We are living in crucial times and the private sector lays a crucial role in promoting economic growth and furthering employment,” he said. The Ambassador noted that Nigerian was an extremely important country as its Exchange was one of the largest in Africa and best performing exchange, having listed two Dutch companies, Nigerian Breweries and Unilever, that were doing extremely on the market.
NUJ Wants Erring Broadcasting Stations Sanctioned BY ABDULLAHI YAKUBU, Kano
The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), yesterday in Kano urged the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to sanction any Radio or Television station that uses its airwave to promote hate speech and to also apply relevant sections of the law to deal with their excesses. This was contained in a communiqué, read by the NUJ national president, AbdulwaheedOdusile alongside the national secretary,ShuaibuUsman Leman, at the end of a two-day National Conference, tagged: “Kano 2018’’, with the theme: ‘’ Hate Speech: Halting The Tide Before It Is Too Late’’, with the support of the Kano State government. The union decried the unprofessional activities that have negated the promotion of national cohesion.
Also, the communiqué stated that the mass media , notably, the social media are the main promoters of hate speech that in turn breeds socio-political anarchy, ethno-religious conflicts and retards progress and development. Furthermore, it urged the media practitioners to halt the tide of hate speech, through the promotion of national cohesion, love and unity, project the truth, teach ethical values, exhibit utmost respect for culture and tradition. In addition, the communiqué bemoaned the current political pronouncements and news reportage, which are capable of causing social and political upheavals, which was against the objectives of politics and editorial contents of the media in the past. Apart from that, the conference
also supports the steps taken by the federal government, through the relevant agencies to strictly enforce the cybercrime Act of 2015 that stipulates a punishment of five years imprisonment or a fine of N10 million on anyone convicted of an offence, threatening violence or insulting people based on ethnic or religious sentiments. The conference also urged political, religious, traditional and other leaders to lead by example, as well as control themselves, their aides and followers against hate speech. ‘’While self-regulatory mechanism is another alternative means of enforcing professionalism, the Nigerian Union of Journalists , as the umbrella professional platform of media practice in the country should educate its members on the importance of selfrespect, discipline and to always stand by the truth and justice’’.
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Meningitis Kills 4 In Niger BY ABU NMODU, Minna
Niger State has recorded thirty one cases of meningitis with four of them clinically confirmed dead as a result of the disease. The state commissioner of Health, Dr Jibrin Mustapha, made this known at a press briefing in Minna yesterday that the death and the cases were recorded in Magama and Katcha local government areas. He stated that because meningitis is a seasonal epidemic, the epistemological response unit was ready and were readily put in place to mitigate the fatality rate of the outbreak of the disease. According to him, health education, mobilisation and sensitisation against the disease has been strengthened to stop the outbreak further than the two local government areas in the state. The said the ministry will continue to increase surveillance on the disease in all the twenty local government areas of the state while the people are advised to keep their environment clean. While saying that the partnership with some organisations has gone a long way to help mitigate the situation, he specifically mentioned the roles played by World Health Organisation WHO, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders among others as key to the surveillance against the disease.
One Feared Dead In Kwara Communal Clash BY ABDULLAHI OLESIN, Ilorin
Pandemonium broke out in Offa and Oyun local government areas of Kwara yesterday as residents of Offa and Ijagbo, two neighbouring communities engaged one and other in violence clash over land matters. It was gathered that one person was feared dead while many residents sustained injuries in the clash. However, the state governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed, has warned that the government would deal decisively with anyone found culpable in the communal clash. Ahmed, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, expressed concern over the ‘unwarranted and absolutely avoidable acts in the two communities’. He expressed concerns that some individuals could take laws into their hands despite various established platforms to seek redress and settle emerging communal matters. The governor directed security agencies in the state to arrest and bring perpetrators of the crisis to justice, and restore law and order in the communities, saying that “government will not allow any breach of peace, harmony and tranquility under any guise in the state”.
Executive Chairman Kaduna state SUBEB, Mallam Nasir Umar (right), receiving a Distinguished Merit Award from the executive director, Good Governance Initiative, Mr Norbert Okolo in his office in Kaduna, yesterday.
Gov Ishaku Signs N104bn 2018 Budget Into Law BY ANDREW OJIH, Jalingo
Taraba State governor, Arc Darius Ishaku, has signed into law, the 2018 Budget of N104 billion, two hundred and thirty two million, five hundred and fifty two thousand seven hundred and six kobo for the 2018 fiscal year. The governor while signing the
budget yesterday in Jalingo at the Executive Chamber of the Government House said there was an increased of N2 Billion naira in the budget. He added that the entire process of the budget passage was done within a reasonable time frame. He informed that the increase on the budget was a result of the Par-
is club refund, adding that the increase would go a long way to assist the people of the state. He explained that his administration since assumption of office has impacted positively in all sectors of the state economy. He charged sons and daughters of the state to continue to live in peace and accommodate one an-
other, stressing that without peace, the budget that was signed into law would make no meaning. LEADERSHIP recalled that a total sum of N96,597,789.38k appropriations Bill was last year presented to Taraba State State House of Assembly for deliberation and passage into law, which was after deliberation increased to N104 billion.
Attack On Yobe Girls’ School One Too Many – Saraki BY SOLOMON AYADO AND AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja
Senate President Bukola Saraki, has condemned in strong terms the attack on Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi, in Yobe State by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. This was disclosed in a statement by his special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu and made
available to newsmen in Abuja. He described the heinous attack as one too many, Saraki urged all relevant security agencies to investigate it with a view of arresting the perpetrators to account for abducted students. According to the statement, “security agencies should reinforce security around academic institutions in the country in order to prevent criminal elements from taking
advantage of such soft targets to disrupt academic activities and wreck havoc at a time the federal government is working assiduously to end the incidents of terror in the Northeast and other flash points in the country. “Urged the security agencies to be proactive in protecting lives and property in the country and also ensuring that accurate information about attacks such as the one recently
witnessed in Dapchi, Yobe State, is promptly made available to members of the public to prevent unnecessary speculation and panic by family members of victims and citizens alike,” it stated. Saraki further expressed sympathy with the affected students, parents, school authorities and the government and people of Yobe State over the unfortunate incident.
NASS Reordered Election Sequence Illegal, Inconsequential – Sen Ibrahim BY AHURAKA ISAH AND SOLOMON AYADO, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator representing Katsina South, Abu Ibrahim, has described the recent National Assembly Electoral Act alteration as illegal, a waste of time and resources, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already reordered the sequence of 2019 elections. In a press statement signed by Senator Ibrahim’s media assistant, Gabriel Agbonika, the senator who, along with other nine Senators, walked out of the Senate Chamber last Wednesday ex-
plained that by virtue of Sections 75, 118, and Item 15(a) of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 Constitution INEC is the only organ vested with powers to regulate, conduct, supervise, direct, organise and fix dates for elections into the offices of the President and his vice, Governors and his deputy as well as National and State Assemblies. ‘’The Senator believes strongly that the purported Amendment Act is purely an encroachment on the powers granted to INEC by the 1999 constitution more especially as INEC has already taken its decision on the same issues. According to Senator Ibrahim, “In the haste to carry out their
self serving interest amendment on the matter, they have ignored those constitutional provision and previous court judgement by the Federal High Court and Federal Appeal Court on the same issues in 2002. “Specifically, an Act of National Assembly passed in the House of Representatives and which was concurred by the Senate on 26/2/2002, was transmitted to the President on 24/6/2002 but was eventually refused assent by the then President Olusengun Obasanjo. “However on 26/9/2002 the House of Representatives and Senate respectively, through a
motion of veto, override the purportedly passed Act because 30 days had elapsed without the assent of the president to the bill. “INEC was aggrieved by that development and went to Federal Court in Abuja seeking declaration whether NASS can enact electoral Act on matters which INEC has adequate constitutional provisions to deal with such issues. In its judgement, the Federal High Court held that the NASS Act passed by the two Houses but which was not assented to by the President was unconstitutional and illegal because it was an encroachment on the power vested in INEC by the 1999 constitution.
Hon Omale Warns Against Politicising Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict
BY AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja
The member representing Ankpa/ Olamoboro federal constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, Hon Hassan Omale, has warned against politicising the current herdsmen/farmers conflicts in some parts of the country. Speaking to Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Hon. Omale stated that the escalation of the crisis is being manipulated by political and religious groups aimed at discrediting and disrupting the government of President
Muhammadu Buhari. The Lawmaker said that it was necessary to promote peace and security without which there will not be development and progress for the country. According to him, “Both farmers and herdsmen have lived side by side peacefully for long especially in the northern states, but unfortunately due to desert encroachment in the far North and increased farmers activities in Nigeria is expected to experience conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.
“The upsurge of killings as a result of conflicts between herdsmen and farmers is to my mind, being manipulated by some disgruntled political and religious interest groups in the country to distract Buhari’s government from achieving greater goals for Nigeria.” He said that what Nigerians should be worried about is the porous borders with other neighboring countries because there is greater suspicion that foreigners are involved in the fight between herdsmen and farmers. Omale emphasised that: “I am
calling on the security agencies to tighten our borders so as to identify true militant from herdsmen and prosecute them.” On the recent call by ex President Olusegun Obasanjo for President Muhammadu Buhari not to recontest 2019 election, Omale said that the former President has no moral credential to denigrate President Buhari because he did not contribute to Buhari’s emergence as President in 2015 neither is he a member of APC to decide whom the party will choose to contest 2019 elections.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Mo Ibrahim Award: Rivers Female Lawmaker Lauds Sirleaf BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt
The member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 1 in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Victoria Nyeche, has lauded the immediate past Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for winning the prestigious Mo Ibrahim Award and thus becoming the first female Ibrahim prize laureate. The Mo Ibrahim Award, which recognises and celebrates excellence in African leadership, aims to distinguish leaders who, during their time in office, have developed their countries, strengthened democracy and human rights for the shared benefit of their people, and advanced sustainable development. With the award, the former Liberian leader joins Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), Pedro Pires of Cape Verde (2011), Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008) and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007) as an Ibrahim Prize Laureate. Nelson Mandela was made the inaugural Honorary Laureate in 2007. Nyeche, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, described Sirleaf as a great African woman, who can make “fundamental breaks” through the glass ceilings. The female lawmaker said, “One significant thing to note about this great woman of African descent, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is her ability to make” Fundamental breaks” through the glass ceilings which has for years kept many African women, in particular, down in the basement. “It is of note that this woman of rare leadership qualities not only provided excellent leadership for her country but has also raised the leadership bar, thereby shocking naysayers who imagined that it will be impossible for a woman to drive the economic recovery and sociopolitical stability process of post-war Liberia.
A/Ibom Govt Orders Implementation Of Reigners Church Tragedy Report BY BERNARD TOLANI DADA, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has ordered the implementation of the report of Reigners Church building collapse in Uyo. In a statement signed by the commissioner for Information & Strategy to the governor, Mr Charles Udoh, and made available to newsmen yesterday , the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice has been mandated to commence the process of taking appropriate actions against all persons found culpable in the church building collapse. It would be recalled that the Church building collapsed on December 2016 leaving several people dead and the state government setup a commission of inquiry to investigate the cause of the tragedy.
NEWS SOUTH-SOUTH SOUTH-EAST 13
PMB Increases Take-off Grant For Maritime Varsity From N2bn To N5bn BY JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH, Abuja
In line with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’ vision to develop the Niger Delta region, Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, has been granted approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 2017/2018 academic session. According to a statement issued by the spokesman to the vice president, Laolu Akande ,the NUC
Petroleum and Gas Engineering, and the Faculty of Environmental Management has four departments: Environmental Management and Pollution, Meteorology and Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Marine Geology. He added that the Maritime University will be extended all privileges accorded to other Federal Universities. Akande recalled that the University commenced operations in 2017 and, in November 2017, invited job applications
approved that academic activities commence in three faculties namely; Transport, Engineering and Environmental Management. He said the Faculty of Transport has four departments, namely: Nautical Science, Transport Logistics Management, Marine Economics and Finance, and Port Management. According to him ,the Faculty of Engineering has five departments – Marine Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and
for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies. He explained “President Muhammadu Buhari also approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the University from the N2bn earlier announced to N5bn. This sum was included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly in November 2017 “Similarly, an additional N1B was approved by the President to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the University.
L-R: Participants, Mr Jonas Michanek; Dr Sven-Thore Holm; resource person, Dr Nkechi Onyenoho; vice chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof Benjamin Ozumba and vice president, Abuja Chamber Of Commerce, Chief Johnson Anene, during the cultural night at University of Nigeria 1st science parks and innovation Ecosystem for national development workshop in Nsukka, Enugu state.
Edo Govt To Jail Perpetrators Of Violence Against Children BY PATRICK OCHOGA, Benin City
To halt the incidence of violence against children in the state, the Edo State Government is set to launch a policy document that stipulates jail terms for perpetrators of any form of violence against children. Speaking during a rally organised by the state government to raise public awareness and curry supports to end all forms of violence against children,
wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, said the state prioritises the place of children in development and wouldn’t want anything to hinder their role as stakeholders in the development of the state. Represented by Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Efosa Uyigwe, Mrs Obaseki said, “The state government needs to be supported by stakeholders in its plan to make the state safe for children and prevent
all forms of violence against them. Parents, religious, traditional and civil society leaders must come together to support government’s actions.” She added, “It is sad that children are violated in places where they ought to be protected. These places include schools, churches, and homes. We must work with the state government to stop all forms of violence against children. The best way to put an end to this practice is to raise awareness to
halt the practice.” Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, urged parents and other stakeholders to support government’s campaign, noting, “P arents and other stakeholders need to collaborate with the government to curb the practice in which children are subjected to mental, emotional, sexual, domestic abuse and physical violence.”
Bayelsa Education Fund Hits N800m BY OSA OKHOMINA, Yenagoa
The chairman of the Bayelsa state Education Development Trust Fund Board, Prof Turner Isoun has announced that the Board has raised about N800 million from deductions and contributions from individuals, workers and political appointees in the state. According to Prof Isoun, out
of the N800m raised over N300 million have been expended on infrastructures and other educational exigencies. Prof Isoun, who made this known in Yenagoa during the presentation of the 2017 report of the board of the Education Development Trust Fund to Governor Seriake Dickson in Government House, said the
fund would go a long way in addressing the challenges in the education sector and assist the people participate effectively in a knowledge-driven economy. Also speaking, the state commissioner for Education, Hon Jonathan Obuebite and his Information and Orientation counterpart, Hon Daniel Iworiso Markson, said the
fund was instituted to ensure sustainability of the gains in the education sector, as well as secure the future of the children. Describing the educational programme as highly commendable, they added that, with the fund in place, indigent children would have easy access to quality education.
Police Discover 2 Corpses In Enugu Bush BY NNAMDI MBAWIKE, Enugu
Operatives of Enugu State Police Command have discovered two corpses in a bush in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state. A statement from the command’s public relations officer, Ebere Amaraizu said operatives of the Command have also arrested one Vitalis Ilo of Akama Oghe Town in Ezeagu local Government Area of the state for allegedly killing one of
the discovered persons identified as Ugochukwu Oduburu from Enyidichri Town of Ezza North local Government Area of Ebonyi state with a locally made double barrel gun. Amaraizu said that the late Oduburu was a secondary school student as GTC Akama Ezeagu local Government Area of Enugu state. According to him, the deceased who was about seventeen years was allegedly murdered last week
by the security man who works with a cashew industry at Akama in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State when he{Ouburu} went to pick cashew nuts on that fateful day. Amaraizu further disclosed that the other deceased person was earlier killed inside the bush near the plantation, stressing that all the corpses were abandoned inside the bush It was gathered that the
deceased who is a part time cashew nuts picker and living with his brother had gone to pick cashew nuts on that fateful day when suddenly he was shot and killed by the suspect. Commending the efforts of the commissioner of police Danmallam Mohammed on the matter, the father of the deceased, Anthony Oduburu and their lawyer Nnamdi Ugwu expressed happiness on the timely intervention of the of police .
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Oct 1st Bomb Blast: Charles Okah, Others Know Fate March 7
BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed March 7, 2018 for judgement on the terrorism charge filed by the Federal Government against Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze, after 8 years of trial. Okah andd others were accused of masterminding the October 1st, 2010, Independence Day bomb blast near Eagle square Abuja. The trial Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the date after the prosecution and defence counsel adopted their final addresses. Okah, Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) were initially arraigned before the court on December 7, 2010 over their alleged involvement in the bomb blast which left about 12 people dead and several others injured. One of the accused person, FrancisOsvwo died in prison custody, while Ebiware, has since been serving life sentence upon his conviction in 2013, leaving Okah and Nwabueze to await trial. The FG’s amended 8-count charge is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/186/2010. In the cause of trial, the prosecuting counsel, Alex Izinyon, SAN called 17 witnesses to prove that the defendants actually committed the offence. As the prosecution closed his case, the defendants filed a no-case-submission. But on June 1st, 2017, Justice Kolawole dismissed the submissions made by Okah’s lawyer Emeka Okoroafor and Oghenovo Otemu (for 2nd defendant) in respect of the application. In dismissing the no-case-submission, the court held that, “the prosecution has made out prima facie case through testimonies of witnesses which linked the defendants with the charges, that requires them to offer explanation.
CSO Proposes Conduct Of General Elections In One Day BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja
The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) has proposed the conduct of general elections in one single day. According to PLAC, the call became necessary in order to reduce the high cost of conducting elections in the country as well as making the elections more credible. Executive director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, a university don, Prof Wahab Egbewole, sponsor of ‘Not too Young to Run bill’, Samson Itodo and some members of various civil society group, who made the proposal were of the conviction that the move is also capable of putting to rest the current controversy surrounding the order of elections as amended by the National Assembly. They all spoke at a one day meeting of CSOs on constitution and electoral reforms, organized by PLAC in conjunction with the British Department for International Development (DFID). Nwankwo said, “Though the National Assembly had made a law sequencing the order of elections, but the civil society is insisting that elections should be conducted in one day. It is not impossible to actualize the process in 2019 elections. It is only a question of timing your process and the logistics. “It is possible to do elections in one day. With the last elections, it was twice, what these amendment suggest is a sequence of three sets of election and for me, that is not acceptable.”
Deputy Controller, Gombe Central Prison Alh. Ibrahim Gide (2nd left) receiving a list of items donated by chairman Nigeria Labour Congress Gombe State Chapter Comrade, Haruna Kamara to the prisoners and 23 inmates to mark NLC’s 40th anniversary celebration, yesterday.
CAN Urges Buhari To Reorganise Security Agencies BY TUNDE OGUNTOLA, Abuja
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reiterates its earlier call on President Muhammadu Buhari to reorganise the security agencies, aimed at curbing incessant killings in the country. In a communiqué issued at its last NEC meeting held in Abuja signed by the President, CAN, Rev Samson Ayokunle, the Associaiton called on the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop underage registration that characterises the ongoing registration of voters in some parts of the country. The communiqué also commiserated with the victims and the bereaved of all the killings going on in the country especially in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa and Zamfara States. The association which condemned in strong terms the menace of insecurity challenges
in the country, identified with the victims of the on-going killings by the herdsmen terrorists in the Northcentral, the Boko haram terrorists in some states in the Northeast and the bandits in Zamfara State. It, however, frowned at the inability of the security agencies to prevent those criminals before they carry out their attacks. It reads in part, ‘’We reiterate our opposition to the composition of the National Security Council
which skewed in favour of one religion and a part of the country. Ours is a multi-ethnic and multireligious state and we call on President Buhari to respect the Federal Character Commission Act in all his appointments and policies. ‘’We call on President Buhari to reorganise the entire security agencies with a view to injecting new officers with new visions and ideas that can restore sanity to all the trouble spots in the country.’’
Missing 94 Dapchi Girls: PDP Expresses Shock, Tasks IGP On Recovery BY CHIBUZO UKAIBE, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, to immediately unravel and recover the alleged missing of 94 Nigerian female students, after insurgents attacked the Girls Secondary School Dapchi, Yobe State on Tuesday. PDP, while noting its shock at what it called a disturbing situation, insisted that all
efforts must be exerted to find the students, stressing that the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians remains a paramount importance. Reports had emerged on Tuesday that 94 Nigerian female students were allegedly declared missing after insurgents attacked the Girls Secondary School Dapchi in Yobe State. Reacting however, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan,
said “Indeed, we are very disturbed by this ugly development, especially given the conflicting reports on the whereabouts of these innocent girls. “Our party restates that the life, safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians remain of paramount importance to us and we therefore insist that all efforts must be exerted to find these students. “The PDP is monitoring development on the
position of the Nigeria Police investigation of the matter. We however charge the Inspector General of Police to immediately put all machinery in place to unravel this disturbing situation and recover the missing children. “We also urge the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government to live up to its basic responsibility of protecting lives and property in our country.”
Police Loses 9,028 Men Annually – IGP Idris BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, revealed that the Nigeria Police Force losses 9,028 men annually to death, retirement and dismissal. The IGP, who made the disclosure at the monthly meeting with Commissioners
of Police and with the Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Dambazau, said this was not commiserate with the yearly recruitment into the Force and hence, the shortage of manpower. Lamenting further on the inadequacies of manpower, the IGP said Nigeria Police was far below the UN standard
of one policeman to 400 persons despite the federal government’s approval for the recruitment of 6,000 policemen into the rank and file and 10,000 officers last year. He noted that currently, the 308, 000 police workforce was grossly inadequate for the effective policing of the more
than 180 million people in the country, with a ratio of about one to 600 persons. On the accusation of attachment of about 150, 000 policemen to private persons, the IGP said that the force would review it to ensure that policemen worked for the general public and not for the rich alone.
Preventing Sexual, Gender Violence Pivotal To Peaceful Society – Tearfund BY TUNDE OGUNTOLA, Abuja
A United Kingdom based charity organisation, Tearfund has said preventing and responding to sexual and gender based violence must be recognized as a gateway to achieving peaceful society. Tearfund Country Representative, Paul Mershak gave this submission at the
commissioning of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) prevention launch in Abuja, yesterday. Mershak averred that gender based violence must be recognized by government and relevant stakeholders and must be given utmost attention. According to him, ‘’Chaos and violence loom everywhere around
the globe mostly because structural and cultural violence have not been properly addressed by those concerned. ‘’How do we tackle this problem that each day stares us in the face and perpetuates poverty? I call on all and sundry to share in the passion and vision of Terfund’s SGBV prevention project for Nigeria: ‘’A life free of violence for men, women
and children’’. ‘’Therefore let all concerned, ministries, departments and agencies, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, civil society organisation,m media, networks churches and mosques, collaborate and partner with Terfund to work for a society of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).’’
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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NEWS AROUND THE CAPITAL CITY
2 Die, 2 Hospitalised From Suspected Food Poisoning
2019: Yoruba Community Backs PMB For 2nd Term BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI The Yoruba community in the Federal capital Territory (FCT) has declared their support for the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari. In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday in his palace, the Oba Yoruba of FCT, HRM Oba (Dr.) Olusegun Salau noted that Buhari administration has succeeded in reducing corruption in the country. Salau also pointed out that the administration has equally succeeded in the fight against insurgency, especially in the north east and in other parts of the country. He maintained that what Nigerian needs is continuity in government to enable the administration consolidate on the achievements and move the country forward, adding that the administration would perform better in its second term in office. The royal father however advised the administration to address the high cost of commodities in the market and to remove bad eggs in the administration, who, according to him, are giving the leadership a bad name.
BY TARKAA DAVID
Eagles Square bombing mastermind, Charles Okah during his appearance at Federal High in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OMOKAGBO
AEPB To Reintroduce Monthly Environmental Sanitation BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI Determined to keep the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) clean, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) said it would soon reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the territory. In an interview with newsmen in his office yesterday, chairman of AEPPB board, Dr. Bawuro Bapetel Yahaya, added the board would equally reintroduce sanitary inspectors, to address the
environmental challenges facing the nation’s capital. Yahaya disclose that the management of AEPB are already working with other relevant agencies to ensure sanitation in markets and abattoirs, to maintain Abuja’s cleanliness, improve its environment and boost the overall well-being of residents. He stated that the board was determined to evolve a lasting solution to waste management, including engaging in “separation of solid waste into organic and
non-organic wastes, so that organic waste could be used as manure.” “We do not want to see refuse dumped indiscriminately anywhere in the FCT. When the solid wastes are generated, we will sort them out into organic and non-organic and dispose them appropriately and in a very healthy manner.” The board chairman warned recreation centres and night clubs, operating within residential areas, against noise pollution and causing harm to others in their neighbourhoods.
African Business Roundtable Gets New President BY CECILIA OGEZI The African Business Roundtable (ABR) has inaugurated Mr. Samuel Dossou-Aworet as the new president of the group, who takes over from Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The new president, whom Tukur described as “a passionate crusader for good governance, an advocate for regional
integration and a very successful business personality” had a very successful career in the public and private sector. The roundtable also made far reaching resolutions that would expand the frontiers of private African businesses in anticipation of an increasing stable political climate. Mr. Ebrima Faal, senior director, Nigeria for AfDB,
representing the president of the bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, in his keynote address highlighted the historical ties between the Bank and ABR, which it helped to set up in 1990. He further noted that ‘ABR was Africa’s foremost and continent-wide association of businesses and business leaders, and truly a successful PanAfrican institution’.
He stated that the Bank would work closely with the public and private sector to unlock new sources of growth for Africa. Faal stressed the need to reduce inequality between countries working together to unlock the enormous potential of African economies and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals for Africa.
Stakeholder Faults FCTA On Handling Of Bwari Chieftaincy Crisis
BY TARKAA DAVID
A stakeholder in the Bwari chiefdom has faulted the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in the manner it handled the chieftaincy tussle in Bwari area council. In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the Matanwalin Bwari, Joseph Baba Dantani noted that the history of Bwari chiefdom is documented and
clearly agreed upon by previous FCT administrations that the Esu Bwari throne had existed since the 14th century. Baba revealed that the problem began in 1996 when the late Musa Ijakoro came to Bwari as a tax collector and picked interest in traditional rulership, noting since the then Esu Bwari could not speak English, the late Ijakoro represented him (The Esu) at public
functions. The Matawalin Bwari averred that the tax collector later laid claim to the Sarkin Bwari stool, which is a second chief in 1996, which the natives vehemently opposed, leading to the appointment of a third class chief for them. He noted that the third class chief was appointed and recommended to be upgraded to second chief following the demise
of the Sarkin Bwari. Baba further stated that the erroneous appointment was done due to false claims by the tax collector that the original inhabitants have relocated to new Bwari. He also revealed that in an attempt to correct the anomaly, the authorities involved recommended that the then Sarkin Bwari be transferred to another location.
About two persons have been confirmed dead from a suspected food poisoning in Kubwa 11 local education authority (LEA ) primary school while one other is confirmed dead from an alleged fight by pupils in Bwari Area Council. Confirming the death, the chief medical director, Kubwa general hospital, Dr Lasisi Akinola said that the two persons that were rushed to the hospital are now stable. Dr Lasisi also noted that their condition was not related to the alleged food poisoning. He said the pupils were sick not as a result of the alleged food poisoning. He noted that the children have been sick long before now. Addressing journalist during a visit to the school, the council chairman Hon Musa Dikko closed down the school till Monday 26. Dikko said that Naima Yahaya,14, primary five and Yahaya Garba,14, primary four are alleged to have lost their lives due to their consumption of biscuit that was shared on Tuesday by an unidentified birthday celebrant. He further revealed that Aisha Isa and Hasia Haruna have been taken to hospital for treatment, adding that the authorities are yet to receive report on the exact cause of deaths and ailments. He explained that one Moses Sunday also died from a fight involving other pupils which is completely not related to the alleged biscuit circulated by the organisers of the party. “We have suspended activities in the school from Wednesday to Friday. God willing, they will resume on Monday,” he said He called on parents and guardians to be patient and allow the security agencies to do their job to get to the root of the anomaly. The chairman added that the security agencies are investigating to unravel the real cause of deaths and bring to justice those involved.
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Female Genital Mutilation: Stakeholders Advocate Improved Policy, Sensitization Unlike other harmful practices that have been abolished overtime due to civilization, it is surprising that in Africa, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is being practiced among certain communities in 29 countries, with Nigeria, Sudan, Mali and Ghana, labelled as practicing the worst type of FGM. ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH writes.
F
emale Genital Mutilation (FGM) otherwise known as female circumcision, which is the partial or complete removal of the external part of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, is a tradition whose origins could be difficult to trace as it is practiced all over the African continent. According to the United Nation Population Fund, (UNPF), an estimated 200 million girls and women alive today are believed to have been subjected to FGM and those who have experienced FGM live predominately in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States. In Africa, FGM is practiced among certain communities in 29 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. While there have been widespread interventions aimed at reducing and changing the perception of the world about FGM, yet, the practice still lingers. According to a United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, in the sub Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Sudan, Mali and Ghana have been labelled as practicing the worst type of FGM and the reasons given by those who practice it ranging from culture, religion to superstition. In Nigeria, latest public opinion poll results released by the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Polls (NOIPolls), have revealed that although 87 percent of Nigerians expressed knowledge of FGM, 64 percent of this proportion confirmed that FGM is not prevalent in their locality while 36 percent disclosed that there are various degrees of prevalence within their communities; with high level of prevalence across Ondo,
Kwara, Enugu, Delta, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Cross-River, Anambra and Niger states. Some of the local Government areas where this practice is particularly prevalent are; Moro, Ilorinsouth, Ilorin-north in Kwara state and Akure-north and Akure-south in Ondo state. Others are Ikasouth, Ughelli, Warri-south, Sapele and Aniocha-south all in Delta state. The poll also evaluated the support of Nigerians for Female Circumcision and the results show that most of the respondents surveyed (88 percent) say they are not in support of the practice in the country; and this also cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-group. However, 12 percent expressed their firm support for the practice of FGM, particularly amongst respondents in some South-West (19 percent) and South-East (15 percent) states; as well as senior citizens aged 60 and above (19 percent).
The views of Nigerians regarding legislation against the practice of FGM were assessed; and an overwhelming majority (90 percent) indicated their absolute support for legislation to abolish the practice in the country. On the contrary, 10 percent of the respondents declared firmly that they would not support any legislation to end the practice of female circumcision, saying that they identify with the practice from a socio-cultural perspective and it would amount to them going against their ancestral beliefs if the practice was to be abolished. With the negative effect of FGM, stakeholders however, are calling on medical practitioners, state and local government officials, federal and state ministries of health, traditional rulers, indigenous healthcare attendants, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Faith Based Organization’s (FBOs) and the general public to address the
STAY VIGILANT FOR LASSA ➊keep Fever food(cooked and uncooked ➋ Headache covered Keep your surroundings clean and clear Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly Dispose of waste materials properly, away from your living quarters
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NEWS /HEALTH 19
Thursday, February 22, 2018
NHA Receives 2nd Cancer Treatment Machine BY PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA, Abuja
Chief Medical Director (CMD), National Hospital, Abuja, NHADr. Jeff Momoh, has said that the Abuja Radiotherapy centre would be the only centre in West Africa running two Linear accelerators at the same time. The CMD stated in a brief interview at the hospital after taking delivery of the second Radiotherapy machine for Cancer treatment. He said the Elekta machine for Linear Accelerator (LINAC) is made up of several
components to be coupled and installed soon. This, the CMD explained, was to avoid running down the 1st machine which has currently treated over 200 patients, while describing the arrival of the 2nd machine as a major breakthrough for the country. According to him, its installation would further check medical tourism as patients who travelled abroad for cancer treatment would return home to receive treatment at the centre. In his words, “A cancer pa-
tient has returned from India for treatment at the centre and we will soon see patients from other sub-regions receiving cancer treatment in the hospital because with the state of the art equipment available, it will be the best Cancer treatment centre in West Africa” Commending the minister for seeing to the delivery of the machine, Dr. Momoh informed that the procurement of the second machine was made possible by the unflinching commitment of the minister who had earlier
made a pledge to the hospital in that regards. According to Momoh, similar machines would soon be installed in each of the six geopolitical zones in the country. On the maintenance and optimum functionality of the machine, the CMD said the hospital has fully trained the first set of Nigerians on the maintenance and supervision of the Linear Accelerator under the supervision of Engr. Ikede John, a Deputy Director in the National Hospital, Abuja, to ensure its proper use.
The chief medical director, national hospital, Dr. Jeff Momoh and others inspecting the installation site of the linear accelerator cancer treatment machine in the radiotherapy centre, Abuja.
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...Stakeholders Advocate Improved Policy, Sensitization
issue in a cross-cutting manner, by funding and implementing sensitization campaigns to get the message, especially to the grassroots, where the practice is mostly prevalent. Commissioner for health, Lagos state, Dr. Jide Idris said improved guidelines, trainings and policies to ensure health professionals can provide counseling to young girls and women is a major solution to the challenge of FGM in Nigeria. The commissioner, while speaking on the negative effect of the practice on women disclosed that FGM is a socio-cultural practice that is hazardous and mostly done by traditional circumcisers, adding that the act is usually very harmful to the health of women since it can lead to urinary tract problems, tetanus infection, severe bleeding, cysts, genital swelling, complications during child births and increased risk of neonatal death. According to Idris, FGM or intentional alteration of the genital for non-medical reasons does not have any health benefit as wrongly believed by the proponents, it does not reduce libido in women nor contribute to chastity as erroneously claimed. He noted that, on the other hand, FGM can have long term consequences such as pain in intercourse, decreased sexual satis-
faction, problem with menstruation as well as the need for later surgeries. Idris also addressed the assumption that the procedure is safer when done by health or medical personnel demanding that no health workers should support such gross infringement on the well-being of women. While advising health workers to desist from performing FGM, he also expressed concern about psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder that accompany such procedures. According to the Commissioner, FGM is an unnecessary pain inflicted on women by people they know and respect, usually family members and leaders of the community, hence, it can be a precursor of mental and psychological problems for the affected women. Speaking on the panacea for this situation, Idris pointed out that in addition to government policy, there is need for the development of a robust advocacy to educate, enlighten community and religious leaders on the harms of the practice and engage them on the need to abandon it. He further added that there is also the need for training and orientation of health and social workers to manage and counsel victims of this barbaric act as it
will help in no more small measure to alleviate their sufferings and reduce the burden of psychological trauma being experienced. Idris disclosed that the Ministry has an Adolescent/Youth Sexual Reproductive Health unit to cater for the youths of Lagos state especially with regards to Counseling, Reproductive health clinic, and Provision of Preventive and Clinical services. He added that the centre is expected to bridge the gap by providing a “safe and confidential centre for young people”. The Director, Family Planning and Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Lagos state, Dr. Folashade Oludara, has employed all Nigerians to be an advocate of prevention of FGM, adding that it is not enough for government to make law as FGM is a cultural inherited belief, hence the need to embark on focus group discussion. Oludara said in a bid to prevent more women and girls from undergoing FGM, the Lagos state government is calling on stakeholders to collaborate with the state to end the practice. She said, “The Lagos state government believes so much in collaborative efforts. The state government is ready to collaborate with any agency in the fight against FGM.” The executive director, Child Health Advocacy Initiative
(CHAI), Mrs Lola Alonge, said recent statistics from the UNICEF shows that more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM globally with 10 percent of them living in Nigeria. Alonge said the states with highest prevalence of FGM are Osun with 77 percent, Ebony with 74 percent, Ekiti, 72 percent, Imo, 68 percent and Lagos state with 45 percent. “In some societies, FGM is considered a rite of passage; in others, it is seen as a pre-requisite for marriage or attributed to religious beliefs. The practice is considered a means of maintaining chastity and preventing promiscuity or infidelity,” she added. The executive director said FGM is globally recognized as an extreme violation of the rights of women and girls as it violates human rights principles and standards including the principles of equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex, the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the rights of the child and the right to physical and mental integrity and even the right to life. She however called on stakeholders, including faith leaders and traditional rulers to act as change agents, challenge misconceptions that FGM is a religious and cultural requirement and be proactive in ending FGM.
Drug Abuse: 7069 Nigerians Caught With Cocaine, Heroin In 2017 -NDLEA BY ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, Lagos
No fewer than 7069 Nigerians were caught with cocaine, heroin, cannabis, meth, amphe, ephedrine and other drugs in 2017, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has said. This figure, according to NDLEA statistics on arrests and seizures of drugs from 1st of January to 31st of October, 2017, indicates that 6517 (males) and 603 (females) were caught with drugs during the period. The statistics also revealed that, “Nigerians convicted from January to October, 2017 were 1240 of which 1232 were male and eight female. Kano state has the highest number, with 154, following Lagos state with 119, Jigawa, Pleateau and Enugu has 87 respectively and Adamawa state with 60 while the NDLEA state command in Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto have no record of convicted cases. A total of 1602 Nigerians (1509 males, 93, females) are currently undergoing counseling, treatment and rehabilitation.” Chairman/Chief Executive, NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd), said people who use drugs put themselves and others at risk usually through drug induced road accidents, unprotected sex, increase criminality and violence, loss of family members and other environmental impact. Abdallah said, “Drug use could degenerate from mild to severe impairment and life threatening condition. There is also the problem of people recovering from drug use relapsing. “Abuse of unconventional substances has been widely reported especially in the northern parts of the country. Although the chemical substances found in inhalants may produce various pharmacological effects, most inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication, with initial excitement followed by drowsiness, dis-inhibition, light-headedness, and agitation. “If sufficient amounts are inhaled, most solvents and gases produce anesthesia and can lead to unconsciousness. Most criminal acts are perpetrated under the influence of drugs and to reverse this trend we must adopt strategies to eradicate drugs from our society.” He however advised that people who have problem with drug use must not be discriminated against. He said, “They are like other patients suffering from ailments like headache, fever, back pain to mention a few. “The Agency promised quality and affordable counselling and rehabilitation services. I urge family members to show love and care to affected loved ones with drug abuse problem.” The NDLEA boss also urged members of the public to monitor their children and family members to identify abuse of drugs and substances. He encouraged families to engage in drug abuse counselling to prevent people from experimenting with drugs.
20 HEALTH/NEWS
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Lassa Fever: Lagos Charges Residents On Personal Hygiene BY ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, Lagos
As part of prevention and control measures against the spread of Lassa fever in Lagos state, the state government has charged members of the public to ensure and maintain adequate personal hygiene and environmental sanitation at all times. The commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made this call recently in Lagos state said prevention and control of the disease remains a shared responsibility of all citizens through observance of the highest possible standards of personal and community hygiene as well as environmental sanitation. Idris enjoined residents to store
household refuse in sanitary refuse bags or dustbins with tight-fitting covers to avoid infestation by rats and rodents; dispose refuse properly at designated dump sites and not into the drainage system and store food items in rodent-proof containers, adding that it is by so doing that a habitable and conducive environment, and a diseasefree state can be achieved. The commissioner further advised health workers, both in the public and private hospitals in the state to ensure that they observe universal safety precautions and comply with infection prevention and control measures when dealing with patients, stressing that appropriate personal protective equipment like hand gloves, facemasks, gog-
gles and overalls must be worn when attending to cases. While outlining strategies put in place by the state government to control the disease, the commissioner explained that the state is maintaining relevant surveillance activities through its disease surveillance unit to prevent the spread of the disease in Lagos. “Isolation wards have been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases, health workers have been placed on red alert and community sensitization activities intensified,” Idris noted. The commissioner also enjoined residents to report suspected case or cases of the disease to the nearest government approved health facility or the Ministry of Health.
2019 Election Campaign: Make Health A Priority, Media Urged BY ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, Lagos
With the current state of Nigerian health sector far below the health indices of some countries in Africa, stakeholders in the sector are calling on the media to get policy makers to do the needful. The Associate Director, Pathfinder International Nigeria, Dr. Habeeb Salami while speaking with journalists in Lagos charged Nigerians, especially the media to ensure that health is among campaignable issues as election time is around the corner against 2019. Salami while giving an instance of campaignable issue said the federal government made a commitment in Family Planning (FP) recently to
achieve Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) of 27 per cent by 2020, adding that Lagos state government also promised to achieve an increase in CPR by 74 per cent, that same year. To achieve this, the associate director urged the media to make FP a political agenda for the forthcoming general elections in 2019. He said, “Opportunities are abound in the media to get policy makers to do the needful, as the current state of our health indices are too bad for us as a country.” In the same vein, the Lagos state chairman, Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI), Mr. Ayo Adebusoye has advocated for more funding of FP in Lagos state.
Adebusoye stressed that there is need for the media to monitor budget, insisting that non release of fund for FP is a factor hindering the achievement of FP2020 goals and advocated for more funding. “The population growth rate in Nigeria is about 3.2 per cent, Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stood at about four births per women or more. Meanwhile, Lagos state goal is to achieve overall CPR of 74 per cent by 2020 and the purpose is to avert 2.6 million unintended pregnancies and 8000 maternal life saved,” he added. To achieve this, he called on the Lagos state government to Budget more fund to FP course in the state and to ensure that the funds are released on time.
R–L: Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate; Senator Ibrahim Mantu, DG NACA; Dr. Sani Aliyu, and the World Health Organization Country Representative; Dr. Fiona Braka during the commissioning of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM) Research Complex in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.
Bayelsa: NACA Urges Inclusion Of HIV/AIDS In NHIS Package BY PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA, Abuja
As part of strategies to boost HIV intervention in Bayelsa state, the director general, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Dr. Sani Aliyu, has solicited Gov. Dickson’s cooperation to include HIV/ AIDS treatment as part of the State Health insurance scheme (NHIS) package and provision of free antenatal care for pregnant women in the state. He also urged the State to facilitate the payment of N45 million World Bank counterpart funds to facilitate HIV intervention. Dr. Aliyu, who made the request at the commissioning of the AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria Research Centre in the state, commended the government effort, saying, “the prevalent rate for Bayelsa is 3.8 percent based on the survey we have conducted in 2014; the health facility provided by the governor is a lifesaving edifice. We will continue to partner with them in ensuring that the people in Bayelsa are completely HIV free.” According to a press statement delivered by NACA, Dickson acceded to all the three prayers made by NACA and promised to release the counterpart funds to the World Bank immediately, and also work out modalities to implement other requests in order to eradicate HIV/AIDS, tubercu-
losis and malaria in the State. The governor expressed profound gratitude to the NACA boss for honouring the invitation even at short notice while disclosing that the state would soon sign a Primary Health Care Act to accelerate health care services. ‘We have finished plans to sign the Bill for the establishment of the State Primary Healthcare Agency into law’’, Dickson said. Meanwhile the Director General, Bayelsa State Agency for the Control of AIDS, emphasized that continuous provision of antiretroviral drugs is very important if people who are tested positive of HIV are to be treated immediately.
Surgeon’s Turf
DR BIODUN OGUNGBO
MBBS, FRCS, FRCSEd, MSc. Consultant Neurosurgeon
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Do Not Feed The Nurses The nurse has a responsibility to call, if a patient becomes ill or there are changes in their condition. I have worked in a hospital where the nurses are always complaining of not having enough credits on their phones. So, this excuse pops up every time they fail to call you for an important aspect of care. If they do call, they make sure you know it. Some have even asked for a return of the credit used in making that phone call! Scene 1 Anyway, so bringing cookies, donuts and biscuits to the ward (for the nurses!) works a treat in making them go the extra mile for your patient. They remember the cookies, use their own personal phones or a friends’ phone to make that all important call. Take the next scenario. Scene 2 As a young doctor in the delivery room, getting a baby to deliver depends very much on the midwives who are ultimately in charge of the pregnant mother. They can persuade the mum-to-be to allow that ‘nice and gentle baby doctor’ to take the delivery or leave you completely out of the proceedings. So, what do you do to get your hands dirty? Dr Ankeney reports that the fastest way to a nurse’s heart … is through a cheesecake! And chocolate. Cookies help, too. This is the way it worked. A week into the obstetrics posting, none of the nurses showed any interest in helping out. So, Dr Ankeney hit upon the tried and tested technique of buying a box of cookies. It worked a treat as one of the nurses allowed him to take a delivery! The next time, he bought a cheesecake and was able to take 25 deliveries in a month. Many people have tried this in the past and seen similar results. Patients coming into hospital and relatives bring food and drinks for nurses on the wards. This can sometimes smoothen the way for the patients to be preferentially treated. Nurses like nice patients and relatives! Ultimately, that should not be a problem. Nurses do a great job and should do a great job with empathy, compassion and without inducements. The real concern is whether these acts lead to problems for particular people or more importantly, other patients. The problem is that carelessness and the lack of concern for other patients who have not bribed the nurse with sweets, occurs. This translates to poor attitudes and bad behavior that is obvious to patients and relatives. It can also be counter productive for the patients’ health. Let me paint the unsavory scenarios for you. Scene 3 An elderly woman admitted to hospital for back surgery gave the nurse N1000 only; as a way of appreciating her care. The nurse felt obliged to accede to her requests later for sleeping tablets, that was not prescribed and also allowing her to rest for longer in bed, in the morning! Both acts were directly related to the N1000 collected from the patient. The nurse was being nice to the patient instead of doing a professional job. Unfortunately, the patient was actually not ‘resting’ but unconscious from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Scene 4 A man admitted for back surgery gave the nurse N1000 as a way of appreciating her care. He was later heard saying to a friend, ‘at least, now I am sure she will not kill me’. So, different strokes and different folks. Patients give food, stuff and money to nurses for a variety of reasons. It may be to appreciate the nurse for care rendered, rarely as an inducement for future services or worse. Either way, it can help or hinder care depending on the expectations. It can also be wholly inappropriate and likely to lead to poor quality of care, with its attendant risks to life and limb. Do not bribe or feed the nurses In conclusion, do not bribe the nurses with food, promises or money. Just be nice and grateful and they will reciprocate while remaining totally professional. If you’re nice and grateful, that will go a long way. Nurses always go the extra mile for nice patients.
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2019: As Battle For The Soul Of Kaduna APC Begins
Last Thursday, as early as 8:00 am, another party secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was already agog with activities signaling the zenith of the crisis that has been rocking the party in Kaduna State shortly after the emergence of Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai as the flag bearer of the party. MIDAT JOSEPH writes
Similarly, the state political adviser to the governor, Uba Sani was slammed with a suspension for 18 months and advised to desist from participating in the party affairs or face prosecution
As early as 9:00 am, Shuiabu Inuwa Danladi Wada had gathered journalists to unveil the birth of another party secretariat, located at No.11B Sambo Road, near the Kaduna State Assembly complex. Wada claimed he was elected and sworn in as Vice Chairman alongside Bala Barnabas Bantex, current Deputy Governor at the party’s Congresses in 2014. According to him, he relocated the party secretariat to No. 11B, Sambo Road, Kaduna following the continued invasion, attacks and harassment by sponsored political thugs on state party executives at the former address of the party, hence the relocation to a more secured address was necessary. Though LEADERSHIP gathered the other factional party secretariat located along Ali Akilu Road was still been occupied by another factional Acting State Chairman, Mr. Shuiabu Idris, who is alleged to have been imposed on the party by the powers that be after the appointment of the substantive Chairman, Mr. Bantex as running mate to el-Rufai in the last 2015 polls. Addressing members of the press at the new party office, the state acting Chairman, Wada called on all Local Governments and Wards party officers in the state to direct all their correspondences to the new address and advised other stakeholders including INEC, Nigerian Police, the DSS, Kaduna State electoral commission, party members and the public to note the recent change in the address of the state party secretariat which he claimed had the approval of the National Headquarters of the party. Wada also urged all members of the party to remain steadfast and committed to the lawful activities of the party and avoid any act of disloyalty and anti-party activists that could undermine the unity of the party in the conduct of congresses, the success of the party in the forthcoming Local Government Council elections and the 2019 general elections, in the state. His words: “The decision to relocate as being approved by the majority members of the state Executive Committee becomes necessary so as to create a harmonious
months.The acting state secretary is also suspended for 18 months, Alhaji Audu Kwaru, commissioner of finance is also suspended for anti party activities for 18 months. His Excellency, Mallam Nasiru ElRufai has been queried and we are expecting him to answer the query within 48 hours. Failure to do that, the SWC will seat down and deliberate. “We queried Mallam Nasir elRufai for his anti-party and anti-human activities. The letters would be delivered to these personalities today (Thursday),” he stressed.
el-Rufai
working environment for the leadership of APC in the state, considering the unprecedented manner by which some politicians have permanently deployed thugs that invaded the former address and harrassing and intimidating other innocent officers and members of the party that are perceived as political threats and were severally prevented from attending or taking part in any activity of the party at the former address.” He also used the opportunity to announce the query and warning letter to the State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai over activities he claimed the party viewed as “capable of eroding the confidence of members and followership of the party, electorates and residents of the state.” Similarly, the state political adviser to the governor, Uba Sani
was slammed with a suspension for 18 months and advised to desist from participating in the party affairs or face prosecution. Also suspended for 18 months are the serving State Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Suleiman Abdu Kwari and Alhaji Yahaya Baba Pate who is the acting State secretary of the party. According to Wada in the letters of which copies were made available to newsmen, the suspension of the said members is with immediate effect while the governor is expected to respond to the query within 48 hours of face further disciplinary measures. “The State Working Committee (SWC) of the party after due consultation with stakeholders and elders of the party has decided to issue notice of suspension from APC to Mallam Uba Sani for 18
Senators Hukunyi and Shehu Sani Back Wada Senator Suleiman Othman Hukunyi, a Senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District and a Deputy National Organising secretary of the APC in a press statement personally signed and issued aligned himself with the decision of the Wada’s led executives. He said, “I align myself and the followership to the decision of the National party that recognises S.I Danladi Wada as the acting chairman of the APC in Kaduna State as known to the party records.” On his part, Senator Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna central (APC) said he was in full support of the Wada-led leadership, because “Wada is the recognised Acting Chairman by the National headquarters of the party. “I Comrade Shehu Sani, I am in full support of Alhaji Danladi Wada Chairmanship of our party, APC in Kaduna State. I am also in support of all the decisions taken by his leadership in order to reposition the party in the state,” he said. Shuaibu Idris-led Faction Reacts Reacting, the Alhaji Shuaibu Idris who still operates the office along Ali Akilu Road called on members of the public to be weary of the “activities of these imposters whose activities and plans are to destroy the goodwill of the party in the state.” A statement signed by Salisu Tanko Wusono, acting Publicity ➔ CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
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22 POLITICS INTERVIEW
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2019: As Battle For The Soul Of Kaduna APC Begins ➔ FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE
Oyegun
Tinubu
Sani
Secretary of the party in the state said “attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kaduna State chapter has been drawn to the purported opening of a factional office by the Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi-led group of disgruntled elements within the party.” “Accordingly, the party has conducted an interim review of this dastardly act hence the use of this medium to warn members of the general public to be wary of the activities of these imposters whose activities and plans are to destroy the goodwill of the party in the state so as to jeopardize the existing peaceful atmosphere in the state. “We wish to assure our esteemed party members,supporters and admirers that there is no cause for alarm as necessary disciplinary actions will be taken against the culprits in due course just as security agencies across the state have been notified of this treacherous development,” the statemen el-Rufai Tackles Hukunyi Also reacting to the development, Governor el-Rufai took a personal swipe at Senator Hukunyi, accusing him of betraying trust and confidence. A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, said the State Government has sent political traders like Hukunyi into retirement, and “will not be swayed by their drowning antics.” He said “no one will pay heed to the attention-seeking gambits of desperate politicians who have steadily been demystified. It also warned that rascally actions being undertaken by these traders in the hope of getting a lifeline from reconciliation moves will not be rewarded.” “The APC Government of Kaduna State has boldly lived up to the its manifesto commitments and principles to the people. In this work, it continues to enjoy the firm support of the APC State Executive which is united, and committed to the hard work of bringing sustainable change. “The government appreciates the support it has received from the party in executing policies that stand up for the right of ordinary people to equal opportunity. That support was vividly demonstrated as the government took drastic action to ensure that only qualified teachers teach the children of the poor. “Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is proud of his record in achieving unprecedented levels of capital spending in the state, direct job creation, doubling school enrollment and doublinginternally-generated revenue. The governor has no doubt that the people of Kaduna State have seen who was committed to building schools, roads and hospitals, and bringing investors and will make the right choice in their own interest. The political traders are also aware that the people know who is standing up for them. “The government had been made aware of the boastful and pompous claims of Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, that he will change the leadership of Kaduna State in 2019 by in-
stalling himself as Governor. The desperate Senator is seeking a lifeline, in the vain belief that ratcheting up rascally actions will bring him attention and relief from the mooted national reconciliation efforts. Senator Hunkuyi has further illegally created a faction, headquartered in his house, as a bargaining chip. This Senator has failed to understand that you cannot create party executives at your whim. It is the party’s prerogative to consider appropriate responses to this breach of discipline. But as a government, we view these actions as the needless drama of political traders. “Hunkuyi has on three previous elections failed to get himself elected as governor. Yet he flaunts false claims that it was him that got Malam Nasir El-Rufai elected in 2015. “In 2015, it was God Almighty and the good people of Kaduna State that made Malam El-Rufai Governor and Hunkuyi a Senator. It appears that Hunkuyi has forgotten how his previous attempts to be Governor in 2003, 2007 and 2011 failed miserably. With the Almighty’s gracious help, his association with the El-Rufai brand helped get him elected as senator in 2015. “It is clear that he can’t be cured of his obsession to be governor of Kaduna State at all cost, whether through betrayal of trust, treachery, or deceit. But should know by now that Kaduna State is not for sale.Ordinary people, including in Hunkuyi’s Kudan local government area, now know that governance can work for them. The era of political traders is over,” the statement read. Who Is The Authentic Acting Chair? Sources within the party’s hierarchy at the National Headquarters told our Correspondent on condition of anonymity that Alhaji Shuiabu Inuwa Danladi Wada was the one sworn in as Vice Chairman to Barnabas Yusuf Bala Bantex by the National Congress committee of the party after its congresses. “The truth is, Alhaji Wada is suppose to be the acting Chairman of the party after the substantive chairman was picked as running mate and now deputy governor. But some players in the party, including some Senators who are now fighting the governor of the state were part of the decision to substitute Alhaji Wada and replace him with Shuaibu Idris who actually contested the Vice Chairmanship position with Wada during the Congresses,” said our source. As it stands today, except urgent steps are taken to resolve the brewing crisis, the APC in Kaduna State may go into the much awaited May 12 local government election as a divided house as the party is currently at the mercy of S. I Danladi Wada’s faction with office at No 11B Sambo Road. The Shuiabu Idris’s -led faction has its office along Ali Akilu Road, while the Tom Maitamaki Maiyashi-led APC Akida’s faction has its office along Tafawa Balewa Road. As it is today in Kaduna’s APC, there is doubt that the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led reconciliation committee will have to move fast to save the soul of the party before it is too late.
There is doubt that the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubuled reconciliation committee will have to move fast to save the soul of the party before it is too late
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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POLITICS INTERVIEW 23
JMPP ’ll Completely Eliminate Corruption In Nigeria – Ijagbemi
In this interview with TUNDE OGUNTOLA and EMAMEH GABRIEL, the acting chairman, Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP), Dr Olusegun Ijagbemi, disclosed that when the party takes over the leadership of the country in 2019, it will completely eliminate corruption in Nigeria. He also added that the party will fight impunity and mismanagement of national wealth and assets. What is your assessment of governance in Nigeria? Governance in the country should be assessed from the day Nigeria was created. Nigeria is not an accidental discharge, Nigeria was created consciously by God and he said Nigeria was his first creation in the world. Nigeria was the venue of the Garden of Eden that was created. It will shock you to know that Nigeria was the first creation in the world, after the creation of Nigeria, then Ethiopia was created. The governance that has failed started from the Garden of Eden, when Eve deceived Adam. You see, that is why in the sin of the world, Nigeria, the black man, is sharing the greatest punishment. God made the black man to become a slave to the rest of the world. So sad, we are enslaved to go to Europe, America and so on. Up till today, the black race is seen as a model of backwardness, poverty, deprivation. There is nothing good that is seen to be reckoned with a black man because of that sin and up till the time that we even got independence, our nation was sold into sin again between the Royal Larger Company and their British people that traded us in exchange. They sold us among themselves and Nigeria was sold to the marine kingdom at that time. The story is known by everybody and so, there is nobody that will rule Nigeria without connection with either something occultic, they use human heads, human body, human blood, babies and the rest. You know, you have to worship something or a god before you can have power in Nigeria. That has been the regime of man since the time we lost it with God, we are struggling to make it through those means to approach God and God says all that will end in 2019. He wants to start his own era which we call the era of God Almighty and so the vision came that we should gather men and women that fear God as Christians or Muslims under the same umbrella. The era of God is going to bring a great reunion, a great peace and when we run this nation under His instructions, He is going to make us so rich that other nations will envy us. He is going to restore the dignity of the black man beginning from Nigeria to the extent that after 36 years, Nigeria will be the best nation, and other nations will be impressed to come and live here because Nigeria will be the most favourable country in the world within few years.
The people shouting for restructuring under the present structure do not know what is happening
What can be done to improve the wellbeing and living standard of Nigerians? Our country, Nigeria, by now, should have been a rallying point for all blacks in the world. Is it our abundant natural and human resources that we should talk about or the fertile land mass that spreads across from Abeokuta to Abakaliki, from Ebonyi to Argungu, from Ibadan to Otukpo and other cities that we should consider? For these and more, we eulogise the name of God Almighty for his blessing over us as a nation and a people. The fundamental questions are, despite all the aforementioned blessings, what is wrong within us? Why is it that our youths still roam about without good employment or any kind of employment for that mat-
Ijagbemi
ter? Why is it that the largest percentage of our population is living in abject poverty? Why have we made our nation and nationalities the laughing stock of the world! The Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, has founded the Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP) at this critical time of our national history to provide answers to these burning questions among others. Enough is enough! How is your party going to reposition the country? There are lots of moves among all groups in Nigeria on the need to restructure the country. To us at JMPP, we believe that restructuring must start with the heart of leadership and that is why we call it leadership regulation. If you do not restructure the leaders, they will take the same virus that they are using at the centre to those regions. The people shouting for restructuring under the present structure do not know what is happening. If you restructure this country under the present nature of Nigeria, you have done nothing, you are just pushing the common man to further suffering where he will be regionally oppressed, regionally dominated, so our believe is that we must first restructure the leaders through what we call ‘12 pillars of Oath’. We will introduce ‘12 Pillars of Oath’ upon which the victory of this party is founded, to be able to address all manner of injustices existing in our great nation, Nigeria. These include the injustice of poor infrastructural provision in one of the wealthiest nations on earth, the injustice of poor education or lack of it, the injustice of gender imbalance, the injustice of lack of access to healthcare and poor healthcare provision, the injustice of imbalanced opportunities irrespective of religion or ethnic group, the injustice in the distribution of the wealth of the nation that has turned virtually the entire nation into deep poverty and the devastating injustice of corruption, to mention just a few. All forms of injustices shall come to an end in Nigeria. Under JMPP administration, Nigeria shall experience
real peace among the various ethnic nationalities because there is enough room for everyone to thrive and dwell in peace and safety without inter-ethnic killings and reprisals. The great task is to ensure that your members formally register with the party and most importantly, empower themselves by obtaining their voter’ cards from INEC. Be in charge, take control of affairs in your various states and also take the message to every nook and cranny of your local government councils, towns and villages in your respective states. I have so much conviction that very soon, our party will be the only household name, fully established everywhere in Nigeria and beyond. In other words, we will be able to tell God that it is not the usual oath that they say, “so help me God”. If you commit a crime or steal anything belonging to government, let the following happen to me: “let the soil of Nigeria witness it that I have stolen, let the sun that am under now witness it that I have stolen and the blood of the innocent Nigerians will judge.” Is there any improvement in security and education and if there is any anomaly, how do we correct it? It is the ‘pillars of oath’ that will first make the funds to use available. If everybody has sworn not to steal one naira, then the money will be available to be able to do these things. I know it is possible because in my own life career, I was able to resist up to two million dollars bribe. When we were forming this party, half of those people who started this party have left, they said it is not possible to run government without stealing and I gave them my testimony that it is possible. I have been exposed to the temptation to two million dollars and I said no. Just to sustain this nation, you know and because of that, I know it is possible to do it again, even if it is two billion dollars this time around. What about the issue of security? Now, the problem we have in Nigeria
is that we don’t know what we have. Nigeria is one of the countries of the world that are the most blessed. The number of resources available in Nigeria is not present anywhere else, this is the richest country. So, in terms of how do we manage the resources and get it to the people, this is what we have needed to be able to get leaders to take the appropriate decisions. If we come to power, the first thing we are going to do is to see the resources of Nigeria, not as a threat to Nigerians, but as an asset. So, we have just named one of them cows. The cows that we have in Nigeria are not threats to Nigerians. These cows are assets, they are economic assets. What the government should do is to partner with the Fulanis to be able to harness this energy and let it be reflected in our GDP so that everybody can benefit. The Fulani man has so many cows he does not know where to keep them and you are watching them, the solutions is not to be killing the herdsmen, the solution is not in killing of their cows, the solution is not in killing of the farmers but in the government that has the intellect to manage these resources to the benefit of the nation. So, that is how we are going to see every resource that is present in Nigeria as a party. The ‘12 Pillars Of Oath’ you mentioned, how will it help us fight corruption? It is more than what I have said. There will be zero corruption and people will like themselves because their leaders never stole anything. Nigeria will witness the death of some of their leaders on television, in their rooms, people who stole money. The fact that they stole government money and they died, the money that would have gone to the widows, you stole it, the money that would have gone to the blind, you stole it. So, they will notice that their leaders are dying, and the money that they promised them is getting to them. They will also notice that the minimum quality of roads in Nigeria is just like the one between the airport and the town. That is going to be the roads that we will have in Nigeria, both in the villages and cities. The minimum qualities of hospitals will be the one that you can call National Hospital and say Nigeria will be the best nation in Africa. So, how can people not be happy when there is no room for corruption? In brief, can you give us the mission and vision of the party in one word? This party is to create a new Nigeria that nobody has ever seen before. A new nation that people can never believe that humans have such a unique kind of heart, and knowledge. We have a deposit of human beings in Nigeria that is wasting away, people of intellect. We are going to invest in education, educating the teachers, children in technology of education. You know we are going to be the best in ICT. First to the people involved in education before we give it to the public. So, we are going to change the mindset of our people as individuals to believe in themselves that they are the best quality of flesh on earth.
24
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Thuresday, February 22, 2018
business
Wednesday, February 22, 2018
NEWS
MONEY
CAPITAL MARKET
INSURANCE
INFLATION RATE (%) 2016
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
18.3 18.48 18.55
INTERVIEW
2017
15.91 15.9 15.37
ANALYSIS
Leadership Newspapers
INTER BANK LENDING RATE (AS AT FEBRUARY 20) RATE CHANGE (%)
ON 1M 3M 6M
19.2500 15.4972 16.3271 18.4634
-10.68 0.14 0.38 0.58
BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja
Group Business Editor Bayo Amodu 08118672002 Business Editor (Lagos) Chima Akwaja Assistant Business Editors Kingsley Alu Tony Awunor Correspondent Chika Izuora Reporters Ruth Tene Natsa Bukola Idowu Olushola Bello Suzan Nwachukwu Abah Adah George Okojie Chika Okeke
Business 101 with MBAKAAN KWEN
How To Conduct Risks And Sensitivity Analysis For Your Business
Dana Airline Accident: AIB Commences Investigation The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has commenced investigation into the accident involving an airline operated by Dana Airline. This is even as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has heightened safety oversight over the operator, in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation Annex 13. Spokesperson of the Ministry of State, Aviation James Odaudu, in a statement, said efforts are in place to continuously enhance Safety and Security in our industry in accordance with the reformation agenda of President Mohammed Buhari’s administration for the aviation sector. Recall that an aircraft operated by Dana Airlines with the following details; 5N-SRI, Flight Number: 0348, Type: MD 83, Souls: 54 including 05 crew landed at the Port Harcourt Runway 21 and overran the Runway at 1751 UTC on February 20, 2018 at the Port Harcourt International Airport. All onboard were evacuated safely with no reported casualties. Preliminary investigation showed that the heavy rain at the airport might have contributed to the accident. The aircraft was said to have substantial damages with damage to ground navigation equipment. The Airport was briefly closed for safety reasons and reopened after proper assessment on Wednesday morning.
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L-R: Managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman; chief executive officer, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise, Navin Nahata; general manager, Finance, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise, Binay Saraf; executive director, Marine & Operations, NPA, Dr. Sokonte Davies; and executive director, Engineering and Technical Services, NPA, Professor Idris Abubakar during the stakeholders engagement meeting held at the NPA headquarters in Marina, Lagos recently.
FIRS To Generate N6.747trn Tax Revenue In 2018 BY CHIMA AKWAJA And KEHINDE SALLAH, Lagos
The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Tunde Fowler has disclosed that the federal government is targeting N 6.747 trillion as tax revenue this year. Speaking in Lagos while making a presentation on the tax amnesty scheme to IoD members in the presentation titled “Achieving Voluntary Tax Compliance: The VAIDS Option”, Fowler said N3.776 trillion is expected from non-oil tax revenue which represents 58.62 per cent while N2.666 trillion will come from oil tax revenue which represents41.38 per cent. He also said tax compliance level in Nigeria was still below 10 percent adding that current proportion is among the lowest in the world, with countries such as South Africa at 26 percent, and Ghana at almost 16 percent. He said Nigeria’s low tax revenues are inconsistent with the lifestyles and spending habits of a large number of citizens. For instance, he cited that properties worth over 2 trillion naira
in Abuja were not registered as tax payers. He said: “Nigeria’s low tax revenues are inconsistent with the lifestyles and spending habits of a large number of citizens. Many are engaged in transfer of assets overseas, use of offshore companies in tax havens and registration of assets in nominee names.’’ He explained that tax evasion constitutes a significant challenge to the government and listed a number of ways through which taxes are evaded. Among these, he said, are manipulation of accounting records, use of complex structures for transactions, non-registration for Value Added Tax (VAT), nonpayment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on asset disposal and escaping detection of income due to lack of machinery for tracing such. The FIRS boss, however, warned that under VAIDS, tax evaders will not escape. He explained that the Federal Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with relevant tax authorities, is building a revenue assurance platform through extensive gathering of data from sources that include Bank Verification Number (BVN), Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Unit (NFIU), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), land allocation and land ownership records, foreign exchange allocation returns and bureaux de change records. Others are Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), information from foreign governments as well as whistleblower tips and leaks. The FIRS Chairman instantiated information from foreign governments with the recently passed Unexplained Wealth Order in the UK, Wikileaks, Panama Papers and Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), to which Nigeria is signatory. He stated that IoD members have, as obligations, leading the charge for truthful and voluntary declaration of all income by corporate bodies, voluntary tax compliance as individuals and corporate bodies, being tax ambassadors by raising rax awareness among peers and being exemplary citizens in words and deeds. VAIDS offers tax defaulters a window to declare their indebtedness and escape tax interests and penalties as well as prosecution. The scheme closes on 31 March.
•COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA AND GRAPHS: Part of what you need to do when studying and researching on risks and sensitivity analysis is to collect and analyze data and graphs that are related to your business. Once you are able to properly analyze data and interpret graphs, it will give you an edge when conducting your risks and sensitivity analysis. You will be able to pin point areas where you would need to concentrate on. As a matter of fact, you cannot effectively conduct risks and sensitivity analysis without the skills to properly analyze graphs and interpret data. •DEVELOP A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR USING RISKS AND SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKING: Once you are able to analyze the required data and graphs, what is expected of you to do is to develop a theoretical framework for using risks and sensitivity analysis for decision making. The essence of conducting risks and sensitivity analysis for your business is to put structures in place that will help you mitigate risks and uncertainty in your business and in turn maximize profits. You can work with experts to help you create a model that is suitable for your business. •RUN THE MODEL A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE ADOPTING IT: It is one thing to develop a theoretical framework that will guide you in decision making in your business, it is entirely another thing for the model to work in real life situation. It is important to run the model you developed for risks and sensitivity analysis for your business a number of times before adopting it in your business. The best time to adjust your theoretical framework is during the process of test running it; once you discover any drawback, then you should go back to the drawing board and restructure or adjust your framework.
QUOTE OF THE DAY Nigeria’s low tax revenues are inconsistent with the lifestyles and spending habits of a large number of citizens.” The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Tunde Fowler said.
Fowler
26 NEWS/BUSINESS www.leadership.ng
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STOCK INDEX (AS AT FEBRUARY 21) Gainers
Symbols CP Japauloil 0.37 Champion 2.83 Continsure 1.58 Prestige 0.47 Lawunion 0.72
Losers
% change 5.71 4.81 4.64 4.44 4.35
Symbols Conoil Unic Fidelitybk Courtville UAC-Prop
CP 32.10 0.30 3.00 0.36 2.85
% change -9.58 -6.25 -5.66 -5.26 -5.00
STOCK INDEX (AS AT FEBRUARY 21) ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP
(Points) (Numbers) (Numbers million) (Nbillion) (Ntrn)
42,158.32 5,794 570.26 5.33 N15.129
Equities Market Sustains Uptrend With Marginal Gain Of 0.02% BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos
The Nigeria equities market yesterday sustained the previous day’s uptrend with a marginal gain of 0.02 per cent. In summary, the All Share Index (ASI) gained 9.92 absolute points, representing a growth of 0.02 per cent to close at 42,158.32 points. Similarly, the market capitalisation gained N4 billion to close at N15.129 trillion. The upturn was impacted by gains recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Guaranty Trust Bank, Nascon and Allied Industries,
Zenith Bank, Flourmill Nigeria and UBA. Analysts at Afrinvest Limited noted that “despite the marginal gain yesterday, the improvement in sentiment shows the market is gradually stabilising. Thus, we expect performance in subsequent trading sessions to remain positive.” However, market breadth remained negative, with 21 gainers versus 30 losers. Japaul Oil recorded the highest price gain of 5.71 per cent, to close at 37 kobo per share. Champion Breweries gained 4.81 per cent to close at N2.83, while Continental Reinsurance
appreciated by 4.64 per cent to close at N1.58 per share. Prestige Assurance went up by 4.44 per cent to close at 70 kobo, while Red Star Express appreciated by 4.35 per cent to close at N6 per share. On the other hand, Conoil led the losers’ chart by 9.67 per cent, to close at N35.50 per share. Unity Bank shed 9.20 per cent to close at N1.48, while Sterling Bank depreciated by 9.05 per cent to close at N1.81 per share. Diamond Bank down by 8.52 per cent to close at N2.47, while FBN Holdings shed 7.26 per cent to close at N10.85 per share.
FCMB Accelerates Mobile Banking To Boost Customer Experience …Refreshes *329# code BY MARY TITUS
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, has again enhanced the level of service delivery and experience for its customers by introducing a mobile banking solution through the use of a dedicated code, *329#. The bank in a press statement said the offering is anchored on the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) technology platform. ‘‘The self-service, stressfree and secured solution,
which is available on all the Global System for Mobile (GSM) networks in Nigeria, (Globacom, MTN, 9Mobile and Airtel), enables existing and potential customers of FCMB carry-out various financial transactions, using their mobile phones. These include enrolment, funds transfer, account opening, micro loans and top-up, account balance enquiry, airtime and data purchase, bills payment, wallet deposit and withdrawal, sending of cash, withdrawal from agent’s outlet, limit increase, among
other value-added services, on the go and without any hurdles,’’ the statement read in part. According to FCMB, the *329# mobile banking solution forms part of the Bank’s core strategy to expand its service channels by promoting and deepening the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless and financial inclusion policies. ‘‘The development will also go a long way to eliminate possible delays periodically experienced by physically visiting a branch of the Bank or outlet to carry-out transactions.
Heritage Bank Partners Next Gen To Empower 300 Students BY BUKOLA IDOWU, Lagos
Heritage Bank Plc has partnered Next Generation to educate and empower no fewer than 300 primary and secondary school pupils, in a bid to make them emotionally intelligent to take financial decisions in the future. Ajiri Efeturi, Team Lead, Customer Insight and Business Support of the bank disclosed this at a seminar organised by Next Generation, a-nongovernmental organisation to raise emotionally intelligent generation at the Centre for
International and Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Lagos recently. The theme of the seminar was braced yourself for the future and it was aimed at transforming the next generation of youths in the country. Heritage Bank was the headline sponsor of the programme. Efeturi said, “We are passionate and committed to playing our role in the Nigerian society about how to make young people to be financially literate,” remarking that the Nigerian youths are quite
knowledgeable about movies and the social media unlike financial matters. She said in a bid to address the gap in financial literacy, the bank has launched a comic magazine that would teach students financial literacy at a very early age, adding that the basis of the financial literacy is needs and wants. Efeturi enjoined the students to spend their money wisely and keep some for the future, remarking that there is need for goal mapping, budgeting and development of financial behaviour.
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Kaduna, Lagos, 9 Others Fully Remitting Pension Contributions – FG BY MARY TITUS
Kaduna, Lagos, Edo and eight other states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are the only states that are fully implementing the contributory pension scheme, the federal government has said. A publication by the nation’s apex pension regulator, the National Pension Commission (PenCom), listed the other states as, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Delta, Anambra, Rivers, Jigawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). PenCom said Kebbi and
Zamfara states are remitting only the Employee portion of pension contributions while Kwara, Benue, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Bauchi, Katsina and Borno states are still at the Bill stage of the contributory pension scheme implementation. Edo State was one of the early birds to enact a Pension Law following the repeal of the 2004 Pension Reformed Act in 2014, and thereafter commenced the remittance of the employer and employee contributions. The participation of state governments in the contributory
pension scheme is in line with the provisions of the Pension Reformed Act 2014, a product of the repealed Pension Reformed Act 2004. The Pension Reformed Act 2014 makes it mandatory for states and local governments to implement contributory pension schemes for their employees. PenCom said the federal government reformed the pension scheme in response to the challenges that plagued the Defined Benefit Schemes in the public sector and the different pension schemes that existed in the private sector.
L -R: Registrar/chief executive officer, NECO, Prof. Charles Uwakwe; chief marketing manager, Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele; group managing director, Just Media, Oladipo Ojo and chief strategy officer, Interswitch, Jonah Adams, during the launch of National Science competition, held in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY KOLAWOLE ALIU.
Dollar Recovery Crashes Oil Price To $64.89 Per Barrel BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos
Oil prices crash further yesterday weighed down as the US dollar moved further away from three-year lows hit last week. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $61.37 a barrel down 42 cents, or 0.7 per cent, from their last settlement, while Brent crude futures had dropped 36 cents, or 0.6 per cent, from their last close to $64.89 per barrel. Wang Tao, Reuter’s technical
commodity analyst, said Brent could fall into a range of $63.92$64.41 per barrel, as suggested by its wave pattern and a projection analysis. Traders said the declines were driven by a recovery in the dollar, which potentially hits fuel demand as it makes greenback-denominated oil imports more expensive for countries using other currencies at home. The dollar steadied against a basket of currencies on Wednesday, having pulled up from three-year lows set last
week as traders shaved off some of the bearish bets against the US currency. “The US dollar continues to find firmer footing,” said Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia-Pacific at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore. Overall, however, oil markets remain well supported due to healthy demand-growth and supply restraint by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which started last year to draw down excess global inventories.
NCC, NOTAP, Others Commend Airtel On 4G Launch BY CHIMA AKWAJA, Lagos
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and Senate Committee on Communications have commended Airtel Nigeria for launching its 4G LTE – aimed at providing fast and reliable internet for Nigerians. The chairman of NCC, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, in his remark at a consumer launch event held recently in Ibadan, said Airtel’s upgrade and expansion to a 4G network in Ibadan will definitely improve telecommunications services and drive economic
growth. “NCC is happy to celebrate with Airtel on this milestone and on other efforts aimed at achieving robust and extensive network coverage in Nigeria. NCC has taken note of Airtel’s numerous giant strides towards the provision of good communication service – accelerating economic growth in our dear country,” he said. Hon. Saheed Fijabi, chairman, House Committee on Communications, House of Representatives, commended Airtel for continuous innovation and commitment to improve telecommunication service in Nigeria. “Airtel has been one of the companies that have always
been complying with local content. We believe Airtel has been doing well and we will continue to give them our support” he said. Director-general, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, also applauded the telco for its customer-centric offering; describing the launch of its 4G LTE has a timely revolution. The deputy governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, hailed Airtel for deploying 4G in Ibadan, saying that he is glad that Airtel Nigeria has chosen Ibadan to pioneer the launch of its revolutionary 4G service.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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NEWS/BUSINESS 27
Dana Airline Accident: CPC Commends Quick Evacuation … Urges transparent, responsive action BY KINGSLEY ALU, Abuja
The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has commended relevant airport and aviation authorities, as well as DANA airline for the safe evacuation of 50 Souls On Board (SOB) DANA Air that overshot the runway and was damaged on Tuesday night with 44 passengers and 6 crew. The Council noted that the quick evacuation response averted what could otherwise have been tragic. The Dana Airlines Flight 9J0363 operating from Abuja to Port-Harcourt on February 20,
2018, landed at approximately 19:30hrs and overshot the runway. While the cause of the incident is still unknown, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) were already notified and already in control. In a statement issued yesterday, the Council which disclosed that it has been in communication with the airline and NCAA, urged for calm as it awaits more information and a detailed investigation by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) in compliance with ICAO standards. According to the CPC,
investigation into the incident was still ongoing, and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has secured perimeter scene of the incident. The Council further emphasized that while it is understood that Dana Air has provided logistic support and accommodation to passengers, there has been an insistence on its part that this must comply with minimum standards in accordance with prevailing Regulations under Part 19, Nigerian Civil Aviation Rules (NCAR). “An open, transparent, sensitive and responsive approach by the
airline and relevant authorities is vital to sustaining confidence and assuring consumers. The Council welcomes this openness and attention to consumers, including providing medical or psychological support where necessary,” it stated. The Council however assured that while it is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), other aviation agencies and service providers , it remains available to all passengers in the sector to answer questions, provide assistance and required assurances at this and other times.
Shell Emerges Best Technology, Innovation Company At NIPS BY FESTUS OKOROMADU, Abuja
The in-country Subsea Tree Refurbishment feat by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), has earned Shell Companies in Nigeria the Best Performing International Company in Technology and Innovation awards at the maiden edition of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja. SNEPCo pioneered the incountry feat and achieved significant savings in the cost of the subsea equipment led by Nigerian engineers. A Subsea Tree is an arrangement of valves and other components installed at the wellhead to control and monitor production flow and manage fluids injection. SNEPCo embarked on a Tree Refurbishment initiative in 2013 to ensure timely delivery of the equipment at lower cost for the Bonga Phase 2 project, an in-field wells delivery and hook–up programme within the Bonga Field which has been in execution since 2007. On hand to receive the award presented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, were the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mr. Osagie Okunbor, and the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari. An excited Okunbor described the award as a recognition of the pioneering role of Shell Companies in Nigeria in local capacity development and Nigeria content. “We are pleased that this feat has continued to receive recognition within and outside Nigeria. Beyond cost consideration, we were also looking to indigenise the know-how so that Nigerian engineers can acquire the necessary skills,” he said. Speaking on the award, Ojulari said, “This is a success story not only for Shell but for Nigeria. The first Subsea Tree under the programme was installed on schedule in May 2015. This was the first of its kind re-using a Subsea Tree fully stripped down and refurbished locally in Nigeria, with all of its original functionality restored.’’
28 NEWS/BUSINESS
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Babalakin Wins Most Outstanding Aviation Terminal Operator Award Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba (left) presenting the Most Outstanding Aviation Terminal Operator of the Year 2017 Award, won by the Chairman of The Resort Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), to the head, Corporate Communications, BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited, operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Chief Steve Omolale, who represented Babalakin at the awards ceremony held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Egina FPSO’ll Sustain Nigeria’s Deepwater Oil Exploration Initiative – Senate Committee BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos
The Nigerian Senate Committees on Gas and Petroleum (Upstream) have commended Total and its partners for the remarkable progress made towards the completion of the Egina Floating, Storage, Production and Offloading (FPSO) unit, which is currently being finalised at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in LADOL Free Zone, Lagos. Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, who is chair of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources and his Gas Committee counterpart, Senator Barnabas Gemade, led their committees
on inspection tour of the 330m-long Egina FPSO where they expressed delight with the pace of work on the unit and its massive Nigerian content profile. “Seeing the Egina FPSO has shown that a good investment has been made to ensure that Nigeria moves deeper and deeper into the sea to exploit its God-given endowment of oil,” stated an elated Alasoadura, pointing out that touring the FPSO facility had been a very wonderful experience. “I believe that with Egina going operational very soon, Nigeria will be able to meet its quota not only to OPEC but also will have enough to meet its
other commitments. I believe that it is a good project and Total has done a great thing bringing such an FPSO to Nigeria making it first in Africa. This milestone has brought us to where we should be as the giant of Africa,” he added. On the local content work being done on the project, Senator Alasoadura said: “It is massive development of capacity. You cannot do much for local development without building capacity and that has been done by giving Nigerians the opportunity to build part of what we are seeing here today. I am sure the next time it will take less money and time to build something similar because of developed capacity.”
FG Receives Reports On 2 Marine Accidents BY YUSUF BABALOLA, Lagos
The Ministry of Transportation said it has received reports of investigation into two marine accidents, which occurred in Lagos and Delta states on Dec. 21, 2013 and October 19, 2015 respectively. The first accident occurred at about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Lagos between MV Niki C, and a motor tanker MT Charon killing some seamen. The second accident, however, involved an MT Elixir and MT Tank, which occurred in 2015 along Bonga Terminal in Warri Delta. Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, while receiving the report of the investigation, said that the ministry
had in 2014 constituted a board of inquiry to investigate the accidents. Amaechi, who was represented by Mr. Danjuma Dauda, director, Maritime Safety and Security, promised that the ministry would study and take necessary action on the report. While not much was known about MV Niki C, and MT Charon, in the case of MT Elixir and MT Tank, the two ships collided on 19th October 2015, claiming the lives of nine Nigerian crewmen on-board the MT Tank, who were identified as: Kulo Eddy Osang, Arerebo Arepade Clifford, Finecountry Timipouadeh, Akindele Akinbanjon and Odafe E. Offeh. Others were Magaji Joshua, Isaac Kojo Money and Salami Malcolm.
Others are Ejila Philip, Moses Apobowei and Sambo M. The ill-fated MT Tank is Nigeria-owned but, Liberiaflagged vessel, while the second tanker MT Elixir is a foreign vessel. As at the time of the accident about three years ago, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) took credit for rescuing three out of the 12 crew member on board the ship. The other nine were never found till date. But, while submitting the report, the secretary of the board, Mr. Emmanuel Swanta, said that the nine-man committee headed by Chief Magistrate Adebisi FemiSegun, was saddled with the responsibility to investigate what led to the accidents.
Gas Key In Global Energy Investment – NLNG BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos
Managing director and chief executive officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Tony Attah, has said that current projections has put gas in the top quartile of the most competitive and strategic investments in the global energy market. Attah who spoke at an executive roundtable discussion titled “Growth Outlook and Strategies for Staying Competitive after a Global Downturn” at the first Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) holding in Abuja, said that a combination of factors will give gas an edge as the preferred energy of the
future, adding that the global LNG trade is projected to nearly triple, from about 12 Trillion Cubic Feet (Tcf) in 2015 to around 31 Tcf in 2040. “Electric power sector carbon emissions are projected to be flat through 2050 as a result of favourable market conditions for natural gas and supportive policies for renewables compared with coal. The projections are underpinned by the prospect of the global economy growing at an average rate of 3.4 per cent per cent per year, a population that expands from 7.4 billion today to more than nine billion in 2040, and a process of urbanisation that adds a city the size of
Shanghai to the world’s urban population every four months. “Global energy consumption will increase in the future but on the other side of the fence, we also see the clamouring for cleaner energy rising and that is where gas comes in. Coal will be totally displaced as a source of energy, followed by crude oil. Oil will still be in demand but (particularly as a source of power) will go down by about 50 per cent. “Countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and many other countries are making moves to significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
BY MARY TITUS
Chairman of The Resort Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has won the Most Outstanding Terminal Operator of the Year 2017 Award with his BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), a member of the group and operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, popularly known as MMA2. Organised by Independent Newspapers Limited, the award was presented to Babalakin, through his representative and Head, Corporate Communications, BASL, Chief Steve Omolale, by former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, at a colourful ceremony attended by the crème la crème of the society at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Independent Newspapers Limited, Mr. Ade Ogidan, had told Babalakin
in a letter he personally signed informing him of the award that “the Selection Committee considered your impressive list of achievements in Airport Infrastructure Development and Maintenance with a record of delivering the first major Public-Private Partnership (PPP) financed facility in the aviation industry. We note that through your company, Bi-Courtney Limited, you applied for the concessioning of the Lagos Domestic Airport, the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, after the airport was razed by fire. Indeed, nobody gave the project a chance as it was considered too cumbersome for the capacity of a private company. “However, within three years of the concessioning and in the face of serious hostility and inconsistency on the part of the government, Bi-Courtney Limited completed the new domestic airport, which is now famously known as MMA2.
Kwese TV Acquires Significant Equity In Iflix Africa BY CHIMA AKWAJA, Lagos
Pan-African media company, Kwesé has acquired a significant stake in iflix Africa, the world’s leading entertainment service for emerging markets, which will now form part of Kwesé’s diverse broadcast offering, as the core vehicle to deliver seamless mobile experiences to millions of viewers in Africa. Having set up operations in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, iflix offers users the region’s most extensive collection of highly acclaimed local African and international series and movies, including first-to-market exclusive programming. This, in partnership with Kwesé’s broadcast operations and footprint, will create an exceptional mobile offering for consumers on the continent. Both companies have committed extensive resources with local and
international expertise in mobile entertainment to serve Africa’s diverse markets. iflix and Kwesé, owned by Econet Media’s announced an expansion of their groundbreaking partnership in sub-Saharan Africa. Econet Group founder and executive chairman, Strive Masiyiwa remarked: “We are thrilled to deepen our operating partnership with iflix to lead the transformation of media in Africa. Our companies share a mutual passion for innovation, along with a deep understanding of the culture and evolution of digital businesses. Mobility in content consumption has grown exponentially in Africa and by partnering with iflix Africa we are ensuring that we are not only taking part in the evolution, but are leading the movement.” The partnership between iflix and Kwesé ensures the delivery of relevant and compelling content on the best possible platforms.
9mobile To Deliver Fastest, Most Reliable Data Experience BY KEHINDE SALLAH, Lagos
Nigeria’s telecommunications company, 9mobile, is again delighting its customers with its reloaded allencompassing data package, moreblaze which enables subscribers to enjoy a much richer and much faster online browsing and streaming experience 24-7. Available as data plans, smartpaks, smartphone offers, time-based plans and video streaming plans, moreblaze offers tremendous benefits for individuals and businesses that rely on data to do more, even as it gives customers true value for their money through consistent and reliable internet experience. Speaking on the data service, VP, marketing, Adebisi Idowu, disclosed that moreblaze is currently the fastest, most reliable, most consistent and highest quality data service in the
Nigerian telecoms industry that delivers unrivaled positive online customer experience. He added that with moreblaze, 9mobile is set to consolidate its leadership of the data segment. He had this to say, “At 9mobile, we are passionate about consistently delighting our customers with innovative offerings because they deserve the very best. That is why we always ensure that the services we offer enrich customer experience at every touch point. Individuals and businesses can enjoy crystal clear voice calls and HD video streaming without buffering to enrich their online experience on our network.” Idowu continued, “moreblaze is revolutionizing the market with innovative data offers including a video streaming plan with pause and resume feature.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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BUSINESS/INTERVIEW 29
Consumer Protection Must Be Core To Any Business –Irukera Director -general of Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, in this interview with PETER EKELE , sheds more light on the efforts of the Council to protect consumer rights through several initiatives, the patients’ bill of rights, challenges and lots more. What initiatives are you bringing on board to enhance the protection of rights of the consumers? We have a range of initiatives based on the statutory mandate of the organisation. The key areas we are focusing on as a Council are market wide interventions, a more robust complaints resolution process and a more effective means of consumer education, essentially making consumers more aware of their rights. How we are doing each of these things is that we are thinking of partnering with industry so that we will look into their channels for communicating with consumers. We are also getting some support from UNIDO to develop a Consumer Charter and to also do some sensitisation around the National Quality Infrastructure Project. I think these are the two areas that would enhance consumer experience and, with respect to the complaint resolution process, we are also looking at collaborating with industry to change the current resolution model process where, literally every complaint comes to the Consumer Protection Council. This process is taking time and is not the best way to maximize resources. So, what we are doing is to automate and we are very advanced in that process. It would allow more people complain through multiple channels and we are insisting that companies should plug into our automation technology so that we can send complaints to them almost instantaneously and then we monitor the whole process to make sure complaints are resolved within a specific period of time. Only complaints that don’t get resolved at this level that consumers would bring to us to resolve. These are the key things we intend to do. The other is to institutionalise quality and consumer service. In that regard, the CPC is starting a training school working with UNIDO to develop the curriculum to make sure that companies are actually sending their people there for training on how to handle customer issues.
When people provide service or goods to you, they are not doing you a favour. Ensuring your satisfaction within reasonable and acceptable parameters is a matter of your right, insist on it.
At what instance does a consumer lose his or her own right? Well, I don’t think a consumer ever loses his or her rights. At every step of the way, the consumer right is the consumer right. Whatever grievances or dissatisfaction a consumer experiences in the transaction between that consumer and the goods or service provider, it creates a right in that consumer. However, if the goods or service provider has provided everything, respected the consumer and provided exactly
ity and a demotivated work force, but that changed when I arrived. The workforce is more motivated and we have expanded our training, both internal and external. Workforce continues to be a challenge, sometimes not from a competent stand point, but from a capacity stand point because you must remember that with what we are doing here, we have less than 300 people in about nine different offices and we are taking care of about 774 local government areas in 36 states and a population of 180 million people. So you can imagine what the capacity gap in that regard is. However, I think we are doing quite some work on concluding the inter-regulatory collaboration that we require with other regulators so that we can be effective in each of the sectors.
Irukera
what that consumer asked for in the right specification and the right quality, and the consumer becomes dissatisfied for some other reason which is external, let’s say, a consumer wanted a black car and he or she is supplied a black car to the exact specification and the black car is not malfunctioning but after a few months the consumer decided that he or she prefers a red car then, there is really no violation of rights by the service or goods provider. But when that is not the case, then every step of the way we will take on every complaint and we will seek to resolve it. There are still people out there who do not know how accessible the Consumer Protection Council is to the consumer. How accessible is the Council to the consumers? Well, the Council is very accessible to the public. But I agree with you that there are still many people who do not know. Right now, we receive complaints on multiple channels, we have hotlines where people can call in and we also harvest complaints from Twitter and Facebook. We are expanding those channels now. Hopefully, one of the things that would come with our automation process is full service application that people will download and complain from, and we are working to make sure that the interface is very user friendly so that people can literally complain. And when these complaints come to us, the process won’t just end with us, we will immediately share those complaints with
companies that are the target of the complaints so that they can quickly step in. It is only when they don’t resolve, like I said, that we would proceed to resolve. What are you doing in the health sector to enhance the health of patients in terms of the quality of medical service and drugs? That is a very important question. I think that is the most important thing that we have done in 2017 and we have almost concluded that. We expect that to go out soon and what we have done is to work with key stakeholders in the healthcare sector, including doctors, nurses, radiologists, laboratory technologists and pharmacists with the aim of coming up with a statement of patients’ rights, so that both the health care providers and the patients become more accustomed or familiar with their rights. That way, the patients are able to demand for their rights better and then the healthcare service providers are able to recognise what their real obligations and duties are to the patients. We believe this would dramatically improve the quality of care that patients receive. Do you have synergy with the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)? Yes we do. We have synergy with the director general of SON and there is an on-going correspondence between us. As a matter of fact, SON, NAFDAC and CPC are working to create a strategic inter-
vention in key areas such as curbing the existence of adulterated products because that seems to be a very big problem. We are also looking at working on food fortifications and a few other issues. Within the short time you have been at the helm of affairs in the Council, are there challenges in terms of operation and what are you doing to address them? Quite a number of challenges. First, the physical infrastructure is poor, not just at the head office. What we have done in respect to physical infrastructure is that we are in the process of moving out of our Port Harcourt office, we have just relocated our Bauchi office and we have just opened a new office in Kano. We are also in the process of relocating our head office in Abuja to a better apportioned facility. With the limited tools for the work, we are also automating to simplify the work and promote efficiency. We have purchased other things like hardware and computers, but we still have a significant need for more. Resources continue to be a challenge, but the Federal Government has been very gracious. They have demonstrated that consumer protection is the priority of this administration at the highest level. So we have gotten some attention, we have gotten some intervention and we have gotten significant review to budget so that we can do a better job of protecting the consumers. Other challenges bordered on internal capac-
So, are you getting cooperation from any? Yes we are. In fairness, what we are proposing is significantly different from what the previous understandings were. And so it is understandable that the magnitude of change is such that requires some credible and deeper engagement than it has been previously. We are near concluding drafts with the CBN and NCC. We have completed the terms of reference and moved to drafting the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NITDA and we have spoken to NAFDAC and SON. At the end of the day, what legacy would you want to leave behind in CPC? Well, the legacy I would like to leave behind is much less about the institution but much more about the market. What I would like is that we should have fewer complaints in the CPC not because the capacity can’t carry the complaints, but because we have been able to really move the reform to the market place. We would like a market place where consumers know their rights much better and they demand these rights, one where the goods and service providers respect those rights more and the quality of both the service and the goods has improved to a significant level, comparable to even the most sophisticated environment. I want the Nigerian consumers to understand that this whole thing is about rights and that consumers have rights. When people provide service or goods to you, they are not doing you a favour. Ensuring your satisfaction within reasonable and acceptable parameters is a matter of your right, insist on it.
30 COMMERCE/BUSINESS
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Customer Bill: MAN Expresses Surprise Over Additional Tax ……As NECA threatens legal action
BY TAIWO OGUNMOLA-OMILANI, Lagos
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed surprise towards the unwittingly imposition of 0.5 per cent tax for Competition and Consumer Protection bill 2016. Reacting to the statement issued by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) accusing National Assembly of further strangulating businesses, director general of MAN, Mr. Olusegun Ajayi-Kadir , said the situation was worrisome now that the country was just getting out of recession. According to him, this was yet another unexpected and quiet surprising addition. “It is the burden we have always highlighted inimical to business because it is unimaginable this time that we are just getting out of recession that any attempt at managing the economy should include adding to the cost of do-
ing business and tending towards making our product uncompetitive. “I feel the cost of business should be brought down and it is actually surprising that we are witnessing this from the national Assembly that should ensure that the people wellbeing is not jeopardized, so it’s actually a complication.” Ajayi-Kadir explained that multiple taxation has been a major challenge for manufacturers and it comes from the different tiers of government particularly at the state and local government. “It has always having a debilitating impact on business. It increases cost of doing business; some of them are unpredictable and they come at any time and the time you expect to meet this obligation are quite telling on the man hour that you need to do your job,” he added. Similarly, NECA said that if the Consumer Protection Bill is assented to without the removal of the addition 0.5 per cent, it would frustrate implan-
tation through legal action and legitimate means. This is even as it has vowed not to pay this tax, noting that the insertion was a fraudulent act, which members of the organised private sector seriously frowned at. NECA complained that some forces had gone behind the stakeholders after the public hearing on the bill to insert a 0.5 per cent tax on companies to fund the establishment of a planned commission/agency that would undertake responsibilities under the law. T he NECA director ge/neral, Segun Oshinowo , noted that at the last count, OPS have over 55 taxes and levies of all sorts imposed on enterprises from the local to the federal government level. He said the implication of this is that it would render businesses uncompetitive and a big disincentive to wealth creation and investment in the real sector of the economy.
Bhatia
Nigeria, Global Bodies Adopt Move To Stop Illicit Financial Flows In Africa BY KINGSLEY ALU, Abuja
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank Group, have agreed on high-level collaborations with Nigeria and other African countries to stop Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) in Africa. The resolution was reached at the ongoing Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT) Conference at the United Nations in New York. Head of OECD Global Forum on Exchange of Information, Ms. Monica Bhatia, while disclosing this at the PCT Conference, said that automatic information sharing had been adopted as part of proactive steps to curtail the IFFs from the African continent to developed countries.. “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specifically says that we must significantly reduce illicit financial flows by the year 2030. A lot of efforts are ongoing to achieve this and support developing countries to end the IFFs,” Bhatia said. Minister of Finance, Mrs.
Kemi Adeosun, speaking at the conference, affirmed that the IFF was a problem that urgently requires global focus and actions towards the realisation of significant developmental progress for Nigeria and other developing countries. “The IFFs are driven by the desire to hide illicit wealth, hide the proceeds away from the public eye and law enforcement agencies and also conceal the ways and means by which illicit wealth was created. This makes it difficult to trace the associated money flow. “Developing countries, including Nigeria, collect significantly lower levels of tax, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), than wealthier States. This is partly because the income and wealth being created, is taken out of the country illegally, without being taxed,”she said. Quoting the report of former South African President Mbeki’s High-Level Panel on IFFs, Adeosun said Africa loses $80 billion annually to IFFs, with a significant percentage of the loss coming from Nigeria.
Molfix Leads Nigerian Diaper Market BY KINGSLEY ALU, Abuja
L-R: Committee member, British Women Group Lagos, Sandra Bell; coordinator St Pio Boys Hostel, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Maria Udogu; Chairperson British Women Group Lagos, Julian McKnight; National Customer Service Manager Mouka Nigeria, Mr. Femi Yussuf and Treasurer British Women Group Lagos, Zoueen Bandyopadhyay during the donation of mattresses and other relief materials to St Pio Boys Hostel in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State. PHOTO BY KOLAWOLE ALIU.
Reactions Trail Executive Order 5
BY TAIWO OMILANI, Lagos
Stakeholders in the business sector have reacted to the Executive Order 5 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari which is aimed at improving Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering and seeks to give fillip to the quest for local content development in critical national projects. In his contribution, director general of Manufacturer Association of Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Ajayi-Kadir , said
the ramification of this executive order five was just to compliment the executive order 003 signed by the vice president in the past. According to him, “ Those ones immediately covered the purchase of local products but I think this one has given clarity to it. It has covered contract and the science- related areas. The executive order 003 did not cover the science and engineering part.” On its part, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) had earli-
er requested that federal government should extend local content order beyond the scope of science, engineering and technology, improve “visa-onarrival” processes and ensure better transparency in the issuance and compliance monitoring of the expatriate quota. The executive order tagged : Executive Order 5 is to improve local content in public procurement with science, engineering and technology components.
Barely two years after it entered the Nigerian market, premium diaper brand, Molfix, has assumed the leadership position of the diaper category with 44.3 per cent of the total market share, according to a report from Brand Communicatior based on A.C. Neilsen data.. The report also indicates that Pampers, the hitherto leader in that category, is trailing with a 37.3 per cent market share while while Huggies, Nice Baby, Dr. Brown, Dry Love, Little Angel and other brands share the remaining 18.4 per cent of the total market share. At its launch into Nigeria two years ago, the brand had through its management projected reaching 30 per
cent of the market share in Nigeria in three years. The implication of this is that the Molfix brand has surpassed its projections by 14.3 per cent in less time. The Molfix diaper brand is produced under the stables of Hayat Kimya, a leading manufacturer of home care and hygiene products. It is believed to be the 5th largest branded diaper producer in the world. Hayat Kimya is a strong establishment in the regions in which it operates, with approximately 14,000 employees and their 22 manufacturing sites, $3 billion revenue and $4 billion in assets. Headquartered in Turkey, Hayat Kimya manufactures in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, İran, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovinia and Russia.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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ENERGY/BUSINESS 31
Fuel Scarcity: NNPC Overwhelmed By Demand, Says IPMAN BY FESTUS OKOROMADU, Abuja
A station attendant dispensing fuel.
NEC’s Fuel Price Hike Quest: An Unrealistic Solution? The National Economic Council (NEC), last week suggested another fuel price hike as the solution to the current crisis in the downstream sector of the economy. This is coming barely two years after the last hike. FESTUS OKOROMADU, writes on the futility of the decision.
R
ecently two stakeholders in government expressed their concern over the lingering fuel queues major cities of Nigeria and proferred solutions based possibly on their understanding of the situation. First to take a shot was the minister of state for petroleum resource, Dr Ibe Kachikwu , who stated that two issues were responsible. According to him , policy and logistic issues have to be addressed to resolve the fuel crisis facing the country. He stated this while answering questions during a press conference on Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja. Kachikwu described the situation as embarrassing as the queues in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may cause the nation a lot even as it prepares to host the global community to its own kind of Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). According to him, meetings were being held to resolve the issues. “I can tell you behind the scenes, a lot of meetings are taking place because the fuel queue issue is both logistics and policy issues,” he said. Speaking on how to find solution, he said, “We will need to address fundamental policy issues to enable it go away especially in the area where the pricing is showing differences between the landing and sales price. He emphasized that, “The president (Muhammadu Buhari) is obviously very committed to keeping the price of petrol at where it is because he realises and sympathises with the sufferings of Nigerians.” However, a few hours after this statement, members of the National Economic Council (NEC), made up of state governors and chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo proffered a different solution noting that the way out is, “correct” pricing of petrol. Governor of Bauchi State, Moham-
med Abubakar, who briefed the media, attributed the decision on fluctuations in the landing cost of imported petroleum products. Speaking on how the Council arrived at its proposed price hike solution, Governor Abubakar said, the issue of the scarcity of petroleum product was addressed by the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the meeting. “The issue is of course caused by an interplay of the exchange rate of the naira and the dollar and the price of crude oil at the international market which affects the landing cost of refined products in Nigeria and in the process makes the operation of the current price regime almost impossible without some measure of nil return for whoever is in the process,” he stated. But according stakeholders, though one agrees with the scenario painted by the NNPC boss and accepted by NEC, it is obvious that from past experience the price hike solution has never solved this problem. To find a long lasting solution, members of NEC should have asked NNPC some simple questions such as; why are the nation’s refineries not working despite huge amounts usually voted for turnaround maintenances (TAMs)? Who verifies the quantity of petrol imported into the country by NNPC? Why is it that every time the nation faces fuel crisis the only solution is price hike? If nothing is amiss, how come that NNPC claims it imports over 80 million litres of petrol daily yet the product is not available anywhere? If the product is smuggled out of the country as its being claimed what is being done to Curb the smugglers? Interestingly, NEC fully identified whose duty it ws to suggest price hike when Governor Abubakar said, “The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) remains the appropriate agency to fix the price of petrol in the
country. The question then arises; why is NEC refusing to consult PPPRA or even hear the agency’s side of the story, before suggesting a price hike. NEC’s Interest Despite efforts to hide the reason for the fresh call for fuel price hike, the governors said they arrived at the decision after a committee set up by NEC interfaced with all revenue generating agencies of the federal government. The suggestion of fuel price hike according to him , emanated from the report of the said committee. It thus appears that the rationale behind the proposal is mainly to increase revenue to be shared as NNPC’s purse is now dwindling as the corporation continues to subsidies the price of the product. However, the Japanese makers of LG Electronics’ slogan, ‘Good thinking good product,’ come handy at a time like this, there is no doubt that a new thinking must be deployed to tackle this shameful problem. Possible Solutions Stakeholders were of the view that first, Mr. President should as a matter of urgency assent to the recently pass Petroleum Industry Governance (PIGB) Bill as it is obvious that the full implementation of the Act will resolve the policy issues bedeviling the sector. Nigerians should therefore, call on NEC to direct their energy towards pressurizing the president to assent the bill and ensuring its full implementation while seeking for the passage of the other three components of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)still lingering at the National Assembly. Secondly,they said that NEC should encourage Mr. President to appoint a substantive minister of petroleum resources to oversee the affairs of the agencies in the industry. According to them, there are indications that the current crisis in the sector
is emanating from the absence of such a minister. It is obvious that while Dr. Kachikwu and Baru are trying to make us believe that they have reconciled their differences emanating from the memo to Mr. President last year, the reality ithey maintained is that the issue of loyalty remains unaddressed. Thirdly, they advised that there should be proper accountability for products importation. While NNPC is the sole importer of petrol into the country today, who verifies the quantity imported? Who monitors the supply chain? Why is it impossible to track the movement of tankers loaded with petrol? In addition also they urged government to make haste to announce successful vendors who would finance the rehabilitations of the local refineries. If these refineries are working ,they continued , and are in the hands of private sector operators, fuel would be available all over the country. Lastly, they added that governors should rather go sourcing for investors to come to their states to invest in various types of fuel refining from hydrocarbon to biofuel that way jobs would be created rather than waiting for NNPC to generate revenues to be shared. Another industry insider , who pleaded anonymity argued that from all indications, NNPC was overwhelmed with the current situation otherwise how could it explain the fact that despite all the assurances, the queues at Total filling station opposite its headquarters along Herbert Macaulay, in the Central Business District of Abuja still remains. Worst still fuel hawkers continue to have a field day selling the products on jerry-cans right in front of the NNPC’s office while the corporation is busy telling Nigerians that its monitoring team has been arresting and prosecuting fuel hawkers.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has attributed the lingering fuel scarcity in the country to inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to meet up with the nation’s petroleum consumption demand. Consequently, it called for a total deregulation of the downstream sector. Alhaji Debo Ahmed, chairman, IPMAN Western Zone, made the disclosure in Lagos. He spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country. According to Ahmed, none of the NNPC/PPMC depots within the western zone has adequate petrol in stock to cater to the demands of the public. “The management of NNPC should increase petrol allocations to IPMAN marketers rather than allocating excess products to NNPC retailers who have less than 25-outlet within Lagos. “IPMAN that has over 2,500 members and over 500 outlets across the south west was given 30 per cent against 60 per cent agreed by NNPC and marketers,’’ he said. Ahmed said that most IPMAN members had to close their filling stations due to the inability of NNPC/PPMC to distribute products to depots for marketers to load adequately. He said that the limited available products were having lopsided distribution formula. “ IPMAN was given 30 per cent, MOMAN 30 and NNPC retails 50 as against 60 per cent for IPMAN and 20 for MOMAN; NNPC retails 20 in all the functioning depots in the country. “The imported petrol by NNPC/PPMC is distributed through the Private Fund Initiative (PFI) system to private depot owners (DAPPMA) to sell to Independent Marketers at a controlled price of N133.28k. “But, DAPPMA members are selling between N160 and N162 above the regulated price, of which no marketer can buy at that price and sell at the regulated price of N145 per litre,’’ he said. The IPMAN boss urged the government to intervene and check the activities of DAPPMA as they accused of selling above the recommended pump price. He also urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to address defaulting depot owners who sold petrol above the approved pump price.
32 ENERGY/BUSINESS
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Gas flaring
Proposed Gas Flaring Law As Incentive To Local Gas Firms
The proposed review of existing gas flaring law by federal government is expected to propel domestic gas utilisation as well as help address infrastructural gap in the sector as gas flared by oil companies will now support development, writes CHIKA IZUORA.
T
he major reason why gas is usually flared is that when crude oil is extracted from onshore and offshore oil wells it brings with it raw natural gas to the surface and where natural gas transportation, pipelines and infrastructure are lacking, like in the case of Nigeria this gas is instead burned off or flared as a waste product as this is the cheapest option, particularly when gas prices are low and fines are not collected by regulatory bodies. Gas has been flared in Nigeria since the 1950s and despite the acute energy poverty faced by Nigerians and legislative efforts to reduce gas flaring it is still a major cause of human and environmental health issues in the Niger Delta and realeases vast amounts of CO2 and polutant gases into the atmosphere. The Senate said, late last year in one of its probe sessions that Nigeria accounts for over 40 per cent of the gas flared annually across Africa, which amounts to about $7 billion in waste. Although, there are several figures from various sources showing costs in terms of monetary loss to gas flaring, the Senate in its finding declared Nigeria was losing over $2.5 billion to gas-flaring annually and that the country also accounts for an estimated two billion standard cubic feet of flared gas, which amounts to about 19 per cent of gas flared globally. LEADERSHIP reports that a 39-year-old law had recommended only N10 as fine for gas flaring. But declaring open a public hearing on Gas Flaring (Prohibition) Bill 2017, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, noted that gas-flaring remained a matter of great national embarrassment to the country. According to Saraki, apart from economic waste being a consequence of gas flaring, flared gas is also known to contain toxic substances, which cause respiratory diseases and air pollution, leading to depletion of the ozone layer, and ultimately having an adverse effect on weather and climate. He said, “Only God knows how many of Nigeria’s citizens have lost their lives as a result of gas-flaring.” Represented by deputy senate leader, Senator Ibn Bala Na’Allah, at the hearing, Saraki said there was no reason the country should continue to flare gas, considering its short and long term consequences.
He said, “The issue of gas-flaring in Nigeria is a matter of great national embarrassment. We have no reason to continue to flare this precious resource God has endowed us with. “This bill, therefore, seeks to make provisions for the prohibition of the flaring and venting of natural gas in any oil and gas production operation in Nigeria and for other matters connected therewith. Gasflaring is as old as the discovery of crude oil in Nigeria. While it remains a global environmental malaise with attendant environmental consequences, we must move with the rest of the world to seriously put an end to it. Gas flaring is not an inevitability. “While statistics may not be accurate, the quantity of gas flared in Nigeria exceeds over 40 per cent of the gas flared annually across Africa, which amounts to about $7 billion in waste, apart from economic waste being a consequence of gas flaring.” Also embarrassed by this trend is the chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Akpan, who at the hearing noted that Nigeria was losing over $2.5 billion to gas flaring annually, adding that the statistics remained the highest among the member nations of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. He also said the non-availability of adequate data had made it difficult to gauge the exact magnitude of the effect of the practice. According to him, There was a better understanding of the barriers that must be overcome to reduce flaring. Akpan noted that Nigeria’s estimated 188 billion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserve made it the ninth largest concentration in the world but said that, “Due to unsustainable exploration practices, coupled with the lack of gas utilization infrastructure, we flare more than 75 per cent of the gas produced and re-inject only 12 per cent to enhance oil recovery.” In his presentation, national chairman of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Prince Mike Emu, said there should be insertion of a clause or section in the proposed bill that should recognise and seek to protect the rights off host communities as bonafide beneficiaries of the gas-flaring penalty levy as those that suffer the hazards of gas-flaring and as required by global best practices. Also in his presentation, national chairman, Host Communities, Chief Alfred Bu-
bor, told the committee that an average of 200 person die monthly in Niger Delta as a result gas related illness. He said communities where gas was flared do experience perpetual day of intensity resulting from gas flaring and prevent residents from enjoying night sleep, adding that crops and building roof were often destroyed by the effect of gas flaring. He demanded that the federal government should establish a department of gas regulation in the ministry of energy to oversee the implementation of the new gas policy. Charting A New Path The cumulative consequences of this avoidable calamity may have propelled a fresh rethink by the federal government, which through the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun disclosed plan last week of a review of the country’s gas flare law to make it more costly for companies that have escaped the payment of billions of dollars despite being fined. In the “legal framework for the gas-flaring penalty, it was drafted as a charge. A charge is tax-deductible,” Adeosun said in an interview. “So, what do the international oil companies do? They flare, they pay the charge on which they get tax relief. That’s just bad drafting . “The government is approaching lawmakers to amend the law and have the word ‘penalty’ replace ‘charge’, the minister said in Abuja. “Just that one word has potentially cost us billions of dollars. “Oil companies flare natural gas that is produced along with crude instead of harnessing it because that can be costly or difficult for security reasons. Nigeria has sought to limit the practice over the years as it pollutes the environment and contributes to global warming. “The government is recovering from a contraction of its economy in 2016, the first in 25 years, and is seeking revenue sources to plug a $25 billion infrastructure gap and fund a record 2018 budget presented in December by President Muhammadu Buhari. “The government is also updating the tax law and going after defaulters, with the intention to boost collection and raise the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio, currently at 6 percent and among the lowest in the world. Nigeria in the past never focused much on tax revenue because of its oil income that
Thuresday, February 22, 2018
funds most of the government spending,” Adeosun said. Similarly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said Nigeria was about 70 per cent compliant on gas flare exit, and hopes to cut the other 30 per cent within the 2020 deadline. Kachikwu said Nigeria seeks to end gas flaring 10 years ahead of the 2030 United Nations deadline on flare out. Speaking on the gas policy, Kachikwu said, “We are going to try and change our dynamics from being an oil producing country to being a gas producing country, because that is really what we are. Now we need to move from policies to directives.” He reiterated that it was vital that “we get people back; we will define what the oil policy is, define what gas policy is, and people can have some predictability in terms of the business they are doing, and you begin to see a lot of them come back.” The minister also identified the downstream as an area requiring urgent attention, in which a directive will be up and running by 2019. He said many teams have been set up to deal with the issues, and there was a lot of financing interest. The minister also added that infrastructure was a major gap in the oil industry in Nigeria, so e country needs to think outside of the box. Operators To Key Into New Potentials Reacting to the unfolding scenario, the outgoing president of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), Dayo Adesina, appreciated the move saying that it would help in domestic gas utilisation campaign. Adesina observed while speaking with the LEADERSHIP that what has discouraged investment in the midstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry was lack of incentive and absence of fiscal policy. He said gas producers were not encouraged by existing gas price regime and no deliberate effort had been made to support domestic gas utilisation, adding that lack of infrastructure has given impetus to gas export essentially. “Nobody is going to put his money if he is not going to recoup it and which is why for many years we had been screaming that supporting kerosene which kills people was not the right way to go. The right way to have gone was to support LPG,” he added. He said the collapse of the refineries, which were the main sources of cooking gas in Nigeria, led to the disappearance of the product from the Nigerian market. This, he said, led to the importation of the product from Benin Republic until former President Olusegun Obasanjo directed the Nigeria LNG Limited to set aside 150,000 metric tonnes of LPG for the domestic market. The measure, he noted, was to bridge the supply gap created by the collapse of the refin-
Opuama Fields In OML 40 Producing About 22,000 bpd BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos
Eland Oil & Gas Plc has declared that production performance from the Opuama-8 and Opuama-9 wells in licence OML 40 field, in Nigeria, is strong with oil and gas gross production from all four of its wells on the Opuama field was about 22,000 barrels of oil per day. The Opuama-8 well, in licence OML 40, recorded initial gross production of over 6,200 bopd on a 40/65 inch choke, in the upper half of Eland’s previously expected production range. Eland said that testing and production of three reservoirs penetrated by the Opuama-8 well is continuing, with rest rates both within expectations and encouraging. The deepest reservoir, D5000, flowed at 3,250 bopd on a 40/64 inch choke with a flowing tubing head pressure of 50 bar - 725 pounds per square inch. The shallowest reservoir tested, D3500, flowed at 2,980 bopd on a 40/64 inch choke with a flowing tube head pressure of 47 bar - 680 psi. Testing of the third reservoir, D4000, will commence shortly, Eland said. The company noted that the drilling of the Opuama-9 infill well continues, though there were some delays due to mechanical issues with the rig. The completion of the Opuama-9 well is expected within the first quarter, whereupon production can begin. George Maxwell, CEO of Eland, commented,”We are delighted to announce a further significant increase in Opuama production from the successful completion and test of the Opuama-8 infill well. Adding the incremental flow rates from this highly productive well has once again pushed Opuama field to the highest recorded levels in its history. “Our focus on the Opuama-9 infill well and the near-term work programme continues and I look forward positively to updating the market further as Elcrest, together with our partner NPDC, achieve more success on the OML 40 license which is becoming one of the largest producing assets of any E&P company on AIM.”
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Special Need Schools: Making Better Future For Children With Disability
N
BY DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia
ine year-old Haruna was born blind. After his birth, his parents had lost hope on him. They had however let him tag along with his older brother to school where he spent the whole school hour listening to the teacher but not grasping because he couldn’t see. Everyone thought that his future will amount to nothing until the governor of his state, Governor Umaru Al-Makura established a school for his likes. The Lafia Comprehensive Special School, is strategically located near the NNPC Mega Station in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. The school will chart a way and future for Haruna and other children with learning difficulties, specifically special needs in areas of vision impairment, hard of hearing, those with cerebral palsy and the physically challenged. The Acting Administrator of the school, Jibrin Dan Ogaji, who is also a director with the State Ministry of Education, disclosed that the school will pilot primary one to six adding that presently the school has JSS one students, who will be groomed and trained in a special way as the name of the school depict. “ We are practicing the policy on inclusive education in the State aimed at bringing the special needs persons as well as able children together and make them compete and see who is going to be who”. “His Excellency, has gone beyond just establishing this school because there is a
In the modern world, where technology and science are making daily demands on man, it will be unexpected that any deserving government will turn its back on education
connectivity, a synergy between the state government and the America government, specifically a university and International blind school, so there will be exchange of ideas, programmes, visits and others,” he said. Some of the disabled students,who spoke to our correspondent, thanked the governor for establishing the school, as according to them the school will better their lives. “I am very happy that the governor has established this school for us. It will help us to achieve what we want to achieve in life. I will make sure i listen attentively to my teachers. I wont want this opportunity to pass me by,” Agbo Orume, one of the students said. Another student, Hajara Adams who stated that she wanted to be a doctor said that the school has opened her mind to new opportunities. “ I never knew that opportunities like this will come to me. I though I will end up in the street begging but i thank God, it will not be my portion. I thank the governor who made it so,” she said. Before the recent commissioning of the special school, the Nasarawa State Government, had embarked on all inclusive education with the disable persons attending schools with able persons in Dunama Primary School Lafia, Government Science School, Lafia and Government College, Obi. LEADERSHIP findings shows that the school has over one thousand students and a staff strength of seventy. It was also learnt that the state government will soon
recruit more hands to teach in the special school. According to the administrator, the school is strictly for disabled persons, but those who cannot measure up will be trained in the area of skills acquisition, to help them to be self reliant. The school, a boarding school is equipped with boarding facilities and supported by foreign donors, a university and an international blind school, all in America. In the modern world, where technology and science are making daily demands on man, it will be unexpected that any deserving government will turn its back on education. Suffice to say education makes the acquiring of enlightenment possible and as such, all citizens including the disabled in the society need to be educated, to expose them to modern times. February, 6, 2018 the President Buhari Muhammed made the dreams of many children with special needs in Nasarawa State a reality by commissioning the school. Speaking during the commissioning, the president commended the governor for the initiative, as according to him it is tandem with the APC change mantra to bring succour to the less privileged in the society. “The school is a demonstration of our collective ambition to uplift the standard of living of all Nigerians, through social investment policies. “This school will cater for the deaf, the blind and other physically challenged.
Indeed, this is a clear example of our inclusive policy where no child, man or woman will be left behind. “This is a well-thought out initiative to give hope to a key segment of the society that has been ignored and neglected by the previous governments. We must help our disabled to contribute to their development and self-reliance. “Let me use this opportunity to stress that the change philosophy which precipitated the APC Government will continue to idealize and identify issues that are critical to our socio-economic development with a view to proffering lasting solutions to them,” he said. Also speaking during the commissioning, the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, spoke of the importance of the school while urging other states in the country to emulate the Nasarawa State government. The efforts of Nasarawa State Government is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by other states. I therefore implore other states to support the Federal Government and key into the policy and implement the strategies for effective and sustainable quality education for people with disabilities in Nigeria” he said. On his part, Governor Al-Makura, stated that the school will cater for the education need of all segment of disabled persons in the state adding that in its quest to ensure inclusiveness in governance, his government have opened ➔ CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
34 EDUCATION/NEWS
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Special Need Schools: Making Better Future For Children With Disability ➔ CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Salihu Belgore, unveiling the book titled, Dynamics of Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, written in honour of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede yesterday while others look on.
SUBEB Begins Renovation Of Schools In C/River RICHARD NDOMA,Calabar
The Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) says plans are underway to begin the remodeling of secondary schools in the State. The Chairman, Dr. Stephen Odey disclosed this in Calabar stressing that the project will help schools in the state to measure up according to international best practices. He stated that the remodeling exercise will include landscaping, perimeter fencing, ICT room, sick bay, water facilities, amongst others. In his words,“we have tried to adopt the modern school approach, as introduced by the Executive Secretary, UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi. “He came up with the concept of doing a holistic rehabilitation of schools, where all the buildings within the premises of a school will be rehabilitated, furnished with state of the arts facilities and equipped to create a very conducive environment,
rather than rehabilitating one classroom block in one school. And that is why in 2016 intervention, we try to bring to bear what UBEC has instructed us to do”. The SUBEB Chairman who commissioned projects in some selected schools in the area, promised to do everything within his reach to ensure that facilities are put on ground to enable the pupil learn. Some of the schools which the SUBEB chairman monitored and commissioned projects include Holy Child Convent Primary School, Okuku, Yala local government area (LGA) of the state, Holy Cross Primary School, Ugep,Yakurr LGA, Holy Child Convent Primary School, Ikom LGA, and St Benedict Primary School II, Ogoja, where there are ongoing construction of ICT/sick bays. Other schools in the state which also benefitted from the modern school approach include
Government Secondary School(GSS) Akim, Calabar Municipality and St Theresa Primary School Ipong, Obudu. Odey stressed that the board is presently constructing a six classroom storey building with staircase designed to assist the physically challenged in MaryKnoll College, Okuku Yala LGA, Holy Cross Primary School, Ugep, St Theresa primary School Ipong, Obudu LGA, GSS Akim, Calabar Municipality and St Benedict primary school II, Ogoja, Local Government Area of the state. He added that the Board is constantly improving on the standard of education in the state secondary schools with the supply of computers, solar panels, sporting equipment(table tennis), recreational facilities (merry go rounds, slides) to enable schools in the state meet up with their counterparts in other countries of the world.
Saraki, Legislator Give Free JAMB Forms To 1,543 Indigent Students BY ABDULLAHI OLESIN, Ilorin
The Senate President, Dr Bulola Saraki, has given out 1,210 free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms to indigent students in Kwara state. Saraki has also bankrolled the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees of over 500 candidates in Ilorin Emirate. In the same vein, the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary,
Barr. Razak Atunwa, has also distributed free JAMB forms to 330 indigent students in his Ilorin West/ ASA constituency. The Director, Media and Publicity of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Constituency office, Alh Abdullahi Oganija, said Saraki’s gesture became necessary because of the biting economic hardship Nigerians were experiencing. He added that the payment of the fees of the indigent students of the emirate was borne out of Saraki’s desire to boost the
level of education in the Emirate. A statement signed by Atunwa’s media aide, Rotimi Olawale said the lawmaker gave out the 330 free forms as part of his annual activities aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. He said that giving UTME/JAMB slots to less privilege candidates was no longer a new development but an initiative that has become annual and intrinsic.
University Don Wants African Youths To Forge Common Front ADENIYI ADUNOLA, Lagos
Prof Daryl Zizwe Poe of Lincoln University, Pennysylvania, USA said the abandonment of the ethos of African liberation movements is the undoing of the African development. Poe stated this while delivering a lecture titled, US Civil Rights and African Liberation Movements recently at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. He said though the United States civil rights movements were deeply connected to African liberation movements materially and spiritually, Africans leaders, however, got it wrong by identifying their individual countries
needs instead of forging a common front. He said the youth could rekindle the fire known of the African liberation movements if they were serious and focused on the overall development of the African continent instead of seeking individual gains. Poe said until the youths redeem their culture, imperialism and neocolonialism would continue to be the bane of African development. According to him, one of the ways to do that is to disconnect totally from the European and American cultures. Fielding questions from the audience, the prof said the more the African students knew
about African history, the more they would be in a position to break off from imperialism and neocolonialism. “The more you grab the past and present, the more it would help you to look up to the future,” he said. Also speaking, Public affairs officer, US Consulate General, Mrs. Darcy Zotter, who accompanied the guest lecturer, debunked claims that security and oil, was the only reason US has interest in Nigeria. She said Nigeria and US have strong ties in a multitude of areas, including education, health and trade and investment.
vistas of opportunities for the vulnerable members of the society especially the disabled. “To ensure maximum benefit and inclusiveness, we have made their education free, right from primary to tertiary level. This effort is to remove the burden of educational expenses off the parents of these wonderful children. By extension, it is aimed at ensuring that children with disability are given equal opportunities and empowered to broaden their vision, develop their talents, creativity and support their full potentials to capacity and to compete favourably with others in all spheres of human endeavours. I dare say that there is always ability in disability. He explained that the school will be affiliated with world
renown centres of excellence for People with Disability like the Gallaudet University and Perkins University, USA amongst others where the children will benefit from intellectual resources and global best practices of seasoned professionals on disability management and education and to also access further opportunities. “We have also recruited the desired manpower with requisite qualification and disposition to teach in these schools which are also replicated in Gudi and Keffi” he said. The school which is equipped with modern facilities to ease teaching and learning of the children, Nigerians hoped will be situated in other states in the country to help reduce out-of-school children in the country and give a chance for a brighter future to children with special needs.
Plateau NUT Commends Gov Over Pardon Of 2000 Teachers BY ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos
The Plateau State Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended the state governor, Simon Lalong for granting pardon to over 2000 teachers earlier sacked by former governor,Jonah Jang. The Union also commended him in his effort to reposition primary education sector which it said was the foundation for growth and development of education in the state. The teachers position which was made known at a state NUT executive council meeting held in Jos, also condemned a recent online publication which portray the state governor in bad light in his effort to revitalize the primary education in the state. The state executive council
meeting condemned the report which indicated that the state governor recently sacked over 741 primary school teachers in the state saying the report was misleading and viewed it as a calculated attempt to rubbish the good intentions of the governor. State Chairman of the union, Hana Ayuba who presented the position of the teachers, disclosed that on the contrary, teachers in the state have never had it so good as the governor is not only education friendly but teachers friendly too. Ayuba pointed out that the way the state governor had handled the welfare of teachers and issue relating to infrastructural development of primary schools in the state is a welcomed development.
Ambode Includes Caleb, YABATECH, FCET In 2018 RSW Prog BY ADENIYI ADUNOLA, Lagos
The Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has included students of Caleb University, Imota; Yaba College of Technology, Yaba; and the Federal College of Education Technical, Akoka among the beneficiaries in the 2018 edition of Ready.Set. Work (RSW). This was made known through a statement by his Special Adviser on Education, Obafela BankOlemoh recently. Bank-Olemoh said the inclusion of the new schools was in line with Governor Ambode’s commitment to ensuring that every student that graduates from any tertiary institution in Lagos State is prepared for the world of
work as an employer of labour or a value-adding employee. RSW is a 13-week intensive Entrepreneurship and Employability training programme set aside by the state government. Upon completion, participants are put on paid internship in partner companies while those whose business ideas are deemed best are given seed funds. Starting with 500 final year students from three Lagos State tertiary institutions in 2016, it was scaled up in 2017 to 12,000 students from six institutions including Lagos State University, University of Lagos, Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos State College of Health Technology, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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INTERVIEW 35
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We Want Rural Allowances For Teachers In C/River Reinstated – Itam Comrade Eyonsa Itam is Chairman Cross River State branch for Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT. He threatened a showdown with state government should the government fail to clear up the 7months backlog of salary arrears owed the primary school teachers in the state by the Prof. Ben Ayade’s -led administration. Itam spoke shortly after a brief meeting with the state deputy Gov, Prof. Ivara Esu who stood in for Gov. Ben Ayade at the Governor’s office in Calabar. RICHARD NDOMA cornered him for a brief interview. You and members of your executive just finished from a protracted meeting with the state Deputy Governor. Could you give me an inside of what the meeting was all about? We went there to meet over some issues affecting primary school teachers in the state and to give an ultimatum to the government to meet our demands. We met with the Deputy Governor who stood in for the governor. At the meeting we agreed on issues and the MoU will be out. We hope and pray that all the issues we agreed on will be actualized before the expiration of that ultimatum. If I may ask what were those salient issues involved in that session? There are so many issues. Some primary school teachers are being owed some money since 2016, non-implementation of promotion for both primary and secondary school teachers, non release of funds for teachers’ salary arrears, our license fee, our cooperative and above all our two months arrears of dues…. And also some of our teachers who were removed from the pay roll. Are you satisfied with the response of the deputy governor or not at all? As I said earlier, we are praying that what we have agreed on should be actualized. If that is done, there will be no problem. Tell me if you and your exco got any time frame for the implementation of your demands?
A committee has been set up to ratify some issues. It has been given a time frame to implement the demands. His excellency has solicited with us to give the government about two months to resolve the issues.
To the best of my knowledge, this government through SUBEB has supplied plastic chairs to some schools. I am not aware that school children are buying their own benches. Pin Margareth School is the only school running shift. The morning shift will go by 8am and close by 12.30pm, whereas they are supposed to close by 2pm, while the afternoon session resume by 1pm and close by 5pm. I have complained several times, even on World Teachers’ Day that pupils in that school are being robbed of man hours as they spend 4 hours rather than 7 hours a day in school. There are some government schools that are underutilized. Why can’t some crowded secondary schools occupy those schools? Schools like St Mary, Lutheran Primary School have been renovated but they are being occupied by criminals.
In the event that the issues are not resolved, what would the union do? What will you and your exco do should government decides to renege on agreement reached? The struggle continues. Can you tell me the amount of money owed the teachers by state government? There are various amounts. One is about N15 million, another is about N18 million. These are monies owed the union as deductions for cooperative dues. The teachers are being owed between one and seven months. From June 2016 to December, 2016. Some teachers are owed one month while others are owed up to seven months arrears. What is the number of teachers involved and if possible tell me the number of teachers that are owed?. We have about 20,000 teachers both in the primary and secondary schools in the state. Those being owed are primary school teachers. Former governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke renovated schools and bought desks for pupils and students. What is your impression about the present government?
Itam
In terms of school repairs, all of them performed equally. But only Duke took the welfare of our members seriously. He paid teachers all kinds of allowances, including headmaster’s allowances, principal’s allowances and rural allowances which made teachers interested to serve in the rural areas. Because the rural allowance has been stopped, teachers are now relocating from rural areas to the urban areas since there is nothing attracting them to the rural areas. We are still soliciting that the allowances should be reinstated so that the teachers could return to the rural areas. In the past teachers were lobbying to go to the rural areas but now they are lobbying to return to urban areas. What is the union doing about this situation?
When the government contracted consultants to fish out ghost workers, in the course of weeding out the ghost workers, there was confusion as some ghosts were declared teachers while some teachers were declared ghosts
You spoke about unpaid arrears for seven months. Is it the whole teachers that have not been paid? No. It is just five percent of the teachers (about 1,000 teachers) out of the 20,000 teachers in the state. When the government contracted consultants to fish out ghost workers, in the course of weeding out the ghost workers, there was confusion as some ghosts were declared teachers while some teachers were declared ghosts. Some of them are being owed for one month, some for two months and some for seven months. Those affected have been reinstated but their salaries have not been paid during the period of the confusion. We are still fighting and hope that all these issues are resolved.
Unionism Should Be About Dialogue, Not Confrontation – Ugheoke This is my candid advice for those who will be taking over leadership from me, of course, you know we have capable hands that will be able to pick up and go on with this.
The outgoing University of Abuja( UNIABUJA) Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr Benjamin Ugheoke recently bared his mind on issues bordering on unionism, his experiences and contributions made by the union in the development and growth of the tertiary education sector in Nigeria. HENRY TYOHEMBA was there. Excerpts: How would you regard unionism in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions especially in the 21th century?
It is not about blind fight, but about constructive engagement, not allowing authorities to make mistakes so you find occasion or an avenue to begin to fight them. It should be about stopping the authorities from making mistakes. It also requires taking some pro-active steps to stop the authorities from making mistakes so that is not an occasion to fight. So unionism shouldn’t be about scattering, it is about how we will bring the authorities to follow their programs and policies and how we keep them within their limits. This is my view about unionism What do you consider as the major challenges facing tertiary education in Nigeria?
The major problem of tertiary education in Nigeria is inadequate funding. I am sure that if the universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Educations, are adequately funded, the level of education will go to the height that it should be. So you will see development coming up wherever it will and everywhere, unfortunately the government is not doing this and it takes ASUU’s fight before funding attention is given to
tertiary education. If the government gives fund, you will not have occasions for all this crisis that you see especially on our tertiary education. Lecturers are not warriors, they are not militants they are civil people, but like I told you unionism in the 21st century is about fighting to ensure that the right thing is done.
Some Nigerians see ASUU, as a body that is always threatening government and going on strike. What is your view on that?
Ugheoke
So what kind of advice do you have for emerging and upcoming union activists and those likely to replace you?
At all cost, they should shun opportunism. There are very many alluring things in the office before you know it, you are in trouble, and you will become a toothless bulldog because the administration with whom you have to deal with already have records about you, so any time you want to roar, they will pull out your skeletons in the cupboard, and then you go into your shell. So emerging unionist must shun opportunism.
I want to say clearly that if it wasn’t for the struggles of ASUU today, the states of universities in You have barely two months the country to leaving office. What legacies would have are you leaving behind about been reduced unionism in UniAbuja. Well, what is there is left for people to state of prito judge, I cannot be a judge over my mary schools own case, I will say I came, I saw, as
to whether I conquered it is left for the people to say. What is your advice for the leadership that is taking over from you?
They should focus on quality leadership and providing moral support to members. This we have formed over the four years that I have been in leadership. Like I said before, they should not allow management to make mistakes so they will have opportunity to fight them but rather stopping them from making mistakes, so you don’t even have opportunities to even fight all. I want them to carry on in that same spirit, sniffing around for intentions of management, analyzing such intentions in line with the principles of the union and in the interest of the members.
First of all,I think it’s a wrong impression for anyone to think that ASUU is just there as a chief guard, or just there to appease the government. No, I want to say clearly that if it wasn’t for the struggles of ASUU today, the states of universities in the country would have been reduced to state of primary schools. Go to Enugu State, go to Zamfara State, go to many states, you will see no classroom anymore. I mean education at primary level is dead in many states and it has started to creep into the university system. If it wasn’t for the struggle of ASUU, things would have been worse than this. I look around this University of Abuja today, I see the results. The ripple effects or the positives from the struggles of 2013 till now have brought many impacts to this university to be specific. The girls’ hostel, boys’ hostel, the clinic, the theater, and lots of renovation works in the class-rooms here and there ,are some of the successes we recorded. I mean these were dreams that were not there before and would not have been there if not because ASUU went on strike. Let me tell you that in the budget of all the universities right now, you cannot find the capital grants anymore.
36 NEWS
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
FG To Invest In Modular Refineries Envoy Commends Air Peace For (CBN), International Finance very sure of doing the business Corporation (IFC) and Nigerian without being interfered in one Connecting To African Countries Sovereign Investment Authority way or the other.
BY FESTUS OKOROMADU, Abuja
The Federal Government says it will support investment in the construction of modular refineries to ensure the success of the initiative. The Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Rabiu Suleiman, disclosed this at the ongoing Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja. He added that government would also guarantee crude oil supply to modular refineries in the Niger Delta. Suleiman stated that in investing in the modular refineries, the Federal Government or any of its agencies could acquire stakes in the projects. He said the Federal Government was already in talks with a number of its agencies and likely financiers like the Central Bank of Nigeria
(NSIA) among others, to provide contributory finance to investors in modular refineries in the Niger Delta region. In addition, he also noted that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and some state governments had equally indicated their willingness to invest in the refineries and take up equity positions in them. To show government’s commitment to the modular refineries’ initiative, he noted that the government would also be granting custom duties and tax waivers to the investors to ensure the refineries projects take off and remain profitable. According to him, these were parts of government’s plans to incentivise modular refining and create jobs in the Niger Delta. He said, “Nobody wants to invest heavy amount of money in places where you are not
“ Modular refining is a small ticket business and it has very long impacts. “We have a lot of programme that will support modular refining initiative, and a lot of incentives have been put together to support this initiatives, right from customs duty waivers. “Anybody who wants to invest in modular refining in the Niger Delta is going to benefit from such custom duty waivers and tax reliefs that is being discussed at very senior level and we have reached a very serious level and that is going to happen.” he said On financing, he said government had engaged, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; Bank of Industry, we have engaged Sovereign Wealth Fund and the Infrastructure Bank. “ We have engaged a lot of them including the IFC and the rest.
BY ANTHONY AWUNOR, Lagos
Nigerian Ambassador to The Gambia Professor Oluwasegun Ibidapo-Ope has commended Air Peace for its commitment to link Nigeria to the rest of Africa and the world. Professor Ibidapo-Obe who gave the commendation on Monday, during the airline’s inaugural flights to The Gambia, Dakar, Senegal and Freetown, Sierra Leone, noted that the coming of Air Peace would strengthen bilateral relations and boost socioeconomic activities of both countries. The ambassador added that the country had a lot of potential that was waiting to be tapped by Nigerians, and expressed optimism that this would improve due to the connectivity being provided
by Air Peace. Also, Mr Lot Egopija, Minister in the Embassy of Nigeria, Dakar, said one of the main agenda of ECOWAS was to bridge the gap among its member states and Air Peace had taken the bull by its horns to put Nigeria first. Egopija said: “So, Air Peace coming into Dakar is to create access to the people of both countries and also to further the ECOWAS agreement. “Nigeria has Bi-lateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with many nations and having a population of 180 million people, it is a good way of ensuring Nigerians have access to these people and also their businesses. “Many people have preconceived notions about Nigeria and I hope that Air Peace will be able to allay their fears by connecting them to the country
to see our vast potentialities” Egopija. Receiving the Air Peace delegation at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, Mr. Balogun Koroma, minister of transportation, Sierra Leone equally commended the airline for extending operations to the country. “We are looking for inflight quality service, on-time service and adherence to our local content laws in terms of employing our people; and Air Peace has given us the assurance that they would adhere to that. “Koroma said. At the Banjul International Airport, Mr. Abdoulie Colley, director of operations, Gambian Airport Authority, assured Air Peace of the needed support to ensure hitch free operations in the country.
Psychologist Urges Counselling For Children’s Needs BY BUKOLA IDOWU, Lagos
A professor of psychology has stressed the need for parents to seek the services of family counsellors for their children to tend to their psychological needs in order for them to attain their potential.
Professor Abiodun Gesinde, of the Department of Psychology, Covenant University, speaking at the 13th Inaugural Lecture of the university said the attainment of full potentials by children is dependent on the assistance rendered by significant others
in their life such as parents, caregivers, guardian, babysitters, and teachers among others The prof in his lecture titled “Psychological Virus Undermining Children and Adolescents’ Development: The Anti-Viral In Counselling Psychology”, said as a result
of the tender nature of children, parents are expected to keep them from danger as well as make them comfortable. The professor of counseling psychology explained that babies and pre-school children, who are being emotionally abused or neglected, for instance, may
be overly-affectionate towards strangers or people they haven’t known for very a long time; lack confidence or become wary or anxious; not appear to have a close relationship with their parents; and be aggressive or nasty towards other children and animals.
“Unfolding events in the recent past both in the developed and developing nations of the world, however, indicate that what significant number of these children receive from significant others in lieu of love, care, and support is maltreatment,” he stated.
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science
300 million
Nigeria is projected to be the third largest nation in the world by 2050 just behind China and India, with a population of over 300 million people.
F E AT U R E S N E W S R E P O R T S I N T E R V I E W
FG To Engage 1,000 Farmers In Castor Value Development
T
BY NKECHI ISAAC, Abuja
It is also exploring international opportunities for castor seed development in Nigeria
he Federal Government plans to engage 1,000 farmers this year as part of its commitment to boost castor value chain development in the country The director-general of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr Husseini Doko Ibrahim, made this known in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP in Abuja. He said the council, saddled with the responsibility of promoting industrial utilisation of local raw materials, would engage the farmers under a programme to improve castor oil seeds for optimal production, which the council has been test-running in collaboration with a Chinese company, the Kong Associates Shaghai (China) Limited. The RMRDC boss, who lamented that Nigeria spends a whooping sum of $50 billion annually on castor oil importation, said the project which is ongoing had seen the multilocational trials of improved castor oil variety since 2013. He said : “At present in Nigeria more than N50 billion is expended on the importation of castor oil and its derivatives for use in different industries. In view of the high industrial potentials of the seed across several industries, the RMRDC in line with its mandates of promoting industrial utilisation of local raw materials and the development and adaptation of existing equipment by the industrial sector, found it imperative to promote production and value chain development of castor seed processing locally.
“Now, the Institute of Agricultural Research, Zaria and National Cereals Research Institute have mandates for castor seed development. While the council is collaborating with these organisations, it is also exploring international opportunities for castor seed development in Nigeria. In recognition of the need to develop local castor varieties, RMRDC collaborated with Efugo Farms owned by Chief Audu Ogbe to carry out multi-locational trials on indigenous castor varieties in Nigeria. “In the study which spanned a period of 3 years (2014 – 2016) and 6 locations among which are Zamfara, Gombe, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Ogbomoso in Oyo State, and Nasarawa states, local varieties supplied by IAR, Zaria; National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi and the Castor Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria were used. “The outcome of the study was very interesting. The three varieties developed at IAR, Zaria performed the best in all the locations. The average yield was 1.3 tonnes/hectare while those of the association and NCRI, Badeggi varieties came second and third respectively with average yields of 1.2 tonnes and 1.0 tonne respectively. Also in terms of oil yield, the varieties from IAR, Zaria had an average oil yield of 36 per cent, the association, 33 per cent and NCRI varieties 30 per cent.” Ibrahim further said the council had been collaborating with Kong Associates Shaghai (China) Limited to promote the development of varieties that could be grown in the tropics for optimal production of
seed and oil. Kong Associates in 2013 sent castor experts to Ghana to study the status of castor seed development in the country. Since then, the company has introduced more than 100 improved castor seed varieties from China to Ahafo region of Ghana for multilocational trials. In November 2017, the trials were finalised and Kong Associates has selected the most adaptable varieties to the tropics for commercial castor seed plantation development, he stated. “The commercialisation plan is to employ 1,000 farmers to plant the improved varieties by August 2018. In view of extant collaboration between RMRDC, Kong Associates and the Castor Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, the company gave Nigeria 1 tonne of seed for multi-locational trials in the country in 2017. The result of the trials that took place in Jos, Plateau State; Benin in Edo State and in Calabar, Cross River State was very encouraging. The average yield from the stands were about 1.3 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare, an improvement of about 88 per cent over local varieties presently being planted by local farmers,” he pointed out. Noting further interventions for castor oil production, Ibrahim said the council in 1995 imported a 40 tonnes per day castor oil plant that was installed in Kaduna, pointing out that the plant was the pioneer castor oil processing plant in the country. He said the plant had been able to attract investment in castor oil production in the country. “Today, there two other castor processing plants operating locally.
The first one is owned and operated by Efugo Farms in Kuje, FCT, Abuja. The farm has 2 plants; the first plant has a capacity of 1 tonne per day while the second, a relatively new plant has a capacity of 40 tonnes per day. The other processing plant is owned by Traquil Mazab Farms in Ilorin, Kwara State. The capacity is also about 1 tonne per day,” he added. He further said the council was studying the value chain of castor seed to promote its optimal development, adding it imported two castor shellers in 2017 to ease the drudgery associated with castor shelling. “One has been given to the members of Castor Producers, Processors and Marketers Association while a consortium of local engineers is currently working on the design and fabrication of the other machine locally. According to the result obtained from the study by experts, castor value chain in Nigeria is comprised of six principal players; input suppliers who supply the farmers with planting materials and technology; the farmers, who perform all the production and harvesting functions; the processors who buy the seeds to extract the oil; the marketers and exporters who buy and sell the castor seed, oil and cake and end users. “Although production and processing are still low, with promotional activities by RMRDC and other government agencies geared towards creating awareness, providing planting materials and modern process technology, there are signs of growth in this sector,” he added.
38 ISSUE
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Thuresday, February 22, 2018
Humanitarian Crises In The North East: Issues At Stake (1) BY A. A. GADZAMA Defeating the insurgency and rebuilding of the North East were major promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari at the time he took over the mantle of leadership in 2015. This of course came against the backdrop of the deteriorating insurgency situation in the North East then. It will be recalled that, substantial part of the geopolitical zone was nearly taken over by the insurgents at the time the present government came to power. The raging attacks by the insurgents then resulted in about two and half million people displaced from their communities, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. Hundreds of thousands were equally wantonly killed by the insurgents. Indiscriminate bombings was the order of the day then. Millions of people from the affected States similarly found themselves internally displaced within and outside the country. Also very devastating was, the destruction of schools, places of worship and communities. People in the geopolitical zone like other parts of the North were expectedly disillusioned by the seeming inability of the government to deal with the situation. The situation spurred them to mobilize, resulting in massively voting for Muhammadu Buhari. The belief in the insurgency- impacted communities then was, only somebody of the President’s morale standing, courage and background could help stop the senseless destruction by the insurgents and rebuild their ravaged communities. An Issue that swayed the electorate in the North East during the 2015
election was thus the lack of solution to the insurgency in the region. True to his words, the PMB Government’s major policy direction of defeating of the insurgency and rehabilitation of the region were pursued with vigour right from the onset. Since then, unbelievable successes have been recorded in the fight against the insurgency. Remarkable areas of successes are, the liberating of communities previously occupied by the insurgents in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The cells and structures of the sect in almost all places in the geopolitical zone have been decimated. Thousands of people who were abducted and held hostage have been freed. The attacks on communities, institutions, markets and places of worship that was common place have been stopped by the combined efforts of gallant Nigerian troops of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce and security agencies. As at the time of reporting, gradual peace is returning to some of the affected communities. Also hailed as very significant was, the release of some Chibok and Lassa women and girls who were abducated by the insurgents. Equally commendable is, the stopping of the wanton burning down of communities, public institutions and killing of people with IEDs. Suicide bombing which was almost a daily affair have to some extent become something of the past. Despite the enormous achievements made in the counter terrorism operations, so much however still remains to be done as the gallant troops and security
elements embark on the final push to defeat the insurgents. An area that requires serious attention is, the pursuit of the fleeing insurgents. There are reports that some of the insurgents who were previously holed up in some villages have melted away to some remote locations. This challenge is most pronounced in areas around the Sambisa forest, the Gwoza general area and communities on the shores of the Lake Chad. Other areas are, the Ngoshe-Cameroon border, the kunduga-Bama-Dikwa, as well as, Gamborou Ngala axis. Equally of serious concern are, unconfirmed reports that, the fleeing insurgents are setting up new camps in the NgosheCameroon border general area. Other areas where the presence of the fleeing insurgents have been noticed are, Maiduguri-DamboaAskira areas. Some of the dispersed insurgents have also been sighted in some remote areas around Madagali local government area of Adamawa State. As previously reported, the current situation is not unexpected. The insurgents will definitely search for remote areas where they cannot easily be discovered. They could also move to new areas beyond the North East especially in neighbouring States. These are areas for further exploitations to bring the nightmare to an end. To bring the insurgency in the North East to an end, the issue should be comprehensively looked at. In this regards, the network of terrorists and their sleeper cells should be watched out for. Also necessary for a total defeat of the insurgents is, locating and recovering their cache of
arms. There are reports that, the insurgents are in possession of large quantity of very dangerous weapons hidden in places previously held in some locations in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. Other areas of serious concern are, some places around Sambisa, Lake Chad shore communities, as well as, the notorious Kunduga-Molai areas. There are claims that, some IEDs and dangerous weapons have been buried in Madagali LGA in Adamawa State. There have also been speculations that some IEDs and mines may have been planted in some areas outside Maiduguri Municipal. The continued use of suicide bombers to attack markets, places of worship and public gatherings to some extent gives credence to these claims. Accordingly, other aspects of the ongoing operations requiring determined efforts is going after the terrorist networks in the West African Sub-region. This is in the light of earlier reports that, the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) is making in roads into the region. As previously impressed, this phase of the counter insurgency operations is crucial as there are possibilities of the situation relapsing. As previously advised also, reasonable level of alert by the security agents is required as there could be further attacks by the insurgents like the ones witnessed in a Kunduga village in Borno State and the one in Dapchi in Yobe State recently. The reported attempt to attack University of Maiduguri is also instructive. The gallant troops of the Armed Forces must also be commended for ongoing attempt to completely take over the Sambisa Forest enclave. An equally very critical advise
is, the need for public support for the very good works by the soldiers and intelligence elements. The fleeing insurgents will definitely seek for hideouts in some villages, neighborhoods and employments. Close monitoring and surveillance in areas assessed dangerous within and outside the North East is therefore advised. Other disturbing dimensions of this threat is, the reported plans by some of the insurgents to get recruited into some of the security agencies. It is advisable that, stringent vetting arrangements are put in place to frustrate such attempts. The citizenry, especially the wealthy and institutions, similarly should be cautious with those they employ as guards. On the whole, the President, security agencies and public spirited individuals should be commended for the successes recorded in the ongoing counter terrorism operations. This however is just an aspect of the war against the insurgency in the North East. This effort should be complemented with well structured deradicalization programme and addressing the factors that predispose youths to such extremism. There should also be well measured anti terrorism measures as the ongoing war cannot be won by only counter terrorism strategies. Caution should also be exercised in releasing some suspected insurgents purely on technical grounds. Proper profiling and deradicalization to prevent rejoining of the group should be put in place.
our government agencies, and by implication humans, and disappearing without trace. In passing, it must be said that the snake that deceived Eve has been rightly condemned for its role in the Fall of Man, by which is meant God’s expulsion of man and woman from the Garden of Eden for the sin of disobedience. However, I think it would be wrong not to acknowledge the silver lining in the cloud of that deceit, especially with regard to how things evolved in the post-Eden world. For, since the first couple realized that they were naked and needed to wear “clothes” after eating the fruit whose consumption the snake introduced to them through Eve, resulting in God producing “clothes” for them, it then follows that the world owes the origin of its highly lucrative textile and fashion industries to that snake, which crept limbless out of Eden and into improved versatility, possibly flicking its tongue in contempt of the curse placed on it by God. And as a proof of the improved versatility, it has since evolved from a mere fruit-plucking reptile into the only creature that can swallow its own kind whole. And what’s the use of limbs when, without them, a snake can run faster than most limbed creatures; and can climb to the top of the tallest trees
faster than most limbed creatures, for fun or in search of prey; and its menu is comprised mainly of limbed creatures including man, its sworn adversary on account of the divine curse? And when the lack of limbs has not prevented it from reaching the farthest ends of the earth? And when one of its type has evolved – a development that even Darwin should find intriguing – into the cash snake, to which I would ascribe the genus Pythonidae Moneytarius, able to swallow N36 million of public funds without distress, it becomes indisputable that its species has scored the ultimate triumph in adaptability. Which other creature can do this? Even God must be amazed that the same creature that thwarted Him in Eden has also subverted His curse by contriving to become not the eater of dust He wanted but one of earth’s most successful predatory carnivores. But there are more reasons why the cash snake should be for us an object of appreciation, besides wonder. Its feat reinforces our Central Bank’s case for a cashless economy. The snake wouldn’t have bothered about an ATM card because it would know that it would need the owner’s PIN to access the cash, and given the almost non-existent probability of its discovering the PIN let alone cashing N36 million from an ATM with the
N100,000 seal on daily withdrawals. So our Central Bank can draft the snake into its campaign for a cashless economy. Imagine how effective it would be to persuade our citizens to accept a cashless economy with the message “BEWARE OF THE CASH SNAKE! GO CASHLESS!” laid beside the image of a snake swallowing wads of Naira notes. And for those who may be wondering why a snake would swallow N36 million of public funds – even in a country so rich it sought use for money – it is to show us Nigerians that animals know the use of money unlike us, especially those living in zoos and game reserves. They know that money is useful for their feeding and for building and maintaining their cages and other facilities. So, like I said in the above epigraph, the cash snake is the one they send to hunt for cash (to fund their welfare). And we should appreciate its risking its life in the service of the animal world and what its mission says of the type of organization that exists in that world compared to our country. Also, we should be appreciative that, as it did recently by being the first country to appoint dead people to public office, ours has made history again as the country where the cash snake was first identified. – Oke, a poet, is the winner of the 2017 Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Appreciating The ‘Cash Snake’ BY IKEOGU OKE The snake that recently ‘swallowed’ N36 million kept in the offices of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Markudi was not the first of its kind to interfere that remarkably in the affair of humans. In the Garden of Eden, one of its ancestors, a snake that could speak and was full of guile, played the key role in The Fall of Man. As stated in the book of Genesis, it managed to convince Eve, Adam’s wife, to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in disobedience to God, even after God had warned the first couple that they would die any day they ate the fruit. Think of a snake so cunning and mischievous that it could convince the matriarch of humanity to eat what would then amount to the fruit of suicide! The encounter between Eve and the snake took place in Adam’s absence. And as soon as she reunited with Adam she offered him the forbidden fruit and managed to convince him to eat it. And both, having eaten it, realized that they were naked, to God’s chagrin. And for foiling what seemed to have been God’s plan to keep humanity in an ideal place, a garden, a pristine bower of innocence where humans would roam naked like other
animals, the snake, you might say, got its comeuppance. God cursed it, together with man and woman. God declared that it would thenceforth live without limbs. “Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field;” God fumed. “On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life.” God also ruled that the snake’s offspring and those of humans would always be at loggerheads. And that the snake’s descendants would bite those of humans whenever the opportunity presents itself, and the descendants of humans crush the heads of the snake’s offspring underfoot as often as possible. Over the intervening millennia millions of casualties, dead or injured, have piled up on both sides of this endless confrontation between humans and snakes. And not a few snakes have strangled humans and swallowed them whole like the JAMB cash, even though there is no record, to my knowledge, of any human having swallowed a whole snake, dead or alive. So, between snakes and humans, we should know who is winning the war, especially in terms of enacting the bizarre, even without any snake having taken it to the point of swallowing millions of cash belonging to one of
– Gadzama OFR, mni, is former director-general, State Security Services (SSS) TO BE CONTINUED
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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Thuresday, February 22, 2018
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44 FEATURE
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Telecoms, ICT Backbone Of Corporate Good Governance - Danbatta
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ommunication has made great and impressive strides in our national economic landscape over the past 16 years but given advances in communication’s innovations and their impact on the sector, the need of society for communication has become more imperative than it was say in 2001. The advent of broadband, LTE and Internet of Things (IoT) has made the need for focused development more urgent than ever. Adherence to good corporate governance creates a focus on value creation proposition that leads to sustainable growth and stability in the telecom ecosystem. The World Bank Report of 2017 which saw Nigeria move 24 points in the international ladder on that body’s index on ease of doing business corroborates this point. The Federal Government’s deliberate efforts under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) geared towards creating transparent business investment environment which will be attractive to potential investors gave birth to the initiative on ease of doing business in the plan. Speaking at a zonal sensitisation workshop on the code of corporate governance for the telecoms industry with the theme, “Telecommunications at the threshold of data revolution, the place of good corporate governance as enabler for its speedy attainment”, in Kano, the executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, identified telecommunication and ICT as the backbone that grow good corporate governance. He described ICT as pivotal to the growth and sustainability of macroeconomic activities, even as he identified stability and operational integrity as a growth vehicle critical to success, stressing that “communications being the backbone on which that growth will leverage, the telecommunications sector and its regulator have to lead in ways and means that will build the confidence needed to drive the volume of investment and capital that will be needed to not only ensure attainment but sustain it.” The foregoing, according to the NCC boss, speaks to the central and pivotal role of the telecoms sector to the overall attainment of our national developmental objectives, hence the need for the sector to lead in integrity, transparency, accountability and ethically, which are the values espoused and promoted by the principles of the code. He said: “In appreciation of the relevance of our sector to the attainment of those objectives, the regulator is committed to deliver
Telecom masts
regulatory excellence and facilitate operational efficiency, geared towards making the sector attractive to drive the level of investment and capital inflow needed.” He noted that while current evaluation report of the state of the industry suggests that whilst not understating the impact of other external and fiscal issues confronting the sector, most challenges negatively affecting the health of operators in the sector today are attributable to poor governance issues, adding the commission was determined to provide needed regulatory interventions to ensure that the sector effectively discharges its mandates. “It is currently rejigging its regulatory oversights in the areas of ensuring that consumers get cost effective value for money spent on telecommunication services; and that service delivery by providers are qualitative and efficient. In this regard it had declared the year 2017 as ‘Year of the Telecoms Consumer’ and implemented several initiatives targeted at refocusing the
consumer as the fulcrum of the industry. “Towards empowering the consumer, the commission initiated the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility and the short code 2442 as toll free portal to moderate incidences of unsolicited messages. It also hyped its second level consumer complaint toll-free line short code 622 towards addressing unresolved consumer complaints on service failures. Issues of quality of service and factors affecting it are being aggressively tackled including by means of engagement with the tiers of government to address issues of security, right of way, multiple taxation and multiple regulation, etc.,” he added. He further said the commission had engaged international consultancies for the review of the mobile termination rate (MTR) and international termination rate (ITR) and also for the determination of cost-based pricing for retail broadband and data services in pursuit of its defined goal of regulatory operational efficiency. According to him, the initiatives are geared
towards ensuring transparency in all areas of the telecommunications service value chain by ensuring that tariffs are competitive and fair. Emerging from the cost based study of mobile termination rate, a new rate regime is to come into effect from March 1, 2018. “The regulator is benchmarking its performance standards to international best practices as a means of bolstering sector and international confidence. It is our expectation that the sector would align fully to these operational standards to consolidate on the gains already attained and further position the sector for even more robust performance. “The regulator through the corporate governance code seeks strategic collaboration and partnership, as a vehicle for building synergy and trust to boost investor confidence through accountability and disclosure policies. Optimal compliance level could ultimately lead to sector players-selfregulation in due course.” Danbatta further stressed that the ‘Code of Corporate Governance for the Telecommunications Industry’ developed through an industry working group and presented to stakeholders in June, 2014 and was driven on voluntary compliance basis for two years up to June, 2016, is now compulsory for telecom operators, saying: “We are mandating adoption and compliance as no serious corporate entity can claim non-adherence to international best practices or non-adherence to ethical practices. The code only sets a framework to monitor actual compliance.” Earlier, the chairman of NCC Board,
Thursday, February 22, 2018
world
NEWS
19 Injured As Sri Lanka Bus Explodes Nineteen people including 12 military personnel were injured yesterday in an explosion on a bus in Sri Lanka, said the military, adding they do not know the cause but suspect it may be a bomb or grenade. Since the end of Sri Lanka’s nearly three-decade civil war in 2009 there have been no targeted attacks on the military. “There had been an explosion in a passenger bus. There are some fragments on the body of the bus. We suspect it as a bomb blast,” military spokesman Sumith Atapattu told Reporters. “The investigations underway to find out the details.” Atapattu said seven army and five air force personnel along with
seven civilians were injured in a fire following the explosion on the passenger bus which operated from northern Jaffna peninsula to central town of Diyathalawa, where one of the main military training centers is located. Sri Lanka ended a 26-year separatist war in May 2009 defeating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who fought to carve out a separate state for ethnic minority Tamil’s in the far north of the Indian ocean island nation. Tamil Tiger rebels commonly used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target civilians and military personnel during the civil war, which killed at least 100,000 people.
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45
N’Korea Cancels Planned Meeting With Pence US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans canceled at the last min “North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,” Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights
abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, “they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,” Ayers said. Pence was going to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, and the nominal head of state, Kim Yong Nam, but the North Koreans called off the Feb. 10 meeting two hours before it was set to start, a U.S. official said, confirming a story first reported by the Washington Post. The encounter would have been the first scheduled between senior officials from the Trump
administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over the North’s development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States. “The President made a decision that if they wanted to talk, we would deliver our uncompromising message. If they asked for a meeting, we would meet. He also made clear that until they agreed to complete denuclearization we weren’t going to change any of our positions or negotiate,” Ayers said, echoing comments made by Pence since he left the Olympics and other U.S. officials.
Isreal’s PM Confidant Ready To Testify On Alleged Corruption A confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to provide testimony on behalf of the state about alleged corrupt dealings between the government and the country’s biggest telecoms group, Israeli media reported yesterday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he speaks during an inauguration ceremony for a fortified emergency room at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Shlomo Filber, who was arrested this week along with top executives at Bezeq Telecom (BEZQ.TA), had been a personal appointment of Netanyahu’s to head the Communications Ministry. Police now suspect Bezeq received regulatory benefits, and in return, Netanyahu received
favorable media coverage on a popular news website that is also controlled by Bezeq’s former chairman. The Bezeq executives have denied the allegations. Israel’s Ynet news website reported that Filber has now agreed to testify for the state in the case, a development that could further complicate things for Netanyahu as he battles mounting corruption allegations. Israeli authorities were not immediately available to confirm that a deal with Filber had been reached. On Tuesday, police alleged that Netanyahu’s former spokesman tried to bribe a judge to drop a fraud case against Netanyahu’s wife. Netanyahu himself is suspect in two other investigations.
Trump Pushes For Ban On Gun ‘Bump-Stocks’ US President Donald Trump has signed an order to ban bumpstock devices, which were used by a gunman who killed 58 Las Vegas concert-goers last year. Such devices enable a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute. Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said he had directed the justice department to propose a law to make the accessories illegal. The gun control debate took on a new urgency after 17 people were killed at a school in Florida last week. Mourners attended the funeral
of Florida victim Peter Wang, 15. Students and parents affected by the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are planning a demonstration in the state capital of Tallahassee yesterday. Some of them arrived on Tuesday in time to see the state legislature reject a proposed ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. However it will consider a package of more limited gun restrictions. These Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students boarded a bus in Coral Springs.
R-L: Sebastian Tupkop (Aestle Nigerian Air Force Holding Company); Archdiocese of Abuja, John Onaiyekan; Hon. Abike Dabiri - Erewa (Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora); Mr. M. Jean-Michel Dumond, France Ambassador to Nigeria at Ufuk dialogue 4th international conference on love & tolerance with the theme: “Countering Violence Extremism” recently in Abuja
Britain Set To Discuss Brexit Transition With EU Britain wants to discuss the length of any post-Brexit transition period with the European Union, but believes that around two years should be enough time to prepare “new processes” and “new systems”, according to a draft paper. Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to seal a deal with the EU on a transition period in March this year, to offer companies some certainty a year before Britain is due to leave the bloc, and has repeatedly said it should not drag on indefinitely. But EU officials say they doubt whether Britain will be ready to
make a full break by Brussels’ proposed date of Dec. 31, 2020, and are preparing for a much longer goodbye. In a draft paper responding to the EU’s guidelines for the transition period, May’s government said the timeframe “should be determined simply by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems that will underpin the future partnership”. “The UK agrees this points to a period of around two years, but wishes to discuss with the EU the assessment that supports its proposed end date,” it said. May’s spokesman said the
statement did not mean Britain wanted to extend what May calls an ‘implementation phase’, but rather that the government wanted to question the EU’s position that the end of the transition should coincide with the end of the bloc’s current seven-year budget period. “There is nothing remotely new,” he told reporters. The EU and Britain had been expected to agree to a largely status-quo transition quite quickly, but Barnier said this month that a deal was “not a given” after accusing London of bringing up “substantial” objections to the bloc’s offer.
I Inherited A Broke Country – Weah Liberia’s new president George Weah has said he inherited “a country that is very broke, depleted a political malfeasance”, reports AFP news agency. The former footballer, who is currently in France, said he ordered a complete audit “to make sure that what belongs to the government goes to the
government”. Speaking on his first official trip abroad as president, he said healthcare and education are lacking: I believe in education. Yes, I didn’t have the opportunity in my early days but after my carrier I went back to school. Today I can boast of a masters degree.
Liberia is the oldest African country but we don’t have an engineering school. We don’t even have a diagnosis centre to tell if someone has Ebola.” Mr Weah took over as president from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January. Earlier this month she won the $5m (£3.6m) Ibrahim prize for African Leadership.
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Thursday, February 22 2018
CONTE: Chelsea Sack Talk
UMOTONG Dumps England For Super Falcons
Doesn’t Bother Me
BY WALE AYENI, Abuja.
England-based striker Ini Umotong has revealed that Super Falcon’s playing style suits her more than that of the English side after being invited by Nigeria for the Alanya Women’s Tournament scheduled to kick off from March The eight times African champions Falcons will participate in the tournament which is expected to feature 12 countries including Mexico, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, France and a host of others. The 23-year-old plays for Brighton & Hove Albion in the second division of women’s football in England and they are currently third in the league standings with 16 points from eight matches, seven points adrift of leaders Doncaster Rovers Belles who have played one game more. “It was a feeling of shock, excitement and anxiousness. I was so excited, as I’ve been waiting for a call-up for a long time and it was really emotional,” Umotong told Brighton’s official website. “The new coach Thomas Dennerby emailed me, and my heart skipped a beat when I found out that it had all been confirmed.” “My family were very happy and proud once they found out, and I’m so pleased with how it’s all turned out.” Umotong has one senior cap to date and revealed how playing internationally is different from club football. “I’ve been called up twice before. I have one official cap and I was called up to the Nigeria squad for the World Cup in 2015, but didn’t make any appearances,” she added. “It was definitely the best experience of my career so far and I just turned 21 at the time. I played against Mali in Mali for my debut in February 2015. “The playing style is completely different, but I loved it as it was really fastpaced and physical. It was a playing style I adapted to and took back to my playing club. I learned so much being around that standard.”
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Antonio Conte reiterated that he intends to see out the remainder of his Chelsea contract and says speculation the club will dismiss him at the end of this season is “no problem” as he thrives on pressure. There remains an expectation that Conte and Chelsea will part ways this summer despite his contract at Stamford Bridge running until 2019, following months of tension with the club hierarchy over transfer policy. Speaking after a Champions League round of 16 first leg draw with Barcelona on Tuesday, Conte said that he has no desire to cut short his time in charge of Chelsea, but admitted that the decision of
whether or not he stays ultimately rests with the club. “I’ve said it very clearly: I’ve got a contract until 2019 and I intend to respect this, but you know anything can happen in football,” he told Mediaset. “It takes two to be happy and continue a marriage. Our work is unique because we’ve always got our suitcase in our hands. My intention is to respect my contract, but if something were to happen, it would open up different scenarios.” Conte’s achievements with Juventus and Chelsea would make him one of the most desirable coaches on the market in a summer when several big jobs could become available.
Why I’ll Not Take Enyeama To World Cup - Rohr Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr has finally ruled out the possibility of including Lille of France goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama on his 23-player roster for the 2018 World Cup. The German pointed out that the veteran goalkeeper has been inactive for his French club since the start of this season, a similar status former Netherlands international Winston Bogarde found himself in the last two years of his career at Chelsea. ‘’He is not playing anywhere, so we cannot take players who are not playing,’’ Rohr told reporters at the Aiteo/Nigeria Football Federation Awards on Monday.
A good deed is never lost.
‘’ We are working hard to have the best of our legs taken to Russia and we don’t have the luxury of naming a player that has not been playing in recent time. ‘’Each time we have a problem, there is always a good answer and I hope it will be the same for the World Cup. ‘’We currently have so many players in camp and we want to continue monitoring them. The most important thing is for them to be in best shape for the Mundial.’’ Enyeama last played for the first team of Lille on April 15, 2017, when he lasted 65th minute on the pitch against Rennes in the Ligue 1.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
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SPORTS 47
Niger Tornadoes Sack Erasmus Onuh As Coach
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS:
Gbinije, Nwamu, Iroegbu Out Of D’Tigers Squad
Nigeria’s senior national men basketball team, D’tigers will be without the trio of Ike Nwamu, Ikechukwu Iroegbu and Mike Gbinije in Mali, when they get their 2019 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers underway against Uganda in Mali, tomorrow. As per bballnaija.
com players, who play in the NBA G League for Sioux Fa l l s
Osimhen Should Consider Quitting Wolfsburg – Chrisantus Former Nigerian youth international, Macauley Chrisantus has advised Victor Osimhen to consider leaving German side Wolfsburg for the sake of his career growth. Osimhen has struggled to nail a permanent shirt in the team of Wolfsburg since turning professional over a year ago, but Chrisantus isn’t bothered about his lack of game time rather the constant managerial changes going on at the club. Martin Schimdt left the German side yesterday after a little over two months at the helm as replacement for former Arsenal Academy coach Andries Jonker who started the season as coach of the team. Since turning professional, Osimhen has worked under four coaches in just over a year, and Chrisantus reckons that was same experience he suffered at Hamburg when he joined the team at
around s a m e age like Osimhen. ” The constant change in managers won’t help the progress of Osimhen. I endured same at Hamburg and it’s a case of starting afresh when a new manager comes in. And as a youngster the process of winning the trust of your new coach puts you under undue pressure”, Chrisantus told Owngoalnigeria.com. Now at Spanish third division side Real Murcia, the 27 year old forward told Owngoalnigeria.com in an interview on the 12th of September 2016 that he wasted six years of his career at Hamburg. He appears to have found his bearing with one goal to his name from three games for promotion chasing Murcia.
The management of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Niger Tornadoes has announced the immediate sack of the side technical adviser, Erasmus Onuh. The former Heartland coach was engaged at the start of the on-going Nigerian top-flight after the incumbent, Abubakar Bala was relieved of his job. The former ABS FC coach guided the side through nine matches with one away win, two home wins, four away losses and two home defeats earning nine points from possible 27. The Ikon Allah Boys chief coach, Hamza Abara has been asked to immediately take charge of the team’s affair in interim capacity pending the appointment of a substantive head coach. Statement issued by the management after Tuesday’s meeting stated that the technical adviser, Erasmus Onuh was relieved of his job due to unsatisfactory results in the on-going top-flight. “After due consultation during the management meeting this Tuesday the management agreed to sack the technical adviser, Erasmus Onuh. “This is due to the club performance recently which the management is not comfortable about. “Our chief coach, Hamza Abara has been notified to take charge of the team immediately pending the time we search for a coach suitable for the position of the technical adviser. “We wish Erasmus Onuh the best in his future endeavours,” said the statement.
Skyforce, Agua Caliente Clippers and Santa Cruz Warriors respectively, stayed back in the United States. Both Nwamu and Iroegbu are awaiting NBA call up after the All Star Weekend while Gbinije was not released by his team. The Basketball Federation also dropped all three home based players Eli Abraham, AbdulWahab Yakubu and Musa Usman Mohammed from the final 12-man list. Nigeria will take on hosts Mali, Uganda and Rwanda in Bamako from February 2325, in an attempt to secure a place in the 12- team seco n d round of the Afric a n Qualifiers. Nigeria opens their World Cup African Qualifiers against Uganda, tomorrow. A day later, they will go up against Rwanda before facing Mali on Sunday, February 25.
IWOBI: I’m Still Learning From Ozil, Mkhitaryan
Arsenal and Nigeria forward Alex Iwobi says he is far from the finished product and is still learning from Gunners teammates such as Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Despite the arrival of Mkhitaryan and Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the January transfer window, Iwobi has remained a regular under manager Arsene Wenger. “I’m still learning, I’m still young. I’m still learn-
ing from the lads like Mesut Ozil and Mkhitaryan. Every time I play, I am grateful,” said Iwobi to The Mirror. Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the Champions League next season appear to hinge on them winning the Europa League, but Iwobi insists they can still reach the premier continental competition by finishing in the top four of the Premier League - despite being eight points off their target.
Erasmus
Ikowem Bags Young Player Of The Year Award
Ikouwem Udoh has been named the best young player in the country by the Nigeria Football Federation. The award marks a significant milestone in the rise of the defender who, up until a year ago, was a member of the Enyimba youth team. It caps what has been a memorable year for the 18-year-old, who only made his debut for the senior team of the People’s Elephant in the 2017 NPFL season. The youngster would go on to make 10 appearances over the course of the season, excelling in both his defensive and attacking responsibilities from left-back. In acknowledgement of his performances, he received a call-up from the Super Eagles in December for the Championship of African Nations held in Morocco, and made three appearances, helping Nigeria to a best-ever finish at the CHAN. He beat off competition from FC Zurich’s Stephen Odey and forward Nura Mohammed to claim the prize at the Award Ceremony in Lagos.
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The Northern Dilemma
The Thursday Column Abba Mahmood
here are a lot of myths about the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form Nigeria in 1914. With no facts, many demagogues and anarchists have been spreading so much falsehood that the amalgamation by the British was to subsidize an economically “unviable” north with “southern” resources. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, it is the other way round as we will soon see with proof from the colonialists themselves. Those spreading the lies have forgotten that Nigeria struck oil only in 1958 and even then it was in very small quantity – 60,000 barrels per day then. In the book, An African Survey, A Study of Problems Arising in Africa South of the Sahara, published in 1938, the author, Lord Hailey wrote thus: “Kano Emirate which covers an area of 13,000 square miles, and contains a population of about 2,000,000 people, was the most important of the northern native administrations. It had in 1936/7 an estimated revenue of 206,720 Pounds, of which
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£173,600 came from its share of the tax collected in its area, and the remainder from various fees and dues”. “No other native authority in the Northern Provinces approaches the exceptional position of Kano. The nearest are Sokoto with an estimated revenue in 1936/7 of £95,350; Katsina with £75,662; and Bornu with £58,601; at the other end of the list are four administrations with an income of less than £1,000, the lowest being Ilor(in) with £635”, Lord Hailey continued. “In the Southern Provinces, the most wealthy of the treasuries are Ibadan and Egba (Abeokuta) with annual revenues exceeding £83,000 and £68,000 respectively, the next largest being Ijebu, Oyo and Benin with annual revenues exceeding £50,000, £27,000 and £25,000 respectively. 23 of the Southern native treasuries have in 1936/7 an estimated income of less than £1,000 and 3 having only £156”, he further wrote in that book. So which resourceful south are they talking about? It must be realized that colonial rule is not about benevolence. Colonialism
Abdullahi
was purely driven by economic factors – getting raw materials for the colonial power’s industries and getting market for their finished products. Every other thing was secondary. That was why the British constructed the railways to the north immediately after the conquest of the north – to get access to the agricultural products and solid minerals of the north and to get market for the British products coming from British companies – UAC, John Holt etc. The north was the main revenue generating region as can be seen from Lord Hailey’s book quoted above. And the revenue was based on taxes paid by the people as well as taxes paid on products of farms and mines. Due to the fact that the north was the economic backbone of Nigeria, many southerners came up north during the colonial era in search of greener pastures. It was not a coincidence that virtually all the major southern political actors during the colonial and even post colonial times were born in the north. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Emeka Ojukwu, Bola
Ige, Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Jim Nwobodo, among others were all born in the north. During the late colonial and early post colonial era, the Ministers of Lagos Affairs were Alhaji Mahmudu Ribadu and Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua. They developed Lagos and laid the foundation that subsequently made Lagos what it is now. When oil was discovered in the Niger Delta, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister of Nigeria, set up the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) to specifically address the development needs of that region even at that initial time. The first Chairman of that NDDB was Alhaji Ahmadu Ribadu, the father of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. What this implies is the fact that there were conscious efforts by these leaders to be fair and just to all. They tried to develop every section of Nigeria. Even when the military under General Murtala established the new federal capital, Abuja, every section of Nigeria was treated equally and every group was given a sense of belonging. In this era
of resource control, the land acquired from the Gbagyi to build Abuja would have cost trillions of Naira but this peace loving people were hardly compensated for their sacrifice to the nation. In fact, more than seventy percent of Abuja land is owned by others and not northerners. The indigenous people of Abuja are hardly elected or even appointed into federal government positions. This has to be addressed immediately. The rapid advances in mechanization and electronics have made matters even worse. The electric fan is a common feature in northern houses. They have learnt to switch it on and off, but know nothing about repairing or making it. At the same time, the northerners who used to make fans out of palm leaves have stopped doing so because no one needs their products any more. This process is repeated with every new modern amenity or implement which is introduced. The desire to keep up is simply not there and that is why every petty trade in the north is not controlled by northerners. This has to be addressed quickly. From 1911 when the first census was conducted by the British colonialists to the last census exercise of 2006, the north has consistently been having at least 56 percent of the population of Nigeria. However, despite this absolute population advantage, in the federal civil service today, Imo state alone has more federal workers than ten northern states combined. In fact, the north has less than 30 percent of the total federal civil servants of Nigeria never mind the visibility of ministers and permanent secretaries. This is despite the fact that there is a so-called federal character commission and federal character principle enshrined in the constitution. Indeed, even the solid minerals that northerners are boasting of, more than seventy percent of the licences issued so far
belong to non-northerners. In the field of commerce and industry, what is needed is a general awareness of their economic plight by the northerners and their leaders, and of the disaster that must befall them and the nation if they remain complacent. If the leaders are to turn their attention to leading the northerners to a better life, it will need but little effort to study the causes and prescribed the remedies. The truth must be told and told in no uncertain terms. The northerners must be aware of their own faults as much as the faults of others. Poverty leads to poor education. Poor education perpetrates more poverty. Somewhere the vicious cycle has to be broken, and a rich country like Nigeria would stand accused of moral irresponsibility if she did not subsidize the education of the poor. Without education and skills acquisition, the north cannot compete. The northern dilemma is whether they should continue to hold the horns for others to keep milking and stop trying to help themselves in order that they should be proud to be poor citizens of a prosperous country. History is on the side of the oppressed.
GHANA MUST GO Obasanjo, Jonathan reconcile
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