3rd August,2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,559 WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST, 2016 www.tribuneonlineng.com

Downturn in Nigeria's economy affecting neighbouring countries —Beninoise president —P6

Nigerian Tribune

OPC members storm Ikorodu in —P7 107 buses to battle suspected militants

@nigeriantribune

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Nigerian Tribune

N150

We are still searching for 5 policemen abducted in Rivers —CP

Alleged budget padding

—P38

Police begin investigation

—P4

•To invite House principal officers •As APC meets Jibrin

Nigeria accounts for over 70% of 500 million illicit weapons in W/Africa —UN —P4

Buhari nominates Olabiyi Durojaiye as NCC chairman From left, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah; Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode; President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo and the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, during the visit of the Togolese president to Dangote Refinery, at Lekki Free Trade Zone, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

•Appoints Adegbuyi Postmaster-General —P6

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Dangote refinery will resolve fuel supply challenge in West Africa, create jobs — Ambode •As Togolese President visits Lagos, inspects refinery •FG working to create more Dangotes— Minister Bola Badmus - Lagos

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AGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that the largest single line refinery in the world being developed at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) by Africa’s richest man and business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, will positively change the face of oil and gas business in the West African region.

This was as he said it would also resolve fuel supply challenge and create jobs.

Governor Ambode, who spoke on Tuesday, at the LFTZ during an extensive inspection tour of the Dangote Refinery by the Togolese President, Mr Faure Gnassingbe, described the project as another confirmation that Lagos was a prime investment destination.

According to him, the refinery eloquently attested to the fact that there was a positive investment climate

in Lagos, which had resulted in massive investor confidence.

Other eminent dignitaries who participated in the tour included former governors of Ogun, Ekiti and Cross River states— Segun Osoba, Niyi Adebayo and Donald Duke, respectively; billionaire businessman and chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Mr Femi Otedola; members of the Lagos State Executive Council, among others.

“This investment (Dangote Refinery) is one of the biggest in Africa today and will have a huge impact on the economy of not only Nigeria, but the whole of West African region.

“This refinery, when completed, will be the largest single line refinery anywhere in the world, refining 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

“Apart from creating jobs, this refinery will contribute immensely to solving the fuel supply challenge in the West African region,” Gov-

ernor Ambode said.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the level of work done on the project so far, saying he was happy that a lot of progress had been made.

He commended Dangote for his vision, doggedness and unwavering desire to contribute positively to the growth of the Nigerian economy, as well as his confidence in the Lagos economy.

Governor Ambode, who said aside the fact that the project confirmed the positive investment climate in Lagos which had resulted in massive investor confidence, also strongly believes that the future prosperity of West Africa was in collaboration between government and investors.

He said this was the reason his administration had been working hard to encourage investment in the State.

The governor reiterated that Lagos was home to all

nations, races and creeds, including substantial Togolese population, adding: “I’m positive that we are providing them with the opportunities to get ahead in their endeavours.”

Governor Ambode said as a prominent Head of State in the West African region, he was not oblivious of the interest of President Gnassingbe in the Dangote Refinery, adding that the project was one of the emerging opportunities in Lagos State.

While inviting Togolese investors to take advantage of the positive investment climate in Lagos, Ambode assured that Lagos State was open for businesses and that his administration, in a bid to encourage investment, had massively invested in infrastructure and security of lives and property.

“Lagos is open for business. We are open to collaboration with the Togolese government and investors to move our two

countries forward.

“Our government is investing massively in creating infrastructure which will support businesses and individuals. We have made huge investment in security and we will continue to ensure that the lives and property of all citizens are secured.

“We will remain partner in progress with all our investors. Our desire is for investors to invest in Lagos, grow their businesses, create wealth and jobs for our people and ultimately grow our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) positively,” Governor Ambode said.

Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, said the Dangote Refinery project could best be described as a partnership between private sector and government at its best.

Enelamah commended Dangote for being not only Nigerian champion, but

champion of Africa, with his massive investments and re-investments, which according to him, were creating jobs and growing the economy.

“We need champions and Dangote is a Nigerian champion; he is an African champion; he is also a role model.

“We need many examples and with the repositioning that the Federal Government is doing, we are going to see many more examples,” Enelamah said.

On his part, Dangote commended President Gnassingbe for finding out time to inspect the refinery, adding that he was happy with the interest and encouragement being received over the project.

Apart from the refinery, there is also petrochemical, fertilizer and gas plant with daily production capacity of three billion cubic feet of gas which are being developed by the Dangote Group, all in one location.

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Alleged budget padding: Police begin investigation •To invite House principal officers •As APC meets Jibrin From Chris Agbambu, Kolawole Daniel and Ebenezer Adurokiya

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HE Nigeria Police, on Tuesday, commenced full investigation into the padding of 2016 budget as alleged by the former chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Jibrin had, on Monday, submitted a petition to the acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, indicting the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and 13 members of the House.

An Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police is heading the crack team of investigators.

Jibrin was seen by the Nigerian Tribune at the Force Headquarters on Monday. with his team of lawyers making his statement before the investigating team.

An informed police source revealed authoritatively that the investigation was going on fine and that whenever he is needed, he will be invited.

According to the source, Jibrin spent over two hours with the investigating team before he left the Force Headquarters.

The informed source said they were making headway into the case as Jibrin had finally realised that it was the police that had the constitutional powers to investigate such cases.

The source added that Jibrin had made useful statement and was cooperating with the police and very soon, the principal officers of the House would be invited.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national officers from the North, on Tuesday, grilled the former chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin for about four hours behind closed doors.

The meeting was held at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja.

The APC leaders who met with the lawmaker included APC National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni; Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu; the party’s National Vice Chairman, North-West, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir and the National Treasurer, Alhaji Bala Gwagwarwa.

The meeting, it was learnt, centred on the allegation of budget padding made against the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara;

Deputy Speaker, Honourable Yusuf Lasun; Chief Whip, Honourable Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor.

The lawmaker who arrived at the party’s National Secretariat around 2.00 p.m. in a white flowing agbada and white cap, was escorted by security operatives.

After the closed-door session, Senator Shuaibu confirmed to newsmen that the lawmaker was summoned “in respect of what is going on in the House of Representatives, which you people know more than all of us.”

He noted that the summon was for Honourable Jibrin “to come and brief the party,” stressing that “hon-

estly speaking, we never thought it would be covered by the media.”

Speaking further, Senator Shuaibu added that we “summoned him, the National Secretary of the party and the National Vice Chairman of his zone to sit to discuss; there is nothing like passing any judgment on any member of the party.

We only played our role as the umpire in this matter, to see how we can create some atmosphere of peace and unity among our members.

“I was reading today in your paper that we called him to discipline him; discipline him over what? Whatever happens in the House of Representatives or the

Senate under the constitution and their rules they are immune.

“But when certain things go (happen) of course, the party needs to call its members to know how best to unite any feuding members and that is exactly what we did.

“What we did actually was that we heard from him.

We have heard earlier from the Speaker, but because it was not in the newspapers, like you just went and published nobody knew we held a meeting with the Speaker.

“I want to say what we discussed honestly speaking, was to get a better brief, because we have to be carried along.

“They are our members, we should know from them directly what is really going on, so that we can see how we can handle the situation without necessary making it a town square dance.

“We are discussing with them and it is an ongoing consultation, we are not done with them, we sat with the Speaker, we just finished sitting with him and we would continue to sit with him,” he stated.

On his part, Honourable Jibrin said “I am here on the invitation of our great party, the APC we discussed extensively on the crisis in the House of Representatives.

“We will continue to discuss and engage ourselves, I

Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, flanked by the national secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mai Mala Buni (left) and the deputy national chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu, at the APC national secretariat, on Tuesday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI

Nigeria accounts for over 70% of 500 million illicit weapons in W/Africa —UN THE United Nations (UN) has raised the alarm over the illicit proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria, with over 350 million and 70 per cent of estimated 500 million of such weapons said to be circulating in West Africa domiciled in the country.

Director of United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), Ms Olatokunbo Ige, gave this startling statistics at the ongoing national consultation on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) in Abuja, organised by the agency and Presidential Committee on Smalls Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM).

Ige said the country was awash with illicit weapons which had found its way into unauthorised hands on nonstate actors that were threatening the existence of the country, as well as lives and properties of the people.

She said: “The illicit proliferation of SALW has had a dramatic impact on peace and security in Africa, threatening not only the existence of the state, but also the livelihoods of millions of people across the continent.

“Nigerian is one of the countries that is experiencing some of the most devastating effects of the proliferation of SALW as a result of spill over effect of the recent crises in Libya and Mali, as well as unresolved internal conflicts in different parts of the country, especially in the North-East, Niger Delta and Southern regions.

“While reliable data on the numbers of these weapons circulating freely in the country is unavailable, analysts have in recent times estimated that of the about 500 million weapons that may be circulating in West Africa in 2010, some 70 per cent of these could be found in Nigeria,” she added.

She warned that “as alarming as these figures seem, it is very clear that if left unchecked, this scourge will not only jeopardise the developmental gains achieved over the last 50 years, but will also impede the nation’s capacity to achieve its developmental targets and therefore, negatively impact on the future generations.”

According to Ige, this had highlighted more than ever before the critical need not only to control the flow of arms in the non-state sector, but also the state-owned actors through the effective management of the armoury and weapon stockpiles.

“It is widely acknowledged that one the major factors contributing to the illicit proliferation of arms is the ineffective stockpile management,” she noted.

The UNREC boss stressed that unsecured stocks and ineffectively managed stockpiles were a major contribut-

ing factor to the trafficking and diversion of arms into the illicit market and their subsequent flow to the terrorists and other criminal groups like Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants.

She said part of the activities programmed under the PSSM in the Sahel project in the context of the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) is to support security and stability in the region.

Ige explained that the project, which is funded by the EU has been developed jointly by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) for the benefit of the six Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.

“This project aims to support states in the region to prevent diversion and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, by improving the PSSM of national stockpiles,” she stated. continues I pg6

will continue to honour the invitation of our party and I am sure that whatever it is we decide, you will know in the due course.”

In a related development, Elder statesman and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, on Tuesday, came down heavily on members of the National Assembly, describing the alleged budgeting padding as sacrilegious.

Clark, who also described them as insensitive to the plight of Nigerians with their ostentatious lifestyle, expressed confidence in the anti-corruption posture of President Mohammadu Buhari.

The elder statesman urged Nigerians to rally round the anti-corruption efforts of the President.

Chief Clark made this known while receiving the management team of Edwin Clark University (ECU), Kiagbodo in Delta State, led by its vice chancellor, Professor Timothy Olagbemiro, at his Warri residence.

The Ijaw leader wondered why legislators, who were saddled with the responsibility of making laws will now turn around to insert extraneous projects in budgets.

He added that it was now obvious that educated people were the ones institutionalising corruption in the country.

“These unpatriotic legislatures must be brought to book on why they have been padding budgets with projects and figures not approved by the House. They are ordering cars that sell at N17 million for N57 million.

They are being delivered now.

“To them, Nigeria is not the focus. They must get everything for themselves.

The country will have to be cleaned and I am happy we have a president, despite every other thing, who has now stood up to fight corruption and we should him.

“This country will progress if we reduce corruption to the barest minimum,” the Ijaw leader noted.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancllor of ECU, Professor Timothy Olagbemiro, lauded the chancellor of the university, Chief Clark, for the standard the university had attained within the short time of its existence.

He informed Chief Clark that the university had been accredited by the National University Commission (NUC) and the Council of Legal Education respectively, to offer law degree programme in the institution.

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We’ll stabilise power supply, Buhari assures Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration is working hard to ensure that power supply is stabilised in the country.

He said at a joint press briefing with visiting President of Togo, Faure Gnasingbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, that stabilising power supply was necessary, because of its effect on other sectors of the economy.

He assured that Nigeria had both the resources and the technical expertise to achieve the goal.

Buhari said: “We have power problem and Benin Republic has power problem because they depend on us and we are working very hard to stabilise the situation.

“The resources are available, the technology is available, we are trying to stabilise the situation.

“If we improve power, which means our productivity can be competitive and God willing, we are going to achieve our objectives.”

Buhari revealed that both leaders also discussed the situation in South Sudan and Burundi, which he said was depressing.

According to him, “we also discuss the unfortunate incidents in South Sudan, Burundi. It is an agonising situation. Several citizens are living under primitive conditions.

“We hope at the African Union (AU) meeting we will be able to stabilise the situation in South Sudan and Burundi with the efforts being made.”

Commenting on Faure’s visit to Dangote Petrochemical plant on Lagos, the president praised the efforts of private investors.

He said: “They say seeing is believing. You can see the efforts private investors is doing. We are also building

pipelines, but is not as formidable as what Dangote

is doing. We are improving on it.

“We also have the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas

President Muhammadu Buhari (right), introducing members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to the visiting president of Republic of Benin, Mr Patrice Talon, at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Leon Usigbe - Abuja THE present downturn in the Nigerian economy was affecting neighbouring countries negatively, President of Benin Republic, Patrick Talon, has said.

Speaking after a closeddoor meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, he described Nigeria as the engine room of West Africa, urging it to explore its non-oil sectors in order to increase its revenue profile, which he observed had dwindled as a result of falling oil prices.

He observed that Nigeria had relied too much on crude oil revenue while ignoring other potential revenues sources.

Talon revealed that both leaders centred their discussion on security and economy, adding that his country was looking forward to reactivating the existing bilateral

relationship between Benin and Nigeria, especially in the areas of trade relations, economy, energy development and education.

He said Benin would cooperate with Nigeria to end the current illegal trade

going on between the two countries.

Talon said: “There is illegal trade between the two countries which is creating difficulties between the two countries. We looked at the possibility of re-energising

statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday, that in a letter dated August 2, 2016, sent to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye (South West) was nominated as chairman, while Mr Sunday Dare (South-West) got the nod as Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management.

Those nominated as NonExecutive Commissioners were Aliyu Sa’idu Abubakar (North-East), Clem-

the trade between the two countries, so that illegal trade is discouraged.”

He invited Buhari to visit Benin Republic towards enhancing the cooperation between the two countries.

President Buhari thanked

him for his visit to Nigeria, noting that the Republic of Benin had always supported efforts by the Lake Chad Basin Commission to address insurgency and other transborder crimes in the subregion.

Gunmen kill 3 in Kaduna village attack Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna SUSPECTED gunmen have attacked three villages in Godogo town of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing three people while scores sustained injuries.

The attack occurred on Monday, at Gada Biyu, Akwa’a and Anguwan Anjo villages.

Findings revealed that distress villagers Gada Biyu informed the police that the hoodlums had attacked the village.

However, it was learnt

that when the police arrived, the hoodlums fled and resurfaced at Akua’a, killing two people.

According to source, the gunmen later appeared at Agwan Anjo and started shooting at the villagers which led to the death of one person.

Commenting on the attack, the police imagemaker, Aliyu Usman, remarked that the Police Commissioner, Suleiman Lemu, had deployed mobile policemen to control the situation.

He said normalcy had returned to the area, but he was quick to add that the police were yet to ascertain the num-

Appoints Adegbuyi Post-Master General

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has requested the Senate to confirm nominees into positions of Chairman, Executive Commissioner, and Non-Executive Commissioners of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a

it into gas with modern technology and modern technology is making it flexible.”

In his remark, President Faure said he was impressed by the investment of Dangote “because we have been talking of socio-economic integration and promoting trade among African countries.”

He further said: “If you want to promote trade, you have investors that are very competitive and will contribute to reduce import from non-african countries.

“I was told the gas pipeline that will be built will be buried under the sea to make it. It means if you want to promote blue economy, our ocean needs to be very safe.

We need security.

“I invited him to attend the maritime summit on October 15, that will be held in Togo.”

Downturn in Nigeria’s economy affecting neighbouring countries —Beninoise president •Meets Buhari in Aso Rock

Buhari nominates Olabiyi Durojaiye as NCC chairman Leon Usigbe and Clement Idoko - Abuja

(NLNG) that is helping is to liquefy the gas and then turn

ent Omeiza Baiye (NorthCentral), Chief Okoi Ofem Obono Obla (South-South), Pastor Ezekiel Yissa (NorthCentral) and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (South-East).

The nominations are in accordance with Section 8 (1) of the Nigerian Communications Commission Act 2003.

Also, the president has approved the appointment of Mr Bisi Adegbuyi as the Post-Master General/Chief Executive Officer of the Ni-

geria Postal Services.

This was contained in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Bolaji Adebiyi and made available to newsmen on Tuesday, in Abuja.

The statement did not give details, but it was gathered that Adegbuyi, who hails from Ogun State, is a legal practitioner.

ber of those who were killed.

Meanwhile, Governor Nasir el-Rufai has condemned the attack, saying his government would continue to protect the lives and properties of citizens of the state.

This was contained in a

statement signed by the governor’s media aide, Mr Samuel Aruwan and issued to newsmen in Kaduna, on Tuesday.

The statement called on the villagers not to panic as the government was on top of the situation.

‘Nigeria accounts for over 70% of 500 million illicit weapons in W/Africa’ continued from pg4

Also speaking, the chairman of PRESCOM, Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe, said the Nigeria’s firearms law was obsolete and ineffective in the face of the 21st century security challenges.

Imohe said PRESCOM had to generate a new document in collaboration with relevant agencies for over six months to come out with a repeal of the firearms bill that was yet to be attended at the National Assembly.

“The 1959 Firearms Act is obsolete and using the 1959 law to tackle the 21st century security challenges is ineffective,” he said.

In the same vein, Resident Coordinator of the UN Systems in Nigeria, Ms Jean Gough, said “the elaboration of laws and procedures which

are adapted to the current reality, aiming to provide the necessary framework to better prevent the occurrence of eventual theft, loss, diversion and explosions in national weapons and ammunition storage has become an essential requirement.

“Through the provision of technical assistance and the necessary resources to this effect, technical and financial partners have committed to support the beneficiary member states of this project in this endeavour.”

Gough, however, noted that the major challenges in the fight against the illegal and abusive use of SALW remains the issue of the illicit transfer of such weapons to non-state actors, including among others, armed groups, terrorists and criminals.

news OPC members storm Ikorodu to battle suspected militants 7

•Issue ultimatum on insecurity Opeyemi Owoaseye - Lagos

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FTER a series of attack on the Imushin community of Ogun State by criminals using the creek as their hideouts, over 5,000 members of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC Reformed) bombarded the community on Tuesday, to confront the suspected militants.

They reportedly came from Lagos and Ogun states in more than 107 buses and cars.

They visited the Olu of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Adebunmi Gbamgbose, at his palace.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that while the security agents that were deployed in the community seemed not to be enough, the Imushin community had to call on the group to intervene in the matter.

It was learnt that the president of the OPC Reformed, Dare Adesope, wrote a letter to the government on July 19, giving it a 14-day ultimatum to find a lasting solution to the issue of the militants in the community.

The ultimatum expired on Monday.

Nigerian Tribune also gathered that the OPC Reformed was at the palace on Tuesday to seek the king's permission to step into the situation.

Nigerian Tribune was told that, when the group got to the palace, the monarch told them that the government was yet to give him the approval to go ahead with their assistance.

Adesope, who confirmed the visit to Lagos Metro, during a telephone conversation, said the recent military action against the militants might have been influenced by the ultimatum that was issued to the government.

"The 14-day ultimatum that we gave the government expired yesterday (Monday), so we decided to see the Kabiyesi, to get a

feedback on the letter.

"We have stayed action based on the advice of the traditional ruler that he needs to get a clearance letter from the government before we can act," he said.

The leader said his men had been carrying out survey and monitoring what was going at the communities, adding that they came with full squad on Tuesday to scare the criminals.

"We don't want war in our land, we are for peace, that is the tag that we carry. We beg the Yoruba people not to fight the Ijaw people in their area. We have our way of identifying the criminals among them.

"When we make arrest, then, we hand them over to the law enforcement agency. We don't take law into our hands," he added.

A palace source told Ni-

gerian Tribune that the OPC Reformed did not come with any other weapon except their charms.

"We were the one who called on the OPC Reformed to help us. They are local security and we believe they can help us.

"When they came, the Kabiyesi thanked them for their concern, but, he told them to relax till the government approves their

stay.

"In fact, they were prepared to go into the creek to face the militants with their charms.

"One of them said they can transform into different kind of things; lion, anaconda, snake, tree and rock whenever they are on their juju charm," he said.

The Olu of Imushin, Oba Gbamgbose, appreciated the effort put in place by

the government to ensure full security and peace in the community.

"We appreciate the federal, state and local government of Lagos and Ogun states for their visit and assistance.

"I appeal to the residents who ran away to please return, because there is now maximum security in the community," he told Nigerian Tribune.

The Olu of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Adebunmi Gbamgbose, addressing the crowd

We are civil in dealing with threats by militants in Niger Delta —Military Dickson dispels threat from Avengers Austin Ebipade -Yenagoa with Agency Report

The charms they came with.

1 feared killed as military battles suspected militants in Ogun Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos SUSPECTED militants, on Tuesday, engaged the military in a fierce gun battle at the Arepo creeks in Ogun State, with one person feared killed.

The situation was similar in Ikorodu area of the state as heavy shootings between suspected pipeline vandals and the military continued till late in the evening.

It was gathered that the

Nigerian Tribune

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

militants took advantage of the absence of the millitary aircraft in Arepo to visit the creek.

It was, however, not clear if the milltants were trying to escape from the area or that they deliberately attacked the military men on surveillance.

The gun battle, which reportedly started late on Tuesday, continued till the evening, as the two groups

reportedly shot sporadically.

A resident of Igbo Olomu, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said “there have been serious gunshots since morning.

They stooped just around 6.30 p.m.”

The resident, however, said he was not sure if it was a clash between the militants and men of the military, or a continuation of the mission to dislodge the militants.

THE joint military force deployed in the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe, has said it will remain professional and civil in dealing with security threats by militant groups in the area.

Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, Commander of the joint operation, disclosed this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Tuesday, adding that the deployment of troops and equipment noticed on Monday at Kaima in Bayelsa was part of normal operations to keep the region safe.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had reported that troops and military hardware were deployed in Kaima, following threats by a militant group to take control of the area.

Okojie, who briefed newsmen after a meeting with unit commanders within Operation Delta Safe in Yenagoa, said the military

had the freedom to be in any part of the country.

“The Federal Republic of Nigeria belongs to all of us and the armed forces have the freedom to be at any part of Nigeria at any time, we are merely doing our normal duty within our mandate.

“We were in Kaima to show that Operation Delta Safe was on ground to ensure that the report by some faceless organisations about creating a ‘territory’ to themselves is not allowed to happen.

“The heavy presence being noticed in parts of the Niger Delta is part of our routine duties to guarantee the safety of law abiding people of Niger Delta and ensure atmosphere conducive for economic activities," he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has asked political and opinion leaders across the state and the Niger Delta to show more understanding

and cooperate with the security agencies in their current efforts at maintaining peace, law and order.

Dickson dispel the threat by the Adaka Boro Avengers to declare a republic and noted that the various security agencies acted promptly to put the situation under control.

He enjoined the various security agencies to collaborate with the government in sustaining the existing peace and security in the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Adeyemi Ogunjelimusi, advised youths in the region to look for legitimate means of livelihood, noting that it would not be business as usual for pipeline vandals and other criminal elements.

He reaffirmed the government’s determination to make the state safe and peaceful, stressing that nonstate machineries would not be allowed to hijack the security of the state, while criminal acts would not be condoned.

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016 8 news NDDC has abandoned us —Students on scholarship in UK, Canada

NDDC apologises over delay in payment Ebenezer Adurokiya -Warri

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TUDENTS studying abroad under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) scholarship programme in various universities across Europe and Canada have lamented that the commission has abandoned them.

Nigerian Tribune, on Tuesday, gathered that most of the students were surviving by engaging in odd jobs and alms from individuals to make ends meet.

One of the scholars (names withheld), who reached out to Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday through the internet, said the hardship being

faced in Canada was becoming unbearable.

The scholar, an oil and gas engineering student, said “personally, I have to work two jobs to survive and with this I have to meet up weekly assessments, lectures and examinations which is really taking a lot from me.

“As we speak, the NDDC

has advertised for 2016 scholarship programme while they have outstanding obligations to 2015 scholars and from the feedback from previous scholars, they have passed through same hardships and it has become the status quo which I personally believe has to stop.”

Another scholar, names withheld, studying at Cov-

Buhari appoints Enikanolaiye new perm sec •Redeploys 8 others Clement Idoko -Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Ambassador Audu-Rafiu Olusola Enikanolaiye as permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service.

Until his appointment, Ambassador he was the Charge-de affairs at the Nigerian High Commission, India.

Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, announced this in a circular made available to newsmen late Tuesday.

In addition, President Buhari also redeployed eight federal permanent

secretaries.

Those affected are Dr Habiba M.Lawal, redeployed from Science and Technology to Ecological Funds Office (OSGF), while Alhaji Abbas Mohammed was moved from OSGF to Ministry of Solid

Minerals.

Mr Istifanus Fuktur was moved from Solid Minerals to Police Service Commission, while Mrs Adamu Bello had been moved from Women Affairs to Ministry of Health.

Dr Amina Shamaki, re-

Army destroys bandits’ camps in Zamfara TROOPS of the Nigerian Army have destroyed camps belonging to cattle thieves and bandits in Zamfara.

This was contained in a statement issued by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the acting director, Army Public Relations, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Usman said troops of 1

Division of Nigerian Army involved in anti-cattle rustling and anti-banditry operations on August 1 carried out clearance operations on suspected bandits’ hideouts in some forests in Zamfara State.

He said the troops carried out raids at Batara and Ajah forests in Birnin Magaji and

Ekiti: We are correcting lopsidedness in civil service —Fayose

Appoints 3 new perm secs EKITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said that his administration is correcting the lopsidedness in the state’s civil service and won’t allow anybody to bastardise the system.

This is just as the governor approved the appointment of Mr Kunle Olofin, Mr Stephen Adunmo and Dr Ayotunde Omole, as permanent secretaries in the state civil service.

He spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday at a meeting with top civil servants during selection of three permanent secretaries.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor also said that he would always be guided by the fear of God while handling the affairs of the state.

“I want it be on record that I did not and will not bastardise the civil service and we will not allow anybody to do that. I am guided by the fear of God in all I am doing. I met lopsidedness in the civil service when I came on board and we have corrected that,” he said.

“Even in selection of the permanent secretaries, I abdicated my prerogative rights. I did not stay at the corner of my office to do it alone instead I brought it to the open to involve everybody.”

The governor also urged the civil servants to be dedicated and abide with the tenets of the service.

In his remarks, the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, said the selection of new permanent secretaries

was done in a transparent manner and commended the governor for charting a new course for the service.

“This is a novel idea and has never happened before in the history of the state’s civil service, not heard of in any state in Nigeria.

“I thank His Excellency for keeping his promise.

Mr Governor relinquished his prerogative rights to allow the selection process be done openly. On behalf of all the civil servants, I thank you,” he said.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade, lauded the governor for following the path of justice.

The new permanent secretaries are Mr Kunle Olofin, Mr Stephen Adunmo and Dr Ayotunde Omole.

Oyo govt set to re-engage YES-O cadets

By Wale Akinselure

THE Oyo State government is set to re-engage officers for the Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo State (YES-O).

State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, who disclosed this, said the officers would

deployed from Ministry of Health to Women Affairs; Mrs Belema Wakama Asifieka from Niger Delta to Science and Technology and Mr Alo Williams Nwankwo from Economic Affairs Office to Ministry of Niger Delta.

be deployed in areas that would help in boosting the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

It is expected that officers would be engaged in emergency services, waste management, environmental sanitation, traffic management and some aspects of educational services.

Arulogun said the inter-

ested YES-O cadets were to reapply for re-certification before they can be re-engaged.

“Government is cautious of the present economic status in the state, so we might not be able to accommodate all of them but only a few will be selected for the job on ground,” he said.

Gusau local government areas of the state.

“Although the armed bandits fled, the troops destroyed the camps, recovered three motorcycles and two cell phones,” said.

He added that the troops further raided Rimawa forest in Gusau Local Government Area, where they arrested two wanted armed bandits.

The army spokesman also said in Bini village forest, Maru Local Government, the troops arrested a notorious and wanted armed bandits collaborator, Umar Dan Bilbili.

entry University, United Kingdom, said most of his colleagues were homeless after being unable to pay their accommodation bills.

Speaking with another postgraduate students on phone, he said “I have to do odd jobs to survive, otherwise, I will be thrown out on the streets and go hungry.”

It was even gathered that scholars in the United Kingdom were planning to stage a peaceful protest over the development.

The Directorate of Education, Health and Social Services (EHSS) of NDDC, has, however, apologised to the affected students.

In a letter mailed to each of the students in UK and signed by Director of EHSS, Seigha Victor Glasgow, the commission said the delay was as a result of the new policy that all payments and transactions be done through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“We will like to state that we are committed to paying your tuition fees and the balance of your living expenses. This payment will be made very soon.

“We are now done with all the required documentation, so you should all be getting paid soon,” the statement read.

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FG warns newly appointed education chief executives against impunity Gives them 4 weeks to come up with action plan Clement Idoko - Abuja

T

HE Federal Government has warned the newly appointed 17 Chief Executive Officers who are to oversee various parastatals and agencies under the Federal Ministry against impunity and financial recklessness in their organisations.

Speaking at the maiden meeting with the appointees on Tuesday, in Abuja,

the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, urged them to work in line with the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari and also gave them one month within which they should come up with action plan on how to revive the ailing education sector as it affects their various agencies.

The new Registrar, National Examinations Council (NECO), Professor Charles Uwakwe, speaking with Ni-

gerian Tribune said that the minister was very clear on what was expected from the new chief executive.

He said: “The minister was very clear on what our task and mandates are. The President insisted that we must ensure that the change mantra is carried through in our various organisations.”

He added that, “We have been given about a month to acclimatise and do an assessment and then come up with an action plan for the

next for years and we have pledged that we would do our best.

The new appointees who were present at the meeting are: Professor Abubakar Rasheed (National Universities Commission); Professor Lilian Salami (Nigerian Institute For Educational Planning and Administration); Dr Hameed Boboyi (Universal Basic Education Board); Professor Lanre Aina (National Library of Nigeria); Prof.

Charles Uwakwe (National

Examinations Council); Professor Abba Haladu (National Commission For Mass Literacy, Adult And NonFormal Education); Prof.essor Bashir Usman (Nomadic Education Commission); and Professor Ifeoma IsiugoAbanihe (National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB).

Others are Professor Sunday Ajiboye (Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria); Afolabi Aderinto (Computer Registration Council of Nigeria); Professor Bappah Aliyu (National Commission for Colleges of Education); Dr Abdullahi Bichi Baffa (Tertiary Education Tax Fund); Professor Garba Dahuwa Azare (National Teachers Institute); and Professor Michael Afolabi (Librarian Registration Council of Nigeria).

Delta renames Secretariat, University House after Ibru Alphonsus Agborh – Asaba

Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other dignitaries paying their last respect during a valedictory/tribute session in honour of the late Senator Felix Ibru, former governor of Delta State, in Asaba, on Tuesday.

Jailbreak: FG threatens sanctions on errant officers Clement Idoko - Abuja

THE Federal Government has warned prison officers to be more alive to their duties in securing the prison formations across the country as it has threatened heavy sanctions against errant officers.

Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau (retired), who gave the warning at a meeting with Senior Officers of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja, particularly threatened heavy sanction against prison officers found culpable for cases of jail-breaks and escape from prison formations in the country.

He said it was important for prison officers to carry out their duties diligently to ensure the security of the facilities, stressing that negligence, dereliction of duty and absenteeism by officers will be severely punished.

Dambazau, however, admitted that most of the prisons were old with weak structures, with some of them over 100 years and requiring intervention by the government.

He insisted that there were certain precautions and routines that prison officials could take to prevent or foil jail-breaks.

He expressed displeasure about the last Saturday jail-break at Koton-Karfe

prison, Kogi State, in which 13 inmates escaped and the escape of two detainees at Kuje prison, Abuja in June.

The minister stated that his ministry would propose an inter-ministerial committee with the Ministries of Justice and Women Affairs to work out modalities for decongesting the prisons which were overcrowded with awaiting trial inmates.

The minister said, “The prison has the responsibil-

ity to rehabilitate those in custody and this is why I believe we must view this with all seriousness in order to know how to tackle the problem of incessant prison escape. Anyone having a responsibility should perform it squarely; otherwise the consequences would be heavy.”

Dambazau criticised some prison officers for being lazy, saying that cases of absenteeism and indiscipline

was on the rise in the service.

He admonished zonal comptrollers to visit the prison formations under them so as t it their subordinates in their toes.

Speaking earlier, the Controller-General of Prisons, Jafa’aru Ahmed expressed displeasure over the incessant jailbreaks, adding that the meeting was called to brainstorm on how to curb it.

However, the chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mustapha Danze said noncompensation of the original owners of the lands being used as grazing reserves up till now was not helping the situation.

He lamented the persistent problem of enroachment of the grazing reserve at Paikon Kore as well as the plight of farmers with regards to their farm lands part of which has been taken for the grazing reserve, urging for resolution of the issues.

Speaking at Livestock Improvement and Feeding Centre, Paikon-Kore, Gwagwalada, during the resumption of mass treatment and vaccination of livestock herds in Abuja , the minister expressed sadness that the quality of meat produced in

the country had failed to meet international health and hygiene standards even though the country had some of the best livestock in Africa.

Represented by the Director in charge of establishment and training at FCT administration, Salisu Mohammed, the minister noted that†the vaccination exercise was targeted at Fulani herds as well as other farms in FCT so as to control and prevent the outbreak and spread of endemic diseases which he noted can pose a great threat to livestock production.

The minister stated that the administration planned to upgrade facilities at the Abuja International Livestock Market at Dei-Dei as part of the ongoing efforts to revitalise the livestock industry.

Move to grazing reserves, minister tells FCT herdsmen Christian Okeke - Abuja

MINISTER of the the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Musa Bello, on Tuesday, urged Fulani community in Abuja to embrace settlement in grazing reserves already provided for them in the territory so as to lessen the difficulty and hazards associated with herding in the area.

He said embracing the reserves would also reduce seasonal migration and enable government to easily access the herdsmen to provide essential services such as veterinary support.

The plea by the minister came amidst the indiscriminate movement of cattles in city centres as well as the attendant security concerns being generated by the development.

THE Delta State Government has renamed the state secretariat in Asaba and the senate building of the state University Abraka after the first executive governor of the state, Olorogun (Senator) Felix Ovodoroye Ibru.

In recognition of his passage, flags are to be flown at half-mast at all public buildings and institutions in the state from yesterday till the funeral rights are concluded.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa disclosed this on Tuesday at the valedictory/tribute session in honor of the former governor in Asaba.

The great honour on the distinguished senator and erudite architect who died at the age of 85 was coming as it was also revealed that his only regret was the basterdisation of the master plan of Asaba, the state capital.

Two former commissioners in the state Professor Patrick Mouboghare and Paulinus Akpeki in their tributes said late Olorogun Ibru was not happy that the master plan was not implemented before he died.

Some of the legacies the former governor left behind include daulisdation of Nnebisi and Summit roads, completion of the state secretariat along Summit road in Asaba, establishment of School of health technology Ofuoma, Ughelli and changing Bendel state University Abraka campus to a full fledged university while the new contributory pension fund and birth of Nigeria extractive industries, transparency initiatives NEITI were his major achievements as a Senator between 2003-2007.

NLC to Amosun: Don’t undermine workers’ welfare for infrastructure development Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

THE leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Ogun State, has called on the government not to undermine workers’ welfare for infrastructural development.

This was said by the state chairman of NLC, Akeem Ambali, at a news conference held at the Labour House, shortly after labour leaders meeting with the government over workers’ welfare.

Ambali, flanked by other labour leaders appealed to government to as a matter of urgency consider the payment of 11 months deductions owed the workers.

He added that the labour union is yet to resolve pending issues as regards the workers.

“We should not only be concerned about infrastructural development. The government should think about the people. It is only a healthy man that can use the bridges. Someone who has not eaten would not think about bridges.”

Lagos pays N891m to 324 retirees Bola Badmus - Lagos

LAGOS State government said it has again paid the sum of N891 million to 324 retirees from the mainstream civil service, local governments, State Universal Basic Education and other parastatals for July, 2016.

Director-General, State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Mrs Folashade Onanuga, disclosed this while speaking at the 29th retirement benefit bond presentation ceremony, urging the beneficiaries to use the lump sum payment by their respective Pension Fund Administrator judiciously.

Onanuga emphasised that the state government had fulfilled its own part of paying the retirees’ entitlements and that it was now left for the Pension Fund Administrators /Annuity Service Providers to fulfill their part of the arrangement, by ensuring that monthly payment to retirees were made.

The Director-General of LASPEC, while reiterating that the commission would continue to monitor the activities of pension operators to guarantee that they continued to fulfil their obligations to the state retirees, implored beneficiaries to seek professional advice when making an investment decision with their payment.

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Naira exchanges for N381 to dollar at interbank market Chima Nwokojji-Lagos

N

AIRA at the parallel (black) market on Tuesday closed at N381 to the United States’ dollar, slightly lower than N380/$ exchanged on Monday, August 1, from N378 it traded on Friday.

The local currency exchanged against the Pound Sterling and the Euro at N495 and N415, respectively, while at the Bureau De Change segment of the market, the currency exchanged at N378 for the dollar, N490 for the Pound and N413 against the Euro.

According to currency traders and economists, the fall of the local currency is triggered by the increased scarcity of the dollar in the interbank market and likewise the parallel market. A Lagos Bureau De Change operator said the lingering scarcity of forex at the interbank market was shifting dollar demand to the black market especially as the Central Bank of Nigeria held back interventions.

The naira at the interbank segment closed at N316.83 to the dollar as against N316.37 it exchanged on Monday, from N319.70 posted on Friday.

The local currency weakened further against the Pound Sterling as it exchanged for N415.86 as against N412.47 on Friday.

It also exchanged for N352 to the Euro compared to N347.89 which it traded for, on Friday.

The naira has been under persistent pressure as dollar scarcity continues to weigh on the local currency at both the parallel and interbank forex markets. Economic and financial experts said

inadequate forex liquidity at the interbank market was taking a toll on the parallel market.

A herd of experts had predicted that the naira would weaken further against the dollar this week owing to

limited dollar supply as foreign portfolio investors continued to stay on the sidelines until the Nigerian economy showed signs of recovering from the impact of currency controls.

The CBN had asked for

enough liquidity; we need to do more to boost liquidity.

The current rate is a measure of the amount of dollar liquidity at the interbank market,” a currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Kunle Ezun, said.

From left, Executive Director, Market Operations andTechnology, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Ade Bajomo; Group Chief Executive Officer, Forte Oil Plc, Mr Akin Akinfemiwa and Group Chief Finance Officer,Forte Oil Plc, Mr Julius Omodayo-Owotuga, during Forte Oil Plc fact behind the figure held on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Monday inLagos. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Enugu gets $200m renewable energy projects Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

A United State-based renewable energy power firm, Motir DuSable Power Investment Limited, has sited its 200 million dollar solar project in Enugu State to generate 300 mega watts of solar power into the national grid.

In the first phase of the project, the firm is to generate 100 mega watts of solar energy which will subsequently be increased to 200 mega watts in the second phase.

The drivers of the project which is a joint venture be-

tween two US-based power firms have already signed an MoU with the Federal Government of Nigeria to site the project in Enugu State with the goal of making the state the hub for renewable energy generation in Sub-Sahara Africa.

The chairman of the firm, Mr Emmanuel Irono, yesterday made a presentation of the company’s planned take-off of the project during a performance review retreat of the Enugu State Executive Council holding at Nike Lake hotel, with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in attendance.

Dangote is transforming African economy —Togolese President PRESIDENT of Togo Republic, Faure Gnassingbe, on Tuesday lauded the investment drive of the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote across the African continent, describing him as a man with a mission to aggressively transform the African economy.

Speaking during the tour of the Dangote Refinery project in Lagos, Gnassingbe said Dangote is a worthy son of Africa who has chosen to buoy the economic activities of the continent with his investments.

“Aliko Dangote is our pride in Africa and his aggressive investment drive towards developing the economies of the continent should be lauded,” he said.

While welcoming the Togolese President to Lagos State and the Dangote Refinery and Fertilizer

quotes of $5million each from currency traders on Wednesday as it sold the US currency to boost dollar liquidity and support the naira, traders said on Monday.

“The market still lacks

projects, Governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode said the Refinery and Fertilizer projects will change the face of both Lagos state and Nigeria, once it is completed.

“I understand your interest in the progress of this project Mr President. This investment is one of the biggest in Africa today and it will have a huge impact not only on the economy of all Nigerians but also of the West African region when completed. Apart from creating jobs, this refinery will also contribute immensely to solving the fuel supply challenge in the West African region,” he said.

While seeking collaboration with the Togolese government and investors, Ambode lauded Aliko Dangote and thanked him for his confidence in the Lagos economy.

“We also thank Aliko Dangote himself for his confidence in the Lagos economy. This project is a strong confirmation that Lagos is a prime investment destination. The project shows that there is a positive investment climate in Lagos which has resulted in massive investors’ confidence.

We believe strongly that the future prosperity of West Africa is in collaboration between the government and the private sector.”

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (MITI) Okechukwu Enelamah described Aliko Dangote as an African Champion that is bent on developing not only Nigeria but Africa as a whole. He said both the Refinery and Fertilizer projects clearly demonstrate the partnership between the government and the private sector.

According to Irono, chairman of Motir DuSable Power Investment Limited, “We have a joint venture that would enable us to bring this project to Nigeria and we are licensed and have gone through all the processes and procedure in terms of the power purchasing. Also, we have an alliance that can help us go through the various segments necessary for this project to be successful.

“So, today is the first day that we are meeting with the governor and his executive council members right here in Enugu and we are very pleased that it turned out a positive meeting,” he explained.

He further stated that the project comes in phases, adding that the first phase will cost about 200 million dollars while another phase that will come thereafter would also cost 200 million dollars.

“Depending on the capac-

ity we can do as they allow us but our partners are willing to consummate the project.”

On the gains of the gigantic project, he said, “Our intention is to be able to bring more jobs, more opportunities, more innovations to Enugu State and to Nigeria.

We believe that this will be a fantastic project for job creation and a mission critical for the Federal Government of Nigeria and Enugu State.

“This is because we can empower Enugu State people to have access to power.

If everybody wins, it becomes a win-win situation for all of us,” he stated.

“The state will be a collaborating partner in terms of making sure that our investment is safe and that the money we are bringing in is safe. They are not a financial partner. So the money we are bringing in is hundred per cent to enable us fund this project.”

Nigerian Tribune

Pay your electricity bill, Ekiti tells residents Partners BEDC

THE Ekiti State Commissioner for Public Utilities and Infrastructure, Mr Deji Adesina has assured Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) of the state government’s commitment to partner with it, to enable it achieve its corporate objectives, even as he canvassed prompt payment of electricity bills by citizens of the state.

He gave this assurance during a Town Hall meeting held at Olojido Palace, Ido-Ekiti at the weekend.

Mr Adesina according to a statement from BEDC, said the plea for electricity payment on regular basis was informed by the fact that responsibility for the collection of revenue shared by the entire power sector value chain rested on BEDC hence only prompt payment of bills can facilitate the realization of such objectives.

He noted that the idea of prompt payment of electricity would enable BEDC serve the people of Ekiti State better since it was only one of the company’s four state of operation.

Adesina also requested that BEDC should outsource the procurement of prepaid meters to licensed contractors since according to him, it is the only way to ascertain the customers’ actual consumption.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief state Head for Ondo/ Ekiti, Mr Ernest Edgar said BEDC is entitled to only 9 per cent of whatever power is generated in the country and this will be shared among the four states under the company’s coverage.

He stated that the need that prompt payment by the customer was the only antidote for more power to the customer.

The BEDC boss, further explained the nature of distribution of electricity which he said is naked and this can only explain why most people steal illegal connection or hanging of wire at night.

Kwara registers 20,000 businesses for directory Biola Azeez - Ilorin

KWARA State government in partnership with a business-directory platform in the state, has enlisted over 20,000 businesses on platform of Kwara Live Project to stimulate economic growth in state.

Speaking at a ministerial briefing convened by the state Ministry of Information and Communications in Ilorin on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer of Visual Global Impression (VGI), Mr Job Amosun, said the rationale behind the initia-

tive was to make business grow faster.

He explained that the platform was also created to bring about synergy between buyers and sellers.

Amosun, who highlighted numerous advantages embedded in the platform, said it saves cost and also provides employment opportunities for teeming jobless youth.

He said the business directories had proven to be effective and widen scope of business environment in the state. The chief executive of VGI challenged business

community and artisans in Kwara to leverage on the advantage provided by the platform to enhance their operation and business activities.

Amosun, who stated that the directory is operated through internet facilities, also unveiled hard copy of the business directory and urged Kwarans to key into it. He also announced that app version of the Kwara Live Project would come up

by October.

He said the collaboration between his organisation and the state government had been fruitful.

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editorial

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Unpaid salaries: Applying the labour law

R

ECENTLY, the House of Representatives made a move to criminalise the non-payment of salaries by state governments. In this regard, state governments which fail to pay their workers would be subjected to criminal litigation. This is a welcome decision and about time too, in view of the lack of commitment by the state governments to returning to previous records of smooth wage payment.

Indeed, like a pestilence, Nigeria’s state governments have been hit by a widespread failure to pay the salaries and wages of their workers. Unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, the situation is so bad that some governments owe their workers up to eight months’ salaries. Even the oil-producing states hitherto thought to be economically buoyant are not exempt from this blight. Interestingly, some states whose earnings are adjudged meager, especially in the northern part of the country, have managed to stay afloat.

The non-payment of salaries has brought in its wake a number of existential crises in homes. The situation is more horrifying for families whose breadwinners are civil servants. Eating even once a day has become very difficult and parents watch their children, especially female children, slide down the amoral hill while striving to survive. Keeping up with the normal requirements of maintaining a family has become a very herculean task. The tragedy is worsened by the current recession in the Nigerian economy which has literally crippled so many homes.

There is an upswing in solicitation of alms by children, with many children from otherwise respected homes besieging parties and ceremony grounds for left-over foods. Incidences of well-dressed persons accosting passers-by for pittances are also on the rise. This is aside from the crises being faced by unpaid civil servants or their offspring who go through medical challenges. The hospitals are filled with patients who are unable to pay meager medical bills and many of them have died needless deaths for this inability or for allowing to fester, sicknesses and diseases that could have been tamed by prompt attendance of hospitals. The list of woes faced by workers is endless. This is why criminalising non-payment of wages is a must.

But then, there is the need to examine the road that Nigerians took to arrive at this sorry pass. Many of the states arrived at the present state due to the consistent profligacy and heists of their helmsmen. White elephant projects that have no bearing on the lives of the people whom the governors swore to defend but were instead constructed for the sole purpose of looting public funds, litter the states. More striking is the governors’ apparent lack of foresight regarding saving for the rainy

day when the economy was buoyant. They were consumed by the desire to live for the day and played Father Christmas with the funds entrusted into their care. This indeed was the foundation of the economic crises faced by the states, and a forensic audit of their past finances is therefore very urgent.

More fundamentally, governors have been anything but open with the finance of their states. It beats the imagination that some states have been administered for years without the publication of their financial statements. Crooked administration of state finances is an art many learn on being handed the baton of governance. The reverberating effects of this unorthodox pilfering of the commonwealth are the things confronting the states at the moment. Recently when the Ministry of Finance requested for the publication of accounts as one of the preconditions for assisting them with bailout funds, many of them faltered in this regard.

In civilised societies, it is an anathema for employers of labour to fail to pay workers’ salaries. Once an organisation is unable to meet its financial obligations, especially payment of salaries, the labour law requirement is for such organisation to file for bankruptcy, with its assets sold off to offset the salaries and wages of the long suffering employees.

Some so-called Nigerian employers with a history of nonpayment of workers’ salaries who took their businesses to Ghana and South Africa and attempted to inflict this blight on their employees in those countries were shown the gate unceremoniously, with litigations dogging their paths. It is only in Nigeria where leaders have very scant regard for the humanity of their people that such a barbaric act is allowed, and indeed left to fester.

We wish to remind the states and their helmsmen that there is a contractual agreement between them and the workers. Governors should stop this gerrymandering and assumption that they are doing their workers a favour by paying them salaries. It is the workers’ right to be paid their wages. They should also stop the complaint that the workers are indolent. It is their responsibility to get them engaged as there are rules for spiking indolent ones from the productive system. In an economy that is literally comatose, where state governments owe huge salary bills, it stands against reason that many of them still stick to the ostentation that is their insignia. They junket around the globe, expending multiple millions of cash. They also acquire private properties that belie their cry of paucity of funds.

We call for the activation of the relevant labour laws that criminalise non-payment of salaries. The House of Representatives should help to ensure strict adherence to these laws.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Onslaught on Lagos, Ogun: Kudos to the military

I

T seems the military has woken up from its slumber and it is doing what is expected of it. Since last week, the military has been attacking the militants who had been

disturbing the peace of innocent citizens in the riverside communities of Lagos and Ogun states.

To highlight the importance of this mission to the military, the Nigerian

Airforce had, before the commencement of the attack on the militants, done the aerial mapping of the area.

It was, therefore, surprising to the militants

Commending Ogun on school feeding programme SCHOOL feeding is a great idea to encourage education and provide food aid to children born into extreme poverty, as pupils or students being fed by government are empowered by their school meals to learn and better their lives.

Also, the first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind, because feeding is the moral right of everybody born into this world.

School feeding, in the same vein, not only fills the stomach, but has a proven track record of boosting enrollment, attendance and academic performance.

The present administration in Ogun State, led by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, as a way of fulfilling its promises to its citizens, recently revealed that at the commencement of the

forthcoming school year, that is by mid-September 2016, the state would have commenced its own brand of ‘Home Grown School Feeding Programme,’ with the aim of providing meals for public school pupils in the state.

The Home Grown feeding programme is an initiative of the Presidency, which is aimed at providing a government-led, cost-effective school feeding programme, which stresses the procurement of food stuff from cooperatives and small holder farmers.

It is no doubt that the school feeding programme will bring development to the grassroot because food items will be supplied by local farmers and it will also help to reduce high level of unemployment among the youth by engag-

Banks, do more to tackle internet fraud FOR some time now, internet fraudsters have been on the rise, targeting bank customers through email and short messages, telling them that their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards have been blocked and they needed to supply details of their cards in order for it to be reactivated.

Also, some fraudsters send emails informing bank customers that certain amount had been deducted from their accounts for the subscription for the bank’s in-house magazine.

The amount claimed to have been deducted in my case was N15,500, and I was later informed to supply my bank details if I didn’t authorise the deductions.

Why I didn’t fall for this trick was because I am not using the banks mentioned.

The essence of this letter is, therefore, in two parts.

First, to inform bank customers not to share their bank details online. If they are not sure of anything, they should go to their banks’ branches to confirm. Secondly, bank officials need to go after these criminals, as they leave traces in their bid to look credible to unsuspecting bank customers.

Many of these criminals leave telephone numbers which law enforcement agencies can trace in order to apprehend them.

I hope if some of them are arrested, it will serve as lesson to other criminals who are still involved in internet crime.

•Mary Onyinye, Surulere, Lagos State.

ing them in one way or the other.

However, I wish to commend the Ogun State government for keeping to its promise, and I want to urge other states to key into the idea because a hungry person cannot be good at learning, order than violence.

This programme will also assist struggling parents with the feeding of their children.

•Taylor Temitayo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

when the bombardment of their terrain started last week.

Before now, the militants felt nobody could curb their activities, as they attacked people without fearing any consequence. They even had the mind to attack the convoy of the Ogun State deputy governor when she came to visit the affected areas.

As a result of the activities of the militants, the majority of residents at the riverine communities, particularly those in Ikorodu, Lagos, had fled for fear of being killed or raped.

With the mission of the military, I don’t think things will return to normal in these communities in the nearest future.

Even those who have properties in these areas still fear to return, believ-

ing that when the mission ends, the militants will re-group and launch deadlier attacks on them.

That is why I want to call on the leadership of the military not to pull troops out of the communities after the mission. It will make more sense if a military base is established in the areas, as this

will deter the militants from re-grouping.

While appreciating the military for what it is doing in our communities, I also want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the onslaught on the militants.

•Debo Arowolo, Ikorodu, Lagos.

Still on forex shortage SINCE the price of crude oil began rebounding in the international market, the ‘Buy Made-in-Nigeria Products’ campaign have been going down.

The agency of government in charge of disseminating this message should not stop now because our economy is still fragile.

The naira is still being bashed by the US dollar, and the only way to make

the local currency stronger is to drastically reduce imports.

Campaigns on the need to buy local products must be sustained, as this is the only way to stabilise our economy.

Nigerians should also be loyal to the country by patronising locally-made products alone.

•Dr Nugwa Joseph, Lokoja, Kogi State.

15

opinion

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Of budget padding and fumbling diplomats

By Obo Effanga

M

ANY thanks to our over-pampered federal legislators, this past week, we got a good serving of comic reliefs from the National Assembly. Suddenly, the words “pad” and “padding” have been shoved into our faces and national consciousness. The House of Representatives has been mired in its own daub of corruption, owing to the tendency of our political class to cheat, take advantage of the system, apply nepotism and be self-centred, as opposed to having national interest in the conduct of their official assignment. We are being inundated with the controversy of the so-called “budget padding”.

I initially refused to give it much attention, knowing that little, if anything would come out of it, in the long run, if history serves as guide. This is because there are two main ways the matter could be resolved and whichever way taken, there is a tendency of it being politicised and eventually resolved (read killed) via a “political solution”. The two ways of resolving the matter are through the internal processes of the legislature or through external actions by the investigative bodies of state such as the police, with a view to prosecution.

If it is the earlier method, the legislators have shown over the years, an embarrassing penchant to be driven by the spirit of camaraderie which makes them operate as a Mafioso-styled confraternity. What we may see at best would be one of those celebrated “probes” in the parliament. If we are lucky enough, they may even make the probe session open to the public and maybe even shown live on television, just to entertain the rest of the country. This is because the legislators know that many Nigerians are so easily drawn to, and carried away by such theatrics which could give them short term kicks and highs. But for those of us who have observed happenings in the parliament over the years, we cannot be drawn in by such drama.

We have seen enough of them over the years. And we have also seen how they often end, leaving the rest of the society high and dry. We may end up with the integrity of the report being questioned and finally rubbished as it happened with the power sector probe by the House of Representatives of 2007-

2011. Even if the House ends up indicting and punishing any member, there is a strong possibility of the same House taking a decision later to expunge the indictment and restore the indicted persons back to an assumed state of innocence and they all would live happily ever after. That much happened in the case of the Senate who, after a parliamentary session that witnessed the indictment of a string of its presiding officers, took a decision at the end of the session to cancel all the ‘indictments’.

Or, who could forget the petroleum subsidy probe so soon and the fraud that followed even that one? At the end of that probe and the pungent fragrance that emitted therefrom, the House did absolutely nothing to its member who was fingered. At best, the House merely filibustered long enough to allow the member sit out the tenure, albeit in an undignified silence for a known vocal member. Given the above scenario, why would anybody bother about what would come out of a potential probe in the House?

The alternative route to addressing this budget padding imbroglio is to wait for the investigative state agencies like the police, the Department of State Security Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to complete their assignment, which may lead to prosecution. But there again would be another round of controversy. The legislators would again claim that the executive is interfering in the affairs of the legislature. And many citizens would similarly tow that line. But we cannot allow this incident to go without investigation and punishment. The time is ripe for citizens and citizens’ groups to close ranks speak up and demand this. That would go a long

way in re-injecting integrity into our public budgeting processes. This would also help address this unnecessary distraction in the legislature and allow us go back to talking about other matters of public and urgent importance.

But just before we do that, there is yet another embarrassing distraction that stared us in the face during the week from the same National Assembly. It was the screening of the first batch of career diplomats nominated by the President to be appointed ambassadors. Apparently, some of the nominees could not satisfactorily answer some primary school level basic questions on Nigeria. There are video clips of about four of the nominees struggling to sing the National Anthem or recite the National Pledge. I have equally read and heard scathing remarks by many Nigerians about the quality of the nominees.

Describing those career diplomats as a disgrace is putting it mildly. A diplomat ought to be a repository of knowledge: information, facts and statistics about the country. To that extent, there is absolutely no reason or explanation for why very senior diplomats in Nigeria nay, any Nigerian adult, should not know our National Anthem and the Pledge. If they cannot, then they lack the moral ground to step forward to represent our country. It is as basic as saying that a Christian clergyman or woman should be able to recite the Paternoster.

But can we trust the Senate to take the bold and firm decision not to confirm the nominees? I cannot wager on it because I have also followed happenings in the Senate long enough not to make such assumption. Not the least is the established precedent of confirming nominees for ambassadorial postings after they had clearly flunked the screening. In March 2011, a similarly embarrassing situation occurred.

The truth is that the Senate is more likely to allow all the nominees go; to use a Nigerian lingo, “let my people go.” And that would be a disservice to the country, no matter what anyone says and no matter the justification. It is bad enough that we are faced with various levels of mediocre leadership and representation at home; we can do well not to export that out as the best of us to represent all of us. To do otherwise is to open our citizens abroad to more mediocre services.

•Effanga is a public affairs analyst.

Waging a new war against indiscipline

By Ayo Sogunro NIGERIA is not a democratic country. Although generally described as a democracy, Nigeria is, in reality, an anocracy. An anocracy is a system of government that is half democratic, half autocratic. In true democracies, authority progresses upwards from the people to a dependent centre. In true autocracies, authority flows downwards from an independent centre to the masses. An anocracy combines the authoritative ideology of autocracy with the institutional processes of democracy. In short, this system uses the negative aspects of one to cancel the positives of the other.

The anocratic nature of our political system is evident in the attitude of public officers. There is a tendency for the average public officer—whether special assistant or minister—to condescend to citizens. Public officers act with the confidence that backlash can only come from their superiors in office. The ideals of constitutional democracy have no impression on our public officers.

This is not surprising. Colonial and military influences have dominated much of our national history. An ingrained fear of public officers infects our social psychology. We cherish authority over intelligence, we consider judge over judgment. Our public officers know this, and they do not hesitate to flaunt this arrogance of office in our face.

Last week, top officials of a South West state released a statement that described dissatisfied citizens as “hypocritical and manipulative”. Also recently, a Senate leader stated—without irony or hesitation—that they reshuffled Senate committees simply to “soothe frayed nerves” of some aggrieved members.

We can give many more examples. Even the most junior special assistants consider themselves a tad higher than the ordinary citizen. Yet we have done nothing to stop this attitude.

It is easy to dismiss this apathy as symptomatic of traditional respect for authority. But this is a simplistic understanding of Nigerian pre-colonial societies. The citizens of pre-colonial societies did not live in constant subjugation by their governments.

In fact, pre-colonial traditional rulers often reigned at the pleasure of their subjects. There was no guaranteed tenure of office.

If displeased, citizens could remove their rulers by customary methods or direct uprising. Any respect for authority was balanced by socio-political checks that prevented despotism. A tyrannical ruler would have had only a short time to reign.

Unfortunately, with colonial intervention, the traditional rulers became “protected” under the British socio-legal order. Under this socio-legal order, the people lost the power to control their rulers. Only the elite and the political class could stimulate political change. And so it remains to date.

Today, we are fighting corruption. But corruption is multifaceted. While corruption is often exhibited as blatant theft, it has also passed—without challenge—as indiscipline in the exercise of public office.

Indiscipline is the unending verbal diarrhoea of our public officers. Indiscipline is when the president rebukes Nigerians for importing toothpicks while he travels to treat an ear infection.

Indiscipline is when the same president returns from vacation to a red carpet, bagpipe-tooting reception. Indiscipline is when governors disrupt traffic with a convoy of cars. Indiscipline is when the public treasury finances the power supply, water supply, healthcare and transportation of public officers while these utilities are unavailable to the general public.

And so, it is unfair to challenge Nigerians to a disciplined behaviour when public officers are uncontrollable. Discipline is a

holistic standard. It either exists across all aspects of a society or it fails. A society where the citizens are well behaved but public officers are uncontrollable is merely a slave society. In a developed society, public discipline starts with public office.

This is why public opinion has to react strongly to irresponsible imposition by public officers. We should not ignore bad behaviour simply because it is sanctioned by the president. We should not tolerate insults merely because a governor serves it out. We have to resist attitudes that disrespect the citizenry.

Indiscipline in public office should be queried: from a minister who “jumps” traffic to a special assistant who insults citizens on social media.

Of course, this is easier said than done. The Nigerian masses are incapable of dealing with the machinery of government.

This is partly because they are not educated enough to handle its incidence, and partly because the struggle for survival requires a capitulation before officialdom. Unfortunately, we cannot run away from the fact that Nigeria operates a patronage economic system. We have a system where profit is determined by closeness to political power, not productivity. Yet, it remains a patronage system because those of us who are enlightened enough to defy its excesses still choose to “support” these leaders.

We need a new war against indiscipline. This is a war against the indiscipline of public officers. And, until there is a full awareness by the masses, the responsibility for this war is on the educated minority. We have waged enough wars against ourselves as citizens. Now, we have to be more concerned about checking the excesses of all arms of government. We have the media and the various social platforms available for expressing public opinion. Pressure, if applied consistently, can yield results. This may be false optimism but, other than outright revolution, it is the best card we have.

Otherwise, we can only look forward to a future where our children will continue to be oppressed in their own land, bullied by comfortable parasites who feed fat—legally and illegally—on our resources.

•Sogunro is a public affairs analyst.

16

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

tribune cartoons

Adeeko Olusegun adeeko.olusegun@yahoo.com 0811 695 4638

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

•

Born 1954.

•

He is a Nigerian businessman, humanitarian and philanthropist.

•

He is the founder of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, GTB.

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In 1990, he, together with Tayo Aderinokun, established Guaranty Trust Bank, which he managed as managing director/CEO from its inception in 1990 to July 2002. The bank has since expanded beyond Nigeria to other neighbouring African countries (The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Liberia) and in the United Kingdom.

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In May 2004, he was appointed Commissioner on the Commission for Africa by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

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Aside banking sector, Mr Fola Adeola has served in various capacities in both public and private sectors in Africa and beyond.

SEGELUULU

CHURCH BOY

FUNOLOGY

Fola Adeola in

January,

THERE ARE 10 DIFFERENCES IN THE CARTOONS BELOW. THE DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE MARKED IN B

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

A

B

17

news

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Basic education: Nigeria needs fresh 1.3 million teachers in 6 years —FG

•To release N444m to states for teacher training Clement Idoko -Abuja

T

HE Federal Government has expressed concern about the acute shortage of qualified teachers to teach at the Basic Education level in the country, disclosing that the nation needs to employ about 1.3 million fresh teachers in the next six years to be able to address the problem.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja, during the national kick-off of Teacher Development Training programme of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Adamu said while government was concerned about the quality of teachers, more disturbing was a wide gap between the number of teachers required and current number of teachers available in the basic education sector.

“In Nigeria, we need about 1.3 million teachers in the next six years. We are in no doubt that without professional and qualitative teachers, the dream of building a globally competitive and development-oriented education system that instils and imbues the requisite skills and know-how to our teeming younger generation would continue to be a pipedream.

“The availability of qualified and competent t?eachers, their continuous training and retraining would have to be

emphasised to complement other inputs, in order to come up with quality basic education achievements,” he said.

He, however, noted that in addition to its existing intervention through UBEC, the Federal Government was working to recruit and inject 500,000 teachers into basic education sector across the country.

He added that when the recruitment of the proposed 500,000 teachers was completed, it would place more responsibilities and higher expectations on states and local governments in terms of the roles

they would be playing in providing more teacher infrastructure and instructional materials.

The minister frowned on most of the states for their inability to promptly access the matching grant and other non-conditional grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission.

Over 64.8billion matching grant from UBEC for implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) has not been accessed by the state governments.

Adamu, therefore, appealed to state governors to direct their States Uni-

versal Education Boards (SUBEBs) to access and promptly utilise these funds for rapid educational development.

He noted that the Federal government was doing its best to reduce or do away with the requirement of matching grants to provide easy access of the intervention fund.

Former Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Suleiman Dikko, in his remark, said recent study had revealed that apart from per-service training, many teachers did not have access to other forms of training to update

their knowledge and skills in pedagogy, educational management, record keeping, among others.

He disclosed that the Federal Government, through UBEC, would release the sum of N120 million to each state, which is about N444 million for the 36 states and FCT, for the 2015 Teachers’ Professional Development kicked off on Tuesday.

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha,? in his goodwill message at the event, said there was the need for government to develop capacity of teachers.

By Lanre Akinmoladun

From right, Deputy General Overseer, The Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), Pastor (Professor) S. O. Ewuola; Presiding Bishop, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo; General Overseer, GOFAMINT, Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina; General Secretary, Pastor Femi Omowumi and others, at the opening ceremony of the 60th anniversary and 51st annual convention of GOFAMINT, held at Igbo-Oloyin Road, Ojoo, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

section one of the expressway project, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Ibrahim, who is the engineer representative on the project, said Julius Berger had completed three kilometres of work on the

Lagos-bound carriageway of the bridge.

He said repairs on the damaged expansion joints were also ongoing.

Ibrahim said that Julius Berger has “fully re-mobilised back to site, to begin massive rehabilitation work on the expressway”.

“Julius Berger has moved new equipment and personnel to site, to speed up the work and they also now have a new asphalt plant at Ogere, in Ogun State.

“Massive earth works is currently ongoing in some portions of section one and work is also ongoing

Ondo govt begins rehabilitation of township roads Hakeem Gbadamosi, Akure.

In its bid to fix damaged portions on roads across Ondo State, the State Agency for Road Maintenance and Construction (OSARMCO) has commenced the rehabilitation of 80 roads within the state, to alleviate the traffic challenges across the three senatorial districts.

Chairman of the agency, Kehinde Osikoya, who disclosed this on Tuesday, in Akure, the state capital, said all structures had been put in place to ensure the realisation of government’s dream of providing

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 20 to conduct by-election into Oorelope state constituency in Oyo State.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, in Ibadan, signed by Mr Ayodele Folami, the INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state.

Folami said that the byelection was necessitated by the death of Mr Tunji Aremu, who was elected to represent the constituency in the state House of Assembly.

He said that political parties and security agencies in the state had been informed of the forthcoming poll.

Folami called on voters in Oorelope Local Government Area to turn out enmasse to vote for candidate of their choice.

NDE tackles women unemployment in Oyo, empowers 50 with skills

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: Julius Berger completes milling of 3km on ‘long bridge’ The Federal Ministry of Works, on Tuesday, said three kilometres of asphalt had been removed from the ‘long bridge’ on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Mr Kayode Ibrahim, the ministry’s engineer in charge of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of

INEC fixes Aug 20 for by-election in Oyo

good roads for the people of the state.

Osikoya, who explained that the rehabilitation efforts would justify the high level of confidence the government and people have in the public institution, said the agency had completed over 90 roads across the state in the last one year.

The agency’s chairman said the massive rehabilitation efforts would involve minor, major even special projects, adding that stakeholders had already been put on standby to achieve results.

Also speaking, the General Manager, Ayodele Ojo, charged the heads of the units to show more commitment towards the projects, saying that the agency is determined to continue to prove that public service institutions could be effective in execution of government policies.

The rehabilitation efforts would be carried out in Akure, Ondo City, IkareAkoko township, Owo township, Ifon township, Ido-Ani township, Isarun township, Oba-Ile palaceRoad and many others.

Some of the roads in

Akure include, Oshinle-Igbo Church, Gbogi-Cathedral, Lafe-Aule, Oda Road, High School area, Fanibi-Champion, Alakara-Danjuma, Old Sijuwade, AdinlewaKoseunti, Araromi Street, Akinjo-Babalola, Iro-Eleye, “ In Owo, we are attending to Iselu Road, Otutu, Okedogbon, Iyere Road, Post Office Road, Uka Road, Iloro Road, Clerk Quarter Road, “We are also commencing rehabilitation works on Ifon township roads, IdoAni township roads, Isarun townsip roads among others,” he said.

on the long bridge.

“We have done over three kilometres of milling on the Long Bridge on the Lagos-bound carriageway.

“We are also replacing bad expansion joints on the bridge and it is not a job that can be done in a hurry.

“We are removing the bad expansion joints put in there between 1973 and 1975,” he said.

Ibrahim explained that some dangerous diversions which could cause accidents had been closed on the Lagos-bound carriageway, in line with advice from the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC).

He said that the FRSC was currently on ground on the highway, working with the construction firm, to ensure there were no obstructions on the road.

“We are creating new diversions on the long bridge on the Lagos bound carriageway, to ease gridlock.

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Oyo State, has empowered women in the state with skills that will take them out of the labour market to become employers of labour.

The empowerment training is part of the efforts of the Federal Government, through the directorate, to tackle unemployment in the country.

Fifty women from the informal sector drawn across the state, undergone fiveday training in beads crafting, at the directorate’s office, in Ibadan, last week.

The acting Director-General of the NDE, Mr Kunle Obayan, said it was a great opportunity for the participants to be part of the skills acquisition training, urging them to take advantage of the training to liberate themselves from the grip of poverty, induced by unemployment.

Mr Obayan, who was represented by the Oyo State coordinator of NDE, Alhaji Adebanjo Awosanya, said that government was determined, through the NDE, to reduce unemployment among women in the country.

He said that “Skills acquisition is the antidote to unemployment plaguing the country.”

The participants were trained on how to make beads into different crafts like fruit bowl, flower vase, tissue pack.

They were also given micro business training to be able to manage their own businesses.

18

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

By Wale Ojo-Lanre 0803 349 0986 waleojolanre@gmail.com

African cultural tourism promotion our goal —AHBEA THE desire to promote African cultural tourism heritage on a global entertainment circuit has led to the inauguration of Afro – Heritage Broadcasting & Entertainment Award (AHBEA).

Prince Yisa Shola Olaniyan, President of AHBEA, made this known at a press conference held in Lagos recently where he declared that “it is high time we place our afro cultural tourism heritage on the front burner of international entertainment buyers, sellers and promoters for value ranking, intercontinental appreciation and economic networking “ He further said that “We have watched how our cultural tourism heritage has been treated with half measured gesture on the international circuit without acknowledging the roles and impacts which some individuals , state governments , corporations have been playing at pushing it through as an economic sector ‘ According to him; “Thus, we inaugurated Afro-Heritage Broadcasting & Entertainment Award named after our parent company, Afro-Heritage Entertainment Company, a duly registered entertainment company in the state of Texas, USA, to appreciate outstanding performance and contribution in broadcasting, tourism, culture and entertainment industry.”

He explained that ‘we want to bring African entertainers close to Africans in the Diaspora to create a platform for mutual interaction. We also bring these promoters of African cultural tourism and values closer to their fans with the intention to create direct positive impact on young Africans being raised abroad and finally, to create avenue for screening of African movies that are not available to foreign audience especially during award ceremonies and other major events.”

Prince Olaniyan revealed that: “our overall intended goal is to continue to promote African entertainers, culture, tourism, language, and to continue to build solid foundation for our culture in foreign lands because of the young and upcoming generation residing overseas”.

UNWTO rolls out measures to boost tourism development in Nigeria

T

HE UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has rolled out a number of measures, including technical assistance, capacity building and the revision of the country’s Tourism Master Plan, as part of efforts to ensure the development of tourism in Nigeria.

This was made known in a press release made available by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi in Madrid, Spain.

The UN Agency announced the measures, which also include the organisation of international conferences in Nigeria and the certification of tourism courses, at the end of a two-day meeting between the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the global tourism agency in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday.

At the meeting held at the headquarters of UNWTO, Nigeria also expressed interest in hosting the 60th meeting of the agency’s Commission for Africa in 2018 in order to attract global attention to tourism in the country.

In addition, the agency is widening access to its e-library for Nigerian tourism officials and offering support to relevant tourism institutions and agencies in Nigeria.

Under the UNWTO’s technical assistance programme, Nigeria will be assisted in the area of data collection for the elaboration of tourism statistics, rural tourism development, hotel classification and in designing programmes to create awareness for tourism.

In the area of capacity building, the focus will be on the empowerment of women in tourism through the centres being planned for the six geo-political zones.

There’s also the training of festival managers, among others.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, who led the agency’s highly-powered delegation to the meeting, said the implementation of the programmes would start immediately and continue for the next two years. He commended the Minister for his ”great intelligence and big vision” for

tourism in Nigeria, adding that the “good chemistry” between him and the minister must be used for the good of Nigeria.

On his part, the minister, who led the Nigerian delegation to the meeting, described it as “most useful” and beneficial to the country.

“I want to express the appreciation of the government and people of Nigeria to the UNWTO for their support. You have been passionate in your collaboration

and you have helped us in more ways than we could imagine,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

The meeting, which marked the return of Nigeria to the centre stage of the organisation it joined in 1975, was held at the instance of the UNWTO SecretaryGeneral, who invited the minister to the agency’s headquarters after the two met at the 58th UNWTO CAF Meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, last April.

How beer re-invented “WITHOUT question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer.

Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” Dave Barry, Humorist and Writer Beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to the fifth millennium BC and recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. As almost any cereal containing certain sugars can undergo spontaneous fermentation due to wild yeasts in the air, it is possible that beer-like beverages were independently developed throughout the world soon after a tribe or culture had domesticated cereal. Chemical tests of ancient pottery jars reveal that beer was produced as far back as about 7,000 years ago in what is today Iran.

The invention of bread and beer has been argued to be responsible for humanity’s ability to develop technology and build civilisation. The earliest chemically confirmed barley beer to date was discovered at Godin Tepe in the Central Zagros Mountains of Iran, where fragments of a jug, at least 5,000 years old, were found to be coated with beerstone, a by-product of the brewing process.

Beer may have been known in Neolithic Europe as far back as 5,000 years ago, and was mainly brewed on a domestic scale.

Today, the brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries. More than 133 billion litres (35 billion gallons) are sold per year—producing total global revenue of $294.5 billion (£147.7 billion) in 2006.

Historians submit that human beings have been around for about 100,000 years, and informed that in the first 90,000 years, the world achieved absolutely nothing at all. Then Beer came; and then put an end to primitivism and kickstarted the age of creativity and invention.

That beer happened, and changed the world forever sounds almost too bizarre to be true, but many anthropologists and archaeologists now believe that it was a taste for beer, not bread, that propelled people to start to farm in barley around 9000BC. Known as the agricultural revolution, “beering” actually ended hunter-gathering and led to the world’s first ever civilisation — Mesopotamia. The drive to grow more barley in order to make more beer, led to a cascade of inventions. The plough, the wheel, irrigation, mathematics and even writing, all of these worldchanging innovations were dreamed up to help with the production and distribution of beer.

19

tourism

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Uwechue - Mbanefo, has described the reports of foreign media as unfair to Nigeria’s image, saying that foreign media are fond of reporting only negative stories about Nigeria while ignoring the positive ones.

This, according to her, has negatively affected the image of the country, as it painted the country black and portrayed it as a no-go area.

Mbanefo said this while reacting to the comment of the Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayorac, who said that Nigeria had image deficit and, thereby, needed to do more with regards to the security situation in the country and improve on her image. This was during a courtesy of the NTDC boss and her management team to the Switzerland Ambassador, recently.

The NTDC boss emphasised that an area in the North Eastern part of the country with security challenges is so minute compare to the size of the country, adding that the present administration, within a year, had been able to drastically reduce the activities of insurgents in the area.

“Foreign media project their different countries as places devoid of security and natural challenges, but portray Nigeria as an insecure place. They should endeavor to balance their reports on Nigeria with the good things that happen in Nigeria. Nigeria is safe. And whatever challenge Nigeria is facing is not peculiar to her, they are common to other countries in the world, including the advanced countries,” Mbanefo said.

The NTDC boss then charged the Nigerian media to embark on aggressive developmental journalism, whereby good things happening in the country are given better reportage than challenges that are facing the country.

This, she said, would help improve the image of the country abroad, and encourage foreign tourists and investors into the country.

The purpose of the courtesy visit, according to Mbanefo, was to familiarise the corporation and collaborate with the Switzerland embassy, to learn and emulate the best practices of Switzerland tourism, add-

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Foreign media unfair to Nigeria, Mbanefo tells Swiss envoy

The Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Dr ( Mrs) Sally Uwechue - Mbanefo explaining the tourism potential of Nigeria on the tourism map to the Switzerland Ambassador, Eric Mayorac, during a courtesy visit to his office to seek collaboration with the embassy in Abuja, recently.

ing that Nigeria had so much to offer. She urged Switzerland to consider investing in Nigeria, especially in her tourism industry.

Mayorac, who lauded the scope of activities of NTDC under the leadership of Mrs. Mbanefo, described tourism as a priority

Oguntoye brothers bag World Tourism Award NIGERIAN twin brothers, Oguntoye Taiwo Oyedele and Oguntoye Kehinde Oladele, will be flying the Nigerian flag at this year’s Twins Days Festival in Ohio and will also be receiving an award of excellence at the African Diaspora World Tourism Award in Atlanta Ga, USA. It will be recalled that the Oguntoye brothers were the first twins to represent Africa at the recently concluded 2016 Mojiang International Twins Festival in China which is the largest gathering of twins in Asia. The duo, the most famous twins in Africa tourism and the world initiators of Twins Tourism, are expected to par-

ticipate and showcase Nigeria twinning culture and experiences of being a twin along with other twins and their families, who will be gathered to celebrate multiple births at the 41st annual Twins Days Festival scheduled to hold on August 5 to 7, 2016.

According to the Twins Days Festival Committee, “we are pleased to have the Oguntoye twin brothers from Nigeria to be part of this year’s Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio”. Twins Day is one of the world’s largest gathering of multiple births in the world with weekend activities, including ggolf tournament, a wel-

received seven pints of beer a day in payment, making the total bill for that job, 1,489,199,995 pints. For the Egyptians, it was not just a form of currency but a staple food (school boys would drink a bowl for breakfast producing, I guess, a different kind of Ready Brek glow) and beer was also used to treat illnesses.

In the last few years, researchers found the presence of the antibiotic tetracycline (which was only ‘discovered’ in 1948) in the bones of Egyptian mummies. After some more researches, they found the only place this could have come from was the beer drunk at the time. In fact fast forward a few thousand years and beer was the basis of modern medicine too.

By the 16th Century, the average annual con-

sumption of beer in Britain was 530 pints for every man, woman and child – three times the amount we drink today. Monks were the original master brewers and the church became rich on the back of their skill then as entrepreneurs took over.

Beer spearheaded the creation of trade, commerce, banking and finance.

Beer’s influence on technology continued unabated into the 20th Century. It gave us refrigeration after the brewing industry financed research into the process to keep lager chilled and it revolutionised industry when Michael Owens built the first automated production line to make beer bottles in 1904 – some 10 years before Henry Ford took the credit with his cars (as Ford said: “History is bunk’).

Beer gets a bad press, owing to many misconceptions. It is regularly blamed for many of society’s ills but the reality is that society as we know it, in large part at least, is only here because of it. So, next time anyone tells you how evil beer is, remind them that some of the best ideas come when you drink.

Today, there are about 40,000 types of beer in the world in an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly. However, the world of beer is still shrouded in many myths and misconceptions. Some of these are easy to contemplate, while others, are downright ridiculous.

culture and entertainment As Egypt took over from Mesopotamia, in the Land of the Pharaohs, beer was the national currency, a dietary staple and even an important medicine. Even in more recent times, beer’s hidden hand has been behind some of history’s most remarkable breakthroughs, from the discovery of germ theory and modern medicine, to the invention of refrigeration, the birth of the factory and the end of child labour. Beer didn’t just change the world, historians claim it saved it!

To quote historian Gregg Smith: “Beer changed the course of human history. Not once, not twice, but over and over again.”

It wasn’t just the Sumerians and Mesopotamians who enjoyed the odd glass of cerveza. The Egyptians were also big boozers. Ra wasn’t just the god of life and love, but beer too – a pretty neat combination.

The labourers, who built the pyramid of Giza

for Switzerland, while describing Nigeria as a rich tourism nation, and a good nation, with highly hospitable people.

come cookout, parade, twins talent show, twins contest, stage entertainment, fireworks display etc.

Also, Oguntoye Taiwo and Kehinde are to receive African Diaspora World Tourism Award in Atlanta Ga for outstanding creation of Twins Tourism and World Twins Festival at the African Diaspora World Tourism Awards (ADWT-Awards) and Travel Expo to be held on August 2628, 2016 at the Westin Atlanta Airport, USA. African Diaspora World Tourism Awards founded by Kitty Pope is being presented by AfricanDiasporatourism. com, an online magazine exploring black culture and heritage worldwide, in association with Atlanta’s AD King Foundation, a non-profit organisation promoting peace and non-violence. ADWT-Awards will be co-presented and produced by Dr. Babs Onabanjo, CEO of the AD King Foundation and Rev. (Dr) Eugene Franklin, founder/president and chair of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Tourism Initiative.

20 with Doyin Adeoye

m:08038000394 e:doyinadeoye@tribuneonlineng.com t:@kreatif_ink

—Ogun State Forestry Commissioner Chief Kolawole Lawal is the Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry. He speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on the various projects of the ministry and how forest reserves in the nation can serve as a means for generating revenue, among other issues.

T

Such project is not only time consuming, but also involves a lot of financial commitment.

Has the ministry taken these into consideration, and how soon will it take off?

The project is partly social and partly economic. We have gone a long way in getting all the necessary requirements in terms of an enabling environment, government’s support, the political will, as well as availability of resources such as the land needed. A place has been earmarked for the project and we are working on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the feasibility study. So before the end of the year, we would have gone far on the project.

The state recently launched the ‘Green Ogun’ project.

What exactly is this about?

We really appreciate the governor’s approach to the environment, as he believes in an environment that is safe and can attract inves-

tors. This is a state that has invested so much on infrastructure and attracting investors to the state.

So you can imagine if an investor is coming from a long distance and needs to get to Lagos before heading to Abeokuta. There are days when one gets stuck in the traffic for many hours on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. This is often caused by the illegal trailers parked along the road, the illegal dumpsites, the shanties and the filling stations encroaching on the setbacks.

From time immemorial, there is supposed to be a 70-metre setback on both sides, 45 metres for the Federal Government and 25 metres for the state. But unfortunately now you will find property on the setback. So what the state government wants to do now is to take ownership of those setbacks and develop it to a global standard.

Highways in so many other developed countries are always so appealing unlike what it is here, where people take over the highway without minding whether there is law or not. So government wants to take ownership of the setback and develop it.

We will develop it from Iseri-Berger down to Sapade; from Abeokuta to Sagamu through the interchange and from Shiun to Ogere. We want to develop the 25 metres setback that belongs to the government. So from the 70 metres setback, about five metres will be for pedestrian walkway, about 7.5 metres for outer service lane, and the remaining will be for planting trees and grassing.

How does the ministry address the issue of people putting permanent structures on forest reserves?

According to Ogun State’s forestry laws, you can’t put permanent structures on forest reserves. Back in the days, the most you will see on forest reserves are farm houses

states in the country, with many groups in the state involved in one tree planting campaign or the other. How do you ensure that the trees planted are sustained?

Like I said, we distribute free seedlings and we ensure that we monitor their planting to the time that they are fully grown. We also ensure that we visit the farms often.

The state has many tree planters. For instance, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has a lot of tree plantations, as well as Chief Bisi Shodipe in Ijebu Ode and Dr Ade Abolurin, among others. So we have records of so many plantations i n the state.

Games reserves are good sources of revenue generation in many countries. How do you think Nigeria can also tap into this?

There is need to invest in that for ecotourism. And that is why Ogun State is collaborating with Lafarge and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to develop two of our reserves, Imeko and Aworo, which are in western part of the state.

The project is aimed at developing about 108,000 hectares. It has been degraded and deforested before now and we want to regenerate it.

built with palms because it is only meant for relaxation after work.

But surprisingly now, you will find well structured buildings on forest reserves. So we have called and warned them that permanent structures in reserves will have to be demolished. We are not evicting them from the reserve, but we don’t want permanent structures there, because we can use the place for anything at anytime.

This government, especially our governor will like to develop our forest reserves to the standard that is attainable all over the world. We have nine forest reserves in the state and some of them have been depleted to probably five per cent of their original size. That is a major challenge. Another issue we have is with the cocoa farmers, as they have turned some of the reserves to cocoa plantations.

Is there any form of agreement between the ministry and these cocoa farmers?

Yes there is. The agreement is based on agroforestry, where they can plant arable crops alongside our economic trees. They can plant maize, cassava or crops that can be harvested in a year; they cannot plant cash crops. But given that opportunity, they are now destroying our economic trees to plant cocoas.

Nature is our biggest ally in poverty reduction and achieving human welfare

ecoscope

Forest reserve, greening, untapped IGR source

he ministry in collaboration with the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) is planning to establish a zoological and biological garden.

What is the status of the project now?

It is a collaboration that has the backing of the state government under the able leadership of the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

We believe that having such in the state would give us some economic value and also serve as a platform for ecosystem study for students.

It will also assist in grooming the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of both the university and the state government and that is why we ventured into it.

We just signed the Memorandum of Collaboration, so we are in the process of getting a feasibility study that will be bankable and attractive to investors.

21

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

We even gave them the opportunity to leave and continue to harvest the ones they might have planted prior to 2004, inasmuch as they don’t plant new ones, but unfortunately, they keep planting new ones. So when we see a new cocoa tree that is not fruiting, we destroy it, because cocoas are weeds to our economic trees.

Deforestation has no doubt become a national environmental issue. What is being done at the state level here to address it?

According to the United Nations, Nigeria landmass has 25 per cent forest cover. But as we speak now, we have less than five per cent forest cover. So there is need for all of us to be involved in tree planting.

One of my goals for the year is to regenerate 2,500 hectares annually.

So to achieve this, we are working in collaboration with NGOs and development banks.

Everybody is talking about climate change and global warming, but then what happens to our wildlife?

This ministry has about 10,000 hectares conserved for wildlife in Omo Forest Reserve that we don’t touch at all. And it is the goal of this ministry to conserve additional 10,000 hectares for biodiversity preservation and ecotourism devel-

opment. That reflects the encouragement that we are getting from our governor. Also currently, we have almost a million tree seedlings that we have nursed, and we give out free to people so that they can plant trees.

How do you think the issue of illegal felling of trees in the nation generally can be addressed?

Nigeria is good at making laws but implementation remains the problem. But I believe that with the current administration, there will be more enforcement of laws.

There are laws against illegal felling of trees but people would rather ignore it because they know that nothing will be done if they break the law.

On the part of the state, we are working seriously to resolve our forestry laws, as it is currently with our Ministry of Justice. Meanwhile, we have groups that monitor activities in our forest reserves. We have the Central Law Control (CLC), Special Task Force (STF) and the monitoring teams. We also have our forest guards and Divisional Forest Programming Officers (DFPO) that are all over our ranges.

Ogun State is one of the few environmental conscious

Many perpetrators of illegal felling of trees in reserves are often well armed. How well trained are the forest guards in handling the situation?

It is true that many of these perpetrators are often fully armed. So what we have done is to collaborate with security agencies like the police, the army and the civil defence, and it has been worthwhile. But there is also need to equip them more. The guards are on 24-hour service and are working extensively to ensure that everything is under control. We recently arrested someone at one of our reserves; it was around 2 a.m. and although the man escaped, we got hold of his car, where we found a gun. The car was taken to the police station, but unfortunately, he is yet to be arrested.

So we are doing our best.

The ministry is also working on generating energy from sawdust…

Yes. This is because all over the country you see sawdust wasting away. Recently, the Energy Commission of Nigeria in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) came together and realised that in Ebonyi State, they use rice shaft to generate energy. So they were in Ogun State and saw that we have so much sawdust which can be used in generating energy. The project is being discussed at the moment and we are waiting for the implementation.

—Tony Juniper

Buhari approves governing council, board for Ogoniland cleanup

By Doyin Adeoye Following the historic presidential launch of the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) report earlier in June in Bodo, Rivers State, President Muhammad Buhari has approved the composition of the governing council and board of trustees, which are the key elements of the governance structure required for the cleanup of Ogoniland.

This is in line with the president’s promise to implement the UNEP Report.

The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, said in a statement that President Buhari has approved the inauguration of a 13-person Governing Council and a 10-person Board of Trustees (BOT). This governance structure ensures inclusiveness, accountability, transparency and sustainability of the cleanup exercise.

Addressing the concerns raised

by Nigerians about the perceived slow pace of work, the minister said, “Nigerians have a right to voice their concerns. We have a responsibility to deliver. The launch was the first step in a 30year journey and we continue to make strides toward implementation.

“We ask for patience as we lay the solid foundations for the cleanup.

The context is complex and stakeholders are diverse. All must be taken along. His Excellency, President Buhari remains steadfast in his conviction to see Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger Delta cleaned up. My team at the Federal Ministry of Environment is actively working collaboratively with Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other key stakeholders to see that the promise of His Excellency is kept and we stay clean after the cleanup,” the minister said in a statement.

The minister also reiterated the need to see the cleanup as a collective responsibility and urged all the Niger Delta communities especially the Ogonis to support the remediation and restoration efforts of the government.

The cleanup operation, which the UNEP report said could be the “most wide-ranging and long term oil cleanup exercise,” aims to restore drinking water, soil, creeks and important ecosystems such as mangroves. The United Nations report estimated that the cleanup of Ogoniland could take up to 30 years where the initial remediation will take five years and the restoration another 25 years.

Illegal dumpsite at Boluwaji bus stop along Lagos-Ibadan expressway. PHOTO: VICTOR OGUNYINKA

Weather disasters can fuel war in volatile countries Following the warmest two years on record and spikes in violence that fuelled a global refugee crisis, climate scientists recently reported that armed fighting is prone to follow droughts, heatwaves and other weather-related calamities in turbulent countries.

Nearly a quarter of deadly armed conflicts in the countries with the most diverse ethnic makeups from 1980 to 2010 were found to have occurred at around the same time as an extreme weather event.

“It’s significant that you can make that statement, that nearly 25 per cent of those conflicts coincided with some type of climate-related disaster,” said Jonathan Donges, a Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research scientist who helped lead the new study.

Donges and three other European researchers detected the pattern after analysing extreme weather events that inflicted heavy economic damages and outbreaks of fighting that left at least 25 dead in a year. The results were published in Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences.

“What’s much more important is that this number is highly statistically significant and robust,” Donges said. “You cannot explain it by chance.”

The findings have ominous implications for prospects of peace on a warming planet. They’re the kinds of warnings that the Pentagon has been issuing for years, with climate change being linked to conditions that can fuel war and brutality.

Greenhouse gas pollution and rising temperatures are causing droughts, floods and other natural disasters to become more severe.

Climate change can also influence the likelihood that such extreme weather events will happen at all.

The new research honed in on “ethnically fractionalized countries,” such as Liberia and Afghanistan, where violent clashes can be fueled by religion and culture—or by shortages of land, water, food and other resources needed for survival and prosperity. Such countries tend to be among the poorest.

Race to end malnutrition requires clean water, sanitation –WaterAid

Says Nigeria has over 10 million malnourished children

By Doyin Adeoye The race to end malnutrition requires clean water, good sanitation and good hygiene, WaterAid has said, while also noting that currently, 159 million children in the world are stunted as a result of malnutrition.

In its new report, ‘Caught Short’, WaterAid looks at stunting from malnutrition around the world and the links to low rates of access to clean water and good sanitation.

According to the report, 159 million children in the world are currently stunted as a result of malnutrition, with their cognitive

and physical growth damaged irreversibly by their inability to obtain and absorb the nutrients they need.

Some 50 per cent of malnutrition is linked to infections, worm infestations and diarrhoeal illnesses caused by dirty water, poor sanitation and a lack of hygiene including hand washing with soap.

It further revealed that Nigeria ranks second in the world for having the greatest number of children under five suffering from stunted growth. The record amount is about 10.3 million, or 33 per cent of children under five. It stated further that about 31 per cent of the population

in Nigeria do not have access to clean water and 71 per cent do not have access to decent sanitation.

WaterAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Dr Michael Ojo, said: “The evidence is clear. Children’s health and future potential are compromised when they have no choice but to grow up without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene practices.

Even if children survive their dangerous early years, repeated bouts of diarrhoea early in life are likely to leave them stunted, leaving Nigeria and Africa as a whole, deprived of a new generation of great leaders, thinkers and athletes.

“World leaders have promised to end malnutrition and deliver water and sanitation to everyone, everywhere by 2030. They must keep their promises, one cannot be met without the other,” he said.

Meanwhile, the organisation also called for action as world leaders meet in Rio to open the Olympic Games. World leaders and prominent current and former Olympians will meet at the Second High Level Summit on Nutrition tomorrow ahead of the opening ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to bring attention to the importance of good nutrition.

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

with Tunde Dodondawa m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

Why oil price may remain down despite efforts to resuscitate it Olatunde Dodondawa with Agency Reports

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RUDE oil prices have continued to rally around $40 per barrel despite efforts by oil producers, including Nigeria and other members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to resuscitate the prices.

According to Oilprice. com, refining maintenance season is a few weeks away, a period of time that could be hugely negative for oil prices. Already the oil markets are dealing with record levels of oil and petroleum products sitting in storage, but a refining lull would put a major dent in oil demand. While the maintenance season is temporary, it could keep oil prices low for the next several months.

Between the months of July and October, purchases of crude oil from the refining industry in the U.S. has declined by roughly 1.2 million barrels per day over the past five years.

“People are looking ahead to the fall and are worried.

There’s more and more talk of prices going south of $40 and as a result people are going short,” Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research, told Bloomberg in an interview.

“Gasoline inventories remain at extraordinary high levels, only down slightly from record highs. Several weeks of increases in the level of gasoline sitting in storage has weighed on the markets. Worse, the high inventories come at a time when oil traders expected them to fall because of summer driving season.

Unfortunately for oil bulls, they have not,” he said.

Crude oil inventories have declined for about 10 consecutive weeks, but still are extremely high.

And the drawdowns could come to an end, or at least narrow, if refiners cut back on purchases during main-

Kachikwu tenance season.

That is all bearish news for oil prices in the nearterm, and the markets are starting to take notice.

Hedge funds and money managers have cut their bets on rising oil prices and increased their short bets.

Net-long positions are at their lowest level since March.

Meanwhile, as downturn continues to hold sway in the international crude oil market, oil majors are also counting their losses as refining boom halts. British Petroleum, the first oil major to announce the lowest refining margins for the April to June period in the past six years. The global refining marker margin, which stood at $13.80 a barrel in the second quarter of this year, has dropped down to $10.70 a barrel in the third quarter to date. Last year, the third quarter margins were a healthy $20 a barrel.

This news doesn’t bode well for the large oil companies, which now have to deal with lower crude oil prices and lower refining margins. The upstream business, the business of

exploring for reserves and production, had taken a huge hit due to the massive drop in crude oil prices.

Consider ExxonMobil, the only company among the five oil majors, which has a profitable upstream business. Its upstream net income, which was $27 billion in 2014, shrank to $7 billion in 2015.

On the other hand, all the oil majors reported a spurt in downstream margins since 2014, which seems to be waning. “The crash in oil prices in late 2014 brought refineries worldwide a pleasant surprise: booming margins. But now, the market is changing,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at consulting firm Energy Aspects Ltd. in London.

In the latest quarter, BP has seen its downstream earnings drop to $1.51 billion from $1.87 last year, and $1.81 billion in the first quarter of this year. What is more concerning is that BP expects margins to remain “under significant pressure.

High gasoline demand in late 2015 and early 2016 absorbed the increased re-

fining by the oil companies.

Healthy refining margins also helped the oil companies survive the sharp drop in crude oil prices in the first quarter of 2016.

Nigeria’s crude output nosedived drastically in the wake of incessant militant attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region. Production went as low as 900,000 barrels per day from 2.2 million barrels per day production.

However, peace seems to have returned to the creeks as the Federal Government engages some representatives of the militants in dialogue. Nigeria’s oil production now average 1.4million barrels per day.

Nigeria’s crude oil production has declined massively from an average of 2.2 million barrels per day last year to about 1.4 million barrels per day due to increased vandalism of crude oil pipelines by vandals.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said the incessant attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region impacted negatively on the estimates in the recently approved 2016 budget, which pegged oil production at 2.2 million barrels per day.

He, however, expressed government’s commitment to ensure that destroyed facilities were repaired and effectively protected from further damage. “We are going to work hard to see how we will get these issues resolved and get our production back,’’ the minister said, pointing out that developing infrastructure was key to promoting increased crude oil production and efficiency.

The minister said there were still a lot more things government needed to pay attention to, particularly infrastructure development, which he said the country has not been able to invest in over the last 20 years in the oil sector.

Nigerian Tribune

Petroleum, Power Ministers, stakeholders set for NAEC Conference THE Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu and his counterpart in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola are expected to make policy statements on government’s plans for the economy, especially in the oil and gas and power sectors respectively at this year’s edition of the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) Annual Conference.

The conference, with the theme “Low Oil Price: Impacts and the way Forward’’ holds on August 18, 2016, at the banquet hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, by 9am.

The sub-themes include “Attracting Investment in the Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector’’ with emphasis on “Gas to Power: Challenges and Opportunities.”

This is contained in a press statement issued by NAEC. The association confirmed that captains of industry, legislators, as well as other stakeholders in the petroleum and power industries will be in attendance.

The keynote address and the lead paper will be delivered by the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr.

Maikanti Baru.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, will deliver the goodwill message while the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola will be the Guest Speaker.

It stated that stakeholders in the oil and gas and power sectors, including International Oil Companies (IOCs), downstream oil and gas operators, independent producers, new owners of the privatised power assets and other stakeholders, would also be at the conference to proffer solutions to issues to be discussed.

These stakeholders, including captains of industry and other industry chief executives as well as the lawmakers, are expected to brainstorm on the ways to attract investment into the oil and sector sector considering the impacts of low oil price regime in Nigeria. They will also brainstorm on finding a lasting solution to the challenges of gas to power.

The conference is expected to provide a veritable platform for the government and the industry operators to rub minds on the ways to address the energy challenges confronting the country.

Chevron posts $1.47bn loss CHEVRON recorded a net loss of $1.47 billion for the second quarter of 2016, on the back of the continued oil price depression. This is down from a profit of $571 million for the second quarter of 2015. The company said the negative result included impairment charges of $2.8billion.

Reuters notes this is Chevron’s biggest quarterly loss for the last 15 years.

Total revenues for the period totaled $29.28 billion, a decline from $40.36 billion a year earlier, of which sales and operating revenue accounted for $28 billion. That’s down from $37 billion for April-June 2015.

Oil production in the period also fell, to 2.53 million tones of oil equivalent daily. Commenting on the results, CEO John Watson said, ““The second quarter results reflected lower oil prices and our ongoing adjustment to a lower oil price world. In our upstream business, we recorded impairment and other charges on certain assets

where revenue from expected oil and gas production is expected to be insufficient to recover costs. Our downstream business continued to perform well.”

Like its peers, Chevron has had a hard time tackling the fallout of the oil price rout that started in mid-2014.

Cost-cutting, writeoffs on projects and layoffs, however, have turned out to be insufficient to sustain the company’s profitability amid the persistent glut. Asset sales are also a major element of its coping mechanism: the second-largest US-based oil supermajor plans to generate between $5 and $10 billion from asset sales.

Despite the distress, Chevron just recently approved a $37billion expansion of the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan, which it operates in consortium with ExxonMobil and Russia’s Lukoil. Plans are to bolster production to 39 million tons of crude per year, or 850,000 barrels per day, by 2022.

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Ekiti Govt urges residents to settle their electricity bills THE Ekiti State Commissioner for Public Utilities and Infrastructure, Mr Deji Adesua, has urged residents to settle their bills promptly. He gave assurance to Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) of the state government’s commitment to partner with it, to enable it achieve its corporate objectives, even as he canvassed prompt payment of electricity bills by citizens of the state.

He gave this assurance during a Town Hall meeting held at Olojido Palace, Ido-Ekiti at the weekend.

Mr Adesua according to a statement from BEDC, said the plea for electricity payment on regular basis was informed by the fact that responsibility for the collection of revenue shared by the entire power sector value chain rested on BEDC hence only prompt payment of bills can facilitate the realization of such objectives.

He noted that the idea of prompt payment of electricity would enable BEDC

serve the people of Ekiti State better since it was only one of the company’s four state of operation.

Adesua also requested that BEDC should outsource the procurement of prepaid meters to licensed contractors since according to him, it is the only way to ascertain the customers’ actual consumption.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief state Head for Ondo/ Ekiti, Mr. Ernest Edgar said BEDC is entitled to only 9 per cent of whatever power is generated in the country and this will be shared among the four states under the company’s coverage.

He stated that the need for prompt payment by the customer was the only antidote for more power to the customer.

Besides, he explained the nature of distribution of electricity, which he said is naked, could only explain why most people steal illegal connection or hanging of wire at night.

From right, Delta State, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Festus Agas, handing over a certificate to one of the staff of Total Group after training on community preventive health education on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with them from left are Executive Secretary, NIBUCAA, Mr Gbenga Alabi; Corporate Affairs Manager, Total Nigeria Plc, Mr Mabuyaku Albert and General Manager, CSR/SD, Total E&P Nigeria, Dr Charles Ngeribara watch, during the official launch of the community project in Asaba, Delta State, recently.

IPMAN denies N10.9bn subsidy fraud allegations Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa -Lagos

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HE investment arm of the Independent Petroleum Marketers

Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has denied allegation of N10.9bn subsidy fraud.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Mr Tunji Adeniji, the Managing

Total Nigeria trains 23 volunteers to curb HIV/AIDS AS part of it social responsibility, Total Nigeria Plc said it has trained 23 volunteers to assist in curbing the menace of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

The company stated this during the launching of free HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria preventive education project in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, recently.

Speaking during his keynote address, Mr Jefferson Nnamani, Executive Director, Strategy, Total Nigeria, who represented the Managing Director, explained that under the programme, the company

has trained 23 educators on global approach, and they are expected to carry out sensitization within their communities and create the awareness needed to help prevent the diseases.

He added that the company has so far launched the programme in 19 states of the country.

“It is our conviction that achieving an AIDS free generation is possible, this can happen with sustained financial, political and selfless commitment from us all,” he said.

He assured that the com-

pany is committed to impacting positive to the lives of Nigerians through healthy education on preventive measures against HIV/AIDS and other mentioned diseases.

According to him, “our fight against HIV/AIDS is to protect our host communities, Employee families, organization, and society in general from the devastating challenge of these diseases” In his speech while flagging off the launch, the Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Hon. Festus

Ovie Agas, lauded Total Nigeria for embarking on the education programme.

While stressing that the programme is in line with the agendum of the State Government, he disclosed that a bill on HIV/AIDS prevention and education is already before the State house of Assembly and will soon be passed into law.

According to him “Delta State has very low percent rate of HIV/AIDS, the State will continue to be committed through Delta SACA to improve on sensitization of the people.”

Pivot Engineering, technical partners upgrade deliver substations PIVOT Engineering Company Limited (PECL), a member of Honeywell Group, and its partners, including Siemens Transmission & Distribution SAS France and Siemens Nigeria Limited, have completed the power transmission projects for the upgrade of substations in Ajah, Lekki and Alagbon (Ikoyi) areas of Lagos to further ensure reliable and quality power supply to the state.

Upgrading of the three substations is part of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) intervention of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), itself an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to add

significant new generation capacity to Nigeria’s electricity supply system together with associated transmission, distribution and gas supply infrastructure.

Speaking on the project, Bayo Oluwafemi, the GM Projects of Pivot Engineering, said that the three substations upgraded “are very unique and among the few Gas Insulated Switchgears (GIS) Substations embarked upon

by NDPHC as majority of the other substations have AIS (Air Insulated switchgear).”

“These substations would also bring about economic benefit by strengthening the national power grid to enable the government

achieve its long term target of realizing 10,000MW”, he added.

Before the NDPHC intervention, Ajah Substation had installed capacity of 330KV 300MVA. Ajah Substation has been expanded under the NIPP initiative by the addition of 330KV 150MVA and 132KV 100MVA. The old 132KV GIS system was extended and new 330KV GIS System was installed at Ajah.

There was no Substation at Lekki before the NDPHC intervention. As a result of growth and expansion in Lekki, NDPHC contracted the Pivot-Siemens Consortium to construct the new Lekki 132/33KV 120MVA GIS Substation to also

provide reliable, quality power to Lekki axis of Lagos state.

The scope of work included but was not limited to the installation of new 132KV GIS System and 33KV indoor switchgear to evacuate power though 8Nos 33KV feeders.

The Alagbon Substation was built in the 1980s and in need of repair before NDPHC commenced its upgrade. This substation feeds Ikoyi axis of Lagos state. It had 2 x 60MVA 132/33KV AIS Mobile Substation installed by TCN. However, to improve the power supply in Ikoyi, Lagos the Alagbon Substation has been upgraded by NDPHC to a 330KV substation.

Director of IPMAN Investment Limited, debunked the alleged report on N10.9 billion subsidy scam in IPMAN Investment Limited, credited to a factional president of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo.

Speaking after IPMAN NEC Meeting recently, Mr. Adeniji described as false the allegation that its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, embezzled the proceeds of petroleum subsidy claim of the association amounting to over N10.9billion.

He said that the allegation, which was recently leveled against Abdulkadir by one of its factional leaders, Elder Okoronkwo was untrue insisting that Abdulkadir was not guilty of such crime, which Okoronkwo claimed he committed through IPMAN Investment Limited.

Adeniji said that the allegation was the handiwork of elements that are unhappy with the current peaceful state of the association.

He, however challenged anyone with evidence of wrong doing in IPMAN to come forward with such information for appropriate actions, insisting there was nothing like a N10.9billion subsidy claims.

Adeniji stated that IPMAN Investment Limited is legally instituted with credible members managing the company which Okoronkwo has testified to the credibility of the business group.

He said that all permits given to IPMAN investment Limited by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) were duly executed and the truck out certified.

According to him,

“Okoronkwo ought to know the bounds of free speech and where defamation starts. It is hoped that he will click his tail in-between his legs and will correct his utterances for, as the Holy Book puts it, people perish for lack of knowledge and unfortunately, Okoronkwo has shown that he is one such ignorant person.

“IPMAN Investment Limited therefore requires an express apology from Okoronkwo for his acts of gross misrepresentation of facts or face appropriate legal actions.”

Adeniji said that IPMAN Investment Limited was a company registered in Nigeria and engages in the importation of refined petroleum products under the petroleum support fund (PSF) scheme of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) scheme was set up to enable adequate payment of subsidy to marketers through the Petroleum Produce Pricing and Registry Agency (PPPRA), the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Subsidy payment is a cost recovery system whereby marketers were paid the differential between the total cost of in port and the regulated price of the government which could be over-recovery or under recovery as the case may be.

“Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo’s shout on subsidy scam in IPMAN Investment Limited was mischievous and a misrepresentation of facts, for he lacks knowledge of what subsidy payment is all about,’’ he added.

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Attempting to steal the people’s mandate is a serious crime —Wike Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had an interactive session with the standing committee members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) ahead the Guild’s Annual General Conference holding in the state from August 3-7. He spoke on sundry issues affecting the state. DEPUTY EDITOR, DAPO FALADE, brings excerpts:

scholarships when you have the resources.

At the time we came, the state was owing about N4 billion on these foreign scholarships. If you pay the N4 billion debt, that is not the end. You have to pay for those at different levels of study. Scholarship is good to encourage our people but, there are certain courses you don’t send people abroad to study because our universities offer such programmes. Why would I send students abroad to study English Language, Social Studies or Political Science? But we are ready to offer scholarships to students to study peculiar courses in medicine and engineering.

We said look, it is not possible for the state as it is now to fund scholarships in courses that are offered here in Nigeria. We agreed to pay off for those writing their final year examinations which amounted to N1.8 billion.

Those of them studying English, Political Science and Accountancy, we said that we will still give you scholarships, but it will be in Nigerian universities. We expect them to return to take this offer.

To say that they would remain on the state’s account is not possible. Some of them, their parents are rich and they are not from poor background. Yes, there are few from poor background. Some scholarships are for children who are not from Rivers State. In some instances, they were political scholarships. As it is today, we don’t have the funds to continue with such scholarships.

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HY the state is open to host national and international events Let me thank the Nigerian Guild of Editors for bringing their Annual General Conference to Rivers State. One important benefit of this conference is that it will let the public know that Port Harcourt is safe, Rivers State is safe. To let you know that several international and national conferences have taken place here in the last one month.

In the course of the last one month, we have had the AMAA here; we have also had the Magistrates Association of Nigeria National Conference. We will be hosting the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association; the Federal High Court Judges Legal Year; the Conference of Chartered Arbitrators and the PDP National Convention. That shows that all the rumours you may be hearing are not true.

Apart from that, these national conferences will boost our economy. We have several hotel bookings, local transport and feeding as well as other benefits that will accrue to residents of the state. The state government will also make revenue in terms of taxation.

On the importance of the media When they say we have three arms of government, I don’t agree; I believe the media is the Fourth arm of government. Why do I say so? Everybody depends on the information from the media. Information is key; information is the raw material for decision-making. It is important that you always publish information that will promote democracy. Part of the reasons the coup failed in Turkey was because of the publicity from the media.

The media should help this country to let the world know what Nigeria is facing.

On his struggles as a governor For me as a governor, this is an opportunity and not a right. When you have this privilege, you use it for the benefit of the people. We know what we passed through to get to this point. Nobody has had the type of legal tussle we have had. Mine started before my inauguration. Of course, attempts were made to make sure that I was not inaugurated. To tell you how bad it was, I was not allowed to use the police ceremonial vehicle for my inauguration. We had to borrow from Ondo State. We thank God that has passed but I have to give you the background.

Thereafter, the legal tussle continued until January 27, 2016 when we were free to move forward. If you compare from June, May 29 was on Friday and work started on Monday. From that time to January 27, 2016, it was one problem or the other. From the tribunal to the Court of Appeal and to the Supreme Court. When you have such problems, you hardly can be focused. But I thank God that we were focused and we did not allow that to distract us.

On how he overcame initial challenges When we came on board, we inherited four months’ salary arrears and six months’ pension arrears. We give God the glory that we have been able to pay all. The then Sharks of Port Harcourt, Dolphin and Rivers Angels were

Gov Wike owed for eight months. We were able to clear that. And we said with the economy, it would be difficult for us to maintain three football clubs. For Sharks and Dolphin, we had to merge them to form the Rivers United. The club is doing well and it is contesting for the league title.

On foreign scholarships Some people may say that there are children who are on overseas scholarships whom they claim the state has abandoned. That is not true. We must tell ourselves the simple truth. Yes before, the state under the previous administration, was getting N20billion but now we get N3 billion to N4 billion monthly. You have to prioritise and tell the people the reality. I am not against giving out

Stealing the mandate of the people is a serious crime and it is worse than armed robbery. The difference is that while the ordinary armed robber uses arms to steal money, these political armed robbers use arms to steal votes.

On security I have always maintained that nobody should politicise security because when you begin to politicise security, the society will be in trouble. I think I am the only state governor who has had more than four commissioners of Police since I became governor. Each time, they change a Commissioner of Police when an election is approaching: when the election is over, they bring another one. That is how they change the Director of the DSS. This is not helping anyone.

When a Commissioner of Police is settling down to plan with the state government on how to improve security, they transfer him, bring another person and the process starts all over. I ask myself what is the benefit of these frequent changes. There are people who believe that there should be crisis in this state. Who will it benefit if there is crisis?

When we had cases of kidnappings, instead of others to sit down with the state to resolve the challenge, they started making unreasonable remarks. So, I ran to God to pray. God now helped and the problem has been transferred to other states. Now, we have kidnapping everywhere in Nigeria. In some states, they kidnap diplomats and traditional rulers. Kidnapping is almost gone here. It is not by my power, it is by God’s grace. When they said they will declare a State of Emergency here, I said God save me and He saved me by pushing insecurity to other states. Kidnapping is now a national crime.

On deployment of armed forces for the rerun election I have never seen the kind of security I saw during the March rerun election. Even if Obama [US president] comes, there would not be that kind of security. I thought even the president has never had that kind of security; it was unbelievable. I make a state broadcast as an incumbent state governor, some other person would go and make a broadcast. The Federal Government behaved as if nothing was happening. I knew it would be difficult because when you push a people to the wall, they react.

We resisted them. The same people who said there was no election, are now the persons at the Tribunal saying that they won. When they claimed there was no election, now they are saying they should declare them winners. I have never seen such a thing in my life. People came out in press conferences [to say] that there were no elections, but today they are saying they won.

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politics&policy

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

APC, Oshiomhole can’t stop PDP’s victory in September —Ize-Iyamu Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, once served as the Chief of Staff and then Secretary to the Government of the State. Since emerging the candidate of the PDP, he has come under fierce attacks from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with select newsmen, Ize-Iyamu insisted that the PDP was set to upstage the APC in the September 10 election. Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa brings the excerpts:

complaining, it means that you have no clue. I can understand you are complaining a year or two years after; but eight years after you are still blaming PDP, then it means that you are not the right person for the job. Edo people sincerely believed that Oshiomhole knows something about governance. It was a tragic mistake to have allowed such a person to be the governor of a state. At the best, maybe one of our unions can make him chairman but certainly, not the governor of Edo State. So, I can assure you that we believe we will win.

If you take your mind back to the 2015 presidential election, APC was demystified in Edo which has resulted in PDP having two out of three senators. We have five out of nine members of House of Representatives. Many people do not know that of the 17 local governments that were announced in that election, PDP won 15 while APC managed to win only two. That result tells a story. I believe that in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, if the election is free and fair, I think PDP will do better than what they did during the presidential election.

ou sounded so optimistic and confident of winning the governorship election come September 10 despite the fact that you are contesting against the ruling party both at the state and federal level. What could have informed such optimism?

I honestly believe that by the grace of God if we have free election, PDP will win this state. The reason is obvious: the present APC government in Edo has not done well. They have had the opportunity to prove themselves in eight years, for two terms. Today, people are very disillusioned and very dissatisfied. Just some days ago, our pensioners went on protest to Government House. Even though the governor was in his office, he refused to see them. He refused to grant them access but it is interesting to hear what he said.

The pensioners mentioned that many of them have not received their entitlements and that in the past seven month; at least, nine pensioners have died because of the frustrations and sufferings they are going through. The pensioners are a critical number in the state. They have families, dependants and I can bet you that with this situation, majority of the pensioners will not vote for them even if they decide to start paying pensions now, which is not even possible. To make it even more difficult, he (Oshiomhole) has closed the pension office which means they cannot process pension papers and send to him. Of course, these are experienced retired civil servants. They understand the game the governor is playing. Judicial service workers have not been paid their entitlements for over a year now. They went on a strike, asking that government should obey the court ruling which says they should enjoy financial autonomy. Even when they called off their strike, the governor declared that their entitlements should not be paid for the period they were on strike and it runs into months. The judicial workers as at today are complaining. Students who voted for him believing that he will make education more accessible, not only has he reduced the standards of education, he has increased school fees. So, on what basis are students going to vote for him? Okada riders who were at the forefront of the agitation to get him re-elected into govern-

At what point did the Edo people realise that Oshiomhole was a mistake given the fact that they voted for him twice?

To be honest with you, in the first term, a lot of people applauded him. There appeared to be a lot of work in progress.

Let me reveal something a lot of people are not aware of. The greatest achievement of Oshiomhole in his first term was the cosmetic renovation of schools. I call it cosmetic because when you renovate schools and there are no chairs or tables, no science laboratories, no teachers’ classrooms, then it is cosmetic. But even that renovation was a UBE scheme. 85 of the schools that were renovated were primary schools under the UBE scheme. The UBE scheme was an initiative by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Under that scheme, the then PDP-led Federal Government contributed 60 per cent of the funds that were used for that renovation.

What many people did not realise was that the 40 per cent counterpart funding that Edo state government brought was actually contributed by Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, a PDP governor before the court removed him as governor. Before Osunbor left office, he had paid the 40 per cent needed to access the 60 per cent. So, when Oshiomhole came in as governor, he had billions waiting for him because the Federal Government had just released the money. After that money was spent, what has happened? His second term is almost over, how many schools have been renovated during his second term? The reason is not far-fetched. The counterpart funding was not paid so, the federal government did not release money. His second term has been a disaster. On road construction, when you do one road, people will expect that another one is coming; but the roads were deliberately chosen to deceive. He deliberately chose roads that a casual visitor will want to pass through without going deep into the city. So, if you land at Benin Airport and you drive to Government House, and then you drive back to the Airport, you might have a very good impression about Benin on the state of roads; but if you take the pains to go outside the city, you will find out that the roads that have been done are less than

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Ize-Iyamu ment, the moment he came in, he banned them; but worse was the fact that he does not plan for them. There is no attempt to create an alternative for them. The only people he employed throughout his tenure were those youths he took under Edo Youth Empowerment Scheme. The moment the second term election was in the kitty, he sacked them; over 7,000 youths.

They are not going to vote for him. The farmers of the state are not going to vote for him. So, who are the people that will vote for him apart from his party members? Even within his party, look at the way he has conducted himself. A man who openly accused his deputy of planning to assassinate him, you can imagine the gravity of such an allegation. His

deputy was attacked in his own local government, yet not one of condemnation or sympathy from Oshiomhole. So, even his party is a divided house. Our confidence is the fact that he has failed woefully and you can see that every campaign he has gone to, rather than show Edo people his scorecard, he has resorted to name-calling; insulting Ize- Iyamu, insulting Chief Tony Anenih and everybody in PDP; but the truth about it is that PDP is no longer in government. So, to continue to talk about the PDP when they were in government many years ago is laughable. The reason you were elected was to correct what you felt was wrong with the PDP administration and you have eight years to effect that correction. If after 8 years, you are still

To continue to talk about the PDP when they were in government many years ago is laughable. The reason you were elected was to correct what you felt was wrong with the PDP administration

Continues on pg 26

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politics&policy

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

The issues for campaign Continued from pg 25

three per cent. It will shock you to know that the road to the (Oba’s) palace is in a deplorable condition. If not for the rains, I have contacted a construction company to go and fix it because it was a disgrace. We are planning a coronation of the new Oba. Visitors are coming into the state and the road to the palace is impassable. If the road leading to the Oba’s palace is bad, you can imagine other roads. Before he came in as governor, we had pipe-borne water. Ikpoba River Dam was functional.

Ojirabi Dam was functional; today they are no more. In the course of rehabilitating the so-called roads, a lot of water pipes were destroyed. For any government now to bring water to Benin, it’s going to cost trillions because all the pipes for water have been destroyed.

For the first time, we now have a government that has no plan for pipe borne water. Everybody in Edo state now have to rely on self-help; either you can sink a borehole, go to the River or wait for the rain to come. We are back to the Stone Age in Edo and that is why you can imagine the kinds of diseases that we have because the waters from the boreholes were not tested or treated. So, in the absence of water, light, jobs, what is going to make Edo people to be interested in continuity of this government? The second term has been a disaster and Edo people cannot wait to push him out. In fact, they were hoping that the election which was done four years ago will be in July. They were very disappointed when INEC announced that the election will be in September. So, every day, Edo people are waiting; they are counting the days. Every Edo worker wants this

government to exit and they are praying frantically for that Election Day. Are you saying there is nothing you can credit to him as achievements that is worthy of praise?

It will be difficult. There are two areas that I felt he has tried. One was the internally generated revenue (IGR) which is key to the sustainability of any state.

When he came in it was about N300m and he announced that it has gone up to N2.5bn. That to me, was something to applaud. However, that money has nosedived and the reason is not far-fetched.

The government has not been able to put in place any machinery for attracting businesses or to sustain existing ones.

The tax policy is arbitrary and punitive.

So, Edo people are over-taxed and a lot of the money is going into private pockets. Lots of revenue collectors have resorted to self-help. Money that ought to go into government coffers is going into private pockets. So, I find it very difficult now to praise him on the IGR. At the same time, in terms of percentage, he has not even done any miracle. When we were in government in 1999, the IGR of the state was N26m, maximum was N30 millon. Before we left, we moved it to N300 million. So, what they have done in terms of percentage is not even extraordinary when compared to what we did; but the reality is that the money has nose-dived. What makes it even worse is that they collected $75 million (World Bank Loan) in one tranche and they collected the second one for the purpose of growing our IGR. They borrowed money from the World Bank to increase the IGR. After collecting the money, the IGR has gone down. So, something is wrong

Prince Kashim Afegbua is the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation. In this interview, he speaks of the alleged rot left behind by the previous governors of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the issues raised by the governorship candidate of the PDP in a recent interview. Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa, presents the excerpts:

Ize-Iyamu

somewhere. They are going to make us pay for money they collected in growing the IGR, yet the IGR is not growing, instead it is going down.

The second area that I felt he should be praised was the attempt to deal with the flooding problem in Benin. I have often said in the past that the problem of Edo is not really that of bad roads. It has always been that of drainages. In the

Why Oshiomhole is leading Obaseki’s campaign —Afegbua

Government, through the then Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala was going to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to borrow money to pay federal civil servants on a monthly basis. Yet, the former President (Goodluck Jonathan) did not see anything wrong with that. So, it is very easy for people to say that pensioners are being owed their entitlements. We have categorised them into batches and once we get resources, we will pay. Early this year, we paid over N500 million for pensions and gratuities for which even the PDP was surprised at how we were able to do that. We are assuring the pensioners that they will get their entitlements. It is a painful thing to the Comrade Governor that they are being owed. If we can’t finish paying them, the incoming government will continue from where we stopped. It is not something the PDP should celebrate because they are solely responsible for the financial recklessness we are battling with now.

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overnorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu, alleged that pensioners are distraught with the state government because of several months of unpaid pensions and that during a recent protest to the Government House though the governors was in the office, he refused to see them. How true is that?

Nigerians are aware of the decline in revenue all over the country occasioned by the misrule of PDP’s 16 years in office and predominantly so, under a Jonathan administration that took financial wellness of Nigerians to financial impropriety, profligacy and recklessness. But for the revelations we are seeing or hearing now, we would have thought that Nigeria is well enough to manage her economic affairs without inhibitions. Going by what we are seeing now, it is better imagined than real; but unfortunately, it is real. On the issue of pensioners in Edo, it must be established that for the 10 years that PDP presided over the collective patrimony of Edo State, they didn’t pay pensioners; neither did they pay gratuities. This government inherited pensions even from the military era.

We have paid up till 2011; about 14 years’ pension and gratuity arrears. The PDP in Edo, in what they called a reform, carried out a whole ‘sale’ sack of civil servants in 2002 without paying them their entitlements. Now, we have done due diligence up till 2011 because we don’t want to start paying our own from 2009 till date leaving a backlog. That will still result in protests. So, we have cleared the entire backlog till 2011, we have finished that of 2012 and we are expecting that we will pay once our resources improve. Take note of this; if we are getting our

absence of drains, the roads cannot last.

So, when he came up with this concept of a Storm water project, and I must tell you honestly, some of us encouraged him that for the first time, Edo will have a comprehensive masterplan that will tackle the flooding problem. By the time, that is done, it means that future governments will find it very easy to do roads.

Tarring of roads is not difficult once you can deal with primary and secondary drains. So, when he took N30 billion, nobody complained; but at the tail-end of his administration, he announced to Edo people through his Commissioner for Environment that job cannot be completed in 30 years. Of course, he does not have a tenure of 30 years. He did not disclose the percentage of work the N30 billion can do, he only said the project cannot be completed in 30 years instead, he will be doing it in phases.

What this means is that after collecting N30 billion, he was telling us that he won’t be able to do what he has promised us. But what has shocked me for which I can’t give him credit is that apart from the fact that the completion date is no longer known, some people came to me and said the Ogba River, which is down Airport road, where most of the water is channeled usually overflows its banks anytime it rains, going over the Bridge and even affecting houses. People around that area are beginning to move out of the area. I was alarmed.

So, because I come from this place and passionate about it, I called some engineers and asked why the River is over flooded. They told me it is due to the water that is being channeled through the Storm Water project into the river.

Afegbua statutory allocations in full prior to the exit of PDP-led Federal Government, we will not be owing anybody today because for 17 months, they were paying us statutory allocations short of N1.1 billion. That would have easily amounted to N20 billion or a little less to that if paid. On the reason for the deduction, they said 400,000 of crude oil is being sold on the high sea, meanwhile they gave the contract for the protection of our waterways to Mr Tompolo at very outrageous rate and financial commitment.

Now, the Excess Crude Account was mismanaged and in the final analysis, the states were paying for all these shortfalls. In no time, states became beggarly which is the reason they went to seek for bail out. Before the Muhammadu Buhari administration came on board, the Federal

The PDP also said Governor Oshiomhole is campaigning as if he is the one contesting the election for the third term while the APC governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki is pushed to the background. What is your reaction on this?

That shouldn’t bother them. Do they expect Oshiomhole to campaign for the candidate of the PDP? They should do their campaign and confront the electorates with their plans if elected. The electorate are wise enough to make their informed choice between the 19 candidates that are contesting. I see nothing wrong in the governor campaigning vigorously for the candidate of his party because the expectation of any outgoing government is for a good successor to take over. So, the PDP shouldn’t quarrel with Oshiomhole for calling the shots at campaigns because the outgoing governor has invested his time and energy in the management of the scarce resources of the state. He needs to ensure that his chosen successor succeeds at the election for continuity sake. We have done so much and I am also happy to be part and parcel of the achievements recorded.

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

The mechanic village

Artisans, customers still shun Ondo modern mechanic village four years after The Ondo State government, in its bid to make Akure one of the best capital cities in the country, relocated mechanics to a specialised location for them to ply their trade, but the artisans have abandoned the mechanic village. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI visited the huge facility to assess the situation there.

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S part of its novel approach towards urban renewal and to turn Akure, the capital of Ondo State to a real mega-city with a befitting status of a state capital, the Ondo State government, some four years ago, embarked on certain activities to change the face of some towns and cities across the Sunshine State.

The activities, apart from the rehabilitation and dualisation of some existing major roads across the state, also involved the development of an ultra-modern international auto market, a mechanic village, a neighbourhood market and shopping complex.

This development led to the movement of mechanics off the streets of Akure and they were relocated to a modern mechanic village where they could carry out their businesses in conducive and hygienic environment.

Some four years after the relocation of these mechanics, some of the workshops occupied by them have been deserted while most of the mechanics have relocated back to the town, citing low or no patronage as the main reason for vacating the modern mechanic village put in place by the state government.

The mechanic village, situated along Ondo Road in the capital city of Akure, is made up of 200 shops with each cubicle having ramps, pits and an area designated for an office or changing

room. The village is expected to accommodate at least 600 artisans but is having less than 100.

There are about five sections within the village including a mechanic workshop, electrical and air conditioning section, panel beating, spray painting, car wash and spare parts sections, while the roads are constructed with interlocking paving stones.

Chairman of the mechanic village, Kehinde Ajewole, said that the enthusiasm that heralded the opening of the mechanic outlet at inception was short-lived within the first year of its inauguration. He said more than 80 per cent of the occupants of the workshop had left the compound disappointedly According to him, there was low patronage. “We endured for the first six months and many of the mechanics resolved to go back to their former workshops because most customers complained about the new place being at the outskirts of the town and far off.

“Many of the mechanics have turned the Mojere spare parts market to another mechanic village and many customers prefer to visit that market where they will find mechanics who will fix their cars on the spot,” he said.

He said apart from the low patronage being experienced at the modern mechanic workshop, the rent was not encouraging his men. He said, “The state officials

demanded N18,000 but we proposed N5,000 due to low sales; we sit all day here and we maintain the compound ourselves.”

Ajewole said despite the low patronage the occupants of the mechanic village were paying through their nose to maintain and service some of the utilities at the workshop.

He said there had been power outage at the village since 2014. “The officials of

We endured for the first six months and many of the mechanics resolved to go back to their former workshops because most customers complained about the new place being at the outskirts of the town and far off.

BEDC had long ago disconnected our source of power after asking us to be paying N150,000 monthly as service charge aside the normal monthly billing. This place is always in darkness and we felt our goods are not secured and we have to engage the services of night guards.”

Also speaking, the secretary of the mechanic village, Femi Oluwanimoroti, said the irony of it all was that the state government, despite relocating the mechanics to the village, never patronised them at all. He also lamented the low sales which had forced many of the mechanics out of the place.

“State government should patronise us too. They relocated us here with a promise to collaborate with us, but we never felt the impact for a day, he said.

Oluwanimoroti also noted that most of the essential facilities to enhance their job promised by the state government had not yet been installed till date.

He said: “We appreciate the gesture of the state government, but this place is a wilderness, a dry land and most mechanics are moving out day in day out. Government can make this place attractive by putting in place facilities that would attract customers.”

He noted that the diagnostic centre built within the mechanic complex was without necessary equipment, while noting that some spray painters have to visit a modern Continues pg28

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features

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Africa needs all the philanthropic gesture it can get —Adeosun, president, Relume Foundation It is the mission of Relume Foundation to bring light and hope to impoverished regions of Africa, America and the world at large. Sherri Adeosun, president of the foundation, speaks with VERA ONANA on how it intends to achieve this enormous mission, amongst other things. Excerpts:

Who has been financing Relume?

At the onset of Relume Foundation, my husband and I, with the support of members of the Household of God, under the capable leadership of Pastor Chris Okotie, financed the project.

As at now, we have a few consistent supporters. Last year we had a fund-raising concert. In the future, we will be conducting local events to raise funds.

What has been your greatest challenge?

Our greatest challenge is year to year financing of our projects. This has hindered us from advancing to other areas that we want to go.

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HE word “Relume” in simpler terms is to make bright again, rekindle; why did you choose that name?

We chose the name because this signifies what we do. We truly believe that Africa and most third world countries had illumination but this light was taken away and quenched over the centuries. Our desire and aim at Relume Foundation is to bring the light back into our sphere of influence. Every smile we see on the faces of the participants is a testimony that a light, a ray of hope has been reborn. Every spark on the face of a child is a constant reminder that hope and faith in themselves and their society have been rekindled.

They can now dream again and not allow the limitation of their environment to keep them bound.

Is there any personal experience attached to your resolve to want to touch lives?

Yes. The answer to this question is in two folds. I was born and raised in Nigeria. My parents separated when I was 9 years old. This created a lot of hardship in my family. I know what it means to lack and not have your basic need met. It was very rough growing up.

My desire to give back started when I went to visit my husband’s village in 2008 and I saw the need of the children and the elderly. Additionally, my father-in-law was born and raised in that village and he had prayed to God years ago to give him a way out of the village. At that time, he was working on the farm with his father. After several years, his dreams came true and he was able to come to America. He moved his family to the US and today I and my husband and our children are in the United States.

Your mission is to touch the impoverished nations of Africa, America and the entire globe. Isn’t that almost over-ambitious? Africa alone is huge, how do you intend to accomplish all of that?

I have to agree with you that it sounds overly ambitious.

And it can be overwhelming when you look at the need in the world; the need is great. But, I realise that all we have to do is to concentrate and meet the need of the people “one village at a time”, “one community at a time”. That is exactly what we have been doing.

Any memorable experience you would like to share?

I think one of our best moments was last year when we sponsored 30 people to have cataract surgery. It was called the “gift of vision”. It made my heart leap for joy to see some of these men and women that were almost blind regain their vision. I would love to thank the eye foundation and our various other sponsors all around the world.

Adeosun Does your profession have anything to do with Relume Foundation?

Yes, I am a registered nurse by profession. And the compassion of a caregiver has been instrumental in making me who I am today. My profession plays an important role in Relume Foundation.

Since its inception, how much has Relume Foundation done?

Since its inception in 2013, the foundation has coordinated three major medical missions in Nigeria, several health fairs and conferences in the USA. You mentioned having health care practitioners, teachers, counselors and other professionals on your team. Do they render their services for free?

How do you pull them together?

Most of the people we work with render their services for free. Most of our volunteers (50 -70) come from the Household of God in Lagos. They have been instrumental in the success of our programmes. It has been a joint venture with them. Additionally, there are few practitioners that get some stipend. But, what they are paid cannot be compared to the services rendered. Pulling the team together has been a miracle; we were divinely connected to everyone on our team. Some we met through referral, others joined us from when we served their village.

How do you intend to sustain Relume so posterity can also be touched by these good works?

We intend to continue to reach out to other non-profit organisations, private companies and government parastatals.

We invite partners to come along side with us in our endeavour to create a world free of poverty, hunger and disease. One village at a time. Our mission is to achieve sustainable development in all of its conceivable dimensions and we have taken that necessary first step in bringing this to fruition, in two such villages, Ishaga and Ilewo, suburbs in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

One might ponder, how in our relative infancy has this become possible? Yet, the response is both remarkably simple and yet provocative. With an intense desire to meet the needs of those less privileged across the globe, and especially in African rural areas, we became a conduit that connects the people that have with those that do not. In order to effectuate the necessary synergies, we availed ourselves of faith in God, and only after that, in human will to serve humankind.

Tell us about your upcoming outreach?

Our upcoming outreach will be at Ibara Orile village in Abeokuta. We will be conducting a two-day medical mission where we will be able to meet the needs of the people medically, physically, spiritually and emotionally. The other area of our programme is to reach out to the children in that village by donating school supplies and they will be ministered to by other children that will be joining us on the mission field. Additionally, we will be conducting some free health seminar for the community.

There was strict compliance with govt’s directive —Commissioner Continues from pg27

spraying booth within the town to get their work done.

He said: “They can put in place all these facilities to attract customers and even other mechanics and technicians will be willing to come here, than for us to be going out to work. And I am assuring you that our people will always be willing and ready to pay for these services.”

He, however, noted that the mechanic village could be effective if only government could enforce all road mechanics to comply with the movement to the mechanic village when he said, “only government can make this place function very well. Aside the installation of modern equipment, mechanics should be forced to move to this village. What really should be done is enforcement.”

The state commissioner for Housing and Urban Development , Dr. Bade Omoloja, said the officials of the ministry recently held a meeting with the mechanics at the village to iron out the rent issue, and that they have reached an agreement on how much the artisans would be paying to the

Some of the leaders of the mechanic village. state government coffers.

The commissioner insisted that most of the mechanics complied with government’s directive to move to the mechanic village saying: “The mechanics never moved to their old workshops and there was strict compliance with the government direc-

tives.”

He was, however, elusive in commenting on the state of amenities at the mechanic village as he did not answer most of the questions on the state of facilities at the workshops.

One of the customers who spoke with Ni-

Chairman, Mechanic Village, Kehinde Ajewole gerian Tribune, Dr. Michael Adewuyu, described the mechanic village, which is sited on 1.3 hectares of land, as one of the best initiatives of the current administration in the state.

He said the village was well planned and structured, but noted that the state government needed to monitor and maintain the utilities at the village in order to realise the purpose it was meant to fulfil.

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south-westnews

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Confusion as Obayemi storms Ekiti Assembly, demands to be sworn in Why he can’t be sworn in —House Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

T

HERE was drama at the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday as Mr Toyin Obayemi, who was declared by the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti as the rightful candidate for the Ado Constituency I seat in the assembly, stormed the house during a sitting and demanded to be sworn in as a member.

Obayemi had gone to the assembly with his supporters. The heavy presence of security men created tension at the Assembly complex.

He had gone straight to

the office of the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Tola Esan, where he submitted a court judgement of July 4, 2016, delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, and the certificate of return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Assembly Clerk told Obafemi that the members were in a plenary and that it was only the Speaker that could treat the letter.

Some of the lawmakers also emerged and told Obafemi to vacate the premises while the security operatives at the complex took charge of the gates and prevented movement into the

premises.

Curiously, security operatives swarmed around the complex in droves, ostensibly as a result of Obayemi’s presence in the complex In a reaction, the Assembly said that its failure to absorb Mr Toyin Obayemi and get him sworn in as a member was not borne out of politics, but a product of the House’s policy of adhering strictly to the rule of law.

Speaker of the House, Kola Oluwawole, said the House would continue to hold the rule of law sacrosanct, maintaining that “as a House of Assembly, it is not just our vow, but also our duty to ensure that de-

cisions of courts of law are held sacrosanct.

“There is a subsisting stay of execution and notice of appeal against Justice Taiwo Taiwo’s ruling on the said suit No. FHC/ AD/CS/17/2015, which Mr Obayemi brought to the House. The House must wait until the law courts exhaust their processes before actions can be taken.”

Addressing journalists shortly after the plenary, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Honourable Olugboyega Aribisogan, who also condemned the invasion of the Assembly complex by security men, said

“the Clerk of the House rightly told Mr Obayemi to wait till after the plenary session when he could have audience with the speaker over his request.”

He explained that after having received a notice of appeal and stay of execution by Mr Musa Arogundade against the judgment favouring Obayemi, the House could not simply act against the judicial process until it is conclusive.

“The House, as a legislative arm of government, will wait until the appeal is disposed off before any further action can be taken.

“Wherever the pendulum swings, after all pending legal matters over the issue, be assured that the House is duty bound to obey the courts,” Aribisogan said.

Court sentences 4 to death by firing squad in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

From left, son of former governor of Ondo State, Gboyega Adefarati; All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Rotimi Akeredolu and a former commissioner for finance, Wale Akinterinwa, at a meeting of Aketi Platform, in Akure, on Tuesday.

Intensify search for Aremu’s killers, Oyo Assembly tells CP Age falsification to attract N500,000 fine, 5yrs imprisonment

By Wale Akinselure

OYO State House of Assembly has charged the state’s Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, and other security agencies, to intensify efforts into identifying the killers of Honourable Gideon Aremu.

Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo, made this call at the Tuesday’s plenary, following deliberations on cultism and insecurity in the state.

He decried that little had been heard on Aremu’s demise, urging security agencies to step up intelligence efforts in discovering persons behind the “dastardly act.”

Honourable Olusegun Olaleye had brought up the issue of insecurity in the state, noting that cultism was on the rise in Agbowo, Barika and Ijokodo areas of

Ibadan, the state capital.

He stated that cult clashes had resulted in the death of five persons in the past two weeks and people of the neighbourhoods around the University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan, lived in fear of cultists’ activities.

Consequently, the Assembly urged landlords’ associations in the mentioned hot spots and the management of the University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan to engage in joint programme of action aimed at curbing cultism.

The Assembly further resolved to call on the Ministry of Information and Orientation to embark on sensitisation, while the state government should rejig its security master plan.

Also, the Oyo State Tertiary Institutions Staff Re-

tirement Age Bill, 2016 was passed into law following the presentation of the report by Honourable Afeez Adeleke and Honourable Buliamin Azeez of the joint committees on Education, Science and Technology and Establishment, Training and Poverty Alleviation.

Among other provisions in the law is a penalty of N500,000 and/or five years imprisonment for staff who falsify their ages, while the age of retirement for tertiary education staff is 65 years.

In other deliberations at Tuesday’s plenary, the Assembly urged the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the state government to provide compensation packages for the victims of the recent Gbagi market fire incident.

Honourable Olasunkanmi

Oguntade of Egbeda constituency, who notified the Assembly of the fire incident, decried that the several illegal structures had been disrupting the original master plan of the market and hindering easy access in cases of emergency.

In another motion jointly sponsored by the Speaker, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo and Honourable Fatai Adesina of Ibadan South East 1 state constituency, the Assembly called on the state government to financially support Crown Football Club of Ogbomoso in the club’s quest to win the 2016 Federation Cup. The Assembly urged the state’s Ministry of Sports to mobilise the people of the state to support the football club in its upcoming Federation Cup semi final match against Ifeanyi Uba Football Club.

A High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday, sentenced four armed robbers who specialised in hijacking fuel tanker to death by firing squad.

The convicts; Abdurahman Yinusa, Maliki Sanni, Ajayi Saliu and Mohammed Jimoh, were arrested in December 2009 along Isua/ Idoani Expressway in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to the prosecution counsel, Mr John Olowokere, the convicts hijacked a DAF truck with registration number XN 810 ABC laden with 33,000 litres of petrol but were arrested by men of the police command.

He explained that three of the accused drove the truck to an unknown destination to dispense the content while two others held the driver and the conductor hostage.

The convicts were dragged to court on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, murder and illegal possession of firearms contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act R11, Laws of the Federation 2004.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice D.I. Kolawole of the Special Criminal High Court within Olokuta Medium Security Prison, said the prosecution counsel was able to prove the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

Nigerian Tribune

Jemibewon loses mum, burial holds Friday OluyinkaOladoyinbo–Akure

A former military governor of old western region, Major General David Jemibewon, has announced the death of his mother, Mrs Emife Jemibewon.

He said that his mother, who died on July 21, would be laid to rest on Friday, August 5, at her country home in Iyah Gbedda in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

According to the family, the burial activities is expected to kick-off with night of poetry and rendition on Wednesday, August 3; while the wake keep will hold on Thursday, August 4.

Former president Goodluck Jonathan, dignitaries from the military, sport, political circles and people from all walks of life are expected to grace the burial outing service at the Jemibewon’s residence.

Late Madam Jemibewon died at the age of 106 and survived by two children; Major General David Jemibewon and his sister.

Ibadan North LG boss lauds Ajimobi’s wife WIFE of the governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi, has been commended for her outstanding contributions to the upliftment of women and the less-privileged across the state in the last five years.

Mrs Bosede Akinbode, chairperson of Ibadan North Local Government Area, gave this commendation in Ibadan during the Ajumose Food Bank programme where various foodstuffs were distributed to over 500 women at the council secretariat by Mrs Ajimobi.

In her words, “We cannot thank you enough for your care and love for the people of this local government and Oyo State at large through this wonderful programme at this period of economic recession.”

In her brief remark, Mrs Ajimobi expressed her gratitude to Senator Abiola Ajimobi for being a strong pillar of support to women in the state, more importantly on Ajumose Food Bank programme.

She, however, commended the council chairman and principal officers of the local government for the well-organised programme despite short notice for preparation.

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I, Ahmodu Bello Tayo am the same person bearing Ahmed Bello Tayo. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AHMED BELLO TAYO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajisekola Abosede Alaba now MRS. OLASENI ABOSEDE ALABA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., Stanbic IBTC, Access Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Ajongbolo Lydia Cecelia now MRS. AJONGBOLO LYDIA OYELAJU. My date of birth is 14th February, 1955 and not 01/02/1957. All former documents remain valid.

SkyeBank Plc., GTBank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Olunuga Bolanle now OYEBADE BIMPE TUNRAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Esho Samsudeen Adeyemi now ESHO SAMSON ADEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Olafioye Oluwaseun Oluwatoyin Christiana now MRS. APATA OLUWATOYIN OLUWASEUN CHRISTIANA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Abiola Olusola Olurayi now ADEBOYE ABIOLA OLUSOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Oladele Oluranti Romoke now MRS. ADEKOLA ELIZABETH OLURANTI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oladoye James Alade now OLADOYE JAMES JELILI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Hon Adeyemo Monsuru Abere now MR ADEYEMO MONSURU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Suraju Adijat now SURAJUDEEN ADIJAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Uwaifo Peter Abodunrinwa now UWAIFO PETER ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oyewole Adekemi Oluwasayo now MRS. OGUNGBADEJO ADEKEMI OLUWASAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mary Olubukola Adebayo now MRS. MARY OLUBUKOLA OKELOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Samuel Ayomipo Fajojuto now SAMUEL FAJO WILLIAMS. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Alawode Oluwaseun Ruth Oluwaseyi now MRS. ADERINTO OLUWASEUN RUTH OLUWASEYI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Abajingin Ayodele Oluwamuyiwa now MR. BANSON AYODELE OLUWAMUYIWA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Adedokun Ebunoluwa Deborah am the same person bearing Adedokun Olufunmilayo Deborah. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEDOKUN EBUNOLUWA DEBORAH. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Olopade Areoye Isiaka now MR. OLOPADE AREOYE ASAIAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Victoria Affiong Adatang now MRS. VICTORIA AFFIONG BREN ARUBUIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Dr. (Miss) Khadijat Omolola Balogun now DR. (MRS.) KHADIJAT OMOLOLA BALOGUN-ADESINA. All former documents remain valid. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and general public take note.

I, formerly Ikotun Bukola Hannah now GENTRY BUKOLA HANNAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Osong Manu now ABANG MANUS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mbachu Nkechi Joy now UBURUEKE NKECHI JOY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Osanyintade Kemi Omolade now AKINDE TOYIN OMOLADE. All former documents remain valid. FCMB Ltd., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Babatunde Bamidele Idowu now OLUWAJOBA BAMIDELE IDOWU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oladiipo Opeyemi Mojirade now OLAKUNLEGANIYU OPEYEMI MOJIRADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Hezekiah Toyin Ogundeyi now MR. HEZEKIAH TOYIN GBOLAHAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ibraheem Opeyemi Abibat now DAUDA OPEYEMI ABIBAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Oke Omotayo Abiodun now MRS. OKE OMOTAYO ASIATA. All former documents remain valid. SkyeBank Plc., Eruwa Branch and general public take note.

I, formerly Raji Afeez Tunde am the same person as Raji Afisi Tunde, I want to be known as RAJI HAFEES TUNDE. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc., Stanbic IBTC Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Onajinrin Adedayo Sunday now ONAJINRIN ADEDAYO EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adejoke Aderonke Faparusi now MRS ADARAMEGBE ADEJOKE ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyinka Busayo Funmilola now MRS AKINTOLA BUSAYO FUNMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and general public take note.

I, formerly Adebayo Ismaheel Olalade am the same person bearing Adebayo Ismail Kolawole. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEBAYO ISMAHEEL OLALADE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Oyo State and general public take note.

I, formerly Ganiyu Ismail now GANIYU ISMAIL LEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Ajibade Rasheed Ilyas and Rasheed Iliasu Babatunde now AJIBADE ILIAS BABATUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Ifanialaranse Fatayo Fakorede now OYASOGO FAKOREDE IDOWU. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Taiwo Bosede Mayowa now MRS ODELOLA-TAIWO BOSEDE MAYOWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

This is to notify the general public that my name is Gboyega Taiwo Francis, that it was wrongly written as Gboyega Taiwo Taye. Henceforth, I want to be addressed as Gboyega Taiwo Francis.

All documents bearing these names remain valid. Jamb, University of Ilorin and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Lawal Sefiat Jumoke now MRS LAWAL SEFIAT JUMOKE. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

That I was formerly called, known and addressed as Abiodun Tawakalitu Ronke and Popoola Tawakalitu Omonike. That now I want to be called, known and addressed as ABIODUN TAWAKALITU OMONIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Aboderin Omobola Oludayo now MRS KUSIMO OMOBOLA OLUDAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Onasanya Abosede Ayomide now MRS MOMOH ABOSEDE AYOMIDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Sulaiman Adijat Aina now MRS. FOLAJI MARY ADIJAT. All former documents remain valid. Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and general public take note.

I, formerly Nwokwu Rita Uchechukwu now NWOKWU RITA UCHE. All former documents remain valid.

IBTC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mustapha Busrat Aderinsola Bolanle now MRS OKUBOYEJO BUSRAT ADERINSOLA BOLANLE. All former documents remain valid.

Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Akinbitire Grace Omolola now OYEBADE GRACE OMOLOLA. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Tijani Olasupo now DOSUMU OLASUPO TIJANI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Dada Dupe Abiola now MRS OLUFEMI DUPE ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid.

NIPOST Ogun Territory and general public take note.

I formerly Babarinde Olawale Akolo now BABARINDE OLAWALE OLUKOYA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyanju Sadiat Tope now MRS HALIMAT MARUF RAJI. All former documents remain valid.

EcoBank Plc, Military Pension Board, (Abuja), Artillery Regiment Nigeria Army, (Benin City), Division Finance Account Ibadan and general public take note.

I, Gidi Raphael Achudi am the same person bearing Gidi Raphael Seraphim. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as GIDI RAPHAEL ACHUDI. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Oreyomi Titiola now JAMES TITILAYO ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Bukola Iyabode Olaifa am the same person as Oluwabukola Iyabode Basirat Olaifa. Now, I wish to be known as BUKOLA IYABODE OLAIFA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note

I, formerly Miss Agbonjinmi Omobola Anuoluwapo now MRS. IKHATUA OMOBOLA ANUOLUWAPO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oluchi Maryann Udensi now MRS. OKWUCHI OLUCHI MARYANN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Nwankwo Patience Onyekachi now MRS. OGENE PATIENCE ONYEKACHI. All former documents remain valid.

NAPTIP and general public take note.

I, formerly Adeyemo Damola Gideon now ADEYEMO ADEDAMOLA GIDEON. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Oluwasegun Seun Temitayo now JOSEPH SEUN TEMITAYO. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Alawiye Abiodun Aderoju now MRS. OLOPADE ABIODUN ADEROJU. All former documents remain valid.

Nigeria Peace Corp, First Bank Plc., Stanbic Bank Plc., UBA Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olawuwo Mariam Agbeke now OLAWUWO MARIAM AJEBUNMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Muritadol Rukayat Anike now MURITADHA KADIJAT AWENI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Vincent Ayobami Akolo now VINCENT AYOBAMI OLUKOYA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Owootan Idowu Oluwadamilare am the same person bearing Damilare. Henceforth, I wish to be known as OWOOTAN WILLIAMS IDOWU. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ekele Ukpeojo Precious now EKELE MARIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olaore Folake Olushola now MRS. OJOKHETA FOLAKE OLUSHOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Odedeji Temitope Christianah now MRS OLAOLU TEMITOPE CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, hereby declare that my full names are Olafisoye Oluseyi Johnson and not Oluseyi Johnson. Now I wish to be known as OLAFISOYE OLUSEYI JOHNSON. All former documents remain valid. Zenith Bank Plc, RCC Nigeria Ltd and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ronke Olubunmi Oluwasogo now RUTH ADEOLA EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Mrs Apuwabi Oladele Oseyemi Stella am the same person as Mrs Oladele Oseyemi Stella. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS APUWABI OLADELE OSEYEMI STELLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

36

news

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Half-clad women protest alleged night killings in Jema’a LG

H

ALF-clad women, on Tuesday, protested over alleged night attacks by herdsmen in Ninte Village, in Godogodo Chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the women from Ninte and surrounding villages, staged the protest at the

palace of the Chief of Godogodo, demanding government’s intervention to stop the alleged increasing cases of night killings, rape and burning of houses by some assailants in the area.

Spokesperson of the protesters, Mrs Deborah Reuben, accused the govern-

ment of insensitivity to their plight since the incident started in May. “The situation is unhealthy as it is no longer safe.

“The government we voted into power has left us at the mercy of armed herdsmen, farms cannot be cultivated in the face of high level of

impunity,” she lamented.

Responding, the Chief of Godogodo, Malam Iliya Ajiya appealed to the protesting women to remain calm as everything possible was being done to bring the situation under control.

When contacted, the interim chairman of Jema’a Local

Council, Dr Bege Katukah, confirmed to NAN in a telephone interview that security men had been mobilised to the affected community.

NAN learnt that residents of the affected villages had been relocated to Godogodo, Antang and Gidan Waya for their safety.

Recruitment : PSC warns applicants against activities of fraudsters THE Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Mike Okiro, has warned unsuspecting applicants to beware of activities of fraudsters.

This was contained in a statement issued by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Okiro said he had no Facebook account and had never operated any before.

He advised applicants to restrain themselves from being desperate for recruitment into the force.

The chairman said the fraudsters had started demanding money from applicants of the ongoing recruitment.

“The commission recently concluded the state screening and would in no distant time begin the second phase of the process leading to the recruitment,” he said.

He reiterated his earlier statement that the recruitment would be transparent and based on merit.

Okiro said the commission would resist any pressure to undermine or compromise the integrity of the process and the outcome of the exercise.

He said anybody paying for any assistance to be recruited into the force would be disappointed.

He stressed that security operatives were on the alert to arrest those giving and those that were receiving.

The chairman advised the public to report to the commission any underhand practices regarding the recruitment.

“If they ask you to bring money, whether the fraudsters, our staff or policemen, report to us and we will arrest and prosecute the person or persons,” he said.

He said that successful applicants from the state screening would soon be invited for the next level of the process.

Minister of the Environment, Amina Mohammed (second right), being conducted round Ashaka Plant of Lafarge Africa Plc in Gombe State by the Managing Director, Ashakacem, Rabiu Umar, on Tuesday. With them are the Managing Director, Geocycle, Lafarge Africa Plc, Adepeju Adebajo (second left) and the Commissioner for Environment, Gombe State, Hajia Sa’adatu Saad.

Ajaokuta: Itakpe Iron Ore Company to produce 5 million tonnes annually Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

FOLLOWING the signing of an agreement on the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, the management of the Global Steel Holding Limited, on Tuesday, said it would produce five million tonnes of iron annually from the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe in Kogi State.

This is coming as the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello warned the company against any sharp practice that could shortchange the people and the state at large.

The sole administrator of the company, Mr Bernard Nnagha, disclosed that the company currently had the capacity to produce 2.15 million tonnes per annum, adding that it would be increased to 5 million as it takes over.

He said the production capacity would be increased to 5 million tonnes in a year to the benefit of Nigeria, given the rehabilitation and modernisation of the production method.

Nnagha said the organisation was hopeful that in year’s time all mineral deposits in Kogi State, would have been explored, adding that the team would develop all the solid mineral deposits for the economic development of the country.

The sole administrator added that the much touted diversification of the Nigerian economy should start with the concession of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, saying the agreement had freed the organisation from all encumbrances.

Also speaking, a director of Global Holding, Samuel Nwabuoke, said NIOMCO would be providing materials for all the steel companies in the country, pledging that the past mistakes

would be corrected.

“We have the resources, we have the technology, we are ready to help develop the sector, we are here to work with you, we have lost quite a lot of time, we are here to start all over again.

“We are deeply committed to the agreement, the company has capacity for 2.15 million tonnes per annum, we will ginger it and produce up to 5 million tonnes, we will be deeply involved in the rehabilitation and moderni-

sation and produce 5million tonnes per annum,” he said.

Speaking, the Kogi State governor expressed the readiness of his administration to support the company to ensure that it achieve success.

Bello, however, advised the organisation to be committed to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the communities, noting that apart from being major stakeholders, they are strategic value adding partners.

Flood: Relocate upstream, Niger govt tells people in riverine areas Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

NIGER State government, on Tuesday, advised people in the riverine communities of the state to move to the up- land to avoid being cut off by raging flood.

The government gave the advice following the intensity of the rains in most part of the state coupled with the warning by the Nigerian metrological center that the state was among the 26 states to flash flood this rainy season.

According to the statement made available to newsmen in Minna, the warning had become necessary because the government could not watch the people lose their lives and property as a result of the flash flood.

The release, according to the state Commissioner

for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, noted that the government was aware of the traditional and religious attachment of the people to their ancestral homes. Vatsa added in the statement that people’s safety was more paramount to the administration.

It will be recalled that the state had witnessed massive flood as a result of heavy rain and overflow of water from the three hydro dams at Shiroro, Jebba and Kainji which caused colossal damages to farmlands, households and loss of lives.

“Niger State government is concerned especially now that the Nigeria metrological agency has warned of impending flood disasters in some states, of which Ni-

ger State is also listed. We are calling on the people to be careful and not to allow the flood to come before taking any measure,” the commissioner stated.

According to Vatsa “We understand the attachment that some of the riverine communities has to their ancestral homes because of their vocations mostly fishing and farming but we are advising them to at least move away until the river banks are free from overflow.”

“We are aware that the people living downstream of Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro dams are often more vulnerable, the government is appealing to them to move upland till the rains subsided because we cannot afford the loss recorded in the past,” he added.

NEMA donates food items to 800 repentant Boko Haram Chris Agbambu - Abuja

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated food and non-food items to the military for Operation Safe Corridor Programme, meant to de-radicalise, rehabilitate and re-integrate 800 repentant Boko Haram insurgents to fast-track peace process in the North-East.

Presenting the items in Gombe, the Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi, said the initiative which is in line with international best practices, allowed those engaged in the fighting to voluntarily surrender and embrace peace so that they would undergo rehabilitation.

He said NEMA would play its role in the programme, by providing regular support of food and non-food items for their up- keep.

Items to be released for this purpose every three-month included 410 bags of rice, 400 bags of beans, 200 bags of millet, 200 bags of sorghum, 750 cartons of spaghetti, 50 cartons of Maggi cubes and 810 cartons tomato paste. Others are 101 vegetable oil in 20-litre kegs 101 palm oil in 20-litre kegs, 50 bags of salt, 100 bags of sugar, 420 cartons of milk and 420 cartons of Milo Chocolate, among others.

Patronise indigenous engineers to reduce unemployment, women engineers advise Biola Azeez - Ilorin

GOVERNMENT has been advised to patronise indigenous engineers and reduce preference for foreign ones to reduce the growing unemployment rate.

Chairperson of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Ilorin branch, Bilikisu Jimoh, who gave the advice, said engagement of indigenous engineers would increase job opportunities for Nigerians, and thus, reduce unemployment and poverty level in the country.

Jimoh, who spoke during her investiture as the 7th chairperson of the APWEN in Ilorin, at the weekend, said Nigerian engineers are as competent and diligent as their foreign counterparts.

She said buildings that collapsed in the country, were in most cases, built by people other than professional engineers.

She therefore, advised that building projects should be entrusted in the hands of qualified engineers to check the disaster of building collapse.

news Edo 2016: Ovia closed to APC —Igbinedion

37

Banji Aluko - Benin City

A

HEAD the September 10 Edo State governorship election, the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Honourable Omosede Igbinedion, has vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not win any of the two local government areas within her constituency, adding that “Ovia is closed for APC.” The daughter of the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, said this in Udo, Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state, when the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, took his campaign to the area.

Addressing the Udo people,

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

Omosede said APC has long lost touch with Ovia Federal Constituency, as none of the promises made to the people of the area by the current administration in the state was fulfilled

“Ovia is closed for APC. Ovia is the most underdeveloped constituency in Edo South. By voting for Pastor Ize-Iyamu, I can assure you that there will be development in Ovia. PDP will not make empty promises

to you like the APC.” Speaking earlier in Usen in the same council, the PDP governorship candidate, condemned the abandoning of the Edo State Polytechnic, Usen .

He appealed to striking lecturers of the institution not to abandon the school, adding that the history of the polytechnic was about to change.

Some APC leaders in the local government were a youth

Abudu community declares support for Obaseki THE people of Abudu in Orhiomwon Local Government Area have declared their total support for the candidacy of Mr Godwin Obaseki, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 10 election in Edo State.

Speaking at a rally of the APC on Tuesday, Secretary of the Community, Mr Osakpolor Martins, in a statement he read on behalf of the Odionwere of Abudu Community, said:

“our heart is full of gratitude to the Almighty God for the way he has used your Excellency to meet the yearnings of youths and old members of this community that had hitherto been neglected over the past years by successive administrations at federal, state and local levels.

“As we have always mentioned, your coming on board is God’s making to redeem the poor and neglected rural and urban communities in Edo State. Before you officially commission

the multi-billion naira road projects you have done in Abudu and other parts of Orhiomwon Local Government, we want to say well done, our action Governor.

“We want to say that every lover of progress, every lover of light, every lover of truth, every lover of good things, every lover of God’s gift will listen to your request in Abudu. We will give your candidate full support by giving our votes as a token of our gratitude for what you have done for us.

“We can however not rule out the possibility of the existence of some greedy and selfish individuals in our midst who may likely sell their birthright for a plate of porridge. While we are assuring you of our full support for your chosen candidate, we will advise that your team be alert and reach the grassroots for awareness on your party symbol to avoid the mistake of identity.”

Meanwhile, governorship candidate of the APC, Mr

Police nab fraudsters who attempt to defraud Garba Shehu Chris Agbambu – Abuja

POLICE have arrested three suspects, who attempted to defraud the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Mallam Shehu Garba.

The gang leader, Abdulranman Shuaibu, aged 21, Isiaku Maheed Zambuk aged 47 and Hassan Ha-

runa aged 35 specialised in sending text messages and phone calls to highly placed individuals such as ministers, senators, governors and captains of Industry, demanding for huge sums of money, with a threat that they would face dire consequences, should they fail to comply.

On August 1, 2016 the

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the suspects were trailed and arrested by police operatives attached to the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The arrest, it was gathered, followed several complaints received from highly placed personalities in Abuja of serious threat

to their lives and attempts to defraud them of huge sums of money.

Force spokesman, Don Awunah, said Abdulrahman Shaibu aged 21, who is the leader of the gang was arrested during a rigorous and painstaking investigation into the crime, adding that his arrest led to the arrest of Isiaku Mo-

heed Zanbuk aged 47 and Hassan Haruna aged 35, who were also key members of the syndicate Awunah said three suspects confessed to the crime, and explained to the detectives the various roles played by each of them in the perpetration of the criminal acts committed in the past.

leader of APC in Ofunama ward, defected to PDP during the campaign that took the Ize-Iyamu campaign team to three communities in the area, namely Usen, Udo and Iguobazuwa.

Godwin Obaseki has promised to open up the rural communities with a view to attracting industries to the rural areas in order to stop to rural-urban migration.

While addressing the people of Abudu at a rally of the APC, Obaseki said: “we are not done with the roads, we have done Igbanke township roads, we have done Abudu township roads, we will do Urhonigbe township roads, we will do Ugo township roads, we are building new cities so that when we locate industries in the new towns, we will bring people back from Benin City to the new cities we will build.

“Most importantly, we will lay emphasis on job creation. We are creating 200,000 jobs in Edo State and most of the jobs will come to Orhiomwon which has the largest landmass in the state, so most of the farms we have plans for will be located in this local government area,” he said.

38

news

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

We’re still searching for 5 policemen abducted in Rivers —CP Says 20 officers under investigation over sundry offences Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

R

IVERS State Commissioner of Police, Mr Francis Odesanya, has disclosed that the state police command is still searching for five of its officers, who were abducted by unknown gunmen in the state, last May. He said this during a media briefing in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, adding that 20 police officers had been arrested and were under investigation for sundry offences.

The five police officers were on a routine inquiry at the Okujagu community in Okrika Local Government Area when they were caught unaware in an ambush and abducted by the yet-to-be identified armed men.

The then, Rivers police spokesman, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, in a statement, said the yet-to-be found police officers were bombarded with a barrage of heavy gunfire before they could disembark from the boat that ferried them.

“Six policemen, comprising two inspectors and four other rank and file, could not be accounted for. But a day after, Inspector Aferuan Imoukhuede, who was among the missing policemen, was rescued”, adding that 53 people were arrested and were undergoing investigation in connection with the incident.

Confirming that the police officers were still missing, Odesanya, who just assumed office last week, said the command was working assiduously to ensure that they were rescued and reunited with their various families.

The new Rivers police boss, who said he would remain apolitical and professional in the discharge of his duties, expressed his willingness to cooperate with the government in ridding the state of cultists and other nefarious groups.

Warning cultists to steer clear from the state, Odesanya said he was well aware that the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes in the state, were energised by cultists.

He vowed to deal with the problem of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, adding that the command had intensified the fight against cultism and that the current “massive onslaught” against hoodlums would be sustained.

He said the state was strategic to the socio-economic

wellbeing of the country, hence, his determination to make the state unsafe for criminal elements.

He admitted that the festering crises in the state were political and crime but restated the readiness of the police, under his watch, to mop up illegal arms in the state and sustain the fight against criminality.

“We must sustain the fight against criminality, especially, cultists, because the state is strategic to the economic wellbeing of the country. This assignment is a wake-up call to duty and to deliver on this mandate, I have identified the security challenges facing the state.

“It has come to my no-

tice that illegal arms are in many places across the state. We will work towards mopping them up. We shall fight cultism to the end in the state”, he added.

To achieve this, he said the command would also expand its stop-and-search initiative in order to cover more crime-prone areas, adding, “There shall be a

serious onslaught against cult groups with the aim of obtaining illegal firearms in their possession.

“We will raid some hideouts. We shall be very apolitical and professional since these are qualities of democratic policing. I shall not be partisan because politics is a distraction to professionalism in policing”, he said.

From left, former President, Republic of Malawi, Dr Joyce Banda; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Murtala Mohammed Foundation (MMF), Mrs Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode and the chairman, Access Bank, Dr Gbenga Oyebode, at the 2016 women’s power lunch, organised by MMF, Lagos, at the weekend.

Attend to accident victims to reduce loss of lives, Osagie tells medical doctors Olayinka Olukoya, Abeokuta

MEDICAL doctors in the country have been charged to attend promptly to accident victims in order to reduce loss of lives.

Giving the charge was the Consultant Orthopeadic Surgeon, Dr Anthony Osagie, at the Annual General

Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State, on Tuesday, in Abeokuta.

He said that the theme of the conference is , : “Road mishaps: A menace to society”, adding that doctors have critical role to play in preventing significant percentage of

deaths as a result of road accidents.

He expressed worry over the absence of trauma care centres in most of the national hospitals, to properly handle accident cases.

“If we properly handle cases of road accidents, we may not have high mortality rate.

Don’t limit corruption fight to politicians, Abiara urges Buhari

By Tunde Ogunesan THE General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide, Prophet Dr S.K Abiara, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to limit the fight against corruption to the political class.

Prophet Abiara stated this in a speech delivered at the special Sunday service of Prayer for Nigeria, held at CAC Agbala Itura, Ile-Epo, Agege, Lagos State, at the weekend.

The clergyman, who disclosed that a lot of Nigerians are interested in the success of Buhari’s administration, clarified that he had no record of criticising Federal Government.

He said he wanted President Buhari to beam his

anti-corruption searchlight on all sectors of the government.

“I want to sincerely appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for his passion in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. It is a very good idea because since the commencement of the campaign, a lot of secrets have been uncovered.

We thank God for using our president in the area of exposing corruption. This administration must go beyond fighting the monster call corruption to its root. I believe corruption is what we see but the cause of corruption must be dealt with.

“President Buhari’s crusade against corruption must not be limited to politicians alone. Other

government sectors and agencies must be investigated. For example, what is happening in the area of electricity supply and bill application is also corruption.

“Nigerians hardly enjoyed electricity supply, yet people are made to pay high bills for the electricity they never consumed. That is a rip off on the struggling masses. I plead with the president to look into this too.”

On the state of economy, Prophet Abiara who said he is an apostle of peace reiterated the fact that he is not used to criticising government but warned the Federal Government of the economic situation in the country.

“I must commend the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other agencies, as they carry out pre-hospital care before the actual hospital care and this actually determines the hospital care in most cases.”

Osagie said every local hospitals should have a well structured trauma centre, adding that all medical doctors must be able to manage injuries effectively.

He attributed the major cause of road accidents to over-speeding, adding that it constitutes most traffic mortality.

Earlier, the sector commander of FRSC in the state, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, had blamed 80 per cent of road crashes on over-speeding and failure of drivers to obey traffic laws.

He said that 65, 440 road accidents were recorded in the last six years with 34,170 injured and 1,930 killed in the last six years.

“At least, 1.2 million people die yearly and 60 per cent of these deaths, is recorded in developing countries because we depend so much on road transport system,” he said.

Stakeholders meet on how to boost cassava production in Africa THE International Farmers Field Day was held at the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora and the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, recently, with a focus on how to boost cassava production in Africa The conference was organised by Cassava Adding Value for Africa Phase II (CAVA II) and drew participants from five African countries namely, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria, just as stakeholders called on farmers to adopt best practices in cassava cultivation, which according to them, could make farmers to harvest about 50 tonnes of cassava per hectare.

The director, CAVA II project, Professor Kolawole Adebayo, on the occasion, said that the success of the first phase of CAVA I project, which commenced in 2008, led to the emergence of the second phase, CAVA II project in 2014.

He said that the project had already opened new markets for about 200,000 cassava farmers in the five participating countries.

Man electrocuted in Kano Kola Oyelere Kano TRAGEDY struck on Tuesday when a man, whose identity remained unknown, was electrocuted and another person injured, at the main entrance of A.A Rano Filling Station, Bompai Road, Kano metropolis.

Eyewitness, Yunusa Baba, told the Nigerian Tribune that some electricians were working on a signpost of the filling station when the incident occurred.

He said that all efforts to save the life of the man proved abortive, while the injured person was taken to hospital.

However, the Kano State Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), through its Head of Health Safety and Environment, Mr Aminu Abuba, who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate.

He said that the people refused to notify the company to enable it deploy its professional technicians for the job.

He urged members of public to always steer clear of overhead lines of the company to prevent recurrence of such.

39

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016

corporatesport

With Niyi Alebiosu adeniyi70@yahoo.com 08116954642

Masai Ujiri extends basketball mission to six African countries

FROM LEFT, Branch Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria, Victoria Island, Lagos, Folake Adebule; Marketing Manager, DStv, Chioma Afe and Head; Retention, MultiChoice Nigeria, Kemi Omotosho during the DStv Customer Forum held at Peninsula Resort, Ajah, Lagos, last Saturday.

M

asai Ujiri, President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors, and President and Founder Giants of Africa, announced today that Giants of Africa will be conducting camps in six countries across Africa this

summer.

Dedicated to supporting the growth of basketball in Africa, Giants of Africa will expand camps from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda to also include Botswana and Senegal Basketball camps will be held in Senegal from August 7-9,

Ghana from August 12-14, Nigeria from 16-18, Kenya from August 19-22, Rwanda from August 23 -25, and Botswana from August 26-29.

Each summer, Giants of Africa brings top international coaches to the continent to host basketball camps designed to help

young African players develop athletically, establish life goals and to refine their fundamental knowledge of the game.

In addition to on-court basketball skills coaching, Giants of Africa strives to foster participants’ development through life skills

Oyo SWAN commends Ajimobi over 3SC SPORTS journalists in Oyo State under the aegis of Sports Writers Assoiciation of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State chapter, have commended the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, over his recent visit to the players and officials of 3SC at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex last week and his eventual appearance at the stadium during the match between 3SC and Sunshine Stars of Akure over the weekend.

Oyo SWAN, in a statement signed by its chairman, Niyi Alebiosu, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday commended the governor for deeming it fit to pay a visit to the team to give the players and officials words of encouragement and also putting up an appearance during the team’s 2-1 win over Sunshine Stars of Akure in the Match Day 29 of the Nigeria Professional Football League encounter decided at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

“On behalf of Oyo SWAN, I want to commend the governor for this move. It’s

been a while Oyo State had it real good, I mean for the governor to visit 3SC and motivate the team morally and even financially as governor Ajimobi did.

“We urge him to make this a constant occurence considering the fact that 3SC is a force to reckon with in the Nigerian football circle owing to its antecedents in the past. We strongly believe that with continued motivation from the governor, the team can win the NPFL title and represent Nigeria on the African continent,” the statement read.

Oyo SWAN, however, called on the governor to extend same gesture to Crown FC of Ogbomoso.

“It is important to plead with governor Abiola Ajimobi to also pay a visit to Crown FC of Ogbomoso and motivate the team morally and financially. This will no doubt let the team also have a sense of belonging moreso, that Crown FC is playing in the semi final stage of this year’s Federation Cup.With adequate support from the government,the State’s flagbearer can win the trophy for the state which has eluded the state for a very long time,” the statement held.

ketball as a tool to educate and teach core values such as dedication, discipline, and respect for others. We believe supporting the infrastructure of basketball in Africa via coaches, facilities and camps is imperative to create opportunities for African youth to play and develop both on and off the court. We are thrilled to be extending our reach to six African countries this year.”

Giants of Africa began hosting camps in Africa 14 years ago. Since the camps inception more than 100 camp attendees have moved on to high school or university in the United States, with approximately 18 participants now playing basketball professionally in Europe.

Modelled after the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders initiative, Giants of Africa holds two types of annual camps – Top 50 Camp and Big Man Camp. The Top 50 Camp focuses on the top 50 kids from across the country and provides campers with three intense days of instruction.

GOC, Abdulkarim lauds BOVAS management over golf sponsorship

Wants gesture extended to Crown FC

By Nurudeen Alimi

education. As part of the summer programme, the Giants of Africa team also conducts local community outreach initiatives in each country it visits. This year, the team will be supporting the following outreach programmes across Africa -- SEED Academy and Village Pilote in Senegal, The Village of Hope in Ghana, Little Saints Orphanage in Nigeria, Mully Children’s Family, as well as the installation of a new basketball court in Kiberia, (a partnership between Giants of Africa and H.E. Evans Kidero, the Governor of Nairobi County) in Kenya, Rafiki Club Kigali in Rwanda and the MPULE Foundation in Botswana.

“Encouraging the dreams of African youth is at the core of what we strive to achieve with Giants of Africa,” said Masai Ujiri, President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors.

“Basketball is a sport that has become increasingly popular across the globe.

And we want to support African youth by using bas-

By Olawale Olaniyan

The Lady captain, TGC, Mrs Oyinlola Omajuwa.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, who doubles as the patron of Tiger Golf Club (TGC), Major General K.I Abdulkarim, has lauded the management of BOVAS and Company Ltd for sponsoring the maiden edition of BOVAS invitational golf tournament.

Golfers from different clubs across the country participated in the one-day tournament.

Abdulkarim noted that golf is attracting impressive patronage from corporate bodies in Nigeria as the sport has grown in leaps and bounds through innovations.

He added that the game promotes a healthy and competitive culture as well as fostering the spirit of sportmanship amongst participants.

“I wish to congratulate and appreciate BOVAS and Company Ltd, sponsors of this tournament for their immense contributions towards the growth of the game in general and for the generous support to the Tiger Golf Club in particular.

“TGC has continued to attract large patronage from far and near, it is therefore my earnest belief that BOVAS will continue

with their sponsorship of this tournament.

“I understand that as the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, I am also the Patron of TGC, the huge responsibilities of this position are clear to me. In this regard, I assure you all that 2 Division will continue to support and promote initiatives that will promote the game of golf and the sustenance of a conducive atmosphere for its advancement in TGC,” Abdulkarim said.

Meanwhile, in his address, the Captain of the club, Dr John Dongo commended the effort of BOVAS over its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS).

“It is not by coincidence that the club is hosting the first BOVAS invitational golf tournament, when our dear country is in dire need of men, women and organisations that stand for integrity and dedication.

“Over the years, Architect and Mrs Bamidele Samson and the crew at BOVAS and Company Ltd have exhibited these principles to the admiration of all Nigerians,” Dongo noted.

Meanwhile, the tournament was won by the former Captain, Ibadan Golf Club, Prince Bayo Adeleke.

SIDELINES

NO 16,559

N150

WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST, 2016

Twenty-two states, according to reports, are currently owing pensioners their entitlements. How can we continue to sing that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain when pensioners are left to wallow in misery?

Paralympians receive free ceremonial wears THE Ministry of Youth and Sports today received free ceremonial apparels for athletes taking part in the Paralympic Games.

On the occasion, the donor of the apparels Safiya Asabe Bashir, a business woman said she was moved to donate the items when

she heard that there was no money to pay for the supplies.

“I heard the call during the news for corporate organisations to donate towards the Olympics so I decided to contribute my own quota by sewing 50 pieces of embroidered blouses and long skirts with kaftans and caps. I

feel happy but I didn’t expect it to be a big event like this. It’s just our own Corporate Social Responsibility. We have been doing it in one way or the other but we didn’t expect that this will help the Ministry or that we will get this kind of media coverage” Sefiya Bashir said.

Receiving the items, the Director Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) Hauwa Kulu- Akinyemi thanked the donor and called on other individuals and corporate companies to invest in partnerships which will take sports to greater heights.

Mrs Akinyemi charged the ath-

letes to work hard to bring glory to the country as many Nigerians were looking up to them for medals during the games.

The Paralympic Games start September 7 to 18, 2016. Nigeria will be taking part in Para athletics and powerlifting.

Dream Team to launch new kits against Japan NIGERIA Olympic team will launch the country’s newly designed jerseys by kit sponsors Nike beginning with the opening match against Japan on Friday, the Nigeria Football federation (NFF) have announced.

This new design is also what the Super Eagles will wear for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers beginning with the trip to Zambia on October 3.

The previous design was borrowed from Saudi Arabia, who are also kitted by Nike.

The NFF and Nike entered into an agreement last year after adidas pulled out as the country’s kit sponsors.

However, unlike adidas, Nike do not pay Nigeria a retainership fee.

The home kit is a solid green, with white ribbing around the back of the modern crewneck collar.

In keeping true to the national colours of Nigeria, the new away kit is white with a green stripe that runs the length of the sides of shirt and shorts, and a green stripe along the back of the collar.

The kits are driven by the Nike Dri-FIT technology, which draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts, where it quickly evaporates. This allows players to perform at their best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable.

The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in the key areas of the kit are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation and helping regulate players’ temperatures.

Quadri

Rio Olympics:

Team Nigeria gets opponents in table tennis event •As Quadri rated Africa’s best in singles

T

EAM Nigeria will today at the Riocentro Pavilion 3 in Rio know its opponents in the team and singles events of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Also as the best ranked player in Africa, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has gotten a bye to the second round of the men’s singles after the 2014 ITTF Star Player was listed among the top 32 players in the singles event of the Rio.

In the August 2016 ranking released by ITTF on Monday, Quadri remained the best player from Africa despite sliding to 40 from 38 while continental rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar plummeted to 55 from 41. And for the men’s singles event of the Rio Olympic Games, Quadri is rated 27 while Assar dropped to 37.

With this development, the Egyptian will start his campaign from the first round like segun

Onazi joins Turkish club, Trabzonspor

Onazi (left), contesting with Pogba

NIGERIA international, Ogenyi Onazi has joined Turkish Super League side Trabzonspor on a four-year-deal.

The Lazio midfielder, who was welcomed by a sizeable number of Trabzonspor supporters and club officials at Ataturk Airport, told AfricanFootball.com that he signed a four year deal.

“Thank you bros. I signed a four-year-deal with Trabzonspor,” he said.

Onazi was also a target of another Turkish club Besiktas.

The Jos-born star arrived in company of his agent Ayodele Makinwa.

Toriola and his sibling, Khaled in the men’s singles, while Quadri will commence his campaign from the second round.

In the team event, Nigeria may be drawn in same group with top teams as they are the third lowest ranked team in the men’s team event. 16 teams will battle for laurels in the team event while the teams will be drawn into four groups of four teams in each group. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinal stage.

According to ITTF, the men’s Singles and women’s singles will follow a knockout (single elimination) format, consisting of a preliminary round (conditional), round one (16 matches), round two (16 matches), round three (16 matches), round four (eight matches), quarterfinals (four matches), semifinals (two matches) and medal matches (two matches).

The entries ranked 1 to 16 will qualify directly to the third round, the entries ranked 17 to 32 to the second round and the entries ranked 33 to the total

number of participants will have to qualify to the first or preliminary rounds.

In the semifinals round, the winners advance to the gold medal match, in which the gold and silver medallists will be decided. The losers compete for the bronze medal In both men’s and women’s team events there will be 16 teams entered, each team representing an NOC. A team consists of three players but a team of two players is allowed to participate in the team match if the third player is absent due to injury, illness or disqualification.

If a player is not able to play a match due to injury or illness he or she will forfeit the match but he or she can participate in his or her subsequent matches of the team match. If a player is not able to play, the team may continue the competition with two players. If an NOC has a “P” athlete accreditation, a player can be replaced if the process of replacement is completed “P” athlete accreditation does NOT apply for replacing disqualified players.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 3/8/2016.